Apple’s new App Store rules inspire plenty of familiar complaints, while some of the biggest tech companies in the world tell Apple to launch Vision Pro without them.
Peacock makes history as the first streaming service to broadcast an NFL playoff game, an emailer asks Chat GPT licensing deals, and Boeing follow-up spawns questions on the future of free markets and humans vs. software.
The latest failures at Boeing invite fresh scrutiny of the incentive structure, strategy lessons embedded in the company's decline, and why Boeing exemplifies the same mistakes and challenges that the rest of the American industrial base will confront in the years to come. At the end: ESPN eyes an even bigger college football investment and a release date for the Vision Pro.
A word about the Packers and microchips, and then reactions to the New York Times suing OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement, the similarities and differences between past copyright cases with Google and Napster, and a question about automated copyright enforcement.
Celebrating the end of the year with a few reactions to Wednesday’s Paramount-Warner Brothers rumors and a wide variety of mailbag questions. Happy holidays from the entire Sharp Tech team!
The patent dispute that has Apple ready to take Apple Watches off the market, the expanding powers of the EU regulatory regime, why the Adobe-Figma acquisition raised legitimate competition concerns, and the uncertainty for the startup ecosystem as mergers become more difficult across tech.
Epic vs. Google spawns a victory lap for Ben and some obligatory arguments with Andrew, a closer look at the FinTech revolution that never quite materialized, and the AI possibilities in journalism and Hollywood. At the end: Shohei Ohtani's bizarre contract, a Christmas song correction, and a call to emailers for year-end awards categories.
Bull and bear cases for Google's long term prospects, why navigating the AI era may require leadership and culture changes, and thoughts on college football's success and Mark Cuban's sale of the Dallas Mavericks. At the end: Select wisdom from Charlie Munger.
Ben’s article on “Regretful Accelerationism,” the differences between today’s Internet and that of 10 years ago, AI articles at Sports Illustrated as digital media continues its decline, and why the increasingly bleak outlook for social media might be healthy for society itself.
Elon Musk has some choice words for advertisers who abandon his platform, a look at longstanding advertising deficiencies at X and more recent flaws in Musk’s business strategy, and thoughts on Musk and the good, bad and maddening aspects of his social impact.
What appears to be a resolution to last weekend’s OpenAI saga, plus questions about who controls the future of AI, why governments are reliant on private actors in this area, and whether Q* is the first major step toward AGI. At the end: a Netflix take and a Crown complaint.
Reactions to one of the most extraordinary weekends in the history of the tech industry, the blindspots that were exposed among both the OpenAI board and Microsoft, the non-profit model for development and OpenAI's recruiting prowess, and a groundswell of support for Sam Altman as a variety of questions remain.
After one year of Sharp Tech and Sharp China, a summit with Ben Thompson, Bill Bishop and Andrew Sharp to discuss podcasting, the chip ban, the US-China relationship and beyond.
An emailer makes the argument for text over voice as the AI interface of the future, the introduction of Humane's AI pin, and questions for Apple and OpenAI as the AI ecosystem evolves. At the end: A few clarifications from listeners and more thoughts on tech and the real estate market.
The possibilities of a universal chatbot for the future, the challenges for any new consumer tech company trying to match the scale of incumbents, and the strategic questions facing OpenAI as its leadership allocates resources and considers a move into hardware.
A verdict in Missouri portends big changes in the real estate industry, why real estate is a natural fit for an aggregator, and divergent outcomes from two tech-adjacent price-fixing cases. At the end: The NBA and streaming, and Ronald Reagan’s version of Mission: Impossible.
The White House executive order on AI, the accidental lesson of all the analogies to nuclear technology, what Steve Jobs and Bill Gates can teach us about innovation, and a look at the competing systemic priorities that create AI questions without clear answers.
Celebrating 100 episodes of Sharp Tech with quick thoughts on Monday night's Apple event, a second look at GM's foray into software, the tech CEO that should be the next NBA commissioner, and more emails from listeners.
A Netflix letter to shareholders that doubles as a message to the rest of Hollywood, the NBA’s precarious negotiating posture as the cable bundle crumbles, and one way Amazon could make the NBA a worthwhile investment.
The Maps history that undergirds Google’s partnership with Apple, whether the Apple and Google app stores should be regulated like modern day utility companies, and a question about regulation and ideological consistency. At the end: iPhone etiquette, a Delta update, and TikTot on interesting parents and adult supervision.
Memories of an article in 2016, a reminder that the impact of fake news is generally correlated to the speaker, not the speech, and a question about harm yields an answer about the importance precision and principles.
An emailer recommends ignoring college students on Twitter, the strategic logic of America’s ban on the sale of advanced chips to China, and a few different questions about AI and our digital future. At the end: Apple’s rumored F1 interest and why the partnership makes sense.
In the wake of the Hamas terror attacks over the past week, a conversation about tech and war, social media moderation, and strategies for maintaining sanity as society grapples with an unprecedented avalanche of information.
The Sphere in all its LED splendor, more questions about AI devices and virtual reality, brief thoughts on Michael Lewis and SBF, and reading a few of the many listener emails inspired by Tuesday's Amazon discussion.
The FTC’s Amazon complaint and ongoing criticism of FTC Chair Lina Khan, understanding Amazon’s power and the limits of antitrust law, modern regulators vs. the Chicago school, and why “big is bad” might be a good strategy.
Ben shares his experience with a ChatGPT demo that inverted his expectations, a reminder that reducing friction is essential for AI’s next steps, and reactions to Meta’s Smart Glasses and reports of Jonny Ive and Sam Altman brainstorming. At the end: Delta follow-up, Disney capacity, and the Swift-Kelce bundle.
The voice and image commands announced by OpenAI (and the Google threat that still looms), Spotify’s new translation software, and a wave of CarPlay love among the emailers leads to clarifications and more talk of software and the auto industry. At the end: Kids in a world of advertising, and advice for budgeting time and money in early parenthood.
A filing error for Microsoft and early backlash to the latest Apple accessory, a question about Apple CarPlay and Android Auto leads to an extended look at the auto industry, follow-up to the proposed Godfather Disney bundle, and what to make of Max and streaming. At the end: The economics of the airline industry and why Delta had to reform its SkyMiles plan.
How the history of Google and may predict the future for YouTube, the stakes for Disney and Bob Iger as the earth shifts underneath them, and various considerations for consumers and content makers alike as the entertainment industry prepares for a new era. At the end: missed exit opportunities, a few antitrust digressions, and one man's iPhone 15 grievance.
Reactions to Tuesday’s iPhone event at Apple, the recent history of the development landscape in gaming, and an overview of the flaws in the plan Unity announced this week. At the end: Competing thoughts on the NFL and NBA, John Malone’s portfolio, and Taylor Swift in theaters.
