Google vs. Amazon – Battle of the Home pt II.

Reply to this post           Alexa still ahead despite very poor performance. New data suggests that Google Assistant is even more superior to Amazon Alexa than RFM’s tests have suggested, but still Google remains at risk of suffering a Betamax-like defeat (see here). The digital agency, 360i has written a piece of proprietary software aimed at...

Microsoft & Facebook – BFF

Reply to this post           I see Microsoft and Facebook creeping quietly together.  I continue to think that Facebook and Microsoft make very good partners and I see them doing more and more together over the long-term. In addition to building an undersea cable together (see here), Facebook and Microsoft have a long history of collaboration...

Etsy – Red flags.

Reply to this post           Etsy serves as a warning to Uber. The struggles of e-commerce player Etsy is yet another sign how important it is for a network business to have either 60% share or be double the size of its next competitor. This should serve as a warning to Uber. Etsy is an e-commerce...

Snap Inc. – Snap in the box.

Reply to this post           Facebook keeps Snap Inc. in its box. Despite launching in August 2016, Instagram Stories has been extremely successful in mitigating the threat from Snap Inc. as it already has 50% more users than Snapchat. In a blog detailing some feature updates, Facebook has disclosed that Instagram Stories now has over 250m...

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Digital Car – Sitting ducks pt. II

Reply to this post           The best automotive infotainment unit is the one in my pocket A car maker with a future is a car maker that realises how vital its data is and pays the buyers of its vehicles for the right to use it. This also has the added benefit of creating a relationship...

Facebook – Soft target

Reply to this post           Facebook chasing broadcast rather than Netflix or YouTube. Facebook’s move into Media Consumption is well underway but it looks to me to be going after broadcast rather than premium or user-generated content. Facebook has closed a deal for a reality TV show called Last State Standing and is close to doing...

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Tencent – Feathering the nest

Reply to this post           Rovio could help Tencent spread its wings. Rovio is almost certainly past its prime but it has an asset that could be capitalised on should the right buyer come along. Tencent is not showing any real signs of being the right buyer at the moment but its ownership of Supercell makes...

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Airbnb – American losing streak

Reply to this post           Airbnb unlikely to win in China. Airbnb, like Uber and Amazon before it, has fight on its hands when it comes to the Chinese market meaning that it will have to do something very different to break the current losing streak. Apple is the one exception which I think is due...

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Facebook – Dial M pt. II

Reply to this post           Very little AI in the assistant that has launched. Now that Facebook’s digital assistant is available in the wild, one can see how simplistic it is indicating just how far Facebook still has to go to get a real grip on making its services more intelligent. Facebook M has been in...

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E3 2017 – Glaring omission

Reply to this post           Very little interest in mobile gaming at E3. E3 is the biggest trade show for the computer games industry but it still seems to be ignoring one of its most important segments: gaming on mobile devices. Mobile gaming is radically different from gaming on PCs and consoles in three ways: First:...