Hello, and welcome back to Week in Review!
I’ve spent the last few weeks unwinding and ensuring that my 2022 hot takes are as scorching, or at least as foresighted, as possible. This week, we’re discussing what I’m sure will be one of Apple’s biggest scandals of the decade: the teeny-tiny AirTag.
Apple has made its own post-launch efforts to tighten up how AirTags that don’t belong to a specific user can be detected, but these notifications have proven buggy and have frequently alerted users far too long. Add in the fact that Apple appears to have treated Android integration as an afterthought, rather than a necessary partnership in order to ship a device like this, and Apple’s incompetence becomes clearer.
I seriously doubt Apple will be able to design their way out of this problem. Regardless of what they release on iOS to address issues, Android’s fragmented ecosystem means that safeguards will not reach a large number of people who could be targeted.
It’s difficult to see how Apple can justify continuing to sell AirTags in a nascent product category with such PR liability potential. It’s a one-of-a-kind Apple error in that the company delivered exactly what they promised but failed to consider the full scope of that initial promise’s direct consequences.
in addition
Here are a few stories from this week that I think you should look into:
Elizabeth Holmes was found guilty on 4 of 11 counts.
The trial of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has finally concluded. We now await sentencing as well as further information on whether Holmes will be retried on several of the counts on which the jury could not reach a verdict. “Holmes was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud investors, as well as defrauding DeVos family investors, hedge fund manager Brian Grossman, and former estate and trust attorney Dan Mosely.” “She was found not guilty of charges related to patient defrauding,” my colleague Amanda reported.
Google infringed on Sonos technology, according to a trade court ruling.
A US regulator ruled this week that Google’s smart speakers infringed on key Sonos patents, and the company will no longer be allowed to import the infringing products, which are manufactured in China. Google has already begun rolling out design changes in the hopes of interfering with the sale of its smart speaker devices. Sonos’ early lead in the smart speaker war has dwindled as tech behemoths have thrown their weight around, but the smaller hardware company isn’t backing down.
A more compact and quieter CES
The Omicron wave prevented the TechCrunch team from travelling to Las Vegas to see the latest gadgets at the Consumer Electronics Show, but we were there in spirit, following along with countless livestreams. Even though it was a more low-key year, there were still plenty of wild gadgets this year. Here are a few of our favourites.
things were added
This week’s highlights from our TechCrunch+ subscription service:
How startups can avoid accumulating tech debt
Favoring a short-term plan to achieve a faster time to market is not always a bad thing, as long as the company has a backup plan to deliver well-designed code that will simplify future iterations and innovations. However, reworking is difficult for startups because deadlines and a lack of resources prevent developers from producing clean and perfect code. Startups prioritise short-term plans and place greater emphasis on adding functionalities in order to meet milestones, sign up marquee customers, or raise funding. This rescheduling of the roadmap and disregard for the long-term view result in tech debt…”
5 Marketing Growth Predictions for 2022
“…With TikTok’s meteoric rise, radical iOS privacy shifts, and a staggering $240 billion poured into U.S. startups as of September 30, it’s been a crazy year in growth marketing.” All of this new capital has resulted in increased investments in growth marketing throughout 2021. The larger investments have occurred during uncertain times, when startups have been scrambling to find ways to measure iOS conversions and unlock TikTok as a new channel…”
Three things founders should know about mergers and acquisitions
“…M&A is especially beneficial for startups that struggle to scale operationally because it essentially buys cash flow, revenue, and traffic from other companies, allowing startups to capture a larger share of their markets.” They’re also an excellent way for startups to identify, consolidate, and test their value proposition. The issue is that most founders don’t know how to get started with M&A and thus remain in the shadows of larger players. However, mergers are accessible and beneficial to businesses of all sizes…”
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