What makes the Nike Vapor Untouchable Pro Lax-White a top choice for lacrosse players. How does its design enhance performance on the field. Why is this cleat considered a game-changer in lacrosse footwear.
The Revolutionary Design of Nike Vapor Untouchable Pro Lax-White
The Nike Vapor Untouchable Pro Lax-White represents a pinnacle in lacrosse cleat technology. Its innovative design combines lightweight materials with strategic reinforcement to provide unparalleled support and agility on the field. The cleat’s upper is constructed from a breathable, flexible material that molds to the foot, offering a snug, personalized fit.
A key feature of this cleat is its carbon fiber plate, which runs the length of the shoe. This plate serves multiple purposes:
- Enhances energy return with each step
- Provides excellent torsional rigidity
- Reduces overall weight without sacrificing durability
The combination of these elements results in a cleat that feels like an extension of the foot, allowing players to make quick cuts and explosive movements with confidence.
Superior Traction and Stability for Peak Performance
Traction is paramount in lacrosse, and the Nike Vapor Untouchable Pro Lax-White excels in this area. The cleat pattern is specifically designed for multidirectional movement, featuring a combination of blade-like studs and conical cleats. This configuration provides excellent grip on various field conditions, from dry turf to wet grass.
How does the cleat’s design contribute to player stability? The answer lies in its strategic stud placement:
- Forefoot cleats are positioned to maximize acceleration and quick changes in direction
- Heel cleats offer enhanced braking power and stability during backpedaling
- Perimeter cleats provide lateral support during side-to-side movements
This thoughtful arrangement ensures that players maintain control and balance throughout the game, regardless of the maneuvers they execute.
Comfort and Fit: The Lacrosse Player’s Dream
Comfort is crucial for sustained performance in lacrosse, and the Nike Vapor Untouchable Pro Lax-White doesn’t disappoint. The cleat features a padded collar and tongue that cradle the ankle and instep, reducing pressure points and enhancing overall comfort. The internal bootie construction wraps the foot snugly, eliminating slippage within the shoe.
Are these cleats suitable for players with different foot shapes? Indeed, they are. The Flywire technology integrated into the upper allows for a customizable fit. These ultralight yet strong cables work in tandem with the laces to provide targeted support where it’s needed most, adapting to the unique contours of each player’s foot.
Breathability and Moisture Management
Extended gameplay can lead to sweaty feet, potentially causing discomfort and reduced performance. The Nike Vapor Untouchable Pro Lax-White addresses this issue through:
- Strategically placed ventilation ports in the upper
- Moisture-wicking internal lining
- Perforated sockliner for enhanced airflow
These features work in harmony to keep the foot cool and dry, even during the most intense matches.
Durability: Built to Last Through Countless Games
Lacrosse is a high-impact sport that demands equipment capable of withstanding rigorous use. The Nike Vapor Untouchable Pro Lax-White is engineered with durability in mind. The upper material is reinforced in high-wear areas, such as the toe box and midfoot, to resist abrasion and maintain structural integrity.
The outsole is constructed from a high-density rubber compound that resists wear and maintains its traction properties over time. This ensures that players can rely on consistent performance throughout the season, game after game.
Maintenance and Care
To maximize the longevity of these cleats, proper care is essential. Here are some tips for maintaining your Nike Vapor Untouchable Pro Lax-White cleats:
- Clean the cleats after each use, removing dirt and debris
- Allow them to air dry naturally, avoiding direct heat sources
- Store in a cool, dry place when not in use
- Regularly inspect for signs of wear and replace cleats when necessary
By following these simple steps, players can ensure their cleats remain in top condition for as long as possible.
Performance Enhancement: How the Nike Vapor Untouchable Pro Lax-White Elevates Your Game
The true measure of any sports equipment lies in its ability to enhance an athlete’s performance. The Nike Vapor Untouchable Pro Lax-White excels in this regard, offering several features that directly contribute to improved play on the lacrosse field.
One of the most significant performance benefits is the cleat’s lightweight construction. Weighing in at a mere fraction of traditional lacrosse cleats, it allows for quicker foot movements and reduced fatigue over the course of a game. This can make a crucial difference in those final minutes when every second counts.
The cleat’s responsive cushioning system also plays a vital role in performance enhancement. It provides:
- Excellent energy return, propelling players forward with each step
- Shock absorption to reduce impact on joints during running and jumping
- Improved proprioception, allowing for better awareness of foot position
These features combine to create a cleat that not only improves speed and agility but also helps reduce the risk of fatigue-related injuries.
Position-Specific Advantages
Different positions in lacrosse demand different attributes from footwear. The Nike Vapor Untouchable Pro Lax-White offers benefits across various roles:
- Attackers: Quick acceleration and precise cuts for evading defenders
- Midfielders: Sustained comfort for covering large distances
- Defenders: Stability and traction for maintaining positioning
- Goalies: Responsive sole for quick lateral movements
This versatility makes the cleat an excellent choice for players at any position on the field.
The Science Behind the Sole: Traction Technology Explained
The sole of the Nike Vapor Untouchable Pro Lax-White is a marvel of engineering, designed to provide optimal traction in various playing conditions. The cleat pattern is the result of extensive research and testing, incorporating insights from biomechanics and materials science.
At the heart of the sole’s design is the concept of multidirectional traction. This is achieved through a combination of features:
- Angled cleats that dig into the turf for explosive starts
- Flat-bottom cleats for stability during lateral movements
- Heel cleats positioned to provide braking power
The arrangement of these cleats is not random; it’s based on careful analysis of foot strike patterns and pressure distribution during typical lacrosse movements.
Adaptive Traction
One of the most innovative aspects of the Nike Vapor Untouchable Pro Lax-White’s sole is its ability to adapt to different field conditions. The cleats are designed to penetrate firm ground for maximum grip, yet they also provide excellent traction on softer surfaces without getting clogged with mud or grass.
This adaptability is achieved through:
- Variable cleat lengths that engage with the ground at different depths
- Self-cleaning channels that shed debris as the player moves
- A flexible forefoot that allows the cleats to work independently
These features ensure that players maintain optimal traction regardless of the field conditions they encounter.
Customization and Personalization Options
While the standard Nike Vapor Untouchable Pro Lax-White offers exceptional performance, many players desire a personal touch to their equipment. Nike recognizes this need and provides several customization options for this cleat model.
Through Nike’s customization program, players can:
- Choose from a range of color combinations for various parts of the cleat
- Add personalized text, such as player names or numbers
- Select different materials for certain components to suit individual preferences
This level of customization allows players to express their personality while maintaining the high-performance standards of the original design.
Fit Customization
Beyond aesthetic customization, the Nike Vapor Untouchable Pro Lax-White offers options for fit personalization. The Flywire technology mentioned earlier can be adjusted to provide a more tailored fit. Additionally, the cleat is compatible with various orthotics and insoles, allowing players with specific foot support needs to modify the interior to their requirements.
For team orders, Nike offers the option to incorporate team colors and logos, creating a cohesive look that enhances team identity on the field.
Environmental Considerations and Sustainability
In today’s environmentally conscious world, the sustainability of sports equipment is an increasingly important consideration. Nike has taken steps to reduce the environmental impact of the Vapor Untouchable Pro Lax-White without compromising its performance.
Some of the eco-friendly features of this cleat include:
- Use of recycled materials in certain components
- Water-based adhesives that reduce the use of harmful solvents
- Packaging made from recycled cardboard
While these measures may seem small, they represent a commitment to more sustainable manufacturing practices in the sporting goods industry.
Durability as a Sustainability Feature
It’s worth noting that the durability of the Nike Vapor Untouchable Pro Lax-White is itself a sustainability feature. By creating a cleat that lasts longer and maintains its performance characteristics over time, Nike reduces the need for frequent replacements. This, in turn, leads to less waste and a lower overall environmental impact.
Players can contribute to this sustainability effort by properly maintaining their cleats and using them for their full lifespan before replacing them.
The Future of Lacrosse Footwear: Innovations on the Horizon
The Nike Vapor Untouchable Pro Lax-White represents the current pinnacle of lacrosse cleat technology, but innovation in this field is ongoing. As materials science and biomechanics research advance, we can expect to see further improvements in lacrosse footwear.
Some potential areas of future development include:
- Smart cleats with integrated sensors for performance tracking
- Advanced cushioning systems that adapt to different playing surfaces
- Even lighter materials that maintain durability and support
- Improved sustainable manufacturing processes and materials
While these innovations are still on the horizon, they highlight the exciting potential for continued advancement in lacrosse cleat design.
The Role of Player Feedback
As with any sports equipment, player feedback plays a crucial role in driving innovation. Nike’s development process for the Vapor Untouchable Pro Lax-White included extensive input from professional and collegiate lacrosse players. This collaborative approach ensures that new features and design elements truly meet the needs of athletes on the field.
Players at all levels can contribute to this process by providing feedback on their experiences with the cleats, helping to shape the future of lacrosse footwear.
In conclusion, the Nike Vapor Untouchable Pro Lax-White stands as a testament to the advanced engineering and design capabilities in modern sports footwear. Its combination of lightweight construction, superior traction, comfort, and durability makes it an excellent choice for lacrosse players seeking to elevate their game. As the sport continues to evolve, we can expect this cleat and its future iterations to remain at the forefront of performance-enhancing equipment.
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The most untouchable Giants records
The Giants.com crew is presented with four statements and must decide whether they are Fact or Fiction.
The most untouchable career franchise record on defense is Emlen Tunnell’s 74 interceptions
John Schmeelk: Fact – Players just don’t rack of those kind of interceptions any longer given the efficiency, pinpoint and short-pass based NFL offenses of the present. Rod Woodson, Charles Woodson and Ed Reed are the only players with more than 60 interceptions who played past the 2010 season. It’s just a very hard number to reach.
Lance Medow: Fact – Emlen Tunnel not only set a franchise record with 74 interceptions but his 79 career picks (five more with the Packers) ranks second in NFL history. To further put things in perspective, only three players in league annals have collected more than 70. The next closest Giant to Tunnel is Jimmy Patton, who recorded 52 picks.
Matt Citak: Fact – What Tunnell did during his time with the Giants is simply amazing. The defensive back earned eight consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl from 1950-1957, in addition to earning six selections as an All-Pro. He intercepted seven passes in just 10 games as a rookie in 1948 and then a career-high 10 interceptions the following year. From 1948-57, Tunnell had at least six interceptions every season. That just does not happen in the NFL any longer. Patrick Peterson and Harrison Smith are tied for the current lead among active players with 34 interceptions, and each have played in the league for more than a decade. It would be shocking to see anyone come even close to Tunnell’s 74 interceptions.
The most untouchable career franchise record on offense is Eli Manning’s 57,023 passing yards
John Schmeelk: Fiction – The NFL is becoming more of a passing league every year. Whether or not the Giants have a quarterback who can play 16 years like Eli did is a legitimate question, but getting to more than 57,000 yards over the span is very doable if a player can log that many games. Tiki Barber’s 10,449 career rushing yards might be tougher to break given how running backs rarely play the position full-ime any longer and have such short careers.
Lance Medow: Fact – It’s going to be very difficult for anyone to break most of Eli Manning’s marks given he made 222 consecutive starts between Nov. 2004-Nov. 2017. On top of that, in the entire history of the NFL, just four quarterbacks (Brett Favre, Philip Rivers, Peyton Manning and Eli) have reached 200 consecutive starts. That’s a huge reason why the Giants legend piled up more than 57,000 passing yards. Another Giants quarterback would have to play as long, without any injuries, to even start having a discussion that it could be feasible.
Matt Citak: Fact – This is another one that will be incredibly difficult for anyone to beat. Perhaps Manning’s best trait was his ability to stay on the field. The legendary quarterback started 210 consecutive games, and wasn’t even injured for the game that snapped his epic streak. This led to Manning creating a significant distance between himself and all other Giants quarterbacks – Phil Simms is second on the all-time passing list with 33,462 yards, more than 23,000 less than Manning. To put it into perspective, Daniel Jones is four years into his NFL career and is sixth on the franchise’s all-time list with 11,603 yards. Unless someone is able to start 200+ consecutive games at quarterback again, Manning’s record isn’t being touched.
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The most untouchable single-season franchise record on defense is Michael Strahan’s 22.5 sacks in 2001.
John Schmeelk: Fact – This isn’t just a Giants record, it is an NFL record (shared with T.J. Watt). Although sack numbers are increasing due to the higher frequency of passes being thrown in the league, it is hard to imagine another Giant surpassing 22.5 sacks. The expanded 17-game season helps but it is not enough.
Lance Medow: Fiction – It’s either Michael Strahan’s sack record or Jimmy Patton and Otto Schnellbacher’s shared interception total of 11 in 1958 and 1951, respectively. You can make a strong case for both but go with the latter. Although 22.5 sacks seem untouchable on the surface, Jason Pierre-Paul recorded 16.5 in 2011, which is at least in the same ballpark. No one has posted double-digit interceptions in a Giants uniform since 1968 and only one player has come close in the 21st Century (Stevie Brown had eight in 2012).Based on those trends, go with matching or passing Strahan as more likely.
Matt Citak: Fact – Strahan set the NFL all-time single-season sack record with his 22.5 in 2001. Pittsburgh Steelers OLB T.J. Watt matched that number in 2021, and others came close in the years before Watt was finally able to reach Strahan’s mark. But 22.5 sacks in a single season is quite the accomplishment. Lawrence Taylor, perhaps the greatest-ever defensive player, topped out at 20.5 sacks in 1986. The next-highest Giants sack total, other than Strahan’s 18.5 sacks in 2003, was Jason Pierre-Paul’s 16.5 in 2011. Strahan’s high-mark will be very tough for anyone to beat.
The most untouchable single-season franchise record on offense is Y.A. Tittle’s 104.8 passer rating in his 1963 NFL MVP season.
John Schmeelk: Fiction – Passer rating are only going up as completion percentages sky-rocket and interceptions plummet, thanks to passing games that include so many safe completions at or near the line of scrimmage. Those plays will often turn into big games thanks to the dynamic athletes on the other side of the plays.
Lance Medow: Fiction – While Y.A. Tittle’s feat shouldn’t be overlooked, several Giants quarterbacks have finished their respective seasons in the 90s, including 2015 when Eli Manning posted a 93.6 passer rating. When you look around the league, 104.8 has easily been surpassed by the NFL’s annual leader in 15 of the last 16 seasons. That’s why Tiki Barber’s single-season mark for carries will never be broken. He ran the ball 357 times in 2005 and the only player to even reach 300 carries since is Barber again. With most teams using running back committees and the injury rate at that position, Tiki’s mark is more than safe.
Matt Citak: Fiction – This one was close, as Tittle’s 1963 passer rating is an impressive mark, one that no other Giants QB has come close to in the 60 years since. However, Tittle’s 104. 8 ranks tied for 61st on the NFL’s all-time list. While no Giants QB has beat it, many others have. That is why I’m going with Daniel Jones’ 1.1 interception percentage last season as the most untouchable single-season franchise record. That mark is tied with five others as the 22nd-best in NFL history. Within the Giants record books, Phil Simms came closest at 1.3 percent. Jones’ 1.1 was the best in the NFL last season, as he threw just five interceptions on 472 pass attempts. In the last five years, the only QBs to best that mark are Aaron Rodgers (four times), Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes and Drew Brees.
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how the caste hierarchy penetrated the Indian IT industry – Career on vc.ru
Indian IT companies had a chance to become free from caste restrictions, but for the most part they have completely adapted this system. About why this happened, as well as the position of representatives of the lower social groups in the industry – in the retelling of Rest of World.
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Source: Rest of World
India experienced a hiring boom in 2021 with almost 50% of the country’s companies planning to add staff in early 2022 and the number of applicants doubled compared to last year. Competing with each other, IT firms offered potential employees even with little experience comfortable conditions, high salaries and corporate gifts.
At the same time, due to the caste organization of Indian society, the access of some people to prestigious and sought-after industries is difficult – castes are traditionally associated with certain professions.
Dalits, or the untouchables, have historically been given “dirty” jobs like manual garbage collection. In 1947, India introduced a reservation program: it assigned to Dalits and representatives of indigenous communities close in status to them the right to education and service in public positions, and also introduced quotas for them.
This made it more difficult for dominant groups to find jobs in public institutions. According to the publication, this pushed them to work in a predominantly private IT industry, where the state could not impose employment quotas.
But the Dalits also went there – the new industry promised to create equal conditions for everyone, in which everything would depend on individual abilities and personal merit, and religion, gender and caste would not matter.
However, this mixture led to the formation of caste hierarchies within the industry as well. Castes in the Indian technology sector are not disappearing, but are rapidly adapting to new conditions, concludes University of Canterbury professor B. Lindt.
It is difficult for members of the lower castes to obtain specialized education
Barriers to entry into the IT industry for historically oppressed groups arise from childhood. Among them:
- Unequal access to quality primary education. High-caste people can afford English-language schools with the best teachers for their children, but the poor are denied that advantage, says Monash University teacher in Malaysia Rajesh Ramachandrana.
- Remoteness of educational institutions. IT colleges are often located in cities – villagers have to travel long distances to get to them.
- High cost of education. While most engineering colleges offer residential courses, they are not affordable for students from poor families.
Faced with these difficulties, many members of the lower castes choose non-engineering majors. An additional factor in this is the lack of knowledge of English, which is mainly taught.
PhD Jyoti Lavanya and her brother are children of Dalits. They told the publication that their parents couldn’t help them with their homework.
During my school years, no one in my family could tell me how to solve tasks in basic mathematics or English, not to mention help with admission to an IT specialty.
Jyoti Lavanya
Prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology, or IITs, are subject to a government-set quota, but these conditions are not always met.
Enrolling in IIT is like a “lucky ticket to life” because these institutions, according to the publication, are among the best engineering institutions in the world and attract foreign recruits every year. But even after overcoming the difficulties of primary education and enrolling in IIT, Dalit students face rejection.
- According to a documentary made by Indian students, between 2007 and 2011, 18 Dalit students committed suicide due to caste discrimination.
- In 2021, a video leaked online in which a teacher at an elite school insulted students enrolled through the reservation program.
- A student at the Indian Institute of Management in Calcutta told how a professor devalued his contribution to a key project. “They couldn’t believe that the reserve candidate could do well,” he said.
It is difficult for educated Dalits to find decent work due to nepotism and caste prejudice
Manoj is a Dalit who graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology and joined a tech company in Bangalore. At first, colleagues did not know about his caste and treated him friendly.
But when they became aware of her, their behavior changed. The manager now greeted Manoj with a smirk, and a colleague casually remarked at lunch one day, “I didn’t know you were from the ‘reservation’.”
Prashat Tambe, a public figure and founder of a private college in Nagpur, said that he personally invited students from oppressed castes for interviews. “Almost 90% do not come because they are afraid that they do not speak English well enough, ”he shared.
Tambe was doing research for a multinational tech company and found out that most of the lower castes work as service personnel.
Caste discrimination is felt at a deeper level. Colleagues don’t always say things directly—their prejudice can be expressed in minor actions, intonations, or even body language.
Dhruva, Dalit Technician
The IT sector claims that merit-based hiring has supplanted nepotism. “But if most of the employees are English-speaking people from big cities, the industry is just modifying the old forms of nepotism,” said Shanmugavelan, a fellow at the nonprofit research organization Data and Society.
Much of the hiring happens on referrals, and this is how people from the same social groups move up the corporate ladder. However, if Dalits deliberately hire Dalits, it is not welcome, writes Rest of World.
Born into a Dalit family, Chandru holds a senior position in one of India’s leading software companies. He hired six workers for the office, focusing only on their ability.
According to him, the management of the firm was furious that they were all Dalits. Six months later, when the trial period ended, they were forced to quit.
Even within organizations employing more diverse staff, role stratification has emerged. “While graduates from IIT and other prestigious institutions are in the best places, college graduates are more likely to get into lower-paying routine positions,” Upadhya writes in his study.
Several major Indian software development companies prefer to hire students from mainstream schools. As one manager said in an interview with Upadhya, they need “guys who can just sit and write code without asking too many questions.”
Many Dalit workers see their caste as a barrier to career advancement. They face the challenge of how much to share about their origins.
I know that I am not promoting in my current company because I am a Dalit. You can hide it and develop in a career, but lose heart. Perhaps I will have a lower standard of living, but I will talk about myself and at least keep my dignity.
Ravi, technology company employee
Case against Google, cheap electric cars and untouchable WeChat
Topic – what threatens Google in the US antitrust investigation
This week, the US Department of Justice sued Google for abusing the monopoly in the search market. Next in line is Facebook. The lawsuit against Google, which was expected for more than a year, immediately became the topic of heated discussions and divided politicians and IT people into two camps: some believe that the position of the Ministry of Justice is weak, and the lawsuit is a purely political phenomenon, others talk about the terrible consequences of market monopolization and the need to take action. We tried to figure out what guides both of them, as well as what this case, which risks becoming the main process of the decade, can threaten you and me.
What Google is being accused of
This week the Decade Trial officially kicked off in the US, with the Department of Justice filing its lawsuit against Google for abuse of its monopoly position in the search and online advertising market after a year of deliberations. The case has been in preparation for more than a year, the lawsuit, in addition to the ministry, was filed by prosecutors from 11 states, Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen told reporters. Google is accused of creating an illegal monopoly in the US Internet search market, 88% of which is controlled by the service, and advertising in search services.
What Google is accused of:
- In a multi-billion dollar deal with Apple to preinstall Google services on iPhones and iPads. This is one of the main charges. Google agreed with Apple that on all its devices around the world, Google will be the default search engine. For this, the company pays from $ 8 to 12 billion a year, and Apple itself records payments from Google in the segment of its revenue from the services segment, the growth of which boasts to investors. Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai met in 2018 to discuss the deal. After that, a certain Apple executive wrote to his colleague from Google that “we work as if we are one company.”
- That the company enters into restrictive agreements with manufacturers of devices based on the Android mobile OS developed by Google. Moreover, it was often impossible to remove Google services from a smartphone or computer.
- Google controls through exclusive rights about 90% of all search queries in the US and receives $ 40 billion a year from advertisers. At the same time, the company gave an advantage in advertising to its products and pushed competitors, the lawsuit says.
Google itself released a lengthy rebuttal on its blog. The company’s vice president, Kent Walker, wrote that he believes the lawsuit is deeply flawed. “People use Google because they want to, not because they have to or can’t find alternatives. This lawsuit will not help consumers in any way. On the contrary, it will artificially support lower quality search alternatives, increase phone prices and make it harder for people to access the search services they want to use,” he said.
Changing default settings is easy, according to Google, and people use a lot of specialized services when it suits them. Besides, the company isn’t doing anything wrong: Google pays for a digital version of supermarket shelf space that food manufacturers pay for. Google’s competitors can do the same. And Apple chose Google because its product is the best.
What it threatens
The Wall Street Journal calls the lawsuit the largest antitrust case in the US in decades. The case is compared to two historic antitrust trials – 1974 years against telephone AT&T, which resulted in the division of the company into 9 regional operators, and 1998 against Microsoft, after which Bill Gates’ company miraculously avoided a similar division.
The lawsuit against Google does not specify the sanctions that the plaintiffs will demand to impose on the company, but the US Department of Justice does not rule out any options and even hints at a forced separation of the company. This option is also allowed by lawyers.
The requirement to separate Google’s business is a real prospect. Such a decision (in relation not only to Google, but also to Facebook, Amazon, and Apple) was called acceptable in a report published in early October following an investigation by the Congressional Antitrust Committee. Politico reported last week that the US Department of Justice is considering selling the Chrome browser and spinning off Google’s advertising services as one option.
But the shareholders of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, clearly do not feel much threat from the lawsuit, for the week the company’s shares not only did not fall in price, but also rose in price. The market has long considered the prospect of filing a lawsuit, the proceedings will take years, and the plaintiffs have not yet demanded the most radical measures, such as the forced division of the company, analysts told Reuters. Alphabet now has $120 billion in cash on its accounts – this will allow the company to pay any, even the largest fines, without any problems.
Who is next in line
The lawsuit against Google is only the first sign: the authorities in the US and the EU are investigating and preparing antitrust charges against all major technology companies:
- The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is conducting its antitrust investigation on the tech market. In the next few weeks, she will file a lawsuit against Facebook. The focus is on deals to buy Instagram and WhatsApp, which the FTC has been studying for over a year.
- The EU is also conducting its own antitrust investigation: the European Commission launched two parallel cases against Apple due to commissions in the App Store and Apple Pay rules. The first was initiated by Spotify and Rakuten and involves a 30% commission on in-app sales. The second is due to the fact that you can pay on the company’s devices only through your own payment service.
- Another investigation that the European Commission may soon launch is against Amazon. It will affect the relationship of an online retailer with its sellers.
Disputes around the lawsuit
The main claim to the investigation of the Ministry of Justice against Google is political motivation. Democrats and Republicans are in the most bitter confrontation on all but one issue – the need to punish tech companies, writes The New York Times tech newsletter writer Shira Ovid in the column “Why Washington hates big tech. ”
Some critics believe that the cases against Google and others are the result of Donald Trump’s personal war against tech companies that do not support the Republicans and are actively at war against the incumbent himself. Others are reminiscent of the Democrats’ resentment on Facebook and other social media platforms that were instrumental in Trump’s 2016 election victory.
As a result, tech companies are trapped. “This is the most bipartisan initiative I’ve come across in five and a half years in Congress,” Republican Congressman Ken Buck said during a summer hearing that questioned the CEOs of Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple.
On the one hand, the Republican Trump is actively making statements, unusual for his party, about tougher regulation of the tech business and social networks. He constantly accuses them of political censorship due to the removal of their posts, as well as his decree, which will allow regulation of social networks and deprive them of protection from allegations of defamation – because of which Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Dorsey and Sundar Pichai will have to testify before the Senate Commerce Committee on October 28.
On the other hand, the Democrats in Congress plan to continue their investigation against technomonopolies, which may eventually lead to a division of companies – but whether they will be able to complete the deal depends on whether the Democrats get the majority in the Senate, which so far holds the Republican Party.
Are the claims justified?
The issue of tech companies’ abuses will become more and more acute – after all, the strategy of all large technology companies is tied to achieving and maintaining a monopoly position, experts say. “These are companies that occupy a dominant position in the market, through which they buy emerging competitors so that their margins are not eroded,” explains Igor Danilenko, managing director of Fosun Eurasia Capital. Companies with a capitalization of more than $1 trillion are precisely the companies that have managed to build global monopolies and are now almost impossible to move, he says.
Facebook almost missed the mobile revolution, had to catch up – and for this he bought Instagram; now, until the next revolution occurs, which Facebook may miss, the situation will not change, he gives an example. The same applies to, for example, Amazon: the larger it becomes, the more difficult it is to move it, because its costs are constantly decreasing, and due to this it simply eats up other players: “Even now, when the economy is falling, they still take away market shares due to economies of scale, due to the fact that they have such a strong competitive position.”
The US has its own cultural conflict with monopolies, including those now built by tech companies. NYU Stern School of Business professor Scott Galloway, author of The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google, author of The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google, explains that the cult of democracy thrives in the United States, while all tech companies — which are also part of society — are run by unelected people whose work is largely unregulated. “In this sense, we can say that the current case is not antitrust, but necessary to bring the tech business to more democratic governance. And the separation should help reduce the concentration of power in one hand, ”says Grigory Bakunov, director of technology distribution at Yandex.
It is difficult to say how justified the position of the Ministry of Justice in the case against Google is, Vadim Novikov, a senior researcher at the RANEPA and a specialist in antimonopoly regulation, believes. Google services are indeed present on a huge number of devices, but the question is whether this is due to the company’s abuse or the competitiveness of its product and prices, Novikov explains. If a monopolist is clearly abusing prices, on the contrary, it helps competitors grow, which have the opportunity to set prices lower, he says.
There is a theory of competitive markets in economics, which suggests that a market can be competitive even if it has only one player, says Novikov. The main thing here is the theoretical possibility of entry. “If a company knows that in response to any attempt to abuse a monopoly, a competitor can immediately appear and begin to actively poach users, it is forced to behave as if it really has competitors. And here the main question is whether Google’s analogues have the opportunity to be its hypothetical competitor, ”explains the economist.
What this means for users
The Google case is indeed similar to the Microsoft case of the early 2000s, says Yandex’s Grigory Bakunov. At that time, Bill Gates’ company had a monopoly in the browser market, but antimonopoly officers were obliged to give the user a choice window between Internet Explorer and other browsers. Over the next four years, this led to a total redistribution of the entire browser market, as a result of which Google won with its Chrome, he notes.
If now Google has competitors in the search market, the user will win, but not immediately, Bakunov believes. “Any competition first leads to a deterioration in quality: new services always work worse than global players. But then, once they have the money for that quality, and once they have access to the consumer, the quality will go up.”
But a simple division of Google’s business into parts may not bring the radical results that Washington is counting on, the expert continues. If, for example, Chrome is separated from search, this will only lead to Chrome paying Google to promote its own service in the search bar, both companies will pay more taxes – but nothing will change for users. The same will happen if Instagram is separated from Facebook, he believes.
ELECTRIC CARS
In four years, electric cars will cost as much as conventional cars
By 2024, electric cars will cost the manufacturer no more than conventional cars with internal combustion engines – at least this is what UBS predicted. The main question is how quickly and how much cheaper batteries are the main cost item in production. Bank analysts said automakers that are trying to hold back sales of traditional cars risk falling behind Tesla and Volkswagen. The latter, as the world’s largest car manufacturer by sales, has already pledged to invest 33 billion euros in the development of electric vehicles. “There are not many reasons left to buy a car with an internal combustion engine after 2025,” said Tim Bush, an analyst at UBS.