Apple announced end-to-end encryption for iCloud, even as it officially abandoned its on-device CSAM-scanning approach; the details of its plan leave open the door for scanning in the cloud.
Musk vs. Apple; Advertising, App Store Review, and 30%; Google Headcount
Elon Musk vs. Apple has felt like an inevitability, and the battle was joined over advertising, App Store control, and 30% fees. Plus, Google’s money-making employee base is remarkably small.
Disney Expectations, Twitter Expectations, Silicon Valley Expectations
Bob Chapek’s failure was about managing expectations; expectations are why the perception of Musk’s tenure have switched. The ultimate impact may be on Silicon Valley as a whole.
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.
Narratives
What Elon Musk got wrong about Twitter, journalists and VCs got wrong about FTX, and Peter Thiel got wrong about crypto and AI — and why I made many of the same mistakes along the way.
Two Apple Items, Twitter Cash Flow, Twitter Versus Advertisers
Two Apple updates about ATT and China, then, more on Twitter’s cash flow situation, and Elon Musk discovers that freedom is often structural
An Interview with Eugene Wei About Streaming and Social Media
An interview with Eugene Wei about streaming and social media, including Netflix, TikTok, Twitter, and why the first wave of social networks were a fundamental mismatch with human nature.
Musk’s Twitter Blue; A Twitter Subscription, Revisited; Apple Earnings
Elon Musk’s Twitter Blue proposal seems reasonable, and the company is not in as dire financial straits as reported. Then, revisiting the idea of a Twitter business model pivot, and why Apple’s services revenue is so impressive.
Meta Myths
Meta deserves a bit of a discount off of its recent highs, but a number of myths about its business have caused the market to over-react.
Snap Earnings, What Spiegel Wouldn’t Say, Snap’s Direct Sales Reset
Snap’s earnings were bad, and even worse when you dig into the details. It appears the company is back to the basics of ad selling (and that’s not great for Elon Musk).