Stripe, by some measures, has become the most successful Silicon Valley startup of all time, with their recent raise. Airtable too has an impressively interesting raise. Facebook wants to find you a vaccine appointment. The US is looking to overhaul its cybersecurity missile shield. And checking in on the whole Jack Ma situation. Sponsors: MintMobile.com/ride ExpressVPN.com/techmeme Links: Stripe valuation soars to $95bn after latest fundraising (Financial Times) Airtable Tops $5.7 Billion Valua...
Mar 15, 2021•18 min
Netflix is cracking down on password sharing. Apple sues a former employee for allegedly stealing trade secrets. Masa Son is back, baby! I guess we have to watch ads on our $1500 smart tvs now, and of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. EditorX.com ThoughtWorks Technology Podcast Links: Netflix Begins Test to Crack Down on Password Sharing Outside Your Household (The Streamable) Apple sues former employee for stealing trade secrets, leaking information to the media (9to5Mac) SoftBank-Back...
Mar 12, 2021•21 min
Roblox’s public market debut and why people are so excited about it. Twitter to open up spaces to everyone next month. An Apple silicon friendly version of Photoshop sports so eyebrow raising performance gains. Are iPhones about to get heavier? And the NFT sales record has been shattered thanks to Beeple. Sponsors: StartMail.com/techmeme Links: Roblox jumps to $38 billion market cap as public investors get their first crack at the popular kids game app (CNBC) Twitter plans to let anyone start ho...
Mar 11, 2021•18 min
Hackers breached the security cameras used by everybody from prisons and hospitals to Tesla factories. Why you will no longer “subscribe” to this podcast, but will “follow” it. Why T-Mobile is signing everyone up to have their usage data tracked by advertisers. And Facebook’s 10 year roadmap for AR and VR. Sponsors: CalderaLab.com use code TECHMEME (all caps one word) at checkout Uber.com/techmeme Links: Hackers Breach Thousands of Security Cameras, Exposing Tesla, Jails, Hospitals (Bloomberg) A...
Mar 10, 2021•18 min
Is Joe Biden about to name the architect of the current antitrust movement to a seat on the FTC? Are other bad actors swooping in to take advantage of the SolarWinds hack? Is Microsoft gonna play both sides of the fence with new Surface devices? And why popular YouTubers are suddenly building their own platforms. Sponsors: EditorX.com Links: POLITICO Playbook: Scoop: Biden taps another Big Tech trustbuster (Politico/Playbook) Amazon’s Antitrust Antagonist Has a Breakthrough Idea (NYTimes) Attack...
Mar 09, 2021•19 min
Ming-Chi Kuo’s grand unified Apple rumor includes AR enabled contact lenses. Is the US about to retaliate in kind for the SolarWinds hack? Mobile World Congress is gonna go ahead and do it live! And in person. Why is Google making Google Pay worse? And do we need a new podcast wager about meaningful quantum computing by 2023? Sponsors: Kiwico.com , promocode "ride" for 30% off BuyRaycon.com/tech for 15% off Links: Kuo: Apple to Launch Mixed Reality Headset in Mid 2022 and Augmented Reality Glass...
Mar 08, 2021•19 min
I don’t think this one requires any in depth intro. The great Brady Dale of Coindesk, walks us though the whole NFT phenomenon. What are NFTs? How do they work? Why are people so crazed about them at the moment? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 06, 2021•37 min
Tim Wu joined the Biden administration and that sound you hear is a big collective gulp from Silicon Valley. A tweet undo button has been unearthed. Turntable.fm has resurfaced. New data suggests the death of silicon valley has been exaggerated. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Audible.com/techmeme or text techmeme to 500-500 Links: A Leading Critic of Big Tech Will Join the White House (NYTimes) Here’s what Twitter’s rumored ‘undo send’ feature could look like (The Ve...
Mar 05, 2021•19 min
Square is acquiring a majority stake in Tidal, and either this makes little sense, or it’s a watershed moment in this NFT/creator economy phenomenon that’s suddenly washing over all of us. Apple walks the walk in terms of data portability. But they’re facing serious new anti-trust scrutiny in the UK and Arizona. And our year of Covid, at least measured in internet traffic numbers. Sponsors: Masterworks.io , promocode ride LinkedIn.com/ride Links: Square acquires majority of Tidal, Jay-Z’s stream...
Mar 04, 2021•17 min
Google says it’s getting out of the ad tracking game. Kinda. I’ll explain what’s really going on here. Headline wrapup from Microsoft’s Ignite conference includes AR excitement. Brave is launching a privacy search engine. And why Amazon’s app icon redesign reminded people of Hitler’s mustache. Sponsors: PingIdentity.com NewYorker.com/techmeme , promocode: techmeme Links: Google promises it won’t just keep tracking you after replacing cookies (The Verge) Google to Stop Selling Ads Based on Your S...
Mar 03, 2021•18 min
Is the iPhone about to lose the notch and join the hole-punch universe? Whole bunch of new features for Microsoft Teams, and also a new Microsoft smart-speaker. Instacart has a monster raise. Grimes has a monster NFT sale. Discovery+ is an interesting dark-horse in the streaming wars. Oh. And “fly” drones. Sponsors: Fundrise.com/techmeme Grammarly.com/techmeme Links: Kuo: iPhone 13 series to feature smaller notch, 120Hz display, larger batteries, more (9to5Mac) All 270 US Apple Stores are open f...
Mar 02, 2021•19 min
Instagram launches Live Rooms for group broadcasts, which, depending on how you use it is either basically FaceTime for Instagram, or another shot across the Clubhouse bow. Is the micromobility space revving up to roar back to health? Are US-based drone makers about to step into the void left by DJI? And Chris Dixon tries to contextualize NFTs for us. Sponsors: SmartAsset.com/techmeme TinyCapital.com Links: Instagram launches ‘Live Rooms’ for live broadcasts with up to four creators (TechCrunch)...
Mar 01, 2021•18 min
Chris Messina and I go deeper on some of the news of the week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 27, 2021•1 hr 11 min
Twitter just wants to give us everything all of the sudden, including charging for tweets, sort of groups based on interests, and even blocking and muting accounts. Google gives devs a Sleep API. Why has LastPass decided to piss everyone off all of the sudden? Why Xiaomi is the up-and-comer to keep your eye on. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: CalderaLab.com use code TECHMEME (all caps one word) at checkout Links: Twitter announces paid Super Follows to let you charge ...
Feb 26, 2021•19 min
The Biden administration signs an executive order addressing the chip shortage. I’ll tell you why this is evolving into a big deal. Coinbase files its S-1 so we get to look under the hood of their business for the first time. Paramount+ reveals pricing and content details for the first time. And timely interesting raises in the Ethereum space which means: NFTs. Sponsors: Oracle.com/goto/ride FlatFile.io Links: Biden Orders Broad Supply-Chain Review Amid Chip Shortages (WSJ) Coinbase Reveals $322...
Feb 25, 2021•22 min
Facebook defends its stance in Australia. MicroStrategy doubles down on its stance vis-à-vis bitcoin. Is “Sign In With Apple” the new stick the antitrust folks might use to beat Apple with? But conversely, have you noticed that social networking has gotten hella competitive lately? What does that mean for anti-trust arguements vis-à-vis Facebook. Oh, and a skateboard for AR glasses. Flatfile.io AirMedCareNetwork.com/tech offer code: TECH Links: The Real Story of What Happened With News on Facebo...
Feb 24, 2021•22 min
Australia caves in to Facebook. PlayStation is planning a big new push in VR. The Mate X2 keeps the foldable dream alive. The weird new malware infecting Apple Silicon Macs. And let’s use NBA Top Shot as a lens to explain NFTs. Sponsors: Kiwico.com promocode: ride EditorX.com Links: Facebook to reverse news ban on Australian sites, government to make amendments to media bargaining code (ABC.net.au) PlayStation CEO says PS5 will get its own VR headset, explains console supply chain shortfall (Was...
Feb 23, 2021•18 min
Spotify’s new HiFi subscription tier. Clubhouse has security concerns. Apple is king of the smartphone hill once again. Maybe the biggest survival story of the Covid-19 era is about the IPO. And is the Facebook news ban pushing Australians into the arms of the news publishers themselves? Sponsors: ManlyBands.com/techmeme code: techmeme for 20% NewYorker.com/techmeme promocode: techmeme Links: Spotify HiFi is a lossless streaming tier coming later this year (The Verge) Clubhouse Chats Are Breache...
Feb 22, 2021•16 min
As mentioned, for my birthday this year I got my first VR rig, an Occulus Quest 2 because if an Apple AR/VR thingy is coming, if Facebook continues to invest in VR, then I figured it was time to, you know, not be functionally inexperienced with the space. I have a little bit of crypto to understand the space. Looking to get my hands on some NFTs to understand the space. I’ve got an onlyfans account to understand the dynamics of what works in the creator economy. And that’s the only reason, I swe...
Feb 20, 2021•59 min
Uber has lost one of its most significant independent contractor battles, in this case, in the UK. The Android 12 Developer Preview is here. Office 2021 is coming. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: AirMedCareNetwork.com/tech offer code: TECH Tovala.com/ride Links: Uber loses a major employment rights case as the UK’s top court rules its drivers are workers (CNBC) Android 12 developer preview is available now with many under-the-hood updates (The Verge) Apple Is Working ...
Feb 19, 2021•19 min
I’ll do my best to explain this Australia situation with Facebook and Google. SpaceX is our interesting raise today. Nvidia unveils a line of chips just for crypto. Does Apple want to set the standards for 6G? And if remote work is the future, why is Big Tech still building so much office space? Sponsors: Uber.com/techmeme Tovala.com/ride Links: Facebook restricts users, publishers from sharing news content in Australia (AP) Facebook calls Australia's bluff (Platformer) SpaceX Funding Round at $...
Feb 18, 2021•22 min
Epic Games takes its war with Apple to Europe. But Apple wins a skirmish in North Dakota of all places. New York sues Amazon over worker issues. Google maps will now let you pay for parking. Some tangible numbers about the recent NFT explosion. And why the new headphone emoji look suspiciously like AirPods Max. Sponsors: Tovala.com/ride PingIdentity.com Links: Epic Games files EU antitrust complaint against Apple (FT) Apple wins victory as North Dakota votes down bill that would regulate app sto...
Feb 17, 2021•17 min
Bitcoin hits its latest, biggest milestone. A OnePlus cofounder’s latest startup is: Nothing. But it bought something: Essential. I’ll explain why this “who’s on first” routine might be interesting. Why government antitrust action has a tendency to open the litigation floodgates. And if you’ve been hearing about that new app Dispo, I’ve got an explainer for you. Cause that’s what I’m here for. Sponsors: Fundrise.com/techmeme Tovala.com/ride Links: Bitcoin Jumps to $50,000 as Record-Breaking Rall...
Feb 16, 2021•20 min
We’ve got our first look at how Microsoft plans to bring xCloud to every device, even iOS. Is Facebook building a smartwatch? Maybe because they’re so pissed at Apple? Is everyone trying to scupper the Nvidia/ARM deal? And why I failed to mention that Paramount+ is the new entrant in the streaming wars. Sponsors: ExpressVPN.com/techmeme MintMobile.com/ride Links: Here’s a first look at Microsoft’s xCloud for the web (The Verge) Facebook Plans Smartwatch With Focus on Messaging, Health (The Infor...
Feb 15, 2021•21 min
If you want the single best person in economics twitter to follow, it’s Noah Smith, Bloomberg’s Economics Opinion Columnist. If you want to him, its @noahpinion, by the way. If you want a great substack to sign up to, try noahpinion.substack.com… the free article this week is called Triumph of the HODler’s … I hope I remember to link to it in the show notes. It’s the best summation I’ve read of what’s going on with Bitcoin at the moment. But also, as you’ll hear, he has a great new podcast with ...
Feb 13, 2021•39 min
Google adds some photo editing features to Google Photos that maybe points to a larger subscription play. Is Apple’s new AR app for TV+ a sign of things to come? Disney+ numbers are amazing. Apple Watch estimated numbers are impressive. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Oracle.com/goto/ride TinyCapital.com Links: Google Photos gets new paywalled editing features for Google One subscribers (The Verge) First Apple TV+ AR app launches with ‘For All Mankind’ backstory throu...
Feb 12, 2021•22 min
Facebook wants to copy Clubhouse too, and meanwhile I got to try out Twitter Spaces last night. Did Microsoft make a run at acquiring Pinterest, and would the government let that happen? Is Peacock the sick man of the streaming wars? And an interesting raise around the creator economy. Sponsors: CalderaLab.com code TECHMEME at checkout AirMedCareNetwork.com/tech offer code TECH Links: Facebook Is Said to Be Building a Product to Compete With Clubhouse (NYTimes) Microsoft approached Pinterest abo...
Feb 11, 2021•17 min
Maybe… the whole TikTok kabuki theater is at its endpoint. Salesforce thinks the whole concept of the “9-to-5 workday” is at its endpoint. More smoke around the Apple Goggles fire. Why you need to get hip to the concept of non-fungible tokens. And why cops have gotten hip to playing Sublime songs to prevent you from filming them. Sponsors: EditorX.com TinyCapital.com Links: TikTok Sale to Oracle, Walmart Is Shelved as Biden Reviews Security (WSJ) Salesforce declares the 9-to-5 workday dead, will...
Feb 10, 2021•19 min
Amazon is ginning up a new Echo device that’s like a dashboard for your household. Big changes to Android leaked to the internet. Reddit raises a big round. Mark Cuban is gunning for Clubhouse. And I’ve been warning y’all of industrial hacking. We almost had a big disaster down in Tampa Bay. Sponsors: NewYorker.com/techmeme , promocode: techmeme AirMedCareNetwork.com/tech offer code TECH Links: Amazon Plans Wall-Mounted Echo as Smart Home Command Center (Bloomberg) This may be our first look at ...
Feb 09, 2021•20 min
The singularity is near, cause all our meme stories are colliding. Tesla has bought a ton of Bitcoin while Elon is tweet-pumping Dogecoin. Clubhouse is blocked in China. Cold water on the Apple Car story from Hyundai itself. TikTok is skipping directly to an ecommerce buildout. And Xiaomi’s big new global flagship phone. Sponsors: Kiwico.com promocode: ride BuyRaycon.com/tech Links: Tesla buys $1.5 billion in bitcoin, plans to accept it as payment (CNBC) Clubhouse is now blocked in China after a...
Feb 08, 2021•18 min
