The end might truly be nigh for Blackberry this time. Will the Corona Virus mean we won’t have an Apple event next month after all? Leaked video of the Galaxy Z Flip. Did Jeff Bezos succumb to Elon Musk envy? And why one of the most popular music streaming services in the world is one you’ve probably never heard of. Sponsors: TinyCapital.com LegalZoom.com (code: ride at checkout) Links: BlackBerry’s Android smartphones will stop being sold in August 2020 (9to5Google) Ming-Chi Kuo Says Coronaviru...
Feb 03, 2020•18 min
This is the promised interview with Angela Strange from Andreessen Horowitz. I told you about it on the weekend longreads segment yesterday, so no more need to explain it: let’s talk about why soon, every company could be a Fintech company. Sponsor: Tinycapital.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 01, 2020•22 min
Amazon earnings, the new Apple Maps is rolling out in the US, Uber and DoorDash held merger talks at Softbank’s behest, who’s number two to TikTok in short form videos, and of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsor: Metalab.co Links: Amazon Revenue Jumps on Holiday Sales as Profit Rises (WSJ) Apple's redesigned Maps app is available across the US (TechCrunch) Uber and DoorDash held merger talks after SoftBank push (Financial Times) SoftBank Is Funding Every Side of a Bruising Startup...
Jan 31, 2020•19 min
Its Earnings Bonanza Day! Tesla, Facebook, Microsoft, Samsung… Facebook pays a record fine to Illinois, the Switch has outsold the SNES, three interesting Apple stories, Avast changes its business model and the new Fantastical app. Sponsors: Metalab.co BelovedRobot.com/nolowcode Links: Tesla’s record 2019 has bought it some breathing room (The Verge) We’re about to enter a world where Tesla is the cheaper electric car (Quartz) Facebook plunges, wiping out more than $50 billion in market value (C...
Jan 30, 2020•18 min
Apple earnings, Google is testing another chat app, we know Uncle Sam is wary of Huawei but did you know he doesn’t trust DJI either, Lime is testing AI scooters and the new app that will let you skip the ads without screwing over publishers. Sponsors: Metalab.co Links: Apple shares rise after company reports better-than-expected revenue of $91.8B (TechCrunch) Apple could see some impact from coronavirus in China, Cook says (CNET) Google Developing New ‘Unified’ Communications App for Businesses...
Jan 29, 2020•18 min
The UK government will allow Huawei to build SOME 5G components, the coronavirus is testing the Great Firewall of China, Product Hunt has a social network, Gruber is critical of the iPad at 10, and would you stay at an Atari Hotel? Sponsors: Metalab.co Wealthfront.com/techmeme Links: UK Huawei decision appears to avert row with US (The Guardian) As Virus Spreads, Anger Floods Chinese Social Media (NYTimes) iPhone 11's new multicam app lets you shoot video with two cameras at once (CNET) Product ...
Jan 28, 2020•17 min
Vine has a spiritual successor in Byte, the new razr might have “bumps and lumps,” your anti-virus program might be selling all your clicks, Seamless might be inventing restaurants from whole cloth, and the AI algorithm that spotted the Wuhan virus early. Sponsors: Metalab.co MintMobile.com/ride Links: Vine reboot Byte officially launches (TechCrunch) Motorola on the Razr’s folding screen: ‘bumps and lumps are normal’ (The Verge) An AI Epidemiologist Sent the First Warnings of the Wuhan Virus (W...
Jan 27, 2020•21 min
One of my favorite newsletters—I’ve really gotta give you all a list of all the newsletters I subscribe to if you’re interested at some point—one of my favorite newsletters is The New Consumer ( subscribe here ) by Dan Frommer. Dan published his own analysis of the Casper IPO, and I couldn’t help myself. I needed to delve into the Casper financials in greater detail. But also: scandal marketing! Can brands be “cancelled”? And analysis of this week’s Netflix earnings. Sponsors: DoubleUp.agency Le...
Jan 25, 2020•34 min
Quick Share is coming to challenge AirDrop, how iOS 13 has blown up location marketing, Google takes the wrapping of Dataset Search, an interesting eSports raise and, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: DoubleUp.agency BelovedRobot.com/nolowcode Links: Clayton Christensen, guru of disruptive innovation and Latter-day Saint leader, dies at 67 (DesertNews) Exclusive: Quick Share is Samsung’s alternative to AirDrop for Galaxy phones (XDADevelopers) Apple, Broadcom Strike $15 Bil...
Jan 24, 2020•23 min
More Samsung phone rumors, Match Group invests in safety features as a feature, the Bezos phone hack story gets a lot murkier, and everyone seems to have noticed that Google search has gotten crufty. Sponsors: DoubleUp.agency ClearMe.com/techmeme Code: Techmeme Links: Samsung's new foldable phone already sounds way better than the Galaxy Fold (Mashable) New leak says the Galaxy S20's display will run at 60Hz by default (Android Central) Microsoft starts rolling out developer tools for its dual-s...
Jan 23, 2020•18 min
The whole Jeff Bezos phone-got-hacked thing blows up into something crazy. That rumored “cheap” iPhone might be mere weeks away. Is Amazon Music almost as big as Apple Music? Cruise unveils the Origin self-driving car. And the first test of voting via smartphone in the US. Sponsors: DoubleUp.agency Capterra.com/ride Links: Jeff Bezos hack: Amazon boss's phone 'hacked by Saudi crown prince' (The Guardian) Saudi’s MBS implicated in hacking of Jeff Bezos’s phone (Financial Times) UN calls for inves...
Jan 22, 2020•18 min
Apple could have encrypted iCloud backups… but didn’t… ostensibly to play nice with the government? Getting an Uber from the airport is about to get more expensive. Digital media is actually making money??!! Is IGTV on the way out? Some interesting raises and (potentially) the most consequential lawsuit in Silicon Valley history. Sponsors: DoubleUp.agency Zapier.com/ride Links: Exclusive: Apple dropped plan for encrypting backups after FBI complained - sources (Reuters) Uber Tests Feature Allowi...
Jan 21, 2020•20 min
As I said on Friday, we’re going to delve into Sports Tech in a meaningful way for the first time. This will cover the streaming wars from a new angle because, where is sports in all that? This will be esports, the streaming wars surrounding game streaming, the new betting economy, this will be wearables and actual sports tech products. My guest is Will Martin, who’s Sports Tech Newsletter is something you should subscribe to immediately if you like this space. Subscribe to the Sports Tech Live ...
Jan 18, 2020•30 min
No ads in WhatsApp… for now. We have all the details on the Peacock streaming service. The other streaming wars are taking their toll on Twitch. Jack Dorsey asked Elon Musk how to fix Twitter. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Metalab.co Links: Facebook Backs Off Controversial Plan to Sell Ads in WhatsApp (WSJ) NBC’s Peacock streaming service will launch on July 15th with three different price tiers (The Verge) Twitch's loss of top streamers impacts hours watched and s...
Jan 17, 2020•19 min
Apple has acquired a pretty interesting AI startup, the Chromium-based Edge browser is here, but there is trouble in Mozilla land, Fitbit is first to market with blood oxygen monitoring, the state of the app economy and ‘instant’ weather forecasts from Google. Sponsor: Metalab.co Links: Exclusive: Apple acquires Xnor.ai, edge AI spin-out from Paul Allen’s AI2, for price in $200M range (GeekWire) XNOR.ai frees AI from the prison of the supercomputer (TechCrunch) Microsoft launches Chromium Edge f...
Jan 16, 2020•17 min
More juicy details about the Galaxy S20 lineup, Google Smart Lock lets you do 2FA on your iPhone, proof that no-code development is the new hotness, why do the Feds even need Apple to unlock those iPhones, and Jack Dorsey says we are never, ever, ever going to get… a Edit Tweet button. Probably. Sponsors: Metalab BelovedRobot.com/ridehome Links: Exclusive: Leaked Samsung Galaxy S20+ Hands-on confirms 120Hz display, ultrasonic under-display fingerprint scanner, and no headphone jack (XDAdeveloper...
Jan 15, 2020•16 min
Apple once again refuses to unlock an iPhone for the Feds, Visa buys Plaid, a macOS beta hints at future ‘Pro Mode’, super crucial Windows update you should download right away and why today is also the end of the Windows 7 Era. Sponsors: Metalab.co LegalZoom.com (promo code RIDE at checkout) Links: Apple Said It Is Helping In The Pensacola Shooting Investigation, But It Won't Unlock The Shooter's iPhones (Buzzfeed News) Visa to acquire Plaid, the fintech powering Venmo and other banking apps, i...
Jan 14, 2020•17 min
Are you ready to get hyped for the Galaxy S20 cause yes, that’s the name. We’re skipping some numbers. TikTok might be cloning Snapchat’s Discover feed. Is GDPR actually doing anything and/or is it enforceable? And could Casper be a make or break test for the Unicorn ecosystem? Sponsors: LinkedIn.com/ride Metalab.co Links: Exclusive: This is the Samsung Galaxy S20+ (XDAdevelopers) TikTok explores curated content feed to lure advertisers (FT) Cookie consent tools are being used to undermine EU pr...
Jan 13, 2020•18 min
Checkin on the health-tech space with the only reporter I follow religiously around this space: Christina Farr. Why are hospitals suddenly in the middle of a health data gold rush? Why are you more likely to have your health records hacked then every be able to get them in your own hands? Sponsors: Tiny Capital DoubleUp.agency Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Jan 11, 2020•23 min
More trouble for Softbank startups, more layoffs at scooter startups, VC deals plateaued last year but music streaming continues to skyrocket, how much money does Netflix lose to password sharers and of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Stackbit.com/techmeme Tiny Capital Links: SoftBank-Backed Oyo Firing Thousands Across China and India (Bloomberg) E-scooter startup Lime shuts in 12 markets, lays off around 100 (Axios) The Q4/EOY 2019 Global VC Report: A Strong End To A Good, ...
Jan 10, 2020•21 min
Twitter will allow you to limit who can reply to your tweets, iPhone sales in China seem to have rebounded, the Chinese version of TikTok is why TikTok can distance itself from China, AI is going to pick which movies get made, and why sex tech finally has a home at CES. Sponsors: Tiny Capital Links: Twitter will put options to limit replies directly on the compose screen (The Verge) Firefox gets patch for critical 0-day that’s being actively exploited (Ars Technica) iPhone Hits Double-Digit Grow...
Jan 09, 2020•17 min
Another interesting Facebook memo from Boz, Intel previews its next generation of mobile GPUs, more troubles in Softbank startup land, Quibi had a bit of a launch event today, and I saw Charmin’s toilet paper delivery robot. Sponsors: Tiny Capital BelovedRobot.com/ridehome Links: Don’t Tilt Scales Against Trump, Facebook Executive Warns (NYTimes) CES 2020: Intel previews Tiger Lake mobile processors and discrete GPU (CNET) Getaround to Lay Off About One-Fourth of Staff (The Information) ClassPas...
Jan 08, 2020•22 min
Sonos goes nuclear on Google, though it really has Amazon in mind also; Facebook bans deep fakes… in a way; a whole bunch of really interesting laptop stuff, Sony makes a car, and you make a fashion statement and protect yourself from air pollution at the same time… all the stuff from Day 2 at CES. Sponsors: Tiny Captial Capterra.com/ride Links: Sonos, Squeezed by the Tech Giants, Sues Google (NYTimes) Enforcing Against Manipulated Media (Facebook Newsroom) Facebook bans deepfakes, but new polic...
Jan 07, 2020•18 min
Samsung tries to scoop CES, Amazon’s Fire TV Edition wants to leapfrog Roku TV, Samsung wants the Galaxy Chromebook to change the way you think about Chromebooks, is Softbank ghosting startups even after delivering term sheets, and a roundup of day one of CES. Sponsors: Wealthfront.com/techmeme Ashford.edu/ride Links: Fire TV Edition expands to more soundbars, plus cars, cables boxes and more (TechCrunch) Roku TV adds 15 more brand partners plus a new 'Roku TV Ready' program (TechCrunch) THE SAM...
Jan 06, 2020•19 min
Google’s AI has a medical breakthrough, Apple raids HBO for maybe it’s biggest name, Instagram seems to be plateauing by one metric—going gangbusters in another, what to expect from CES and, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Sponsors: WeWorkRemotely Links: A.I. Is Learning to Read Mammograms (NYTimes) Apple Deal Returns Former HBO Boss Richard Plepler to Spotlight (NYTimes) HERE’S WHAT’S NEXT FOR GADGETS IN 2020 (The Verge) Snapchat quietly acquired AI Factory, the company behind its...
Jan 03, 2020•19 min
Dell kicks off CES season with two new laptops, Imagination Technologies is back in Apple’s good graces, the IRS is finally sticking it to tax prep software firms, and a grand unified theory of the Google Civil War. Sponsors: WeWorkRemotely MintMobile.com/ride Links: Dell’s latest XPS 13 has a new design with a bigger display and Ice Lake chips (The Verge) Dell debuts 5G-ready Latitude 9510 laptop, adds iOS mirroring to PCs (VentureBeat) Apple restores Imagination GPU chip agreement after public...
Jan 02, 2020•19 min
A major internet of things data leak, China is about to turn on its GPS competitor, would you like to star in a bitmoji TV show, a look back at the year in unicorns and is the VC gravy train over for us consumers, at least? Sponsors: WeWorkRemotely GiveWell.org/ridehome Links: IoT vendor Wyze confirms server leak (ZDNet) China decouples from US in space with 2020 'GPS' completion (Nikkei Asian Review) SPOTIFY TO SUSPEND POLITICAL ADS IN 2020 (AdAge) Snapchat will launch Bitmoji TV, a personalize...
Dec 30, 2019•17 min
A late holiday gift for YouTube creators, an important new rule for drone operators, to what degree has the Chinese government enabled Huawei’s success, and of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: GiveWell.org/ridehome Mealime Links: YouTube gives creators more control over copyright claim disputes with new update (The Verge) New rule would make it possible to track and identify nearly all drones flying in the U.S. (CNBC) State Support Helped Fuel Huawei’s Global Rise (WSJ) Insid...
Dec 27, 2019•17 min
Travis Kalanick has cut all ties with Uber, Sling does indeed have streaming pricing power, livestreams are the new telethons, YouTube considered doing the right thing but passed, and is Catalyst fundamentally flawed? Sponsors: Mealime GiveWell.org/ridehome Links: Travis Kalanick severs all ties with Uber, departing board and selling all his shares (CNBC) Sling TV gets more expensive, raises cheapest subscription price to $30 (The Verge) Pyka and its autonomous, electric crop-spraying drone land...
Dec 26, 2019•17 min
The Government says ToTok is a full on spying app, TikTok wants to distance itself from allegations that it might be a spying app, out of nowhere, could Rivian be Tesla’s biggest competitor, and what does it mean if Travis Kalanick sells all of his Uber stock? Sponsors: GiveWell.org/ridehome Mealime Links: It Seemed Like a Popular Chat App. It’s Secretly a Spy Tool. (NYTimes) U.S. Navy bans TikTok from government-issued mobile devices (Reuters) DraftKings going public via reverse merger (Axios) ...
Dec 23, 2019•18 min
