Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was back on the hill, using his usual talking points; the contrast with a Chinese news app, facing its own political pressure, was striking. Plus, why Apple’s Siri hire is so important.
Uber Acquires JUMP, Background on Bikes, Uber’s New Strategy?
Uber has acquired JUMP, the dockless e-bike company. It’s an acquisition that makes sense for both sides, and suggests that Uber has a more coherent strategy than previously.
Ring, Alarm.com, and Bottom-up Ecosystem Building; Dropbox and Timing; Apple, China, Microsoft, the United States
More follow-up on both Ring/Amazon and Dropbox, then why Apple in China explains why the Supreme Court should rule in favor or tech companies.
Apple Follow-Up, Apple Earnings, Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai Steps Down
Is Apple setting itself up for disruption, or will its integration lead to more markets? Its earnings offer evidence in both directions, and worrisome China results. Then, Kazuo Hirai steps down after setting Sony on the only sustainable path.
AT&T Pulls Out of Huawei Deal, Apple’s Other China Problem, YouTube’s Logan Paul Decision
AT&T skipped out on its deal with Huawei, reportedly under political pressure. Expect more tech issues between the U.S. and China, and Apple has the most to lose.
Apple-WeChat Follow-up, Windows 10 S and the Education Market
Apple was never in a position to respond to WeChat, just as Microsoft couldn’t respond to Google. Then, Chromebooks win in education for more reasons than cost.
Apple’s China Problem
Apple had mixed earnings: most of the world was great, but China was bad again. The reason is that in China WeChat matters more than iOS.
Xiaomi Retrenches, Lenovo’s Smartphone Struggles, The Chinese Consumer Market and Smartphones
Xiaomi’s CEO confirms how and why the company went wrong; then, why I got Lenovo wrong when it comes to smartphones. Plus, why China is such a challenging market for everyone, including Apple.
Airbnb Christmas Q&A, Airbnb and Flights, Apple-China Follow-up
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky had a Twitter Q&A on Christmas, which is a terrible idea for product development but an interesting insight into the power Airbnb derives from owning users. Might that be applied to flights? Then, more on Apple and China.
Trump Appoints China Hawk to Trade Council, Apple and Chinese Manufacturing, Automation and Apple’s Risk
Tech generally and Apple in particular has reason to be concerned about Trump’s recent appointments; the company would be the biggest loser in any trade dispute