Beyond Devices Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Week 92 – QotW – Retail Apr 26, 2017

Show notes

This is the Question of the Week episode for this week, and the News Roundup episode should be up on Friday. This week's question is about whether the death of physical retail has been exaggerated, and ultimately what the state of physical retail is in a world where Amazon and e-commerce in general seems to be wreaking havoc. We talk through recent trends in retail, from the supposed apocalypse to those companies investing despite the downturn including Apple and T-Mobile. Aaron uses the jobs-to-be-done framework to talk through what people hire retail to do for them, and how physical retail might be able to hold its own against online retail. And we talk about the experimental nature of much of what's being done in physical retail to stem the tide of e-commerce. Here are some useful links relating to this week’s episode: Article on Amazon's book stores: http://www.retaildive.com/news/why-amazon-is-betting-big-on-brick-and-mortar/431499/ Introduction to jobs-to-be-done theory: https://hbr.org/2016/09/know-your-customers-jobs-to-be-done T-Mobile store expansion: http://fortune.com/2016/04/26/t-mobile-store-openings-iphone/ New York Times piece on Amazon retail technology: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/25/technology/amazon-wants-to-crush-your-store-with-its-technology-might.html?_r=1 Quartz piece on retail innovations: https://qz.com/956745/retail-experiments-from-farfetch-nike-and-amazon-offer-visions-of-the-store-of-the-future/ Blog post on JTBD framework applied to retail: https://bhc3.com/2012/01/11/carving-up-the-retail-industry-by-customer-jobs-to-be-done/. As ever, we welcome your feedback via Twitter (@jandawson / @aaronmiller), the website (podcast.beyonddevic.es), or email (jan@jackdawresearch.com).

Week 91 – NR – Apple Tidbits, Google Home Multi - User, Netflix Earnings, S8 Reviews Apr 21, 2017

Show notes

Earlier this week, we did our Question of the Week episode, which covered the Facebook F8 announcements, so this News Roundup episode covers some of the other big news for the week: • Several Apple news tidbits, including a set of environmental announcements, hires of satellite experts from Google, the purchase of a music documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival, web embedding of Live Photos, and purported shots of the chassis for the next iPhone • Google Home announcing multi-user support, as well as two announcements relating two Amazon Echo and Alexa • Netflix Q1 2017 earnings • Samsung Galaxy S8 reviews, which came out this week, and news that Google Music will be the default music service on the devices. As always, you'll find links to these stories and other things we discussed below. News stories we covered (Tech Narratives links): Apple's environmental news: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/20/apple-makes-big-environmental-push-for-earth-day/ Apple hires Google satellite execs: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/21/apple-hires-google-satellite-execs-likely-for-mapping-or-broadband/ Apple acquires a music documentary: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/20/apple-acquires-first-movie-at-tribeca-film-festival/ Apple enables web embedding of Live Photos: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/20/apple-enables-web-embedding-of-live-photos-for-developers/ Google Home multi-user support: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/20/★-google-home-now-recognizes-multiple-users-by-voice/ Amazon opens Lex platform to all developers: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/19/amazon-scales-alexa-back-end-by-opening-lex-voice-and-text-service-to-all-developers/ Amazon bans most ads in Alexa Skills: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/21/amazon-bans-almost-all-ads-in-alexas-third-party-skills-apps/ Netflix reports Q1 2017 earnings: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/17/netflix-reports-q1-2017-gains-5m-subs-makes-first-profit-internationally/ Galaxy S8 reviews: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/18/samsung-galaxy-s8-reviews-say-hardware-is-great-software-not-so-much/

Week 91 – QotW – Facebook And Innovation Apr 20, 2017

Show notes

This is the Question of the Week episode for this week, and the News Roundup episode will be up tomorrow. This week, Jan attended F8 and our Question of the Week is "What's the state of innovation at Facebook?" We use Facebook's F8 announcements and presentations as a lens to look at how Facebook is innovating both in the products it's creating today and in the research and development work it's doing over the longer term. We also talk about what Facebook needs to do differently. As usual, you’ll find some links to related content below: Facebook F8 Site, where you can see all the session videos: https://www.fbf8.com Facebook's Developer News site, where you can see the news from F8: https://developers.facebook.com/blog/ Jan's Techpinions column on Facebook's Innovation Chasm: https://techpinions.com/facebooks-innovation-chasm/49727 As ever, we welcome your feedback via Twitter (@jandawson / @aaronmiller), the website (podcast.beyonddevic.es), or email (jan@jackdawresearch.com).

Week 90 – NR – Spectrum, Apple R&D, Uber Finances, Bixby Delay, LeEco News Apr 14, 2017

Show notes

There won't be a Question of the Week episode this week as we've both been busy. Here is this week's News Roundup episode, in which we cover the following five topics in quick-fire order: • Spectrum news including the conclusion of the FCC's spectrum auction and AT&T's proposed purchase of Straight Path • Two pieces of news about Apple R&D efforts: it appeared on the California DMV's list of companies with permission to test self-driving cars on public roads, and CNBC reported that it's been working on glucose monitoring technology for several years • Uber released some of its finances for 2016 to Bloomberg, while The Information reported on a Lyft-hacking program called Hell Uber used to run, and the company's PR head left • Samsung announced that its Bixby voice assistant won't ship with the Galaxy S8 and S8+ when they're released next week in the US • LeEco announced the end of its bid to acquire Vizio and the killing off of its EcoPass content service, and was also reported to have fallen far short of its revenue targets in the US last year. Links to the related comments on Tech Narratives (some of which now behind a paywall) below: FCC spectrum auction: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/13/t-mobile-dish-and-comcast-among-big-winners-in-fcc-spectrum-auction/ AT&T buys Straight Path: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/10/att-buys-straight-path-in-1-6-billion-deal-for-5g-arsenal-bloomberg/ Apple self-driving cars license: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/14/apple-receives-permission-to-test-autonomous-vehicles-in-california/ Apple glucose monitoring story: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/12/apple-has-been-working-on-glucose-monitoring-technology-for-diabetes-for-five-years/ Uber shares finances with Bloomberg: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/14/uber-shares-partial-flattering-financial-data-for-2016-with-bloomberg/ Uber's Hell program: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/13/uber-had-a-program-called-hell-designed-to-undermine-lyft/ Uber PR head leaves: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/11/uber-comms-head-rachel-whetstone-is-departing-recode/ Samsung Bixby voice delay: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/11/samsung-says-bixby-voice-assistant-wont-ship-with-galaxy-s8-axios/ LeEco Vizio deal falls through: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/10/leecos-acquisition-of-vizio-officially-called-off-variety/ LeEco US sales fall short: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/10/leeco-is-said-to-miss-u-s-sales-forecasts-plan-more-job-cuts-bloomberg/ LeEco kills off content subscription: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/14/leeco-kills-ecopass-video-streaming-and-services-subscription-plan/

Week 89 – NR – Apple GPU And Mac, Comcast Mobile, Facebook Content, Samsung Results Apr 07, 2017

Show notes

Here is this week's News Roundup episode, which is a solo effort from Jan as Aaron is traveling. This week, we cover: • Two unusual announcements of future plans from Apple: its intention to build its own GPU, and its roadmap for pro Macs • Comcast's announcement of its wireless service, Xfinity Mobile • Facebook's testing of a tab surfacing recommended content not shared by your friends • Samsung's preliminary financial results for Q1 2017. Links to Tech Narratives comments on each of these news items are below: • Apple and Imagination Technologies GPU announcement: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/03/apple-gpu-supplier-imagination-tech-says-apple-plans-to-build-its-own-gpu-in-1-2-years/ • Apple Mac announcement: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/04/apple-plans-new-imacs-for-pros-later-in-2017-new-mac-pros-in-2018/ • Comcast Xfinity Mobile annoumcement: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/06/comcast-introduces-its-mobile-service/ • Facebook testing recommended content tab: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/03/facebook-shows-users-more-content-which-doesnt-come-from-your-friends-techcrunch/ • Samsung preliminary Q1 results: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/04/06/samsung-sees-bounce-in-q1-ahead-of-galaxy-s8-cnet/.

Week 89 – QotW – Accessibility and Devices Apr 07, 2017

Show notes

This is the Question of the Week episode for this week, and the News Roundup episode will be up shortly too. This week's format is a little different, as Aaron is traveling, and so I spoke to an old colleague of mine, Chris Lewis, who is also an analyst and is registered blind. I spoke to Chris via Skype about his use of accessibility technology on his various devices, and also about the work he's been doing helping organizations think through some of the issues around accessibility and using technology to help people with disabilities. • Chris's website is http://www.lewisinsight.com • Chris is on Twitter at @chr1slew1s and can be reached via email at chris (at) lewisinsight (dot) com.

Week 88 – NR – ISP Privacy, Twitter Changes, Streaming Music Mar 31, 2017

Show notes

This is the second of our new News Roundup episodes, which will usually appear on Fridays and discuss several of the week's top tech news stories. This week, we cover: • Congressional action to roll back privacy regulations for ISPs, which has been covered in somewhat hyperbolic fashion • Three tweaks to Twitter features, including a new model for @-replies, DM protections, and an avatar change • New RIAA numbers on the size of the US music market in 2016, and especially the contribution of streaming. As with this week's other episode, relevant links are displayed below as raw URLs: News stories we covered (Tech Narratives links): • Two Tech Narratives pieces on the ISP privacy regulation and on the EFF/Verizon story https://www.technarratives.com/2017/03/20/isps-say-your-web-browsing-and-app-usage-history-isnt-sensitive-ars-technica/ https://www.technarratives.com/2017/03/31/eff-withdraws-verizon-spyware-claims-cnet/ • Twitter's @-replies and avatar changes https://www.technarratives.com/2017/03/30/twitter-removes-usernames-in-replies-from-140-character-limit-mashable/ https://www.technarratives.com/2017/03/31/inside-twitters-obsessive-quest-to-ditch-the-egg-fast-company/ • RIAA music numbers (Tech Narratives) and Verto Analytics (press release) https://www.technarratives.com/2017/03/30/streaming-crossed-50-of-music-revenue-in-the-us-in-2016-riaa/ http://www.vertoanalytics.com/verto-index-streaming-music/ Other items: • Reporting on FBI Director Comey's Twitter account from Gizmodo http://gizmodo.com/this-is-almost-certainly-james-comey-s-twitter-account-1793843641 • Former FCC Chair Tom Wheeler's op-ed on ISP privacy https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/29/opinion/how-the-republicans-sold-your-privacy-to-internet-providers.html?_r=0

Week 88 – QotW – Samsung Galaxy S8 Event Mar 29, 2017

Show notes

This is the second week of our new split format, and this is the Question of the Week episode. This week's News Roundup should follow on Friday. This week's question is "What do you make of the Samsung announcements this week?" Samsung held an event on Wednesday in New York City at which it announced its latest smartphones, the Galaxy S8 and S8+, as well as several other accessories, including updated Gear 360 and Gear VR devices, and a new mesh WiFi router-plus-IoT-hub called Connect Home. Jan, who was at the event, talks through some obvious questions about the new devices and the other announcements from today's event. We're trying something new this week here in the show notes – we had a request to put the links here instead of just on the site, but SoundCloud is a little funny about HTML in its episode descriptions, so each link will appear as a full URL below, but hopefully this makes it easier for you to chase down the related content we link to. This week's links are all to Tech Narratives pieces Jan wrote about the Samsung announcements: 1. The S8 and S8+ announcements: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/03/29/samsung-debuts-galaxy-s8-and-s8/ 2. The Connect Home router and smart home announcements: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/03/29/samsung-connect-home-a-google-wifi-clone-with-a-smartthings-twist-cnet/ 3. The Gear VR and Gear 360 announcements: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/03/29/samsung-updates-gear-vr-and-gear-360-camera/ 4. The T-Mobile LTE announcement: https://www.technarratives.com/2017/03/29/t-mobile-touts-faster-speeds-for-galaxy-s8-on-its-lte-network/

Week 87 – News Roundup – YouTube, Bixby, Twitter Subs, Apple News Mar 24, 2017

Show notes

This is the first of our new News Roundup episodes, which will usually appear on Fridays and discuss several of the week's top tech news stories. This week, we cover: – Advertisers in the UK and now the US boycotting YouTube and to some extent Google more broadly over ads appearing next to undesirable content – Samsung's pre-announcement of its Bixby virtual assistant, which will ship with the Galaxy S8 smartphone it's expected to announce next week – Twitter testing a paid subscription service for power users, apparently built around Tweetdeck and costing $20 per month – Apple releasing a new, cheaper, 9.7" iPad and a video creation and editing app called Clips, and its acquisition of Workflow. As always, you'll find links to these stories and other things we discussed on the website at podcast.beyonddevic.es.

Week 87 – QotW – Apple Pricing Strategy Mar 23, 2017

Show notes

As we announced last week, we're embarking on a change in the format of the podcast, and from here on out you'll see two episodes from us weekly, with each encapsulating one of the segments of the old format – the Question of the Week, and the News Roundup. The News Roundup will generally go up on Fridays so that we can capture the week's news, while the QotW episode will probably go up earlier in the week. Here, then, is this week's Question of the Week (QotW) episode, which answers the question "Is Apple undertaking a new low price strategy?" This assertion has been in the news lately, with analyst Neil Cybart penning a piece arguing that Apple Watches and AirPods are underpriced and several people arguing this week that the new iPad is another sign that Apple is going downmarket. In our episode, Aaron evaluates these assertions and brings in some of Apple's pricing history in order to answer the question of whether we're seeing a departure from Apple or whether something else is going on. As usual, you’ll find some links to related content as well as other ways to listen to the podcast on the website at podcast.beyonddevic,es.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected