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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

“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.”

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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