Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Early Indications March 2015

After a busy few months away, the newsletter returns with a collection of news and notes.

1) My long-ish blog post on Uber, Airbnb, and regulation as competitive barrier to entry was just posted today on The Conversation, a foundation-funded collection of various informed points of view.

2) I am delighted to announce that MIT Press has me under contract to deliver a book manuscript on robots and robotics for 2016 publication.

3) The reaction against Indiana governor Mike Pence's signing of the "religious freedom" legislation has been fascinating to watch, in part because I grew up in the state. One analysis suggested that the polarization of media has led to "echo chambers" on both left and right: if you listen only to the cheerleaders for your side, the reaction of what used to be called "the silent majority" can be a blindside smackdown. Pence's complete lack of articulate answers to the broader media (most visibly George Stephanopoulos) suggests he may have little idea of how non-social-conservatives outside Indiana see the world.

Lest this viewpoint appears partisan, Hillary Clinton's stonewalling of the archival process suggests a similar blind spot. One difference is that she is much more experienced in handling the media than Pence, but also the integrity of the historical record matters less to most people than the prospect of Aunt Peg and her partner Allison getting turned away from a hotel. Gay and lesbian rights has become personalized in a way that records retention has not: an overwhelming majority of Americans knows a gay or lesbian family member or colleague. Very few of us can even name an archivist or historian.

Once that personal association sensitizes people to an issue, social media provides a ready environment for expressed outrage. The power of the hashtag allows individuals to feel like they're part of what Lawrence Goodwyn referred to as "movement culture" when he discussed the civil rights protests of the 1960s. There, the options were to be on site or watch on TV; now, one can be physically remote from the protest yet feel active solidarity. The tidal wave of #boycottIndiana could not have happened in a TV-driven media environment, and I'm sure both parties' 2016 presidential nominees will remember the episode.

4) Amazon remains relentless in its pace of innovation. The drone delivery system, effectively grounded by current FAA rules, is being tested in Canada (a country where Target couldn't operate profitably). The Echo AI appliance is shipping and changes household behavior in ways I will examine in a forthcoming letter. Today, Amazon announced "impulse buy" devices called Dash buttons you can affix to the storage spaces for household items like bleach or paper towels. These are another small but discernible step in the march toward the "smart" house. Yesterday Amazon launched a listing of vetted home services providers ("from plumbers to herders" in the words of one headline), once again connecting the physical and virtual worlds unlike any other company.

At the same time, Amazon quietly stopped its mobile wallet efforts, which unlike the ATT/Verizon effort had the benefit of not sharing a name with a Middle Eastern terror group. The rapid warehouse buildout appears to be continuing, as does the slow rollout of home grocery delivery. In short, the company that has consistently zigged while others zagged (or stood still) appears to be moving full speed ahead to continue launching new initiatives that challenge conventional wisdom in field after field.