Yeah, mea culpa on my whole work-from-home/remote work skepticism. Also, I was wrong about Magic Leap being a goner. But that subscription aggregator we’ve all been anticipating is showing up right on time, and in the weekend longreads, let me introduce you to the two men who are about to become nerd superstars. Sponsors: Metalab.co Tovala.com/ride Links: MARK ZUCKERBERG ON TAKING HIS MASSIVE WORKFORCE REMOTE (The Verge) Zuckerberg says employees moving out of Silicon Valley may face pay cuts (C...
May 22, 2020•19 min
Twitter is testing another new feature to limit trolls and give users greater control of their threads, the Google and Apple contact tracing API is here, what is the Tactical Edition of a Galaxy phone and why might you need one, and some interesting raises this Thursday. Sponsors: Tovala.com/ride Metalab.co Links: Twitter is testing a feature that limits who can reply to your tweets (TechCrunch) Three US states have signed on to Apple and Google’s exposure notification system (The Verge) Apple r...
May 21, 2020•18 min
Facebook takes another major run at cracking ecommerce. And why this might be a highly opportune moment to do so. In short: the corona moment might be the moment ecommerce finally wins. Also, will Apple ship iPhones without any EarPods? And why the big Joe Rogan to Spotify news is podcasting’s Howard Stern moment. Sponsors: Tovala.com/ride Metalab.co Links: Mark Zuckerberg announces Facebook Shops, making it easier for businesses to list products for sale (CNBC) Ecommerce penetration graph (Denn...
May 20, 2020•20 min
Microsoft’s virtual version of its Build conference unleashes an array of news, including Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, a new component system for live document editing, a collaboration with Sony on embedded AI in camera sensors, a super-fast OpenAI supercomputer built on Azure, and better Linux support in Windows 10? Also, new leaks about Apple’s AR glasses, the Department of Justice slams Apple on phone encryption, Apple in negotiations to buoy Apple+ with a back catalog of programming, Walm...
May 19, 2020•21 min
The tech trade war is really heating up again, in case you missed it. What if Coronavirus is what helps Google win at messaging? Clubhouse is an interesting raise raising eyebrows. And why Pizza arbitrage shows that the food delivery space is not only broken, but basically spits in the face of efficient market theory. Sponsors: Metalab.co Mintmobile.com/ride Links: TSMC halts new Huawei orders after US tightens restrictions (Nikkei Asian Review) China Injects $2.2 Billion Into Local Chip Firm (B...
May 18, 2020•19 min
Questions about: tech in the time of coronavirus, podcasting in the time of coronavirus, WeWork and co-working spaces after the coronavirus, Netflix's position among the competition right now, are subscriptions the future of podcasting, how I source news, and what are my biases, among other questions and answers.... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 16, 2020•48 min
The US strikes at Huawei again. Apple acquires a VR startup and there’s conflicting rumors on those AR glasses. Is Silicon Valley really about to become a ghost town? And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: TinyCapital.com Classified Ad: IbisWritingAcademy.com Links: U.S. moves to cut Huawei off from global chip suppliers as China eyes retaliation (Reuters) Scoop: Facebook to buy Giphy for $400 million (Axios) Apple Acquires Startup NextVR that Broadcasts VR Content (Bloombe...
May 15, 2020•25 min
There is "monstrous" chip news from Nvidia, the world’s first camera sensor with AI built-in, a crypto experiment on Reddit that I feel like might actually have a shot at working, how long will Google stick with hardware, and new members of the $100MM ARR club. Sponsors: TinyCapital.com ExpressVPN.com/techmeme Links: Nvidia unveils monstrous A100 AI chip with 54 billion transistors and 5 petaflops of performance (VentureBeat) Nvidia’s first Ampere GPU is designed for data centers and AI, not you...
May 14, 2020•20 min
New XPS laptops, new Fire HD tablets, Facebook is compensating content moderators, how the pandemic has affected clothes shopping, and how the aftermath of the pandemic might affect offices in the sense of: will we actually ever go back to them? Sponsors: TinyCapital.com BuyRaycon.com/tech Links: Dell launches new XPS 17 and redesigned XPS 15 with 16:10 edge-to-edge displays (The Verge) Amazon updates the Fire HD 8 with a faster processor, more RAM, and USB-C (The Verge) Facebook will pay $52 mi...
May 13, 2020•18 min
Is Uber about to gobble Grubhub? Twitter does something Facebook and YouTube did a long time ago. Details on Apple’s forthcoming over the ears headphones. New releases for developers and music producers. And look, let’s have a conversation about Quibi. Sponsors: TinyCapital.com Rhone.com/ridehome promo code: ridehome Links: Twitter launches labels, warnings on misleading COVID-19 information (Reuters) Exclusive: AirPods Studio to feature head and neck detection, custom equalizer settings, more (...
May 12, 2020•18 min
A flaw in Thunderbolt basically means no computers are secure. Qualcomm’s new flagship chip. Eric Schmidt has finally left the Googleplex. Detecting malware via grayscale images. Apple is reopening stores, and we might have a new tech IPO as soon as next month. Sponsors: Tinycapital.com Links: Thunderbolt Flaws Expose Millions of PCs to Hands-On Hacking (Wired) Qualcomm's latest mobile gaming chip packs faster graphics and global 5G (Engadget) Eric Schmidt, who led Google's transformation into a...
May 11, 2020•18 min
Of course not. But also: it's more nuanced than you might think... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 09, 2020•25 min
Uber continues the things-could-be-worse tech earnings parade, Google is consolidating all of its messaging efforts under one team, this whole Reliance Jio Platforms story really has me intrigued, a semi-decent $18 Apple watch ripoff, and, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Caramba.store Tibco.com/ride Links: Uber shares shoot up after CEO says ride volume is increasing again after April bottom (CNBC) UK may ditch NHS contact-tracing app for Apple and Google model (The Guard...
May 08, 2020•19 min
Zoom makes its first acquisition, Google Authenticator now makes it easier to switch phones, Lyft earnings gives hopes to the ride hailing industry, new Sonos gear and a deep dive into Facebook’s new Oversight Board. Sponsors: Tibco.com/ride ExpressVPN.com/techmeme Links: Zoom buys Keybase — its first acquisition — as part of 90-day plan to fix security flaws (CNBC) Google releases unscheduled Android 11 DP4 as first beta pushed back to next month (9to5Google) Google Authenticator app update fin...
May 07, 2020•19 min
New Surface Gos, New Surface Books, New Surface Headphones and the Surface Buds finally arrive. The rumored layoffs come to Uber and Airbnb. Disney+ is saving Disney’s bacon at the moment. And why Peloton is one of those companies having a positive Corona moment. Sponsors: Tibco.com/ride Caramba.store , code BRIAN50 at checkout Links: Microsoft’s new Surface Go 2 has a bigger display and better Intel processor (The Verge) Microsoft's Surface Book 3 has 10th-gen Intel CPUs and new NVIDIA GPUs (En...
May 06, 2020•17 min
The virtual WWDC begins June 22! The UK hasn’t played by Google and Apple’s rules and it seems like their contact tracing app is failing because of that. And yet, are Google and Apple making decisions above their station? Uber might be bailing out Lime. Microsoft is reconsidering its Windows X strategy. And Sensor Tower is the interesting raise of the day. Sponsors: Tibco.com/ride DoubleUp.agency Links: Apple kicking off week of virtual WWDC on June 22, jackets and pins for Swift Challenge winne...
May 05, 2020•20 min
Usable keyboards return to the 13-inch MacBook Pro. What is going on at Amazon? Jio Platforms gets another huge investment. Another potential blockbuster acquisition in the Israeli transport-tech space. And can the Apple watch help with Covid-19? Sort of. Let me explain. Sponsors: DoubleUp.agency Kiwico.com/ride Links: Apple announces new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Magic Keyboard (The Verge) Amazon VP Resigns, Calls Company ‘Chickenshit’ for Firing Protesting Workers (Vice) Bye, Amazon (Tim Bray) ...
May 04, 2020•19 min
ICANN finally does the right thing on the whole .org mess. Earnings from Apple and Amazon. Could Amazon face actual perjury charges? Reddit walks back those chat rooms. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: MintMobile.com/ride Links: A Private Equity Firm Is Blocked From Buying .Org (NYTimes) Amazon says it’ll spend $4 billion or more dealing with COVID-19 (The Verge) House lawmakers demand Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos testify in antitrust probe, threatening potential subpoena (W...
May 01, 2020•21 min
Four big earnings reports for four big tech companies, but we’ll leave that to the end. Intel launches a new flagship clip line, Andreessen Horowitz launches a new crypto fund, Zoom fesses up on MAUs, and Reddit goes old school with chat rooms. Sponsors: Tovala (text TOVALARIDE to 710-23) Metalab.co Links: Intel's 10th Gen Comet Lake for Desktops: Skylake-S Hits 10 Cores and 5.3 GHz (AnAndTech) Andreessen Horowitz raises $515 million for second crypto fund (Axios) Zoom admits it doesn’t have 300...
Apr 30, 2020•19 min
The biggest tech earnings season in a while kicks off and so far, it’s so good for Alphabet. Spotify says its holding up as well. Though Uber might lay off 20% of its workforce, Ford is delaying its self-driving road map, and that has me asking again, why isn’t this the perfect moment for self-driving tech? Sponsors: Tovala (text TOVALARIDE to 710-23) Metalab.co Links: Alphabet earnings hit by ‘significant slowdown’ in ad sales, but revenue boosts stock (Marketwatch) Google Meet video conferenci...
Apr 29, 2020•20 min
Shopify unveils its own shopping app. DJI unveils the Mavic Air 2. The Pixel Buds 2 finally arrive. Tesla pushes out a new auto driving update. What really accounts for Magic Leap’s crash and burn? And why deepfakes are probably going to be in a bunch of commercials soon. Sponsors: Metalab.co Plume.com/techmeme Links: Shopify launches Shop, a new mobile app (TechCrunch) NHS rejects Apple-Google coronavirus app plan (BBC News) DJI’s new Mavic Air 2 has an upgraded camera and much longer flying ti...
Apr 28, 2020•18 min
iPhone production might be delayed, but the launch might not be, and actually, that might bounce in Apple’s favor. Autocomplete for coding. A little more background on John Stankey. Progress on my robot burrito delivery. And a crucial SpaceX rocket passes a key test by finally not blowing up. Sponsors: Sanebox.com/techmeme F5.com/ride Links: Apple Delays Mass Production of 2020 Flagship iPhones (WSJ) Two Million Australians Download Coronavirus Contact-Tracing App (Bloomberg) Germany flips to Ap...
Apr 27, 2020•19 min
This piece: John Luttig's When Tailwinds Vanish caused me to go on a random jag this afternoon. Since I had nothing better to do than post it to Medium, I read it into the microphone too... PS: the medium piece I wrote up is here . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Apr 26, 2020•16 min
As you’re about to hear, I’ve wanted to do a deep dive episode discussion on Shopify and how they’re suddenly the big up and coming, potential tech behemoth… arguably the most successful tech IPO of the last five years; seemingly the only company that can challenge Amazon in ecommerce… so when James McLeod from the Financial Post got in touch wanting to talk about Shopify, it was like someone was reading my mind. You’ll see why I’ve found the Shopify story so interesting because… well, we get ri...
Apr 25, 2020•30 min
AT&T’s CEO rides off into the sunset is both a surprise and not a surprise at all. Whole bunch of interesting Google news all at once. More on that iOS zero-day, more data on tech industry hiring and layoffs, and, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: TinyCapital.com CognitoHQ.com Links: AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson to step down, COO Stankey to take over (CNBC) Google to cut marketing budgets by as much as half, directors warned of hiring freezes (CNBC) Google ditched ti...
Apr 24, 2020•22 min
Custom Mac chips by 2021? Robot nurses already in hospitals? Bill Gurley into the sunset? Why some people are accusing France of digital privacy hypocrisy, and an interesting raise in the remote work space. Specifically: remote whiteboarding. Sponsors: F5.com/ride TinyCapital.com Links: Apple Aims to Sell Macs With Its Own Chips Starting in 2021 (Bloomberg) Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot is helping hospitals remotely treat coronavirus patients (The Verge) Magic Leap Cuts Half of Jobs In Major Restr...
Apr 23, 2020•17 min
Huge Facebook investment in India. Tech earnings season is back, and this promises to be a super interesting one for all the reasons you can imagine. Two iPhone zero days found out in the wild. Patreon does do layoffs but says creator numbers are holding up. And a roundup of the iPhone SE reviews. Sponsors: CognitoHQ.com Tinycapital.com Links: Facebook invests $5.7B in India's Reliance Jio Partners (TechCrunch) Facebook Invests $5.7 Billion in Indian Internet Giant Jio (NYTimes) Netflix blows aw...
Apr 22, 2020•17 min
Sonos launches its own streaming radio service, huge trove of Facebook accounts purchased on the dark web, Google goes with free to compete with Amazon in product search, Kickstarter is seeing a huge drop in project launches and we finally have a date for the HBO Max launch. Sponsors: TinyCapital.com Rhone.com/ridehome promocode ridehome for 20% off Links: Sonos launches its own streaming radio service (The Verge) 267 million Facebook profiles sold for $600 on the dark web (BleepingComputer) App...
Apr 21, 2020•17 min
Paging Farmville: Facebook takes another stab at owning mobile gaming. Rupert Murdoch's longstanding wish is granted. Dropbox had longstanding doubts about its erstwhile partner Zoom. More data on the health of tech investing, and the first reviews of the iPad as laptop are… mixed. Sponsors: Plume.com/techmeme Mintmobile.com/ride Links: Facebook to Introduce an App for Gaming (NYTimes) Facebook and Google to face mandatory code of conduct to 'level playing field' with traditional news media (ABC...
Apr 20, 2020•17 min
I wasn’t supposed to do a weekend episode this weekend. I’ve got one scheduled for next week that I still need to record. But a few days ago, I saw Alex Wilhelm at TechCrunch tweet that he was doing a piece about why everyone in Silicon Valley and the VC world and the startup world still seem to be preparing for a nuclear winter, while the stock market has been roaring back to life, and I was like YES! I need to talk about that with somebody right now! I’m asking myself that question every day. ...
Apr 18, 2020•39 min
