AndrewDP

Yes, public transit needs more investment. Claiming that the 'future of cities' is reliant on that investment is a bit myopic. The future of cities depends more on sensible planning as to how limited real estate is developed (mixed use, density, etc). Sensible planning can make existing public transit more efficient. Of course, this is why NIMBYism is so destructive and ultimately costly on the wider community.

The 'commitment' from that article is: "No launch date has been set just yet, but it could happen in as soon as six months' time."

The quote of interest (being able to be tested in months) references another article where nothing has been committed but could be done in 6 months.

On one hand it's great that this is being reviewed and tested. The other hand, that it's not getting properly tested in space where it really can make a difference is somewhat saddening. Can anyone point to a committed space trial?

I don't buy this. The same logic suggests that Tesla would not have been able to innovate the automotive market. AirBnB would not have been able to breakthrough the accomodation market. Or petroleum would be dictated by a few Robber Barons.

If anything, what sets the FAMGA apart is their embrace of innovation and their willingness to invest in new technology to maintain their market position. The author's notion that innovation will slow (the core 'profound implication') is not backed up with any data (except that IBM was dominant ... and now not).

This raises some interesting points about the established order of Apple in the tech landscape: 1. Around the same Apple was beginning a fight with FBI and law enforcement about protecting users' rights 2. That Apple didn't just pull the plug on Uber until it was fixed That Cook had a meeting with Kalanick to warn him as opposed to acting unilaterally suggests that Apple doesn't have the power in the market that some believe (and that it projects).

Most interesting that The Economist, which has it's own substantial CMS web presence, is using Medium to publish!

This is that awkward moment when you realise your colleague has terrible taste in music

This touches on the age old of problem of if you have police (moderators), who polices the police?

Ultimately this is solved by having elected representatives and putting the power back in the peoples' hands. And how do we elect globally? Does this come under the UN? I doubt few people would be happy with that scenario.

I always find it such a dichotomy that the Internet was established for knowledge sharing and education. Unfortunately today, there is a proliferation of mis-information and eroding the critical thinking that underpins a successful education.

The underlying argument here is there is no difference between say Google and Verizon: the customer has to opt in (or pay) for both. And from a free market (aka conservative) economic perspective if this is a concern shared by the population, someone will offer it as a service that people will pay for (a VPN tax if you will).

This is an unfortunate example where government is not set up to address concerns of today's environment. They are trying to apply legal constructs of 20-50 years ago to a quickly changing age. And while you can argue whether the prior administration did the right thing legislating in this environment, the one thing they did was understand that access to the Internet should be a right as opposed to a privilege. Like education, access to 911, etc. As more services move exclusively online, this fundamental access question only becomes a greater concern.

If individuals aren't guaranteed access nor have any protections online, then we are heading into a very dangerous area (if the only way to lodge a claim against your internet provider is online, then they will know what you are doing).

My wife works in fashion. What they have found is instructive. They have spent 20 years outsourcing their production to China. After 20 years of economic and wage growth in China the cost savings once you take into account shipping etc is eroding. Adding to increased demand from the local economy, the value for outsourcing is quickly eroding and most fashion companies are looking for the next low cost production region (Vietnam and Pakistan are two).

I am no economist, but I believe that there will be a global rebalancing in the near future: manufacturing will return as the rents in low-cost regions approach the local cost of manufacturing.