Apple is leaving Intel
A number of years ago, Apple announced that it would begin using its own processors for some of its Mac models. Today the company has announced that it will be making the transition in 2021. CNBC
dis-rup-shun: This move is significant in that it represents the beginning of the end of Intel’s relationship with a very large customer and it also signals the opportunity for Apple to further differentiate its computer line from the PC world by changing the microprocessor foundation on which the product line is built. By using chips that specialize in graphics, or computations, or in power savings, Apple can differentiate its product line beyond the software which today makes the experience different. Apple, unlike the rest of the computing industry, is becoming more, not less, proprietary. The strategy seems to be working so far!
The new rental economy adjusts to pandemic business
Rental companies, offering furniture, cars and rooms are adjusting to new models and finding success. While Hertz filed for bankruptcy, Turo, the site for car owners to rent out their cars, has found demand from people who are avoiding public transportation. Room renters are finding that many people need some privacy and away time after many months of quarantine-ing. Furniture rental businesses are finding success renting home office furniture and equipment. Wired
dis-rup-shun: Our global economies are clearly reeling from an unprecedented shut down, unlike anything seen before, but the resiliency of creative, enterprising people who have never-before-seen-tools of the Internet and social media, are rising from the ashes. Re-purposing assets and transaction platforms to meet the latest demands, whether they are masks or medicines, is the definition of entrepreneurship and it is rescuing our economies with unexpected haste.
IBM exits the facial recognition business citing racial injustices
IBM’s new CEO, the man who will be responsible for saving the company from gradual irrelevance, has already initiated some changes. Arvind Krishna has called on Congress to take bold action on racial injustice, and has stated that facial recognition technology, with its inherent bias against minorities, is not a technology that IBM can build a business on. CNBC
dis-rup-shun: Aligning social responsibility with growth opportunities can be challenging, as the heads of Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and now IBM are finding on a regular basis. BigTech, despite its threats to competitiveness, is using its market strength to set new agendas — and more quickly than lawmakers can do. Consider that the new attitudes of corporate America are being set by a new tranche of leaders, many of whom are minorities themselves.
Microsoft rethinks gaming and XBox
Microsoft’s gaming leader, Phil Spencer, makes the point that the most popular forms of media, including Netflix, Kindle books, and Spotify music aren’t confined to a single platform. Games, and the ability to play with anyone on any platform, shouldn’t be locked into a single platform. With cloud gaming playing a larger role in the gaming space, the future of consoles is uncertain, but most likely more open and part of a bigger, cross-device ecosystem. Wired
dis-rup-shun: The examples Spencer uses underscore that successful media properties are rarely, in this time, locked into particular devices. With the intense competition between Apple and Android worlds, app makers have to create great experiences for both ecosystems, but only for two –making apps success across two platforms much easier. In the age of community created online, walls and barriers will be less popular, and cross platform experiences will continue to edge out walled gardens.