Apple Lawsuit, Twitter TV, & The Flywheel Effect

Your Tech World Pocketbook: News, Lingo, Learning

1. US Department of Justice sues Apple for antitrust violations

Apple, already challenged by previous lawsuits, faces a new lawsuit from the US DOJ, of illegally sustaining a monopoly. The DOJ argues that Apple maintains its monopoly through various means - such as restrictions on third-party apps/developers, imposing 30% fees and limiting access in its App Store, and restricting customer access outside of the ecosystem - all of which are alleged to hinder competition and customer choice. Apple refutes these claims, emphasizing its commitment to innovation, seamless product functionality, and user privacy. It also warned against heavy-handed government interference in technology design. The lawsuit is anticipated to be prolonged across several years.
LINK: AP News (3 min);  Verge (8 min)

2. Elon Musk’s X to reportedly launch a television app (similar to YouTube TV)

X is launching a television app in the coming weeks for Amazon and Samsung smart TVs - to position itself as a video-based platform. The company reported that 80% of all user interactions on X involve some form of video viewing. This TV app (essentially a webapp) shall also allow users to view personalised short videos. A demo video of the TV app is available on X: [here]
LINK: Newsbytes (3 min);  PCMag (3 min)

3. Whatsapp to add AI photo editing feature

Whatsapp will soon launch AI photo editing features (currently in beta development). This shall allow users to manipulate images (resize, add effects, restyle, etc.) using AI and at no additional cost. This comes on the heels of its AI chatbot launch in November 2023.
LINK: Forbes (2 min)

4. Microsoft pays $650m to Inflection to use its IP and hire its talent 

Microsoft has agreed to pay $650 million to AI startup Inflection in a deal that allows Microsoft to use Inflection's models and hire its staff, including the co-founders. This move is part of Microsoft's strategy to enhance its AI offerings on Azure cloud service and establish a new consumer AI unit. The deal also involves a return to Inflection's investors and has sparked discussions on its implications for competition in the AI market. This agreement could attract regulatory scrutiny - some claim that this “acquihire-cum-licensing” transaction of sorts is Microsoft’s way to bypass acquisition scrutiny.
LINK: Reuters (5 min)

5. UN unanimously adopts the first global resolution on artificial intelligence

The UN General Assembly unanimously passed its first global AI resolution, with over 120 countries' support, emphasizing AI's role in sustainable development, human rights, and privacy protection. This landmark agreement, initiated by the US, calls for global cooperation to ensure AI's responsible development and equitable access. This resolution marks a significant step in the global effort to govern AI technology responsibly, emphasizing the same rights for individuals online as offline and encouraging the development of regulatory frameworks for AI's safe use.
LINK: Channel NewsAsia (3 min);  UN News (3 min)

<And More>
6. First human to receive a Neuralink implant successfully plays PC games despite being paralysed, by using his thoughts
LINK: PC Mag (3 min)

7. KuCoin crypto exchange charged with violating US anti-money laundering laws, allegedly allowing billions of dollars in illicit funds
LINK: Reuters (3 min)

8. UK claims that China accessed the data for millions of voters and also targeted government officials in cyberattacks
LINK: The Guardian (5 min)

Forcing Function
A forcing function is a concept used to describe a situation or a tool that makes certain actions happen or certain results occur. It's like creating conditions that ensure certain behaviors or actions are taken. Think of it as setting up necessary steps or checkpoints that must be followed to move forward.

“I often find myself procrastinating and missing project deadlines. As a forcing function to enable meeting project deadlines, I have set up an internal deadline and peer review one week prior to the actual project deadline. This enables me to be more accountable and productive”.

Neural Net (Neural Network)
A neural network is a computer system modeled on the human brain's network of neurons. These systems are designed to learn and make decisions by recognizing patterns in data. They're made up of layers of 'neurons'—small processing units that work together to solve complex problems. Neural networks are pivotal in advancing complex problem-solving within the realm of artificial intelligence, facilitating the development of systems capable of unsupervised learning, pattern recognition, and predictive analytics in high-dimensional spaces.

“We have leveraged neural networks to refine our product recommendation engine. By analyzing past purchase data and browsing behaviors, the system can now predict with impressive accuracy what products a customer is likely to be interested in. This significantly boosts our conversion and hence overall revenue“

What is The Flywheel Effect, and How to use it?

Best-selling author Jim Collins created the concept of The Flywheel Effect. This concept explains how businesses achieve and sustain success not through a singular breakthrough, but through consistent, cumulative effort.

The flywheel begins slowly, requiring substantial effort, but gradually speeds up, making further pushes easier and generating self-sustaining momentum. This concept is likened to a self-reinforcing loop where different initiatives feed into and drive each other, exemplified by Amazon’s strategy to lower prices, increase customer visits, and improve efficiency, which in turn allows for further price reductions. This symbolizes the effect of accumulating small wins and aligned efforts over time, leading to significant breakthroughs and sustained success.

There are three focus areas to get the flywheel to get spinning:
a. Disciplined People: Focused leadership and talent
b. Disciplined Thought: Practicing intellectual honesty and rectification of errors. Also thinking like a “Hedgehog” vs a “Fox” i.e. focusing on one thing you are really good at, vs doing many things at the same time
c. Disciplined Action: Imbibing new technologies, a culture of disciplined growth (Hedgehog above), and building on small wins over time across your core capabilities

And here’s the famous Amazon Flywheel (apparently sketched by Jeff Bezos on a napkin):

If you wish to go deeper or even brainstorm ideas on utilising this for your teams, consider using this diagnostic worksheet developed by the author: [here]

LINK: Lance Peppler; Inc; Jim Collins