A Word About Word
I love how loyal Microsoft Word is to subject-object prioritization. Continue reading A Word About Word
Author: David
Selective Regulation
This morning’s Times article on dangerously high levels of pollution in China presents an interesting contrast with much of the country’s other, hands-on policies. By virtue of being a Communist state, China owns – outright or in part – and regulates virtually every major national sector. China Mobile? State owned. Phone maker ZTE? Formed from the ribs of state organizations. PertroChina? You betcha. What these degrees of ownership and oversight mean is that, obviously, Beijing plays favorites with homegrown enterprises, and will squeeze or sanction any foreign firms that don’t play by its rules. The Party knows that it has a large consumer base, and it uses that fact as a fulcrum in ensuring that corporations like Disney don’t depict subversive content, Google filters its search results, and Apple provides upgraded customer service. In fact, the latest Apple charge seems strongly government-instigated, demonstrating that if you can’t join ’em (at least in a venture), you might as well beat ’em. Continue reading “Selective Regulation”
Social Singing
Twitter is gearing up to imminently release some sort of music recommendation service, thanks to its recent acquisition of We Are Hunted. It’s hard to tell what exactly the service will offer, but it may not directly compete with heavyweights like Spotify, Pandora, or the upcoming Apple radio service – opting instead to serve as … Continue reading Social Singing
Samsung Launches New Phone, Dubbed Tonolith
Yesterday, Samsung announced that it started production on the Galaxy Giant, a 58.3-inch Android smartphone that stands almost five feet tall. The phone packs a 1.4GHz Snapdragon processor, 16GB of onboard memory, and the usual layer of TouchWiz. Samsung made it clear that “this is not a tablet or television. It’s simply a large smartphone that we know our customers will love.” Cynics, who felt that the “phablet” definition no longer applies, have dubbed the device a “tonolith,” after the large obsidian slab featured in Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film, 2001: A Space Odyssey. Continue reading “Samsung Launches New Phone, Dubbed Tonolith”
Calling an Audible
T-Mobile, in many respects, has its back to the wall. It did not carry the iPhone until this week. Its 4G network still lags behind those of Verizon and AT&T. And one year ago, AT&T dropped its $39 billion acquisition plans, in light of opposition from the Justice department. And its relatively small hold on the US phone market has meant that the T-Mobile still lags among the big four phone carriers.
Repatriation
Guess which firm and founder fits the following example:
A once-dominant company, brought to its knees by competition from Apple and Amazon, is faced with dropping sales, a sinking share price, and angry shareholders. In walks the silver-haired founder of the company, who volunteers part of his reduced, if still substantial fortune, in order to buy the company and save the brand.
A Brief Surface to Air Comparison
I recently rediscovered Apple’s 2008 commercial for the original Macbook Air, and was surprised to find that it packed the same visual, emotional appeal that it did five years ago – even in the post-PC, iPad-centric era.
The Social Sell: Valentine’s Day Edition
If Twitter partners with Amex to take on eCommerce, you can be sure that Facebook will make its own effort, too.
The Social Sell
Yesterday, I bought a $25 American Express Gift Card for $15. The neat thing is, I did it on Twitter. I’m not sure if this sort of selling is necessarily going to be the next big thing in eCommerce, but it is certainly a compelling development in how Twitter – which recently raised the per-day cost of its “Promoted Tweet” to $200,000 – is seeking to monetize its product. Similarly, Facebook is experimenting with a ticket purchase option for some events, demonstrating Social Media’s interest – and need – to expand from simple advertising platforms to facilitators of consumer engagement – and purchases.
Disney and Diversification
Yesterday, Disney announced that its profit dropped to $1.36 billion on $11.34 billion in revenue, reflecting a dip in the company’s margins, despite growing revenue. I found the earnings report fascinating in that it reflects the company’s profound diversification into non-film endeavors: the movie division booked only $234 million in profit, representing only about one-fifth … Continue reading Disney and Diversification
Silicon Spatula 