Big Tech Gaining Power in the Pandemic, Apple's Source of Power, Former Apple Industrial Designer Starts Speaker Company

Today's Above Avalon daily update includes the following stories:

  • Big Tech Gaining Power in the Pandemic

  • Apple's Source of Power

  • Former Apple Industrial Designer Starts Speaker Company

We kick off today’s update with my thoughts on a WSJ column regarding big tech using large amounts of cash to strengthen its power against smaller peers. The discussion goes over where I think the column veers off course and what big tech is actually deriving its power from. We look at Apple’s source of power in particular. We conclude with news on what former Apple industrial designer Christopher Stringer has been up to since leaving Apple. A number of interesting topics are raised when it comes to former Apple employees trying to bottle up the Apple way.

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