The end of the Google era

Summary

This week, Google faces a landmark antitrust lawsuit, accused of maintaining a monopoly by paying billions to be the default search engine on devices. The company also discontinues its Chromecast, replacing it with a new Google TV streamer. Meanwhile, the Humane AI pin struggles with high return rates, and Apple introduces a distraction control feature in iOS 18 beta. Intel reports progress on its next-gen process nodes, aiming to catch up with TSMC, while Disney+ raises prices and plans a password sharing crackdown.

Takeaways

• 📚 Google has been labeled a monopolist by the U.S. Department of Justice in a significant antitrust lawsuit, with implications for the tech industry.
• 💡 Google's alleged monopolistic practices include paying billions to make Google the default search engine on browsers and Android devices, thereby stifling competition.
• 🔍 The court found that Google's monopoly power allows it to maintain high ad prices, leading to superior ad placements and profits, which in turn funds its competitive exclusion strategy.
• 🏢 Even if Google's search quality declined, its revenues would reportedly remain stable, highlighting its monopolistic control over the market.
• 💰 The high costs of competing with Google's search engine, estimated at billions of dollars by both Google and Apple, have deterred competitors from entering the market.
• 📺 Google has discontinued the Chromecast streaming device after 11 years, replacing it with a new, higher-end Google TV streamer at $99.
• 🆕 The new Google TV streamer offers enhanced features such as 4K HDR, Dolby Vision and Atmos, and is powered by Google's natural language search capabilities.
• 📉 Humane AI's device, the 'Pin', is facing dismal sales with returns exceeding new sales, and due to T-Mobile limitations, returned units cannot be refurbished or resold.
• 📱 OnePlus has released a new Apex edition of its foldable phone with a unique color, 1TB of storage, and a privacy feature that disables camera and microphone access.
• 🌡️ Google has unveiled the fourth generation of its Nest Learning Thermostat with a complete redesign and a 60% larger display, priced at $280.
• 🔌 Anker has launched a range of high-end charging products, many of which are GaNitrite powered and designed for compactness.

Q & A

What was the outcome of the Anti-Trust lawsuit against Google by the United States Department of Justice?

The lawsuit resulted in a 286-page decision by a US judge, concluding that Google abused its dominance for over a decade, stifling competition by paying browser makers and Android brands to make Google the default search engine, and charging super-competitive prices for ads.

How did Google maintain its monopoly according to the lawsuit?

Google maintained its monopoly by paying to make itself the default search engine on browsers and Android devices, which allowed it to earn monopoly profits and afford to squeeze out competitors.

What was the significance of Google's internal study conducted in 2020 regarding search quality?

The study showed that even if Google significantly reduced the quality of its search, the revenues from search would still be fine, indicating a firm with monopoly power that operates without concern for users switching to other search engines.

What are the potential implications for Google if the ruling stands?

Google may be forced to stop paying others to be the default search engine, which could create massive challenges for device makers, including Android OEMs and Mozilla, and potentially help other search engines and advertisers.

What is the estimated cost for Apple to run a general search engine like Google?

Apple has calculated that it would cost $6 billion annually, on top of what it already spends on developing search capabilities, to run a search engine like Google.

Why did Google discontinue the Chromecast and what did they replace it with?

Google discontinued the Chromecast after 11 years and 100 million units sold. They replaced it with a new, higher-end device called the Google TV streamer, which comes with improved specs and features.

What are the key features of the new Google TV streamer compared to the old Chromecast?

The Google TV streamer includes 4K HDR with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, more internal storage, Ethernet, Matter thread, and natural language search powered by Google's Gemini.

What is the current situation with the Humane AI pin and why is it considered a disaster?

Returns of the Humane AI pin are outpacing sales, with only around 7,000 pins still with customers. The returns cannot be refurbished or resold due to a T-Mobile limitation, potentially leading to significant e-waste.

What is the significance of the new report from The Verge regarding the Humane AI pin?

The report indicates that the Humane AI pin is less successful than initially thought, with high return rates and an inability to refurbish or resell returned units, highlighting a major issue with the product's market viability.

What is the new feature in Apple's iOS 18 beta called 'distraction control' and how does it work?

The 'distraction control' feature in iOS 18 beta allows users to temporarily remove ads from websites while reading or taking screenshots, providing a cleaner viewing experience without blocking ads entirely.

What is the significance of the departure of John Schulman from OpenAI to join Anthropic?

John Schulman's departure is significant as it represents another high-profile defector from OpenAI's leadership team, potentially signaling issues within the company and impacting its reputation and operations.

What are the implications of Intel's next-gen foundry process nodes 20A and 18A for the company's future?

The successful development and launch of Intel's 20A and 18A process nodes could potentially allow the company to catch up with TSMC, ending a significant technological gap and improving Intel's market position.