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European Tech Analysis

Posted on 10. February 2015 Written by Marcel Weiss

Google may lose interest in Android. Google’s money comes from a variety of services, such as search and Maps, that work great on all platforms, on mobile and desktop. Android may become a distraction. Google everywhere is more important than Google on Android.

Non-Google Android, via Amazon, via China and India handset makers, may stumble upon the next big thing.

The Smartphone Wars Are Over. Nope.
Two good points to think about.

https://newnetland.com/2015-02-google-may-lose-interest-in-android-googles/

Filed Under: Links

Posted on 28. January 2015 Written by Marcel Weiss

While building free hike calls, we kept two things in mind. Firstly, India is a very cost sensitive market and as a result we’ve ensured that our service is extremely efficient on data. It means our users can pack in many more minutes per MB when calling on hike. Secondly, we’ve made hike’s free calling service available globally in over 200 countries. Hikers from India can now speak with their loved ones in India and across the world for free.

Introducing Free Hike Calls

Change is upon voice calls. Price for contracts will not change but functionality will.

https://newnetland.com/2015-01-while-building-free-hike-calls-we-kept-two/

Filed Under: Links

Posted on 8. December 2014 Written by Marcel Weiss

Epic’s Unreal game engine is the premier game development software for professional game studios. And starting last year, anyone can get access to their software (previously $100,000 per license) for a measly $20/month, plus 5% gross sales. On the surface, this seems insane and unsustainable considering the hundreds of man-years that go into its development. Epic isn’t crazy, they just remembered the cardinal rule of professional tool building: your customers use your product to make money. So instead of charging a massive up-front fee, they encourage customers to explore their toolset and build whatever they want. If you make a hit game, Epic makes their money. This approach is proving effective for Epic, particularly in next-gen consoles where it’s been difficult for indie game developers to make inroads.

Professional App Pricing

https://newnetland.com/2014-12-epics-unreal-game-engine-is-the-premier-game/

Filed Under: Links

Posted on 28. October 2014 Written by Marcel Weiss

“In several months of reporting on Uber, I have yet to come across a single driver earning the equivalent of $90,766 a year. Those I’ve spoken with report that they gross around $1,000 a week after commission and sales tax—but before gas and other expenses—for annual income closer to $50,000. And despite broadcasting the $90,766 figure far and wide, Uber has so far proved unable to produce one driver earning that amount.”

Uber driver salary: The ride-sharing company says its drivers make great money, but its math just doesn’t add up.

https://newnetland.com/2014-10-in-several-months-of-reporting-on-uber-i-have/

Filed Under: Links

Posted on 3. July 2014 Written by Marcel Weiss

AGL is a collaborative project sponsored by the Linux Foundation that brings together a host of partners from the automotive industry, communications, computing hardware, academia and other sectors. The first release of the open source operating system, which appeared June 30 and is available for free online, is based on Tizen IVI, a Linux-based platform designed to provide operating system solutions for a broad range of devices, from smartphones to TVs to cars to laptops.

Automotive Grade Linux Released for Open Source Cars | Open Source Application Software Companies content from The VAR Guy

Faszinating that it is based on Samsungs Tizen. Might not amount to much. But at least there are alternatives to Apples and Googles offerings for car manufacturers.

If I were a car manufacturer I would play the multihoming card even more heavily than what they do already.

What I mean by that: Don’t only integrate iOS and Androids car cousins but also any viable third option.

https://newnetland.com/2014-07-agl-is-a-collaborative-project-sponsored-by-the/

Filed Under: Links

Posted on 4. June 2014 Written by Marcel Weiss

InterContinental Hotels Group and Starwood executives are concerned about losing market share to Airbnb and appear unsure about the peer-to-peer apartment sharing site’s long-term impact. “I think for us to say we’re not concerned or focused on Airbnb, would be very short-sighted,” Simon Turner, president of global development at Starwood Hotels and Resorts, said during a panel discussion at the 36th Annual New York University International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference in Manhattan June 3.

Starwood, IHG Execs Worried About Losing Market Share to Airbnb – Skift

Airbnb is on the radar of hotel executives. For good reason.

https://newnetland.com/2014-06-intercontinental-hotels-group-and-starwood/

Filed Under: Links

Posted on 15. April 2014 Written by Marcel Weiss

Rather than copying Facebook’s old school website, I think twitter might be better served copying Facebook’s conglomerate approach. In particular by creating a second app for casual users along the lines of Facebook Paper.

Twitter should copy Facebook the Conglomerate or Facebook Paper, not Facebook the web site. | Praxtime

I agree.

https://newnetland.com/2014-04-rather-than-copying-facebooks-old-school-website/

Filed Under: Links

Posted on 28. March 2014 Written by Marcel Weiss

According to several people I’ve spoken to, Facebook found during testing that users who were switched to the new News Feed tended to spend less time on the site. Specifically, they spent less time browsing areas outside of the News Feed, like their friends’ profiles and event pages, which are currently some of the most visited parts of Facebook. After an investigation into the problem by Facebook’s data team, they discovered that the new News Feed was performing too well. It was performing so well from a design standpoint that users no longer felt the need to browse areas outside of the News Feed as often, so they were spending less time on the site. Unfortunately, this change in user behavior led to fewer advertisement impressions, which led, ultimately, to less revenue.

Dustin Curtis in Whatever goes up, that’s what we do

Fascinating if true. Facebooks once famously introduced the news feed despite its function of decreasing page views in the short term. German competitors like studiVZ did not introduce something similar because they didn’t want to lose any precious page impression.

If Facebook reached a point where they don’t innovate on the news feed because it is too successful it is time to worry about the company.

It makes them ripe for disruption. Especially now with the shift to mobile where the greatest feed will win.

https://newnetland.com/2014-03-according-to-several-people-ive-spoken-to/

Filed Under: Links Tagged With: Facebook, news feed

Posted on 16. September 2013 Written by Marcel Weiss

Music is mainly purchased through aggregators like iTunes and Spotify who charge a hefty tariff. You need a comprehensive catalog to convince users to commit to a payment relationship.

In-app payments on iOS and Android are the one place where paid snacks exist at scale. They have been wildly successful, quickly becoming the dominant business model for games, replacing up-front payments and banner ads. (There are individual games that generate over one billion dollars per year from in-app payments.) Outside of games, entrepreneurs have started building interesting new products that wouldn’t have been viable without in-app payments.

The Internet is for snacking – Chris Dixon

https://newnetland.com/2013-09-music-is-mainly-purchased-through-aggregators-like/

Filed Under: Links

Posted on 26. August 2013 Written by Marcel Weiss

And yet, under Ballmer, everyone at Apple would be working so hard, and be making so much money, both for themselves and for Apple’s shareholders, that they would ensure that Apple never again reinvents consumer computing.
See, if Steve Ballmer were the CEO, Apple would make more money, but they would slowly but surely become irrelevant. Just like Microsoft.
[..]

Ballmer did exactly what our capitalist system dictate he do: he maximized profits to the benefit of Microsoft’s shareholders. The implications of suggesting he was a failure are far more profound than most of his many critics likely realize.

If Steve Ballmer Ran Apple

Faszinating analysis by Ben Thompson. If you look closely you can see arguments being made which are being talked about constantly by Horace Dediu.

I think we are close to the beginning of a sea change in business science.

https://newnetland.com/2013-08-and-yet-under-ballmer-everyone-at-apple-would-be/

Filed Under: Links

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Analysis and links to articles on the big picture of the tech industry and the networked information economy.

Author: Marcel Weiss is a writer, consultant and fighter for pareto-optima. He is thinking and linking from Berlin, Germany.

contact: marcel@neunetz.com

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