There are two types of social networks, and Facebook wants to be both. The problem is that the company already chose public sharing over private communication.
Update on the Fight over iPhone Security, Encryption Under Attack, WhatsApp Adds Encryption
There have been significant developments when it comes to the debate over security, in which reasonable people can disagree; unsurprisingly it is on the verge of shifting to a debate about encryption. This is a fight that has only one right answer.
Snapchat Follow-up; WeChat, Facebook Messenger, and iMessage; Microsoft’s Bot Parade
Some follow-up on Snapchat, where it fits alongside Facebook Messenger and iMessage, then a discussion of where all the “bot” talk is coming from. Then, Microsoft jumped all in on bots: what does it mean, and what should they do next.
Snapchat’s Ladder
Snapchat is on the verge of conquering the toughest messaging market in the world: the United States. The way they did it is by laddering-up.
Sundar Pichai’s Greatest Achievement To-Date, The VR Era Begins, Facebook Versus Oculus
The Oculus Rift officially launches today, and will be followed soon by the HTC Vive and the Sony PlayStation VR. I’m optimistic about virtual reality, but I still don’t understand why Facebook is involved: the company should learn from Google and Android.
Instagram’s Algorithmic Feed, Apple and the Cloud, Microsoft and Okta
Instagram is changing the feed, and even though users say they don’t like it it’s the right decision. Plus, why Snapchat may be a threat. Then, two pieces of news about Apple and the cloud, both good and bad. Plus, Microsoft is still competitive, and rightly so.
Amazon Echo Expands, The Nest Failure, Microsoft and Slack
There are a lot of useful lessons to draw from Amazon Echo’s early success, particularly when placed in contrast to Google’s Nest. Microsoft should pay heed if in fact they had a chance to buy Slack.
Voters Decide Follow-up, Slack Raising Money, Quitting Slack
Follow up on my article about Aggregation Theory and politics, and then a discussion of the import of Slack’s latest fundraising and why “Quitting Slack” stories aren’t representative.
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.
The Reality of Missing Out
Tech is entering a period of inequality where the big winners lift the sector as a whole even as smaller companies suffer. The best example is Facebook, Google, and digital advertising.