Scott’s Newsletter #6

Writing

I was able to experience relaxation during my week-long vacation away from the office — at least as much as you can with two toddlers. I also spent time thinking about the dopamine rush that social media provides, and why Twitter is failing in that area.

Additionally, I finished reading two books while I was away, both of which I highly recommend: The Alchemist and Hooked.


Reading

Google is cracking down on mobile web interstitials — and typically when Google says jump, you jump. I’ve written about these invasive interstitials in the past, as well.

Disney isn’t just a theme park that we’re taking our kids to in December, it’s a massive media company. This behind-the-scenes look at the company’s deal with Vice was fascinating.

Spotify is preparing for an IPO (paywall), which means they have to get better terms from the record industry. The record industry, however, wants better terms on those streams coming from non-paying users. Did you know Spotify also does original video?
Speaking of Spotify, have you downloaded President Obama’s playlist yet?

This is a couple weeks old, but The New York Times had a fascinating look at the future of delivery for a company that has mastered it: Amazon.

The Olympics wrapped up last week, with the United States taking home the most medals (121). As Wired discovered, most of those Olympians may be revered by their country, but empty in the wallet.

If you’re in the Philadelphia area, your next Uber trip may not have a driver. The company will start picking up passengers in driverless cars this month, although there will be an engineer and co-pilot in the car (at least for now) for safety purposes.

Five years ago, Facebook made 12 percent of its revenue from gaming on the platform — remember FarmVille? Today, it’s only about 3 percent. The billion-dollar brand is trying to get back in the game.

Facebook is data. Every action you take on the platform and off (all those share buttons across websites and apps are capturing your movement) is recorded on servers to help advertisers target you better. The Washington Post took a look at 98 of the data points the company offers advertisers, including users who have a balance on their credit card.

Loved this piece from Chris Dixon highlighting 11 technology trends to keep an eye out in the future.

Who knew the Epi-Pen industry was so big — and profitable.

Apple went on a PR kick in August, putting their top execs out there for in-depth interviews at several top publications. This one from The Washington Post with Tim Cook is one of the best.

Rock and Roll.

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