The NYT reported last week that Amazon had recruited Louis CK, Sacha Baron Cohen, and other comedians to produce a raft of new shows for Amazon’s Prime Video service. It’s clear that Amazon – like its video competitors Netflix and Hulu – is doubling down on its investment in content production, especially after Transparent took home … Continue reading It’s All About Content
I was pretty sure I’d never use the word “blackberry” on this blog again, except for, perhaps, a granola recipe. But the news is out that the erstwhile smartphone leader is releasing a keyboard slider Android handset, aimed at the business and security-minded crew. I’m not going to say “I told you so.” I’ll just … Continue reading Blackberry is (Kinda) Back
Two years ago, this small change might well have allowed Twitter to more effectively expand from just social media and news aggregation into messaging. But at this juncture, I think Facebook has that market locked up. Continue reading Missed Opportunities
Japanese messaging service Line rolled out a new app called Line Here – separate from its popular platform – that allows users to share their location with multiple parties, in real time. I find it interesting that Line – which is very popular in Asia, but trails Whatsapp and Facebook Messenger in the US – … Continue reading Line’s New App
This past weekend, the Wall Street Journal had a compelling article on the rise of phone-reading. It noted that readers have abandoned paperbacks, tablets, and even e-readers in favor of increasingly large-screened phones. Publishers are following suit. To engage readers, publishers are now experimenting with ways to make the mobile-reading experience better. They are designing book … Continue reading E-Reading
The New York Times today sheds light on rumors that Facebook has gone directly to media labels, offering to directly premiere and host music videos on Facebook, rather than on YouTube or Vevo, the traditional options. If true, this strategic move echoes the news outlet deal Facebook inked back in May, wherein written content producers like The … Continue reading Cutting Out the Media Middleman
Most people consider Costco the place to buy bulk boxes of toilet paper or industrial amounts of Raisin Bran. But two interesting statistics I saw this week point to the fact that Costco is a player in both the automotive and organic food aisles: Marketplace reported: A growing number of Costco members are also turning to the company … Continue reading Costco’s Volume
About darn time. No cloud home for your photos is complete without the ability to download them easily. For the first time, we’re bringing you bulk download. Continue reading Flickr
I love the flippancy of this part of Mick Jagger’s brief interview with Rolling Stone: Does retirement ever cross your mind? Nah, not in the moment. I’m thinking about what the next tour is. I’m not thinking about retirement. I’m planning the next set of tours, so the answer is really, “No, not really.” Continue reading The Stones
We had a half of a Fairway baguette lying around the kitchen. Needless to say, my wife makes excellent croutons. Continue reading Croutons
Silicon Spatula 