The UK blocks Microsoft’s Activision acquisition using a market definition that makes no sense; then, Google and Microsoft’s earnings both talked about AI, but the discussion was more favorable to Microsoft
The End of Silicon Valley (Bank)
Silicon Valley Bank bears responsibility for its demise, but it symbolizes a Silicon Valley reality that is very different from the myth — and the ultimate cause is tech itself.
Meta and the Quest Pro; Meta and VR as Console; Microsoft, Activision, and the EU
Mets seems to be abandoning the Quest Pro. Meanwhile, is the Quest for gaming? That the question isn’t clear — nor the answer — gets to they VR and AR remain questionable investments.
EU Narrows Apple Case, Snap’s My AI
The European Commission closes on a ruling that makes sense for Apple’s App Store, and Snap launches their own OpenAI-powered chat bot
Section 230 in the Supreme Court, Reach and Speech, The First Amendment and U.S. Speech Controls
Section 230 is going before the Supreme Court: are content recommendations covered like moderation? A loss for Google would be an opportunity for Congress to protect essential rights.
An Interview with Eric Seufert About Meta’s Earnings and the Google-DOJ Case
An interview with Eric Seufert about Meta’s earnings, the ATT recession, new European regulations, and the DOJ-Google antitrust case.
DOJ Sues Google, Google’s Advertising Aggregation, No Duty to Deal
The DOJ’s lawsuit against Google details a lot of anti-competitive behavior, but the underlying source of Google’s strength is Aggregation.
FTC Fines Epic, Netflix Ads, YouTube and the NFL
Epic’s FTC settlement is a reminder about the value of the App Store. Then, Netflix’s ad weakness is disappointing but not surprising, while the YouTube/NFL deal could have been worse for cable companies and other leagues.
Consoles and Competition
Reviewing the history of video games explains why Sony is dominant today, and why Microsoft is actually introducing competition, not limiting it.
The AI Moat Debate, Continued; Twitter’s Regulatory Risks; Twitter and Advertisers, Continued
More on Twitter, including the company’s real regulatory risk, and following-up on advertisers pulling back.