Media update w. 1907

Tech

Qasa is acquired by Blocket DiDigital
Supercell doing pretty good with a net profit of USD 630 M for 2018 DiDigital
IBMs AI now went a verbal debate round agains one of the world’s best debators on preschool subsidies Venturebeat
Google launching Docs API to enable businesses who seek easier access to their docs integrations Venturebeat
Y combinators latest batch involves 200 companies – a lot more than recent batches. A sign that start-up careers are growing or that Y combinator have gone easy? TechCrunch
Kinnevik acquires more control and invests further in Mathem DiDigital
A Musk backed AI company manages to write stories and messages so well it is scary – based on a single line of text CNET
Technology life in the fast lane to become a Millionaire killed Michael Kroll founder of Vine and HQ Trivia at the age of 34 WSJ

Media

Apple is about to launch their anticipated news service and seek 50% of the revenue of a USD 10/month subscription 9to5Mac
Maybe not shockingly – Netflix save your choices on Bandersnatch TheVerge
Spotify paid roughly EUR 300 M for the two acquisitions of podcast companies earlier this year DiDigital
FAANGs Double down on their Video content spend TheVab
Apple meeting resistance of their effort to keep 50% of revenues from its news service WSJ

Transportation

Stockholm seek to meet ride-sharing electric scooter and moped companies half-way by allowing them to be parked on certain hot-spots instead of *#%&/ (if you are a middle aged citizen this is probably how you would’ve read the sentence) everywhere DiDigital
Airbus decides to stop production of its model A380 after Quantas cancelled its orders of the super-jumbo jet WSJ
Interesting piece by the Economist on how young people (Millenials) are more for a new age of Socialism than Capitalism Economist
Founders of Lyft – like Spotify and other – seek super voting stock ahead of IPO to remain in control WSJ
Doordash looking to raise USD 500 M at a USD 6-7 Bn valuation with Temasek in lead TechCrunch

Wired expect AR to become the next big computing platform – one they wish to call Mirrorworld Wired
Microsoft release teaser of the coming Hololens 2 release expected at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona TheVerge

Finance and Politics

Swedish immigration minister suggest improvements after more developers are denied continued Swedish visas DiDigital
Students seek careers in and found more startups than ever before – here’s a stab at why that is TechCrunch
Facebook is now subject of antitrust hearing at the British parliament TechCrunch

This week’s podcast

How to recruit CEOs of basically any company James Citrin from Spencer Stuart Recode

This week’s binge

Last week the ambitious Norwegian project Amundsen premiered in Norway, here’s another well produced Norwegian one I watched a second time, Max Manus Playpilot

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