Microsoft paid a lot for GitHub, because it had to pay directly for access to developers. It doesn’t have the leverage of users the way that Apple does on the App Store.
Internet Trends: Smartphones and Internet Usage, Tech’s Takeover, The Small Business Revolution, Tech’s Deflationary Effect
The slides that stood out to me from Mary Meeker’s annual Internet Trends report.
Spotify’s Earnings, Spotify’s Free Plan and Hulu Partnership, Snap’s Earnings
Spotify’s earnings were not what the market expected, but the company gained credibility. Snap, meanwhile, doesn’t have any credibility at all.
Apple’s Earnings, Facebook’s F8 Keynote, Facebook Dating
Apple’s earnings were less interesting than the expectations game. Facebook’s F8 conference, meanwhile, again cast Zuckerberg’s vision of technology in stark contrast to Steve Jobs. Plus, why Facebook Dating will likely flop.
Divine Discontent: Disruption’s Antidote
Apple has long defeated disruption by focusing on the user experience; Jeff Bezos and Amazon, though, show that user expectations for their experience are ever-changing.
Open, Closed, and Privacy
Just as encryption is only viable on closed systems, so it is that increased privacy regulations will only entrench walled gardens. That should affect thinking on regulation.
Google’s Messaging Announcement, Allo’s Go-to-Market Problem, Chat: The Open Alternative
Google’s announced Chat, which is not a new messaging service but the adoption of a new messaging protocol to replace SMS. It’s not an ideal outcome, but the only possible one.
The End of Windows
The Windows division no longer exists at Microsoft, marking the end to a four-year process of changing Microsoft’s culture.
Stratechery 4.0 Follow-up, Apple’s Educational Event, The Meaning of Better
A quick aside as to why Stratechery doesn’t have an app, then a review of Apple’s educational event, and why the company’s business model limits it in education relative to Google.
Five Years, Facebook’s Apology, Facebook’s New Scandal
First, a reminder that social media has big benefits, before diving back in to Facebook’s burgeoning scandal; it seems clear the company doesn’t understand exactly what it is facing.