Apple is coming for Block’s Square dongle with a new ability to accept payments just using your iPhone. The dilemma that is the Spotify/Neil Young situation. OpenAI is an interesting raise. Fireblocks is an interesting raise. And why has the r/antiwork subreddit suddenly gone private? Sponsors: Smith.ai promocode techmeme for $100 off signup Linkedin.com/ride Links: Apple to Rival Square by Turning iPhones Into Payment Terminals (Bloomberg) Spotify Takes Down Neil Young’s Music After His Joe Rog...
Jan 27, 2022•17 min
Is Mark Zuckerberg abandoning his crypto dreams and looking to sell off Diem? The IMF is subtly suggesting El Salvador abandon bitcoin. Microsoft is gonna play nice with Activision exclusives. For now. Mark your calendars for the next Samsung event. And has YouTube figured out how to beat TikTok at its own game? Sponsors: Masterworks.io/ride EditorX.com Links: Mark Zuckerberg’s Stablecoin Ambitions Unravel With Diem Sale Talks (Bloomberg) Ditch Bitcoin: IMF Urges El Salvador to Rethink Crypto (B...
Jan 26, 2022•17 min
That already fraught tie-up between Nvidia and Arm increasingly looks like it’s running out of time. Google kills its cookie-killer. Twitter is developing a close friends feature. Meta’s new Machine Learning supercomputer. And why the situation in Ukraine might be a black swan event that is nigh. Sponsors: Do.co/trh Wix.com Links: Nvidia Quietly Prepares to Abandon $40 Billion Arm Bid (Bloomberg) Google kills off FLoC, replaces it with Topics (TechCrunch) Twitter's new Flock feature takes aim at...
Jan 25, 2022•19 min
States sue Google for data shenanigans. Europe passes a landmark ad targeting and data law. Apple’s 2022 lineup according to Mark Gurman. A look at the state of the crypto crash, and to what degree it is affecting NFTs. And all this talk of metaverses led to record VC investment in AR and VR startups, but what some folks are starting to ask is, even if we build it, do we have the infrastructure that will even allow the people to come? Sponsors: OurCrowd.com/ride EditorX.com Links: Google deceive...
Jan 24, 2022•18 min
Weirdly, this turned into a sort of education on VC and startup investing episode? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Sponsors: Wix.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 22, 2022•1 hr 52 min
The trend of re-onshoring silicon production domestically and Intel’s turnaround plans collide in a way that is very good for Ohio. Twitter will let you NFT-up your profile picture. Google’s doing the AR headset thing too. That Apple education discount has gotten harder to spoof. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: DeVry.edu/engineering EditorX.com Links: Exclusive: Intel Reveals Plans for Massive New Ohio Factory, Fighting the Chip Shortage Stateside (Time) Twitter Embra...
Jan 21, 2022•19 min
Meta is working on NFTs for Instagram and Facebook while Google is starting a blockchain team. Instagram Subscriptions launches. Google Play Games launches on Windows. Amazon launches its first physical fashion store. And why, by this summer, you will only be able to pay the IRS your taxes online by doxing yourself? Sponsors: NewRelic.com/techmeme Wix.com Links: Facebook owner Meta dives into NFT digital collectibles craze (FT) Google Forms Blockchain Group Under Newly Appointed Executive (Bloom...
Jan 20, 2022•19 min
Today is the big day for the showdown between 5G and the airlines. Nobody’s blinked yet, but both sides have sort of blinked. An interesting raise in the NFT space. And I’ve heard of autonomous road cars, but autonomous rail cars? More fallout from the Activision/Microsoft tie-up, and how literally fallout from that undersea volcano may have knocked Tonga off the internet. Sponsors: EditorX.com do.co/trh Links: Airlines Cancel Some Flights Ahead of U.S. 5G Wireless Launch (WSJ) Major airlines ca...
Jan 19, 2022•20 min
Microsoft is buying Activision Blizzard in the biggest gaming acquisition of all time. Partially this is a metaverse play, but meanwhile, Meta is quietly locking down all the metaverse patents. Crypto.com halts withdrawals on its platform but insists it hasn’t been hacked. And why are countries encouraging their athletes to use burner phones when they attend the upcoming Olympics? Sponsors: Streak.com/techmeme EditorX.com Links: Microsoft to buy Activision in $68.7 billion all-cash deal (CNBC) A...
Jan 18, 2022•18 min
... and I'm not just talking about the hosts! Myself, Chris, and about a dozen listeners kick around the latest apps, tools, platforms and other things we use to GTD. Sponsors: Wix.com Some of the books I mention at the end: A Short History Of Nearly Everything The Infinite Machine: How an Army of Crypto-hackers Is Building the Next Internet with Ethereum Rocket Billionaires: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the New Space Race Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Jan 15, 2022•1 hr 55 min
Russia has cracked down on REvil? Question-mark? Investing in crypto is so hot, FTX has launched its own monster venture fund. Why has the Android 12 rollout been such a disaster so far? How long is the Cybertruck going to be delayed? And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: EditorX.com Napjitsu.com/techmeme Links: Russia takes down REvil hacking group at U.S. request - FSB (Reuters) Crypto Exchange FTX Sets Up $2 Billion Venture Fund (WSJ) "You Don't Own Web3": A Coinbase Cu...
Jan 14, 2022•17 min
Apple indeed is removing Wordle clones, but PUBG sues them for NOT removing what they allege are clones of their game. Does Google Analytics run afoul of GDPR? China is going to do NFTs, NOT on the blockchain. And will the new Nuro bot bring me my burrito? Sponsors: RealVision.com/techmeme DeVry.edu/engineering Links: Apple Removes Wordle Apps Fueled by Confused Users (Bloomberg) Game maker says Apple, Google selling rip-offs in new lawsuit (Reuters) In bad news for US cloud services, Austrian w...
Jan 13, 2022•20 min
The FTC gets a second shot at Meta, after a judge okays their lawsuit edit. Samsung ghost on its own event. The state of the mobile app economy. Is cloning Wordle to release an app ok or not? And the new app at the top of the App Store that definitely comes from the, why didn’t I think of that file. Sponsors: EditorX.com Links: ‘Second time lucky?’ FTC’s case against Facebook can move forward, federal judge rules. (Washington Post) Samsung no-showed on its major Exynos 2200 launch [Update: Samsu...
Jan 12, 2022•17 min
Moxie Marlinspike is stepping down as CEO of Signal, and Brian Acton is stepping up. For now. Y Combinator is getting more generous with the investment it makes in its cohort companies. Carriers aren’t pleased with Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service. And another day, another headline like: the Associated Press is getting into NFTs. Sponsors: do.co/trh Wix.com Links: Moxie Marlinspike has stepped down as CEO of Signal (The Verge) Y Combinator’s New Deal Sparks Fear in Seed Investors (The Inform...
Jan 11, 2022•16 min
Take-Two takes out Zynga for $12.7 billion dollars. The SEC wants private unicorn companies to report more financial details. The open source developer who borked a bunch of projects to protest working for the man, I guess. And the weekend Web3 debate between Moxie Marlinspike and Vitalic Buterin. Sponsors: Grammarly.com/techmeme EditorX.com Links: Take-Two to acquire mobile gaming giant Zynga for $12.7B (TechCrunch) SEC Pushes for More Transparency From Private Companies (WSJ) Matter was a majo...
Jan 10, 2022•17 min
Our first ever Portfolio Profile, of the first investment the Ride Home Fund ever made! Sensel! As you’ll hear, touch technology as a key layer in computing interface and interaction is about to undergo a major generational leap forward, and Sensel is at the bleeding edge of this transformation. Not only is there a good chance that the next laptop you buy will have Sensel technology inside, but you’ll hear how Sensel’s tech could come to smartphones soon, to medical devices, to automobiles. In e...
Jan 08, 2022•47 min
Sonos beats Google in trade court. E3 is going remote again this year. Mozilla is the latest company to suffer crypto backlash. Are foldable laptops the future? And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions, this week with a profile of the programmer behind Wordle. Sponsors: Wealthfront.com/techmeme EditorX.com Links: Google Infringed on Sonos Speaker Technology, Trade Court Rules (NYTimes) E3 shifts to online-only event because of Omicron concerns (GamesBeat) Mozilla pauses accepting crypto ...
Jan 07, 2022•20 min
Google’s big announce at CES is better syncing and interoperability with everything. Instagram is launching their feed experiment. IBM might be looking to dump Watson. Ethereum has the most developers in crypto. And you know startups have been awash in money lately, here’s exactly how much. Sponsors: Masterworks.io/ride Coinbase.com/techmeme Links: Google is working to improve Windows and Android integration (Engadget) Google will spend 2022 trying to match Apple’s ecosystem integrations (The Ve...
Jan 06, 2022•16 min
Let’s stand in front of the firehose of CES news. Sony details its new VR headset for PlayStations. Chip news from Intel, from Nvidia, from AMD, from Microsoft and Qualcomm. Two really big interesting raises, and a new autonomous tractor allows us to talk about John Deere, for the first time ever, I believe. Sponsors: RealVision.com/techmeme EditorX.com Links: Sony confirms PlayStation VR2’s specs, first official game (ArsTechnica) Intel Says New Core i9 Processor for Laptops is Faster Than Appl...
Jan 05, 2022•19 min
Apple becomes the world’s first $3 Trillion dollar company. Samsung unveils its latest budget flagship smartphone. AT&T and Verizon delay their controversial 5G rollout while Verizon and T-Mobile end their controversial Apple rebate program. And a trip down the aisles at CES, including a smart collar for your dog and a gadget to bring home hair coloring into the 21st century. Sponsors: Do.co/trh Wix.com Links: Apple becomes first U.S. company to reach $3 trillion market cap (CNBC) The Galaxy...
Jan 04, 2022•19 min
CES kicks off with some major Samsung TV announcements, as per usual. Are we about to get the biggest MacBook Air redesign in history? Did Oculus (and VR generally) have a big holiday season? And does OpenSea helping folks get back their stolen NFTs point to the reality of decentralization in the NFT market? Sponsors: OurCrowd.com/ride Editor-X.com Links: Samsung’s new 2022 TVs bring Nvidia GeForce Now and Google Stadia gaming (The Verge) Samsung promises ‘groundbreaking’ new TV feature: NFT sup...
Jan 03, 2022•19 min
Might want to doublecheck if your LastPass master password is safe. Apple has issued stock to try to retain a bunch of their key talent. Google is dangling investments in front of startups to try to win their cloud business. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: DTCnewsletter.co enterprise.spectrum.com/techmeme Links: LastPass users warned their master passwords are compromised (BleepingComputer) Apple Aims to Prevent Defections to Meta With Rare $180,000 Bonuses for Top T...
Dec 29, 2021•18 min
China is pissed at Elon Musk cause of his Starlink satellites. Xiaomi’s new smartphones. The delivery robots taking over college campuses. The three fund companies that made fully 12% of all venture investments this year. And why cybersecurity companies are the hot startup sector as we head into the new year. Sponsors: Coinbase.com/techmeme Schwab.com/plan Links: China berates US after ‘close encounters’ with Elon Musk satellites (The Guardian) Xiaomi 12 and 12 Pro debut with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 ...
Dec 28, 2021•19 min
Gibraltar wants to add crypto to its stock exchange. The complicated truth about how successful Alexa has been as a product for Amazon. It was a big year for decentralized exchanges, but an even bigger one for centralized ones. And the story behind that SOS token drop that happened on Christmas Day. Sponsors: RadPowerBikes.com DTCNewsletter.co Links: ‘Blockchain Rock’: Gibraltar moves to become world’s first cryptocurrency hub (The Guardian) Amazon’s Alexa Stalled With Users as Interest Faded, D...
Dec 27, 2021•18 min
First we talk to the Spatial folks about pivoting in Web3. Then, the top tech stories of the year, as picked by you. Sponsors: Dataiku.com FindYourFidelity.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Dec 23, 2021•1 hr 39 min
Some big names pull out of CES at the last minute. TikTok is now the most popular destination in all the Internet. Justin Kan’s new NFT platform got hacked before even launching. Why my beloved Arsenal is in trouble for offering tokens. And Elon Musk comes out swinging against Web3 and the Metaverse. Sponsors: DTCNewsletter.co Streak.com/techmeme Links: Amazon, Meta Scrap CES Plans in Las Vegas After Covid Surge (Bloomberg) In 2021, the Internet went for TikTok, space and beyond (CloudFlare Blog...
Dec 22, 2021•17 min
I do my best to give you all the angles on the cold tech civil war concerning Web3 that has been bubbling under the surface for a while now but burst out in the open overnight. Interesting raises in the crypto space and interesting data on investment in the space. An interesting CEO departure and a CEO who maybe never really stepped down. And a look at satellite internet speeds. Sponsors: Schwab.com/plan Directtoconsumer.co Links: Jack Dorsey Stirs Uproar by Dismissing Web3 as a Venture Capitali...
Dec 21, 2021•20 min
Could a new 5G system lead the FCC to ground flights around some major metropolitan areas? Chipmakers are busting a gut to try to build out capacity. To what degree is Siri holding back Apple? A longtime Metaverse startup you should maybe have your eyes on. And is Microsoft best positioned to realize the Metaverse? Sponsors: RadPowerBikes.com Coinbase.com/techmeme Links: Airlines Brace for Flight Restrictions in 5G Standoff (WSJ) Semi CapEx to Hit $152 Billion in 2021 (AnandTech) A pple Should M...
Dec 20, 2021•18 min
Apple really is going to try to make all its gadget components itself, isn’t it? The deeper reason why the Biden administration doesn’t want you investing in Chinese tech. More on the brewing war between the gamers and the NFTers. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: VPLS.com/goit Streak.com/techmeme Links: Apple Builds New Team in Southern California to Bring More Wireless Chips In-House (Bloomberg) Biden administration concerned about U.S. investments in Chinese tech co...
Dec 17, 2021•21 min
Reddit finally files to go public. Is Apple once again the canary in the coal mine, this time for Omicron? HR Block sues Square cause Square is now Block. Get it? The biggest investing star of Web3 is starting her own fund. And a look at the battery technology breakthrough the could transform all our lives. Sponsors: HeyLaika.com/techmeme Dataiku.com Links: Reddit Files Confidentially for IPO (WSJ) Apple Scraps Office-Return Deadline Without Setting New Date (Bloomberg) H&R Block Sues Block,...
Dec 16, 2021•18 min
