Just two big stories, as it’s been all week, but instead of ONLY giving you the latest, I want to try to sum up where I think we’re at as this week ends. What, I think, in the end, actually happened with FTX. And are we SURE Elon isn’t trying to tank Twitter on purpose? And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Storyblok.com/ridehome Links: Sam Bankman-Fried steps down as FTX CEO as his crypto exchange files for bankruptcy (CNBC) FTX US Warns of Trading Halt Hours After Bankma...
Nov 11, 2022•20 min
More twists and turns in the FTX, SBF, CZ saga as the entire crypto sector continues to get rocked. I’d love to tell you what is going on with Twitter’s whole checkmark saga, but I don’t know, Elon doesn’t know, and frankly, by the time you hear this, it’s likely to have changed anyway. GitHub is getting into the voice assistant game. And Amazon becomes the first company to LOSE a Trillion dollars in valuation. Sponsors: Akamai.com/techmeme Storyblok.com/ridehome Links: Binance Walks Away From D...
Nov 10, 2022•16 min
The Meta layoffs are here and they’re brutal. But rumors are, TikTok is cutting back also. What even is the new Twitter subscription product at this point? Does anybody know? And if you look at today’s show title, and it’s just a bunch of gibberish, hopefully I can explain the big crypto blowup from yesterday. Sources: Kinsta.com Storyblok.com Links: Meta confirms 11,000 layoffs, amounting to 13% of its workforce (TechCrunch) TikTok slashes global revenue targets by at least $2bn (Financial Time...
Nov 09, 2022•19 min
Why has FTX appeared to have halted withdrawals? Innocent explanation, or could we have another big crypto blowup brewing? What if Elon just says, screw it, and puts all of Twitter behind a paywall? What happens if NFT marketplaces stop honoring royalties? And why is Apple having a hard time with its design team? Sponsors: Masterworks.com/ride Links: Binance to Sell Rest of FTX Token Holdings as Alameda CEO Defends Firm's Financial Condition (CoinDesk) Musk discusses putting all of Twitter behin...
Nov 08, 2022•17 min
Looks like those rumors of massive Meta layoffs might be coming true this week. Covid has led to brand new iPhone shortage worries. Is Apple about to make it easier to invoke Siri? Airbnb has made it easier to understand the true cost of a rental. And this weekend in the Twitter Clown Car. Sponsors: Storyblok.com/ridehome Links: Facebook Parent Meta Is Preparing to Notify Employees of Large-Scale Layoffs This Week (WSJ) Apple Issues iPhone 14 Pro Shipment Warning Ahead of Holiday Shopping Season...
Nov 07, 2022•20 min
The layoffs have begun at Twitter. And while Twitter might shutter its Substack competitor, Substack has moved into Twitter’s turf by launching a sort of discussion platform. DALL-E API’s are now available for you to use. What it’s like to use Netflix’s new ad-supported tier. And, of course, The Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Sponsors: hiddenheroes.netguru.com Links: Elon Musk’s Twitter layoffs are starting (The Verge) Substack targets Twitter with launch of discussions feature, Substack Chat (T...
Nov 04, 2022•17 min
Is TikTok still in danger of running afoul of government bans? WhatsApp gets Groups. Gmail gets package tracking. Instagram gets NFT minting. Patreon gets video hosting. Layoffs come for Stripe. Yes, there was some Twitter news too. And is the Adobe/Figma deal in trouble? Sponsors: hiddenheroes.netguru.com Split.io/techmeme Links: TikTok tells European users its staff in China get access to their data (The Guardian) WhatsApp officially launches its new discussion group feature, Communities (Tech...
Nov 03, 2022•16 min
We know when the PlayStation VR2 is coming, when you can pre-order it, and how much it’s gonna cost. What do you know? A bunch of news in the whole Twitter saga. The reality of the ransomware industrial complex. And an interesting new Mac app to help you remember everything you’ve ever done on your computer. Sponsors: Akamai.com/techmeme Links: PlayStation VR2 launches on February 22nd for $549.99 (The Verge) Elon Musk to charge verified Twitter users to give ‘power to the people’ (SiliconRepubl...
Nov 02, 2022•18 min
Will charging for blue checks actually help Twitter monetarily or… frankly, any way, at all? Amazon has expanded ad-free Music. YouTube is bundling streaming services. Why Uber Eats is interesting inside of Uber earnings. And is it time to start worrying about Sony’s strategy with the Playstation? Sponsors: Medcline.com/techmeme Links: Scoop: Musk team working to reboot Vine this year (Axios) Jack Dorsey just saved Elon Musk about $1 billion by rolling over his shares of Twitter into a stake in ...
Nov 01, 2022•16 min
Just, massive wholesale changes at Twitter, including possibly making folks pay up for features. Pitty the poor tech billionaires who have collectively lost half a trillion in wealth this year. When the M2 MacBook Pros should be showing up. And what colors might you be blocked from using on Adobe products? Sponsors: RocketMoney.com/ride Links: Elon Musk wastes no time changing Twitter (The Verge) Twitter is planning to start charging $20 per month for verification (The Verge) The 20 Richest Tech...
Oct 31, 2022•16 min
Readocracy is restoring sanity to the world by making how you inform yourself count for something. Troll-free, bot-free, ad-free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 29, 2022•56 min
Area man completes acquisition of social media platform. And now the fun begins? Amazon had bad earnings, but Apple mostly didn’t. YouTube is trying to be like TikTok too, but they’re giving their users options. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Wealthfront.com/techmeme Links: How Twitter Will Change as a Private Company (NYTimes) Amazon stock sinks 13% on weak fourth-quarter guidance (CNBC) Apple reports strong quarter but expects sales slump (Silicon Republic) YouTube...
Oct 28, 2022•19 min
(BOMB SOUND). That’s the sound of Meta’s disastrous earnings announcement yesterday. That’s the sort of insightful analysis you come to this podcast for. But also, Argo AI is shutting down. Google Cloud has a new blockchain tool for developers. And the Elon Twitter thing is happening. It’s really happening, people. Behave accordingly. Sponsors: ZocDoc.com/techmeme Links: Meta Tumbles as Sales Forecast Shows Depth of Ad-Market Weakness (Bloomberg) Meta Plummets 25% as Zuckerberg’s Plea for ‘Patie...
Oct 27, 2022•17 min
Meta and Spotify both call Apple out on their recent App Store aggressiveness. Soft earnings from Microsoft and worrying earnings from Alphabet. Twitter seems to already be hemorrhaging its power users. LinkedIn fights its own bot war. And are unicorns back to becoming a rare thing? Sponsors: Akamai.com Links: Apple’s new App Store tax on ads is a direct shot at Meta (The Verge) Spotify says Apple is ‘choking competition’ and ruining its audiobook store (The Verge) Spotify Boosts Subscribers and...
Oct 26, 2022•18 min
Apple tries to wedge the App Store vig into another market. Prices are going up for your favorite Apple services. Shutterstock is partnering with OpenAI cause if you can’t something them, join them! And what is the deal with Stage Manager on the iPad? Sponsors: Hover.com/ride for 10% off Links: App Store guidelines updated with new rules for apps with NFT and ad managers (9to5Mac) Apple is raising the price of Apple Music, Apple TV+ and Apple One from today (9to5Mac) Project Volterra launches to...
Oct 25, 2022•16 min
Did investing in Chinese tech become a fool’s errand over the weekend? A deep dive on how TSMC is caught in the middle of all the things. Is Elon’s Twitter deal presenting systemic risk to corporate finance? Are M2 Mac Pro and Macbook Pro’s still coming soon? And Bono tries to justify putting that U2 album on your iphone. Sponsors: Masterclass.com/ride for 15% off Links: China Stocks Crater in US as Alibaba Leads $130 Billion Wipeout (Bloomberg) TSMC: the Taiwanese chipmaker caught up in the tec...
Oct 24, 2022•19 min
Talking this week's big week for AI, with Parker Thompson ( @pt ) plus @miguelisolano & @mignano Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 22, 2022•1 hr 34 min
I said Elon’s name five times in front of a mirror and the whole Elon/Twitter headlines came flooding back into our lives. Forbes alleges that they’ve caught TikTok doing the thing that everybody fears. What if I told you there was a third huge AI raise story to round out this week? And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Links: Documents detail plans to gut Twitter’s workforce (Washington Post) Twitter Tumbles as US Weighs Security Reviews for Musk Deals (Bloomberg) TikTok Parent Byte...
Oct 21, 2022•19 min
The big Solana challenger had a terrible first day of trading. Previews of the new Thunderbolt standard. Reviews of the new Raptor Lake chips. Uber takes a page out of the New York City taxi playbook. And the first hands-on, quasi-review of Meta’s high end VR headset. Sponsors: Zengo.com/ride and code ride Split.io/techmeme Links: Aptos Token Plummets 40% After APT Airdrop for 'Early Network Participants' (Decrypt) Android 13 (Go edition) announced with Material You, Google Play System Updates, ...
Oct 20, 2022•18 min
Netflix actually beat on earnings and customer additions. Why their pivot to ads might actually be in line with their long-term strategy. Yesterday’s iPad releases were even more complicated, and stranger, frankly, than I told you. Bluesky is still plugging away on decentralized social media. And another monster interesting raise in the AI space. Links: Netflix adds more than 2.4 million subscribers, reveals details about password-sharing crackdown (CNBC) The New Netflix Age Has Arrived (Puck/Ju...
Oct 19, 2022•19 min
New iPad Pros and new Apple TV 4ks. Meta walks away from the Giphy acquisition. Layoffs at Microsoft. High attrition at Amazon. Mobileye is probably going to IPO at a significant discount than people hoped? And why I’ve been telling you that the energy in Silicon Valley is switching to AI startups. Sponsors: Merge Conflict Podcast Links: Apple introduces next-generation iPad Pro, supercharged by the M2 chip (Apple Newsroom) Apple announces new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro with M2 chip, Apple P...
Oct 18, 2022•17 min
Looks like Ye, née Kanye West, is going to try to buy the social network Parler. A look at the Chinese export controls that could potentially force American executives to choose between their jobs and their American citizenship. Wait until you hear about the Mango Markets exploit. And what do you think is the global population of robots, right now? Today? Sponsors: RocketMoney.com/ride Links: Kanye West is buying ‘free speech platform’ Parler (The Verge) Kanye West to buy social media app Parler...
Oct 17, 2022•18 min
We now know how much Netflix with Ads will cost; we think we know how many ads they have to show us to make up for the lost revenue. What is unclear is if people will watch that many ads. It looks like Zuck lied to us about having legs in the Metaverse. Something something, eventually every company becomes a bank. I’m talking about the Apple savings account. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: See NordPass Business in action now with a 3-month free trial here nordpass.co...
Oct 14, 2022•20 min
Signal is phasing out SMS and MMS. Microsoft is sunsetting Microsoft Office branding. The SEC is poised to officially ban some Chinese hardware. Is AR not living up to its promise as a tool for soldiers on the battlefield? And would you ghostwrite tweets for prominent venture capitalists? There’s good money in it. Sponsors: Merge Conflict Podcast Links: Signal will remove support for SMS text messages on Android (BleepingComputer) Microsoft Office will become Microsoft 365 in major brand overhau...
Oct 13, 2022•17 min
Only two big stories really. We break down yesterday’s Meta VR event, including the new high end Quest Pro. But did Zuck show us anything that will get anyone excited about the Metaverse yet? And Microsoft’s Surface event had a lot of Surface refreshes, but was the big news actually their integration of DALL-E 2 with a new Designer app? The productivity space is hot… Sponsors: TED Tech Podcast Links: The Meta Quest Pro costs $1,499 and ships October 25th (The Verge) What happened to the virtual ...
Oct 12, 2022•18 min
A whole bunch of things, including a major US bank getting into crypto custody, paying for Google cloud with crypto, Chromebooks made for gaming, the lack of anyone in the current slate of virtual worlds, the return of the cable bundle example 100, and did you know your Apple AirTags only last a year? Sponsors: Masterworks.com/ride Medcline.com/techmeme Links: America’s Oldest Bank, BNY Mellon, Will Hold That Crypto Now (WSJ) Google selects Coinbase to take cloud payments with cryptocurrencies a...
Oct 11, 2022•18 min
There’s another huge crypto hack and I’ll give you two guesses as to what folks think the culprit is. The Twitter/Elon trial is officially paused. Meta can’t get its own developers to use their metaverse products. Maybe my dream of Death Star style anklebots is over. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Wealthfront.com/techmeme Links: Binance-linked blockchain hit by $570 million crypto hack (Reuters) The Elon Musk vs. Twitter trial is on hold until October 28th (The Verg...
Oct 07, 2022•18 min
All the headlines from the Made By Google event. Elon sure wants to avoid being deposed. Why a guilty verdict for Uber’s former Chief Security Officer could have broader ramifications in the tech world. And the new text to video AI systems, this time, from Google. Sponsors: Titan.com/ride Ted Tech Podcast Links: Google unveils Pixel 7 Pro with Tensor G2 processor, 5x telephoto, starts at $899 (9to5Google) Google gets serious about wearables with the Pixel Watch (TechCrunch) Elon Musk’s depositio...
Oct 06, 2022•18 min
Yes, we’ll get into the whole Twitter/Elon thing. Seems he wants the original deal again… or does he? Tesla is removing more sensors from their cars. The hugely problematic launch of Overwatch 2. And the tech angle to that whole Chess cheating scandal. Links: Musk Revives $44 Billion Twitter Bid, Aiming to Avoid Trial (Bloomberg) Elon Musk says Twitter will eventually be part of ‘X, the everything app’ (MarketWatch) Musk offers to proceed with Twitter deal (Axios) Lawyers Lose Out on Millions in...
Oct 05, 2022•18 min
The EU has made USB-C the charging port law of the land. Xiaomi’s new flagship smartphone with a 200MP camera. New Google Nest things. Is YouTube trying new ways to get you to pay up for Premium. And the big new robotics push in the world of… checks notes… retail pharmacy. Links: EU Passes Law to Switch iPhone to USB-C by End of 2024 (MacRumors) Xiaomi’s 12T Pro launches with high-resolution 200-megapixel camera (The Verge) Google debuts new Nest Doorbell Wired, Nest Wifi Pro and launches fully ...
Oct 04, 2022•16 min
