Weekly Update 29

September 23, 2022

Men are fleeing Russia, and the country is in chaos after Putin announced a "partial mobilization" plan to ramp up the war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Iranian women are burning their hijabs to chants of "death to the dictator" in the streets.

Here's what's been happening around the world:

• Men are fleeing Russia to avoid Putin's military mobilization

• Iran confirms 31 deaths in protests over Mahsa Amini's death

• Lebanese banks to remain shut indefinitely

Ads are taking over smartphones

🤑 Apple has figured out its next big business — expanding ads on your iPhone to Apple Maps.

🎙️ It already shows ads on apps like Apple News and Stocks and will "likely" put ads on podcasts and books.

Android isn't far behind

🤳 Android users can also see ads on their lock screen with Glance, a Google-backed subsidiary, launching soon on several smartphone models.

🔐 Glance's "dynamic" lock screen shows news, videos, games, and ads, even before users unlock their phones.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is just confusing users...

📨 Microsoft is positioning more ads in Outlook mobile for iOS and Android, which appear at the top of the inbox and look a lot like real emails.

💡 The only way to avoid them entirely is with a Microsoft 365 subscription.

The ads might mean discounted phone bills

📉 AT&T is considering introducing ads on customers' phones within the next 1-2 years for a $5-$10 reduction in their phone bills.

📱 Amazon has also experimented with discounted mid-range phones that display lock screen ads.

🔗 Boost Mobile, which allows people to pay bills via blockchain (1 BoostCoin = 1 cent), lets you lower your phone bills by interacting with ads on your phone.

Why are companies doing it?

💰 Apple previously focused only on hardware to boost revenue. The move is a major post-Covid strategy shift as the company aims to increase its annual ad revenue from $4 billion to double digits.

⌚ It's an "exciting" new business model: some companies might ask you to pay less for their services if you interact with these ads. However, you might have to spend a lot of time engaging with them for any significant savings.

If you have any feedback, drop it here. Have a great weekend!