Didi has acquired Uber China. This Update goes through the history of ride-sharing in China, why Uber China was doomed, and evaluates whether Uber China was worth the investment.
Snapchat’s Facebook Moment, China Cracks Down on Apps and Social Networks
A quick follow-up on Tesla, where Elon Musk continues to demonstrate how not to win the battle over self-driving cars. Then, Snapchat is getting the Facebook treatment, some of it legitimate, and some of it not, and China is cracking down on apps and social networks
The Brexit Possibility
Brexit’s downsides are clear; might tech help realize upsides in building something new based on a new world order?
Brexit and Tech; More on Musk, Tesla, and Solar City; The Allure of Live: Facebook and ESPN
Why Brexit would be bad for U.S. tech companies, Why Tesla May be Hurt Even if Solar City Isn’t Acquired, and the power of live for escapism and sports
Apple, Didi, and Occam’s Razor; Uber in China
Apple investing $1 billion in Didi could signify all kinds of things, but only one explanation makes sense. The big loser, though, is Uber.
Apple’s Run, Apple Earnings and the iPhone Upgrade Cycle, The iPhone in China
Apple had an amazing run, but now there are very real questions about the iPhone, in no small part because Apple itself doesn’t seem sure what is going on.
Twitter Earnings; Twitter Retrenches; Facebook, Andreessen and India
Twitter’s earnings had good and bad parts, and one big red flag. More interesting was the company’s decision to retrench and own “live.” Then, how Facebook and Marc Andreessen managed to screw up so badly.
Josh Horwitz: Uber in China, What Uber Got Right, Is Second Place Winning?
Ben is on vacation; in a guest post, Josh Horwitz explores Uber in China. What did they get right that so many other Western companies get wrong, and is it sustainable? What if they are only ever second place?
Xiaomi’s Struggles, Samsung Hardware Rumors
Xiaomi is struggling to justify its valuation; in fact there have been signs for a long time that their valuation was unrealistic all along. Plus, Samsung returns to hardware differentiation.
Meituan-Dianping Merge in China, Facebook Messenger’s Business Model, Facebook and Teens
China’s O2O market is in the consolidation phase, and the competition is fierce. That, though, helps highlight why an advertising business model is sometimes so attractive, like, for example, the one that Facebook has. Plus, why the “Facebook has a problem with teens” narrative really isn’t a big deal