Fergal Carr Consulting Inc.
 

AUGUST MONTHLY ROUNDUP - Media, Tech and Innovation
 
 

Greetings!

Welcome to my monthly round up of media, technology and innovation news. This has been an epic month for technology battles. Epic Games refused to abide by Apple and Google’s payment structure and was removed from the app stores. Australia are going head to head with Google demanding payment from the giants in support of News.


Meanwhile, Tesla is now worth over $380 billion. In addition to being the most valuable car maker in the world, Tesla is now worth more than ExxonMobil, Shell and BP combined. With Elon Musk as the wheel, it won’t be long until they are viewed as a technology company; competing with Apple, Google and Amazon.

Finally, Walmart has joined Microsoft as potential bidders for TikTok's US business. TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer resigned this week after only three months in charge, citing concerns about the nature of his role after a government-pressured sale of US operations.
 

Microsoft just joined Epic Games’ fight against Apple

Apple and "Fortnite" maker Epic Games are in the opening stages of a heated legal battle, which started with "Fortnite" being pulled from Apple's iPhone and iPad App Store last week.

  • "Fortnite", unhappy with the payment terms for Apple, included the ability to pay Epic directly.

  • Apple and Google declared the update a terms-of-service violation for any developer with an app on the App Store or Google Play.

  • Microsoft is backing Epic in the ongoing legal spat. Microsoft general manager of gaming developer experiences Kevin Gammill officially submitted a letter to the court in support of Epic on Sunday.

The Big Picture: The gaming community has the most to lose in are those that are in this standoff. Epic Games (the creator of Unreal Engine technology), will no longer receive iOS updates which will in turn hurt developers in the community. Hearings are ongoing this week, and hopefully flexibility can be accommodated on both sides for gaming innovation to continue.
 

Google lobbies Australian users against plans to make it pay for news

Australia's proposed News Media Bargaining Code law, targeting both Facebook and Google, follows a 2019 inquiry that found the tech giants to be taking disproportionately large shares of online advertising revenue from content originating with Australian media organizations.

  • “Google will not be required to share any additional user data with Australian news businesses unless it chooses to do so,” the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said

  • Google has also withdrawn services entirely in certain countries due to new regulations. In 2014, it shut down its Google News service in Spain after it was asked to pay for the news snippets it displayed.

The Big Picture: I’ve been involved in a few conversations about this proposal, with Jeff Jarvis and Aron Philhofer in particular. The fact that this agreement only supports publishers with more than $150k in revenue isn’t exactly helping the small local publications. Google states that it drives millions of page views to Australian news publishers, but the question of how to value providing technology versus developing content remains controversial.
 

Walmart Joins Microsoft on TikTok bid as CEO Kevin Mayer Resigns

After the US government's allegations yada yada, Walmart and Microsoft are planning a joint bid for the video platform.

  • Given TikTok, Walmart and Microsoft could both shake up their reputation and affiliate themselves with an app that’s extremely popular among teens and kids.

  • The deal is expected to be in the $20 billion to $30 billion range, sources say.

The Big Picture: TikTok CEO resigns just three months into the role due to concerns about political pressure and the accompanying fallout from an expected sale.. Microsoft, Oracle and now Walmart are at the ready to take advantage of the situation and to broaden their respective markets with a younger demographic.
 

Tesla is now worth more than Toyota, Disney and Coke

Tesla, is now valued at more than $US380 billion by market cap, and is worth more than ExxonMobil, Shell and BP combined. Tesla is now the most valuable car maker in the world.

  • Tesla is also rolling out gigafactories at a rattling pace. The company has installed the Giga Press, the "machine that builds the machine." The Giga Press facilitates electric car making on a cheaper and faster scale, starting with a single-cast rear piece for the Model Y.

  • Tesla boss Elon Musk has also declared thatTesla is happy to supply battery and powertrains to other car makers, setting the scene for what is expected to be one of the company's most important events, Battery Day on September 22.

The Big Picture:Among the products expected to be discussed or unveiled is the “million-mile battery” developed with CATL. This represents a shift away from the use of cobalt in batteries and a focus on cells such as CATL’s lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in the China-made Model 3.
 

She's got game - the rise of eGaming in Saudi Arabia

As Saudi Arabia loosens gender restrictions on esports, the country’s female gamers are stepping up to seize their opportunity.

  • In 2017, the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council accounted for around $693 million of gaming revenue, most related to esports. By 2021, that number is expected to exceed $821 million, boosted in part by the pandemic-induced lockdown.

  • In recent years, Prince Faisal bin Bandar, a young member of the royal family raised on Atari consoles, set out to make Saudi Arabia the Middle East’s hub for the $160 billion gaming industry.

  • Mossad Al-Dossary, then 18, made headlines in 2018 afterwinning first place at the FIFA eWorld Cup in London, taking home a $250,000 cash prize.

The Big Picture: The first ever game targeted to women gamers was Pacman back in 1980. Since then, there hasn't been a major focus on women in gaming - particularly in the Middle East. In mid-August, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, the largest women-only university in the world, announced that it would be creating a degree program for animation.
 

JOBS IN MY NETWORK

If anyone is qualified and looking for referrals, recommendations, introductions for any of the below roles I am happy to help.

  1. Scroll - Product Designer

  2. Time - Digital Designer

  3. The Inquirer - Senior Product Manager

If you would like to have your open role(s) featured in next months newsletter, please get in touch.
 

FCC Inc. SERVICE OFFERINGS

Fergal Carr Consulting Inc. - Accelerate your digital growth from our proven business playbook.

Find out about our loyalty referral program and please share the word and keep us in mind for any up coming projects. Schedule your free introduction call.