Vested interests sink Libra. There are certainly regulatory issues that need to be addressed with Facebook’s or any digital currency, but I suspect that the main reason for Libra’s failure is the protection of vested interests. The banking system as it exists to today is not fit for purpose. Despite massive consumer digitisation, it is still slow, overly bureaucratic, expensive...
Nice innovations but virtually no buyers. Google held a fairly subdued affair where it launched a new smartphone, earbuds, Chromebook and a smart home offering. The AI runs everything mantra has certainly been toned down this year as I expect it didn’t help volumes last year which remained pitiful. Instead, Google focused on the functionality of the new devices that...
Good and bad news for OEMs. Android Automotive has finally made it onto the Volvo XC40 marking Android Automotive’s arrival into the mainstream but it’s only the electric version supporting my view that OEMs have a little time to get their houses in order. Audi and Volvo announced their intention to use Android Automotive in 2017 and promises were made...
No change in technology outlook. The USA and China came to a very preliminary agreement on Friday which worked out better for China (in Alastair Newton’s opinion see attached) but did not address Huawei or the other technology issues meaning that the technology rivalry remains very much alive. By far the most important measure is the suspension of any further...
At least Dyson didn’t try and make his C5. As I suspected (see here), high margin vacuum cleaners, fans and air purifiers are much easier to make than electric vehicles which has resulted in Dyson pulling the plug on its ambitious plans to invest $3.1bn in the development of an electric vehicle. Dyson is a manufacturer of highly-priced consumer goods...
Waymo does not want to be beaten by Yandex. Waymo is removing drivers in its commercial autonomous fleet just in time to be on par with Yandex which is about to do the same at two sites in Russia. Waymo has announced to participants in its Arizona pilot program that fully driverless vehicles will soon be available for rides in...
Peloton effectively admits it has no IP. If Peloton has to resort to a dubious lawsuit to keep competition at bay, I think it is a tacit admission that it has no barriers to entry increasing my fears that the $6.5bn valuation is still much too high. This is especially the case as Echelon has just raised money at a...
Unlike Huawei, this one is not going to hurt. The entry of Huawei onto the entity list did real damage,e but I think that SenseTime, Megvii and the six others that have been placed on the list will be able to brush this aside without too much difficulty. The US has added eight new companies to the entity list as...
Its time will come. The characteristic of the Indian market that makes it such a poor market for Electrical Vehicles today, will ensure that when the time is right, India will quickly become a completely electric market. Data compiled by Bloomberg (see here) shows that while India has 150m drivers, only 8,000 electric vehicles have sold in the last 6...
Richard is founder, owner of research company, Radio Free Mobile. He has 16 years of experience working in sell side equity research. During his 11 year tenure at Nomura Securities, he focused on the equity coverage of the Global Technology sector.
Airbnb – Unfortunate brush.
Airbnb is not WeWork. Airbnb is being tarred with the WeWork, Uber and Lyft brush, but a closer look reveals a company that has already proved that it can make money. Whether the company is worth the $31bn it was valued at when it last raised money is a story for another day, but what is clear is that it...