In this week’s episode Ben and James discuss the recent Apple Event, including the MacBook and Apple Watch Links Ben Thompson: Mobile First – Stratechery Ben Thompson: “Geeks are not just unqualified to explain the new MacBook, they’re anti-qualified” – Twitter Ben Thompson: How Apple Will Make the Wearable Market – Stratechery Matthew Panzarino: The Apple Watch is Time, Saved – TechCrunch “Really” Windows Phone commercial – YouTube David Platt: Apple iPhone Debut to Flop, Product to Crash in Flames – Suckbusters Hosts Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback

In this week’s episode Ben and James discuss tradeoffs in the context of net neutrality, AT&T’s new gigabit service, and Lenovo’s Superfish debacle Note: when talking about the history of cable, Ben kept saying “companies” instead of “communities.” Sorry for the confusion! Links Ben Thompson: Netflix and Net Neutrality – Stratechery Ben Thompson: Net Neutrality! (analyzing the current proposal) – Stratechery (members-only) This Week in Tech: Superfishy – Twit.TV Ben Thompson: Lenovo’s Superfish Debacle, AT&T Prices Privacy – Stratechery (members-only) Jon Matonis: Silent Circle And Vertu Partner On $10,000 Phone – Forbes Hosts Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback

We apologize for the late delivery of this podcast! In this week’s episode Ben and James discuss why Apple is so fascinating, why the Mac lost to Windows, debate whether or not Google should have open-sourced Android, and discussed the implications of Apple’s new market – your entire life Also, please note that there will no episode later this week due to Chinese New Year. Links John Gruber: Dazzling Results – Daring Fireball Ben Thompson: Apple’s New Market – Stratechery Rita McGrath: The End of Competitive Advantage – Kindle Ben Thompson: The Uncanny Valley of a Functional Organization – Stratechery Hosts Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback

This is the story of Stratechery, presented with much sheepishness on Ben’s part. How Ben thought about the market, his business model, and more. We apologize that this is a little long and perhaps a bit choppy. It’s hard to talk about us! Links Andrew Sullivan: A Note to my Readers – The Dish Ezra Klein: What Andrew Sullivan’s Exit Says About the Future of Blogging – Vox Ben Thompson: Blogging’s Bright Future – Stratechery Ben Thompson: Dear Zoë Keating: Tell YouTube to Take a Hike – Stratechery Taylor Swift: For Taylor Swift, the Future of Music is a Love Story – Wall Street Journal Hosts Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback

We discuss Apple’s recent results, why analysts get Apple wrong, the fraught nature of fans, epistemic closure, and whether the iPhone can continue to grow. Links Ben Thompson: Bad Assumptions – Stratechery Ben Thompson: Apple the Black Swan – Stratechery Ben Thompson: Best – Stratechery Ben Thompson: Smartphone Truths and Samsung’s Inevitable Decline – Stratechery James Allworth: Who Cares if Samsung Copied Apple? – Harvard Business Review (note: due to a website redesign the comments have been lost) Marco Arment: Apple Has Lost the Functional High Ground – Marco.org Marco Arment: What It’s Like to be too Popular for a Day – Marco.org Ben Thompson: iCloud and Apple’s Founding Myth – Stratechery Epistemic Closure – Wikipedia ‘Epistemic Closure’? Those Are Fighting Words – New York Times Ben Thompson: Two Bears – Stratechery Ben Thompson: The End of Trickle-Down Technology – Stratechery Loyalty Gives Apple the Edge Over Android – AllThingsD Hosts Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback

Note: I originally uploaded the wrong file. The correct file is 1:07 long, not 1:17. I am reposting this as many podcast clients download the file immediately. We briefly follow-up on last week’s copyright discussion, discuss Ben’s article on what the technology adoption curve gets wrong about Apple and Xiaomi, and then react to Microsoft’s Windows 10 (and Project HoloLens) presentation Links Stratechery Forum Discussion about Episode 30: Flabbergasted – Stratechery Forums (members-only) Ben Thompson: The End of Trickle-Down Technology – Stratechery Ben Thompson: Part 1 of an Interview with Xiaomi VP of International Hugo Barra on India and Xiaomi’s Strategy and Target Customer – Stratechery (members-only) Ben Thompson: Microsoft’s Windows 10 Event (and Project HoloLens) – Stratechery (members-only) Ben Thompson: It’s Time to Split Up Microsoft – Stratechery Ben Thompson: Face in not the Future – Stratechery Ben Thompson: Christmas Gifts for Microsoft, Intel, Amazon – Stratechery Hosts Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback

James thinks the idea of copyright is outdated and should be abolished. Ben is, well, see the title. Hosts Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback

Ben and James discuss Xiaomi’s ambition to own the home, why we’re frustrated with patents, why the West is unfair to the developing world, and what makes China unique. Links Jordan Lewis: Exponent Bingo – Twitter Ben Thompson: Xiaomi’s Ambition – Stratechery Ben Thompson: Handicapping the Internet of Things – Stratechery When Charles Dickens fell out with America – BBC To Live (The film about the Cultural Revolution) – Wikipedia Hosts Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback

Ben and James discuss the problems with drones, how they could be used for terrorism, and how you balance upside and downside. Links Felix Salmon: Whither Nanopublishing? – Medium James Allworth: Thinking Twice About Drones – Stratechery (Members-only) FBI: Man plotted to fly drone-like toy planes with bombs into school – CBS News Warthox with Warpquad the fastest Quadrocopter in the Universe – YouTube Mark Manson: Five Lessons from Five Years of Traveling the World – MarkManson.net Hosts Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback

Ben and James discuss the recent App Store controversy and how a person – or company’s – greatest strength is also their greatest weakness. Plus a special 2nd recording about the Harvard business school professor and the Chinese restaurant. Links Cabel Sasser: Transmit iOS 1.1.1 [Updated] – Panic blog Greg Gardner: Launcher Followup and Thoughts on the App Store Review System – Cromulent Labs Ben Thompson: App Store Anguish, Old Apple’s Last Stand, Time for a Change? – Stratechery (members-only) Ben Thompson: Why Doesn’t Apple Enable Sustainable Businesses on the App Store? – Stratechery Ben Thompson: The Diminished iPad – Stratechery Ben Thompson: Pleco: Building a Business, Not an App – Stratechery Ben Thompson: Uber and Portland, Uber and India – Stratechery (members-only) Sriram Krishnan: In defense of Uber in India – Medium Ben Thompson: Best – Stratechery Ben Thompson: What Steve Jobs Wouldn’t Have Done – Stratechery Ben Edelman: Google’s Advertising Labeling in 2014 – BenEdelman.org Ben Edelman: Facebook Leaks Usernames, User IDs, and Personal Details to Advertisers – BenEdelman.org Who is Ben Edelman, Sheriff of the (Chinese Food) Internet? – Boston.com Making Delicious Cocktails with America’s Best Bartender – GQ Hosts Ben Thompson, @monkbent, Stratechery James Allworth, @jamesallworth, Harvard Business Review Podcast Information Feed iTunes SoundCloud Twitter Feedback