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This episode covers significant tech news, starting with a major AWS outage that disrupted numerous online services like Fortnite and Snapchat. It then delves into OpenAI's ethical dilemmas regarding AI-generated content, specifically pausing Sora's ability to create videos resembling historical figures like MLK Jr. The discussion also highlights X's new marketplace for dormant usernames, Oura's app redesign with stress tracking and an FDA blood pressure study, and NVIDIA's milestone of producing Blackwell chips in the U.S. Finally, the episode explores the less obvious winners of the AI boom, including Credo's specialized "purple cables" for AI servers and crypto mining companies successfully pivoting to high-performance AI computing.
Do Skills for Claude represent a new sort of user paradigm for AI? Battlefield 6 seems to be doing what EA needs it to do. Nintendo seems to be killing it. Is Wikipedia in trouble because it’s losing human users? Now Uber drivers can earn new money thanks to AI. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Anthropic turns to ‘skills’ to make Claude more useful at work (The Verge) Claude Skills are awesome, maybe a bigger deal than MCP (Simon Willison) Steam just broke its concurrent user r...
The podcast explores several major tech stories, starting with Paxos's massive accidental minting of $300 trillion in PayPal stablecoins, raising questions about financial system security. It also details the departure of a crucial Apple AI executive to Meta, highlighting the intensifying talent war in the AI space. Further discussions include a state-sponsored cyberattack on F5, the release of Anthropic's new efficient AI model, and Honor's innovative robot phone concept. The episode concludes with a deep dive into concerns about a potential AI market bubble, examining soaring valuations, investor FOMO, and historical parallels to past tech booms and busts.
This Tech Brew episode reports on significant updates across the tech industry. Apple has rolled out its powerful M5 chips in new MacBook Pros, iPad Pros, and the Vision Pro, promising enhanced AI and graphics performance. OpenAI is relaxing content restrictions for ChatGPT, allowing more personalized and mature interactions for verified adults. Additionally, Waymo plans to launch driverless robotaxis in London by 2026, while Spotify and Netflix are partnering to distribute video podcasts. The episode also touches on YouTube's redesigned video player, OpenAI's ambitious $1 trillion five-year plan, and Microsoft officially ending support for Windows 10.
The Dutch government has taken control of a Dutch chipmaker that had Chinese owners. Yet another big OpenAI deal, this time with Broadcom. The first AI desktop workstations are arriving. And we check in with Matt Levine to get his take on what he says is Sam Altman’s genius for financial engineering. Dutch government takes control of Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia (FT) OpenAI, Broadcom Forge Multibillion-Dollar Chip-Development Deal (WSJ) Thinking Machines Lab Co-Founder Departs for Meta (WSJ)...
Jenn Hyman shares her journey from early influences of entrepreneurship to founding Rent the Runway. She discusses the impact of the internet on her career, the challenges of fundraising during a recession, and the importance of building relationships in the fashion industry. Hyman emphasizes the unique advantages of starting a business in New York City and the collaborative spirit of the startup ecosystem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
China is stirring the pot on the tech trade wars once again. Sora has grown faster than even ChatGPT did. Is OpenAI now better at vibe coding than Anthropic is? How just a handful of malicious documents and poison an LLM. And in the longreads, the one game that has the fate of EA on its shoulders. China blacklists major chip research firm TechInsights following report on Huawei (CNBC) OpenAI’s Sora hit 1 million downloads in less than five days (CNBC) OpenAI Is Catching Up To Anthropic in AI Cod...
Intel tries to punch its way back to relevancy with the release of Panther Lake, the first chip built on its 18A process. Is Cursor so successful it’s about to rocket to a $30 billion valuation? Big raise for a US Deep Seek competitor? And are we starting to get the first models moving beyond attention based architecture? Here is Panther Lake, Intel’s 2026 laptop chip with next-gen graphics (The Verge) Intel Debuts New Technology in Make-or-Break Moment for CEO’s Turnaround Bid (Bloomberg) Disco...
The podcast discusses growing concerns surrounding the AI market, highlighting how intertwined deals involving NVIDIA and OpenAI may be artificially propping up the boom and drawing parallels to the dot-com bubble. It also examines the substantial impact of AI investments on US debt and GDP growth, along with the significant challenge AI companies like OpenAI face in securing adequate insurance for potential multi-billion dollar lawsuits. Finally, the episode touches on OpenAI's market dominance, demonstrated by its internal tools affecting established software firms, and concludes with Amazon's new pharmacy kiosks.
Forget building apps on TOP of ChatGPT, now they’ve put the apps INSIDE of ChatGPT. Why this is a play for ChatGPT to become the Windows of the AI era. The prediction market market continues to explode. Turning down the volume on streaming ads. And why Mr. Beast is worried about AI social media. OpenAI announces Apps SDK allowing ChatGPT to launch and run third party apps like Zillow, Canva, Spotify (VentureBeat) OpenAI’s Windows Play (Stratechery) NYSE Owner to Invest Up to $2 Billion in Polyma...
Another huge OpenAI deal, this time with AMD. The huge amount of chips Elon is buying for his Colossus II. It’s not just compute! How the AI boom is driving up prices for memory and storage chips. And does the math work out for those new fangled small nuclear reactors? AMD stock skyrockets 30% as OpenAI looks to take stake in AI chipmaker (CNBC) Elon Musk Gambles Billions in Memphis to Catch Up on AI (WSJ) AI data centers are swallowing the world's memory and storage supply, setting the stage fo...
In "Make It Snow," Snowflake's former CRO and current CMO detail their successful go-to-market strategy, highlighting the crucial alignment of sales and marketing as "one brain in two bodies." They discuss early challenges like building brand awareness from stealth, the evolution of Snowflake's product, and the importance of a consumption-based pricing model. The book also covers vital aspects like embedding sales with engineering, strategic partnerships, and cultivating a strong, execution-focused company culture, offering tangible advice for founders and leaders in a rapidly evolving tech landscape, including lessons applicable to the AI era.
Apple removes an app after the DOJ asked them to. People are using AI, but which AI are they actually paying for? Sora is now the number one app in all the land. And in the Longreads, now is it time to blame ChatGPT for breaking up marriages? Apple takes down ICE tracking apps after pressure from Bondi DOJ (Fox Business) A new a16z report looks at which AI companies startups are actually paying for (TechCrunch) AI is not killing jobs, US study finds (Financial Times) OpenAI wraps $6.6 billion sh...
The episode explores the widespread discussion around OpenAI's Sora, including its copyright infringement challenges and how it could revolutionize social media by removing content creation constraints. It also covers OpenAI's new $500 billion valuation, Apple's strategic pivot from the Vision Pro to prioritize AI-powered smart glasses, and the launch of Mira Murati's Tinker, an API designed to make AI model fine-tuning more accessible. Additionally, the podcast highlights DeepL's potential US IPO, Brave browser's significant user growth, and the surprising sale of AOL amidst an unexpected rise in its user traffic among younger demographics.
The episode dives deep into OpenAI's new invitation-only Sora app and the Sora 2 AI video model, highlighting its realistic deepfake capabilities and potential to transform social media. It also covers Satya Nadella's restructuring at Microsoft, appointing Judson Althoff to lead commercial business. Further updates include Oura Ring 4's new colorful ceramic models and health panels with Quest Diagnostics, plus Peloton's strategic move to integrate AI coaching (Peloton IQ) into its hardware for a redemption arc.
Amazon's fall hardware event unveiled a full refresh of Echo, Fire TV, Kindle Scribe, Ring, and Blink devices, all deeply integrated with Alexa Plus and new on-device AI. Other major tech news includes Daniel Ek stepping back from Spotify, Anthropic's release of Claude Sonnet 4.5 for advanced coding, and OpenAI's launch of ChatGPT Instant Checkout. Additionally, OpenAI is reportedly developing a TikTok-like AI video app, while Microsoft introduces 'vibe working' and Agent Mode powered by GPT-5 in Office apps.
The episode details Electronic Arts' $55 billion acquisition by a consortium including Saudi Arabia's PIF, marking the largest leveraged buyout on record and reflecting a challenging period for the gaming industry with slowing growth and shifting consumer habits. Discussions also cover DeepSeek's new AI model, which uses a "sparse attention" method to halve prices, potentially igniting an AI price war. Additionally, OpenAI launches new parental safety controls for ChatGPT users aged 13-18, including alerts for self-harm related chats, and the increasing role of debt financing in the AI boom, drawing comparisons to the dot-com era.
One of the very first VCs of the Internet Era, and especially the NYC tech ecosystem, Jerry Colonna reflects on his journey from growing up in New York to becoming a successful journalist and venture capitalist. Jerry discusses his transition to venture capital, the founding of Flatiron with Fred Wilson, and the challenges faced during the dot-com bubble and 9/11. He emphasizes the importance of curiosity and the human experience in his coaching practice, aiming to alleviate suffering and transf...
Maybe… the TikTok thing has finally reached a resolution. Again. Maybe Amazon owes us all some money. Maybe that Neon app from yesterday was a bad idea. OpenAI and Meta make some super interesting strategic AI moves. And, of course, The Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Trump signs executive order supporting proposed deal to put TikTok under US ownership (AP) TikTok Being Sold for a Song (Spyglass) Amazon agrees largest ever civil penalty in $2.5bn settlement with US regulators (Financial Times) Vi...
This episode covers XAI's lawsuits against OpenAI for trade secret theft and Apple for alleged conspiracy, alongside Intel's bid for investment from Apple. It also discusses Spotify's updated AI music policies, Circle's exploration of reversible stablecoin transactions, and Microsoft's integration of Anthropic's AI models into Copilot. Additionally, the podcast delves into open-source drama concerning Ruby projects and the privacy concerns surrounding the Neon app, which pays users to record phone calls for AI training.
The podcast explores the underlying incentives driving major AI developments, focusing on OpenAI's Stargate initiative with Oracle and SoftBank to build massive data centers. It also examines a new business model where OpenAI might lease NVIDIA's AI chips, easing financial burdens but raising questions about market dynamics. The discussion extends to the "fear of falling behind" driving massive investments from companies like Alibaba and the frothy venture capital landscape for AI startups, where VCs are aggressively pursuing deals. Finally, the episode highlights AI's potential to make translation as common as spellcheck, exemplified by WhatsApp's new built-in feature.
Nvidia is investing $100B in OpenAI, and there are a billion angles to that fact, so get ready to dive into it. Why were there giant sim farms popping up around NYC? The new AI to help you with Candy Crush, I guess. And new buzzword alert: say hello to “workslop.” Nvidia is partnering up with OpenAI to offer compute and cash (The Verge) Altman, Huang and the last-minute negotiations that sealed the $100 billion OpenAI-Nvidia deal (CNBC) Secret Service Thwarts Plot to Take Out Cell Service Near U...
Brian McCullough covers the latest on the TikTok deal, including Oracle's role and investor interest. He then explores the new $100,000 H-1B visa fee, highlighting concerns from tech leaders about its potential to drive talent out of the U.S. The episode also examines the European Commission's push to simplify annoying cookie consent laws and Oura Ring's impressive financial growth and market position. Finally, discussions include Coinbase's strategic move to become a comprehensive financial "super app," the reasons behind Scandinavia's emerging data center hub status, and the host's personal experiment with AI-generated bespoke content.
Today I’m joined by Olivier Pomel, cofounder/CEO of Datadog. We trace his path from French open-source tinkerer to NYC founder, the dev-vs-ops friction that sparked Datadog, finding product-market fit through integrations, and the choice to stay independent en route to a 2019 IPO and S&P 500. Olivier shares scaling war stories, culture and GTM lessons, and what observability means in an AI era. If you build software—or companies—this one’s packed with playbooks, from hiring to pricing to pla...
(Sorry about the editing error earlier) Nvidia is investing in self-driving AI tech. Google has given up the ghost and is making Chrome a full AI tool. Would you tolerate advertisements on the screen of your smart refrigerator? And why Apple executives are growing worried about OpenAI’s hardware plans. Nvidia in talks for $500mn investment in UK self-driving start-up Wayve (FT) Google Injects Gemini Into Chrome as AI Browsers Go Mainstream (Wired) Software update shoves ads onto Samsu...
Has Intel found the big customer for its Foundry that it needs to survive? The big tie up with Nvidia announced this morning. All the announces from Meta’s event last night. Smartglasses and maybe the Metaverse is still a thing. And AI pattern matching might work as well for health prediction as it has proven to do with weather forecasting. Nvidia and Intel announce jointly developed 'Intel x86 RTX SOCs' for PCs with Nvidia graphics, also custom Nvidia data center x86 processors — Nvidia buys $5...
The framework of a TikTok deal is finally coming together. Nvidia suffers another major setback in China. Bunch of new AI stuff from YouTube. A coming MacBook with a touchscreen. And a roundup of the reviews of the iPhone Air. U.S. Investors, Trump Close In on TikTok Deal With China (WSJ) China bans tech companies from buying Nvidia’s AI chips (FT) YouTube to use AI to help podcasters promote themselves with clips and Shorts (TechCrunch) YouTube announces new generative AI tools for Shorts creat...
The podcast delves into a leak revealing new Meta Ray-Ban smartglasses featuring a heads-up display and an SEMG wristband, alongside rumored Oakley Meta Sfera glasses with a centered camera. It also explores OpenAI's new GPT-5 Codex, an AI optimized for agentic coding with dynamic thinking capabilities. The episode further discusses the evolving TikTok algorithm licensing deal between the US and China, new features for Spotify's free users including "Pick and Play," and a review of iOS 26's "liquid glass" design and practical upgrades like call screening.
The episode kicks off with Google Gemini's unexpected climb to the top of the app store, driven by the viral Nano Banana image model, alongside fresh data revealing evolving AI usage trends from OpenAI and Anthropic. Discussions also cover China's regulatory actions against tech giants like Nvidia, the launch of PayPal's new peer-to-peer payment feature, and OpenAI's new mentorship program. A concluding segment offers a critical perspective on AI's economic impact, questioning whether its value will flow to new ventures or consolidate with incumbents.
John Borthwick on Betaworks shares his journey from a tech-savvy youth to a prominent figure in the New York City tech scene. He discusses his early experiences with computers, the transformative impact of the World Wide Web, and the vibrant tech culture of the 90s. Borthwick reflects on his role in creating Total New York, the lessons learned from the AOL acquisition, and the challenges faced during the dot-com bubble burst. He also highlights the rise of social media platforms like Photolog an...
