Tech Bytes - Week of May 2
Tech News to Actionable Insights for Smart Business Leaders
📰 Recent Top Tech News
Roku, the set-top box company, claims Google is strong-arming it
Microsoft is changing up its default Office Font and wants your help
Google loses its Argentina domain in a renewal failure (and got it back)
The Takeaways
Roku, the digital set-top box system, claims that Google is forcing it to feature YouTube more prominently to continue offering Youtube TV service from Google. Roku claims Google threatened to increase hardware specifications to increase pressure on Roku prices. Google commented on this without an explicit denial.
🔎 Our Take
Roku is a means to an end: a hardware device similar to Google Chromecast or Apple TV, providing consumers with an easy way to make their TV Smart. Youtube TV is a digital subscription, which is the ‘end goal’ for most users, so this form of pressure is not unexpected. Roku could follow Apple’s lead in creating their original content and creating their own content. Also, this kind of strong-arming by Google is not new, with their previous tussle with Amazon over blocking Youtube on Amazon’s devices, ultimately resolved behind the scenes.
🧁 Your Takeaway
If your business relies on others to provide value to your consumers, see that you are adding sufficient value to consumers to retain them. Consider diversifying your supplier base or investing in your own supply chain. In some cases, if you are up against a near monopoly, your recourse might be via legislation or popular backing.
2. Microsoft is changing its default Office font (presently Calibri), providing 5 options for users to try out in Office 365. The final single default will be chosen in the next few months, based on users feedback to be made default in Office 2022.
🔎 Our Take
Given how ubiquitous Office tools are, the default font typeface subtly influences nearly all design for that era. What makes this generation of change interesting is the ability for Microsoft to conduct live tests and track usage and preferences online.
🧁 Your Takeaway
Even the best design can get dated over time. Consider switching up your look and feel. You could even make it a public contest to engage with your customers. Try A/B testing your designs if you have the budget, and keep looking for areas to tweak and optimise your virtual presence, as users preferences also constantly change.
3. Google lost control of google.co.ar when it forgot to renew it. It was bought legally by someone who redirected it to his own website. Google managed to get the domain back.
🔎 Our Take
Despite Google being the leading web company, with a global presence, they slipped up on renewing their domain. Given that the domain often controls other services (such as your personal email), it is a pretty major gaffe.
🧁 Your Takeaway
Check on your company’s domains and ensure that you have auto-renewals set for both the domain and any SSL security configuration. Unless you are Google or have a trademark on the domain name, getting your domain name back is extremely hard.
Jargon Buster
SSL: Secure Sockets Layer - this is a security system that makes sure that your web browsing is secure between your browser and the server. You can see this in action when you see the padlock 🔒 icon and the ‘httpS’ in your browser URL.
Do note that SSL is essentially a free feature now, though some domain hosts still charge for it, exploiting customers' lack of knowledge.
Dear QTBees,
If we don’t learn from the lessons of the past, we are bound to commit the same mistakes again in the future.
Figure out what your ‘never ever’ things are, and do what is necessary to make sure it won’t happen again.
Stay Awesome
Vishal
Founder & Director
Quantana
If you loved reading this on the site, then drop your email below to get the smartest takes on tech news, delivered straight to your inbox:
If you enjoyed this newsletter and know someone in your team or friends’ circle would find this useful, then forward it to them now. A single forward would be Melodious! 😊