Archive for August, 2012
‘Top In-App Purchases’
Aug. 18, ‘12: Sounds about right.
Twitter drops its T-bomb on developers
Aug. 16, ‘12: I’ve posted my reaction on ReadWriteWeb. The gist is similar to my “Understanding Twitter” post from last month. In short: Twitter needs to create a billion-dollar ad biz, ASAP, or all bets are off.
It’s A Great Time For Magazines
Aug. 16, ‘12: It is, for the most part, a challenging time to be a “magazine company”. Circulation at newsstands is down 10% this year, for instance. Time Inc.’s operating income decreased 43% year-over-year during the June quarter, on 9% lower sales. But … Continue reading →
The cable guys win again
Aug. 16, ‘12: Good summary by Peter Kafka why Apple isn’t going to change the TV business anytime soon. (Context: A WSJ article reporting that Apple is talking with the cable companies about some sort of Apple TV “box”.) If you want to … Continue reading →
The New iPhone: The 3 Features I Actually Care About
Aug. 14, ‘12: It looks like Apple will be launching the new iPhone in about a month. After spending the last 2 years using an iPhone 4 and 4S, here’s all I want from the new one. (Besides iOS 6, of course.) Speed. The … Continue reading →
The Needle & The Mouse
Aug. 14, ‘12: A new show that my wife and I just launched, discussing the collision of fashion and technology. (Episode 1: “Why Are TVs So Ugly?”) Check it out or subscribe via iTunes.
Starbucks’ Mobile Brilliance Goes Far Beyond Payments
Aug. 9, ‘12: Starbucks has been getting a lot of praise this week for its mobile-payment savvy, including its recent deal with Square. But it’s worth highlighting how Starbucks has been doing interesting and smart things with mobile for years. One example is Starbucks’ … Continue reading →
Burner
Aug. 8, ‘12: Cool new iPhone app for creating short-term, disposable phone numbers for calls and text messages. Calls use your voice minutes, and the service isn’t free, but could be easily worth it. $2 in the App Store. (Via Amol Sarva.)
Let’s Clear Up Some Details About Square’s Big Partnership With Starbucks
Aug. 8, ‘12: Last night, Square announced that it would take over credit-card processing for Starbucks stores and that Starbucks would now accept Square as a payment tool. It’s a big deal, but it left more questions than answers. This morning, I attended … Continue reading →
Square Signs Up Starbucks
Aug. 8, ‘12: A surprising and interesting move. Here’s the press release and here’s Square CEO Jack Dorsey’s memo. In short, Square will start processing all of Starbucks’ credit card transactions and Starbucks stores will accept Square as a form of payment.* (Starbucks … Continue reading →