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AT&T’s WarnerMedia merger with Discovery could mean higher prices for you
Here we go again. Another two media companies have decided that they can’t live with being less successful than Netflix, and so they’re merging together in hopes of creating a larger competitor. This time, the jealous parties are AT&T and Discovery, which announced plans for a $43 billion merger on Monday morning. If regulators approve, the deal would effectively undo AT&T’s previous mega-merger with Time Warner in 2018, creating a new standalone company that pools WarnerMedia’s entertainment assets—including HBO Max and cable channels like CNN—with those of Discovery. AT&T CEO John Stankey said the goal is to create “one of the leading global direct-to-consumer streaming platforms.” Never mind that Discovery’s existing streaming efforts have been going pretty well, racking up 15 million subscribers since Discovery+ launched in early January with favorites like Deadliest Catch and Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives . And never mind that HBO Max has been enjoying a growth spurt as well, with a combined 63.9 million HBO and HBO Max subscribers in the United States, up from 53.8 million a year ago. If you really want to compete with Netflix, these companies seem to say, you’ve got to be even bigger. Unfortunately for us, that probably translates more bloated TV services at higher prices. We’ve been down this road before, and it always ends the same way. TV mergers and price hikes: A brief history For an example of how big media company mergers lead to higher prices, we need only look to Viacom’s merger with CBS in 2019 Read More …
How technology is making healthcare more human
As the world goes through digitalization at a rapid pace, fears of the dehumanizing aspect of technology are pervasive—and these fears are no exception in the healthcare industry. Certainly, no one wants robots directing their healthcare needs. With the pandemic highlighting just how vital empathy and humanity truly is, people’s reservations around adopting new, technology-driven ways of treating patients have been reinforced. But as the world turns towards more technology, we’ve uncovered something truly unexpected in healthcare. Contrary to our initial fears, digitalizing healthcare is proving to be even more human-centric than we could have imagined. Even through virtual connections, we have maintained and often intensified the human element of healthcare Read More …
Don’t buy new gadgets. Used or refurbished is just smarter—and greener
A couple of years ago, I made a conscious decision to stop buying new phones. While I used to always stay on the cutting edge when choosing a new iPhone or Android phone, I realized that buying used or refurbished devices made more sense. These days, one- or two-year-old phones aren’t much different from the latest models, and buying them second-hand lets you save money without getting locked into long-term wireless carrier contracts. Buying used or refurbished tech also helps make a tiny dent in the world’s e-waste problems . By purchasing an older device, you’re delaying its journey to the scrap heap and reducing demand for new products. The idea seems to be catching on; a survey from February commissioned by Backmarket found that 25% of people listed environmental reasons for buying refurbished gear, up from 16% in May 2019. For me, the used phone lifestyle has been working out pretty well. I’ve been able to bounce between a few different phones before selling them back into the used market, and I never have to get AT&T involved with activation. Read More …
Why Apple will win its App Store antitrust case against Epic
Epic, the maker of the hugely popular Fortnite game, has gone to federal court to complain about the high fees and strict rules imposed by Apple in its App Store. Going to the App Store is currently the only way iOS users can get Fortnite and other Epic titles. Apple requires developers to use its own proprietary payment system to pay for apps and games, and it charges big developers like Epic 30% of their in-app revenue to do so. Apple says it uses the money to provide an easy-to-use and well-organized app store experience, invest in the platform and tools exclusive to iOS developers, as well as offer strong privacy and security measures to prevent customers from being exposed to financial fraud and apps containing malware. Epic’s case against Apple is highly nuanced and filled with gray areas. It has, to quote The Dude from the Big Lebowski, “a lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what-have-you’s.” There are strengths and weaknesses to both sides’ main arguments. And with all antitrust cases, the burden lies with the plaintiff—in this case, Epic—to prove Apple’s actions harm competition and ultimately harm the consumer. These are the main points of the case so far, and why I think Apple has an edge over Epic as the trial heads into its final week. Tax or Commission? Apple argues that its 30% commission is the industry standard for digital transactions, and that retail commissions on apps and games have historically been north of 40%. Market forces drove app store operators including Microsoft, Sony, Steam, and Nintendo to converge on that common 30% rate, but just because that is the standard doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement Read More …