Does Angela Ahrendts’ departure from Apple signify a pivot in retail? Then, Microsoft’s earnings highlighted how the company has benefited from its focus on being a horizontal company.
China Blocks Bing; Tencent, China, and Apple; Atlassian’s Earnings
China blocks Bing, which raises more questions for the most successful foreign service provider in China: Apple. Then, Tencent gets some games approved, and how Atlassian and Netflix are similar.
Discord and Its Game Store, Fortnite and the Social Aspect of Gaming, Game Store Competition
Discord is the Slack of gaming; that is valuable, but has to be monetized indirectly. Plus, the social aspect of gaming, and how competition in PC gaming stores is good for everyone.
Antitrust, the App Store, and Apple
Apple’s case before the Supreme Court is about standing; Apple has a strong case. That, though, doesn’t mean the App Store isn’t a monopoly — and that Apple isn’t increasingly predicated on rent-seeking.
Happy Thanksgiving, Tencent Earnings, Fox Sports MLB Deal
Happy Thanksgiving! Tencent’s earnings and impressive diversification, and the impact on Apple, plus why MLB’s new deal with Fox shows that sports are as valuable as ever.
Apple’s Earnings; Apple, Tencent, and China; iPad Pro Reviews
Apple’s earnings point towards a disappointing quarter, and there are also clouds on the “services narrative” horizon, particularly in China. Then, Apple’s (ongoing) mistake with the iPad.
IBM-Red Hat Follow-up, Microsoft’s Earnings, Amazon’s Earnings
More on IBM and Red Hat, then Microsoft and Amazon’s earnings.
The Problem with Facebook and Virtual Reality
Virtual reality has always been destined to be less important than augmented reality, and Facebook taking a stake has never made much sense.
Xbox All Access Pass, The Eighth-Generation of Consoles, Console Subscriptions: Now and the Future
Microsoft is announcing a new subscription plan for Xbox that includes the console; it is modest for now, but could be a bigger deal in the future.
Fortnite’s Bad Bug, Epic’s Complaint, The Downside of Open
Fortnite has a bad bug, and while the company is being blamed for circumventing the Play Store, Android’s design is a big part of the problem.