As October came to a close, three of the five largest American tech companies beat earnings expectations.
The quarterly results of Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet were impressive, with each firm bringing in both more revenue and profit than analysts had expected. And, as we explored at the time, the companies managed to come up with their wins in unique fashion. And so it goes this time… Read More
Category: Column
Covert influence is the new money laundering
As more media companies realize Russia bought advertising space or promoted news stories — fake and otherwise — on their platforms, covert influence has become the new money laundering. Both activities hide below the surface of legitimate enterprises, cast a shadow of disrepute on those very enterprises and can be neutralized through transparency and accountability. Read More
What’s holding back VR?
When it comes to virtual reality, we’re in a classic tech-industry moment: lots of chatter but seemingly little movement. We hear future-focused cheerleading from all corners about VR’s incredible potential, yet the 6.3 million headsets shipped last year is hardly cause for a ticker-tape parade. So what’s holding back VR? Read More
Quantifying the driverless startup boom
For driverless car startups, raising capital seems to happen on autopilot. Investors and acquirers have put billions into the space over the past couple of years in the race for early-mover advantage. They’ve shown no desire to hit the brakes lately either, as indicated by a spate of recent deals. Read More
Quantifying the driverless startup boom
For driverless car startups, raising capital seems to happen on autopilot. Investors and acquirers have put billions into the space over the past couple of years in the race for early-mover advantage. They’ve shown no desire to hit the brakes lately either, as indicated by a spate of recent deals. Read More
Why the ‘end of the startup era’ could be great for entrepreneurs
Three prominent tech thinkers recently declared the end of the startup era, questioned the future of tech innovation generally and heralded the rise of the “Frightful Five” — Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google and Microsoft — who will dominate the future of tech. All of the posts make credible arguments, but ignore how consolidation could be good, even great, for startups. Read More
New technology puts the AI in aid for US veterans
As part of their latest endeavor to improve care for our country’s combat vets, the Department of Veterans Affairs has invested in a rapidly advancing form of intelligence: the artificial kind. The opportunity to use this growing tech to improve veteran healthcare has rightfully attracted positive attention to some intriguing new initiatives. Read More
How cities can harness the good — and avoid the bad — of the new mobility movement
In late September, London made headlines when it stripped popular ride-hailing app Uber of its license to operate in the city. The wall-to-wall coverage that followed the decision was a sign, if any more were needed, that we are on the cusp of an urban mobility revolution. Read More
Thoughts on the #techhearings from my time in Product Safety at Twitter
I created the Product Safety and Security Team at Twitter. At different points in time I was responsible for the engineering of tools to mitigate abuse, compromised accounts and the login infrastructure, up to, and including, 2 factor authenticat…
View More Thoughts on the #techhearings from my time in Product Safety at TwitterThe Golden Knights, live gambling and the future of live sports attendance
One of the biggest early season NHL stories has been the success of the expansion Las Vegas Golden Knights. If they can maintain anything close to current attendance and demand levels, their sports-gambling-friendly approach may do more than just help the NHL solve the “warm-weather problem” — it could be the biggest boon to event attendance since the advent of the dome. Read More