https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/ An owl’s view of Google, Apple, Meta, Amazon and Microsoft from Japan: business and social impact, sorted into the light and the dark. en Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2026-10/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2026-10/iPhone Duo, Muse Wonder, Gemini 4 Carbon and AWS growth, set against Alphabet's record drop, Microsoft buyouts and Amazon's cash outflow.Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTAIEarningsAppleMicrosoftAmazon https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/google-ai-comeback/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/google-ai-comeback/Where Google stands in AI, and what Google+, Glass, Nexus Q and Google Home teach about turning impressive demos into products people keep using.Mon, 26 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAIGoogleGeminiAI agents https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/ntt-ai-data-centers-power-water/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/ntt-ai-data-centers-power-water/An NTT Data facility for Anthropic in Osaka may cost up to ¥1 trillion. What AI data centers ask of local grids, water and towns, and who should foot the bill.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAIData centersEnergyNTTAnthropic https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/meta-ai-ad-company/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/meta-ai-ad-company/Why Meta's AI bet is a redesign of its ad engine, not a cloud business, and what its spending, glasses and agents mean for its stock.Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTMetaAIAdvertisingStocksSmart glasses https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/smart-speakers-second-act/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/smart-speakers-second-act/Why Alexa, Google Home and HomePod never became the home's computer, why LLMs were slow to arrive, and what Alexa+ must get right this time.Tue, 08 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTSmart speakersAlexaGenerative AIAmazonSmart home https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/agi-30-predictions-map/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/agi-30-predictions-map/I plotted 30 AI voices, 15 abroad and 15 in Japan, by AGI timing and optimism: what the map shows, what it hides, and Japan's different kind of worry.Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTAGIAIForecastsJapan https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/ai-bubble-blind-spot/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/ai-bubble-blind-spot/AI spending is enormous, yet few AI-native industries exist. Why speed gains aren't turning into new businesses, with DeNA as a case study.Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTAIAI investmentNew businessDeNA https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2026-07/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2026-07/July 2026 earnings showed AI paying off in cloud and search, and its weight on Meta and Amazon cash flow, plus Microsoft layoffs and EU rulings.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTEarningsAI investmentCloudEU regulationLayoffs https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/amazon-ai-strategy/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/amazon-ai-strategy/Amazon has no ChatGPT-style face, yet AWS, Bedrock, Anthropic, Trainium, Nova and Amazon Q add up to a quiet, very large bet on the plumbing of AI.Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTAmazonAIAWSStrategy https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/ai-takes-power-users-jobs-first/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/ai-takes-power-users-jobs-first/Why AI job losses hit the people closest to AI first, and what keeps your work valuable once just using AI is no longer an edge.Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTAIJobsFuture of workAI consulting https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/beyond-ai-hype-and-fear/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/beyond-ai-hype-and-fear/Past the wow-merchants and the scaremongers: why AI's value depends on where it is placed, who is accountable, and what counts as a result.Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTAIFuture of workAI governanceProductivity https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2026-06/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2026-06/June 2026: Siri AI, Microsoft Scout, AWS agents and Meta's AI Mode, plus the UK CMA on Google AI search, Siri AI's EU delay and a Ring face-scan lawsuit.Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI agentsSiriAI searchPrivacyEU regulation https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/nanto-hokuto-ai-at-work/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/nanto-hokuto-ai-at-work/Some workers flaunt their AI use while others hide it. What tokenmaxxing, workslop and shadow AI reveal about how workplaces reward AI.Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTAIShadow AIWorkplaceAmazon https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/siri-ai-late-or-last/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/siri-ai-late-or-last/Apple unveiled Siri AI at WWDC26. Is it a catch-up move or Apple's classic late entry? What it borrows from Google and what it must prove this fall.Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTAppleSiriApple IntelligenceWWDCAI assistants https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/ai-search-after-google-io/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/ai-search-after-google-io/Google I/O 2026 turned search into an AI gateway. UK rules, Microsoft Scout, a Meta chatbot breach and a Ring lawsuit show the fight is now over permissions.Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI searchGoogleAI agentsRegulationPrivacy https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2026-05/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2026-05/May 2026: Google I/O remakes search around AI, earnings show real AI cloud revenue, and the dark side of capex, Meta layoffs, Fortnite and a Vermont lawsuit.Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTGoogle I/OAI searchEarningsAI investmentPlatform regulation https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2026-04/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2026-04/April 2026: Tim Cook steps down, trillion-yen AI and space bets from Microsoft and Amazon, 16,000 job cuts, and Iran's threats reach data centers.Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTAppleAI infrastructureLayoffsGeopoliticsAmazon https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2026-03/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2026-03/March 2026: Apple at 50, a $110 billion OpenAI round and Meta's MTIA chips, against Big Tech stocks 14–35% off peak, a social media verdict and layoffs.Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMTStocksOpenAIAI chipsSocial mediaLayoffs https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/ai-leadership-wont-stay-fixed/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/ai-leadership-wont-stay-fixed/A look back at the AI race from ChatGPT to Claude Code, the strengths and weaknesses of eight players, and why the lead keeps changing hands.Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMTAIGoogleOpenAIAnthropic https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/ai-electricity-in-numbers/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/ai-electricity-in-numbers/AI's power appetite in plain numbers: data center growth, Big Tech's usage vs. all of Tokyo, local grid strain, nuclear bets, and the Hormuz energy risk.Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMTAIEnergyData centersGoogleNuclear power https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/big-tech-2025-ai-bets/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/big-tech-2025-ai-bets/Q4 2025 earnings from Alphabet, Apple, Meta, Amazon and Microsoft show where each is betting on AI, what the capex boom means, and how it reaches Japan.Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMTAIEarningsCloudCapex https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/iphone-price-wall-japan/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/iphone-price-wall-japan/iPhone prices in Japan now top ¥150,000 and Android has retaken the majority. How price, AI and Apple's local strategy are reshaping Japan's iPhone kingdom.Wed, 11 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMTAppleiPhoneJapanAndroidSmartphones https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2026-01/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2026-01/January 2026: Apple picked Google's Gemini for the next Siri and Microsoft doubled carbon removal, while Meta and Google faced scam-ad and privacy trouble.Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMTAIAppleGoogleMetaPrivacy https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2025-12/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2025-12/December 2025: Amazon began selling Trainium 3 and Meta agreed to buy Manus, while Meta planned metaverse cuts and Microsoft set 365 price hikes of up to 33%.Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMTAIMetaverseAntitrustGoogleApple https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2025-11/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2025-11/November 2025: Gemini 3 launched, Apple turned to Gemini for Siri and OpenAI signed a $38B AWS deal, while Japan's smartphone act and LeCun's exit loomed.Sun, 07 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMTAIGoogleAppleRegulationCloud https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2025-10/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2025-10/October 2025: Meta's AI spending sank its stock, Amazon cut 14,000 jobs and AWS went down, while Google advanced quantum computing and Apple shipped M5.Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMTAILayoffsQuantum computingMetaAmazon https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2025-09/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2025-09/September 2025: Apple's iPhone 17 and Meta's display glasses, plus Google's antitrust remedies, a record Amazon class action and Meta's photo scanning.Wed, 01 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMTAppleMetaAntitrustPrivacyGoogle https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/ai-is-about-money/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/ai-is-about-money/Why AI spending runs so high: the winner-takes-all logic behind it, and how the US, China, Europe, Japan and Big Tech compare.Sun, 07 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMTAIInvestmentUS-China rivalryBig TechJapan https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2025-08/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2025-08/August 2025: Apple pledged $100 billion more for US manufacturing and Amazon licensed NYT content for AI, while smishing surged and Meta's AI rules drew fire.Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMTAIAppleMetaScamsAntitrust https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/online-ads-tv-would-reject/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/online-ads-tv-would-reject/Why TV and newspapers vet every ad while Google, Meta and other platforms carry scam ads: the history, laws like Section 230, and how the ad business is built.Fri, 15 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMTOnline adsScam adsMetaGoogleRegulation https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2025-07/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2025-07/July 2025: AI drove strong earnings at Google, Microsoft and Meta, while a fierce AI talent war, Google's antitrust case and an Alexa privacy suit loomed.Mon, 04 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMTAIEarningsAI talentAntitrustPrivacy https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/ai-layoffs-big-tech-data/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/ai-layoffs-big-tech-data/Headcount data for Alphabet, Apple, Meta, Amazon and Microsoft from 2019 to 2024 suggests recent layoffs trim pandemic over-hiring, not AI job loss.Tue, 15 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMTAILayoffsJobsAmazonMicrosoft https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2025-06/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2025-06/June 2025: WWDC brought iOS 26 and visionOS 26, Japan's My Number Card reached iPhone, and Google went AI Mode, amid layoffs, a Pixel ban and EU fines.Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMTAppleWWDCAILayoffsRegulation https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/work-ai-wont-do/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/work-ai-wont-do/AI is moving into strategy, design and even the CEO's chair. What's left for people may be the chores AI doesn't want, not the creative work.Wed, 18 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMTAIJobsFuture of workAutomation https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2025-05/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2025-05/May 2025: Google's AI Mode and Android XR at I/O, the NYT–Amazon AI deal, plus antitrust pressure, military tech protests and Meta's metaverse losses.Sun, 01 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMTAIGoogleAppleXRAntitrust https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/xr-comeback/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/xr-comeback/From Google Glass to Vision Pro, Quest and Android XR: a look back at a decade of XR and whether it could become the next interface.Fri, 16 May 2025 00:00:00 GMTXRVRARMetaApple https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2025-04/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2025-04/April 2025: generative AI moved into real products at Microsoft, Google and Meta, Apple shifted iPhone output to India, and antitrust pressure mounted.Sat, 03 May 2025 00:00:00 GMTAIAntitrustSupply chainAppleStocks https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/google-antitrust-cases/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/google-antitrust-cases/A country-by-country table of government antitrust cases against Google, the penalties at stake, and how it differs from Microsoft's IE case.Fri, 18 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMTGoogleAntitrustAndroidRegulation https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/small-ai-dystopia/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/small-ai-dystopia/Forget The Terminator. The Owl looks at how narrow, everyday AI is already displacing jobs, outpacing the law, eroding trust and shaking our sense of worth.Sat, 12 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMTAIGenerative AIDystopiaSingularity https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2025-03/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2025-03/New iPads and Macs, Anthropic AI for Alexa+, Gemini 2.5, Majorana 1, a photo-scanning row, a greenwashing suit, preliminary EU DMA findings and a stock slide.Tue, 01 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMTAIAppleGoogleRegulationStocks https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/big-tech-remote-work-reversal/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/big-tech-remote-work-reversal/Amazon, Google and Meta are pulling staff back to the office. What is really behind the reversal, and does remote work actually help productivity?Tue, 18 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMTRemote workReturn to officeHRAmazonGoogle https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/big-tech-abandons-dei-japan/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/big-tech-abandons-dei-japan/Why Meta, Google and others are scaling back DEI programs, why Apple is holding firm, and what Japan should learn instead of following the US trend.Fri, 07 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMTDEIDiversityMetaGoogleApple https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2025-02/https://hoothall.com/gafam-news/roundup-2025-02/February 2025: Apple launched the iPhone 16e, Big Tech's AI spending is set to soar, and the giants cozied up to the new Trump administration and dropped DEI.Sat, 01 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMTAppleAIDEIPoliticsScam ads