Welcome to the weekend! We’ve rounded up some interesting reading to carry you through the till Monday. Fire up your iPad, grab some cider, and snuggle up with a blanket:

Why are CVS and Rite Aid blocking Apple Pay?

As members of MCX, a group of retailers hoping to create an alternate payment solution, CVS and Rite Aid are blocking Apple Pay in hopes of slowing its adoption. Unfortunately for the MCX consortium, numerous disagreements about the system’s foundational premises has made it almost impossible for it to launch after 4 years of development. Keep reading >

Apple Pay, partnerships and software as disruption

Apple in recent years have changed the way industries appear and operate. It has done so in three ways. The first is it builds tightly integrated products. The second is a major drive to partner with companies who can fill in the gaps that it lacks. Third, while a partnership with apple may look great, apple has a tendency to move an entire industry into software. And so the question left is: what’s next for Apple and Apple Pay? Keep reading >

“Contact Me” surprisingly drives sales

Contrary to what you think, contacting a sales representative actually brings in more revenue than free trials can. Here is why and how you can capitalize on this. Keep reading >

A Few Non-Obvious Things I Learned as a New VC

For you future VC’s out there, there are 7 essential insider tips you need to know to take on the VC world by storm. Key takeaway? You should consider each investment as a marriage without the easy divorce option. Keep reading >

FCC proposes net neutrality compromise. Everyone hates it.

In its effort to make both sides happy in the fierce battle over net neutrality, the FCC is considering a plan that would separate broadband into two services, one as retail and another for back-end. Unfortunately for them, instead of the plan satisfying both sides as it should, it has only fueled more outrage. Keep reading >