Scott’s Newsletter #4

Writing

I was speaking at a conference in Seattle two weeks ago and on vacation last week so no new blog posts. In fact, I’m writing a majority of this newsletter from my vacation.

Reading

Here’s an interesting look at the SDKs the top apps in the store are using. I’ve used four of the top five in apps I’ve released.

Apple is trying to stick it to Spotify again with their latest proposal to the record industry. This time, Apple is looking to simplify the revenue payout to artists for streaming their songs.

Amazon’s app had 1 million downloads — in one day. #PrimeDay also meant a surge in AWS usage, which Amazon owns but is also a client.

An eConsultancy/Adobe Digital Intelligence Briefing says 48 percent of companies don’t have a proper mobile plan in place. I would estimate that percentage is higher for brands 10+ years old.

Twitter’s Q2 earnings last week weren’t anything impressive. But that doesn’t mean the platform isn’t valuable, including when presidential candidates pick their VPs.

Speaking of politics, Washingtonian had a fascinating look inside Politico.com, one of the nation’s premier websites to keep tabs on this election season.

I send this newsletter on a Sunday to set you up with some quality reads for the week ahead. Fast Company has some other Sunday habits to prepare you up for a productive week.

In this interview with The Verge, Mark Zuckerberg explains the importance of getting the internet to consumers. A.I. becomes more powerful as more users log online. It’s a similar concept to V.R., which will not grow until devices are easily accessible and affordable.

Starbucks changed their loyalty program earlier this year. The stars were not in their favor.

Paywalls are a common term across the publishing industry. But the walls do come down in some situations, as Nieman Lab explained.

You made it this far, which means you’re a great reader — I so appreciate it. I also assume it means you’re a great listener.

Does your company offer enough vacation time, especially considering the amount of time you work? Some think unlimited vacation time is the answer.

Finally, it has been a couple months since I received my last physical phone book. I immediately recycle them. Apparently so do a lot of other people because Verizon is winding down that operation.

Rock and Roll.

Sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter where I’ll share what I’ve written about or read from around the web related to mobile, digital, emerging media and more. The newsletter is sent 8 p.m. ET on Sunday nights and appears on ScottStanchak.com 10 a.m. ET on Monday.

Continue Reading