The Daily Crunch 10/18/16

The Google Pixel is actually a worthwhile iPhone competitor. That and more in The Daily Crunch for October 18, 2016. And if you're wondering if Thiel really believes all that, he does.

1. Google Pixel is the Android phone everyone always wanted

Reviews for Google's Pixel smartphone are out, and all appear to be positive, on the verge of being overwhelmingly so. The new device from Google seems to be the first to truly show what Android is capable of, and bodes well for the future of Google's hardware plans. Many are considering it a true iPhone competitor, which is good news for the industry overall since it should inject some competition into the mobile market.

Google's Pixel has a great camera, and an onboard virtual helper via Assistant that also makes it a powerful alternative to offerings from Apple and Samsung. Assistant in particular shows a lot more promise than Siri early on, so hopefully it'll improve much more quickly, too.

2. Facebook's Messenger clone of Snapchat is getting closer to the U.S.

Facebook doesn't like the idea that another startup could come around and MySpace it out of existence, which is why it's very aggressively copied competitors including Twitter and Snapchat. Now, its Messenger-based Snapchat Stories equivalent is rolling out in more markets, after making a debut in Poland. It's only a matter of time, U.S. users – but will any Snapchat users actually decamp?

3. Orbital ATK successfully returns to launches

The best news in the space industry is when things go boringly, and that's what happened with the Orbital ATK launch earlier this week. The launch marks a successful return for Orbital ATK after its rocket explosion in 2014, and means the contracted private company can begin serving the ISS for resupply again.

4. Trump and Thiel's political Venn diagram

So Peter Thiel is backing Trump with a late-game, sizeable campaign investment: Why? Kate Conger provides us with the breadcrumbs, painting a picture of a political viewpoint synergy that's rare among backers and politicians. The bottom line is that it doesn't look like Thiel's just being an iconoclastic agitator – he actually believes Trump's the best candidate.

5. Razer buys THX

Huh-wha? Yep, Razer, the maker of gaming keyboards and mice and what have you, has purchased THX the film industry audio and video tech provider that was originally part of Lucasfilm. It's weird for sure, but Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan says they see THX's relationship to audio as what Razer is to gaming.

6. Netflix is back to growth

Netflix showed an increase in the rate of growth for subscribers last quarter, and the turnaround that represents from a trend of slowing new subscriber additions had investors and Wall Street very happy.

7. Nintendo's Classic NES is an adorable way to cling desperately to your youth

There are few things I like better than trying to live in the past, and the new retro-cute NES Classic Edition, which ships with a stack of games on board, really does look like one of the best ways to do that.