GoPro – Needs a hero

Reply to this post           GoPro must make the ecosystem its top priority. I think that GoPro will soon begin to really struggle as the hardware element of its product becomes less and less relevant. The outlook for GoPro is exactly the same as it is for almost every other seller of consumer electronics: execute on...

  • Comments Off on GoPro – Needs a hero
  • 103

Magic Leap – Field of dreams

Reply to this post           I think that Magic Leap has solved the field of view problem in AR. There are many augmented reality (AR) companies out there but the best financed is almost certainly Magic Leap. AR is very different from virtual reality as VR creates an entirely artificial world while AR superimposes virtual objects...

  • Comments Off on Magic Leap – Field of dreams
  • 124

Yahoo! – Extended sentence.

Reply to this post           Investors are sentenced to another year of fumbling and uncertainty. Yahoo!’s management appeared weary and browbeaten when it announced that instead of spinning out Alibaba, it would spin out everything else leaving Alibaba alone inside the old company. The rationale behind this change is simply that spinning Alibaba carries a risk...

  • Comments Off on Yahoo! – Extended sentence.
  • 133

Firefox OS – The Walking Dead.

Reply to this post           Firefox joins the stagger of zombies that somehow lives on in open source. Mozilla has announced the end of Firefox OS for mobile operators, ending a three year crusade to do the impossible. This comes hot on the heels of Jolla being close to shutting up shop (see here) and the...

  • Comments Off on Firefox OS – The Walking Dead.
  • 109

HERE & Autos – Ejector seat.

Reply to this post           HERE will be key to ejecting Apple and Google from the car. The three German automakers (Audi, BMW and Daimler) have closed the deal with Nokia and are now masters of the 6,500 strong mapping organisation HERE. The new owners are committed to HERE remaining an open and independent company and...

  • Comments Off on HERE & Autos – Ejector seat.
  • 210

Mobile gaming – The last wilderness.

Reply to this post           Mobile gaming is the last wilderness but explorers are coming. Mobile gaming is the single largest segment of the Digital Life pie but as of yet there is no dominant player. There are three very strong multiplayer gaming offerings (Sony, Microsoft and Tencent) but as of yet none of them have...

  • Comments Off on Mobile gaming – The last wilderness.
  • 103

Facebook – Periscope depth

Reply to this post           This is the right time for Facebook to torpedo Twitter. Facebook’s Live Video offering which allows users to broadcast themselves to their friends and followers is being moved from just celebrities into advanced testing with real iPhone users. Clearly, the stage is set for this feature to be offered as just...

  • Comments Off on Facebook – Periscope depth
  • 84

Microsoft – Surface tension

Reply to this post           Microsoft faces a dilemma with a Surface Phone. The next release of a mobile device by Microsoft should give a clear indication of what Microsoft’s intentions are when it comes to its struggling consumer ecosystem. There has been a premium, metal based device in the works for some time but this...

Apple – The Jack

Reply to this post           Removing the headphone jack could hurt replacement sales. I am pretty certain that Apple is considering whether or not to remove the headphone jack but actually taking this drastic step is far more dangerous than one would think. The headphone jack is a 3.5mm wide hole on every smartphone and tablet...

Samsung – Steady succession

Reply to this post           JK Shin can leave with his head held high. Samsung has reshuffled management at its handset business in a move that I think has nothing to do with performance and everything to do with an orderly transfer of power. When one looks at Samsung’s financials on an annualised basis it is...

  • Comments Off on Samsung – Steady succession
  • 84