A summary of last night’s Sam Bankman Fried show. Elon visits Tim Cook and maybe they buried the hatchet? Now OpenAI has released a chat bot. Neuralink says it’s going to start implanting into humans very soon. And Arizona is gonna get the good stuff when it comes to chips. Sponsors: Storyblok.com/ridehome Links: FTX Missing Billions Remain Mystery After Bankman-Fried Grilling (Bloomberg) Elon Musk Meets With Apple CEO Tim Cook Amid Claims of Twitter App Store Dispute [Updated] (MacRumors) Musk ...
Dec 01, 2022•16 min
The Covid lockdown at that Foxconn factory has lifted. The surprising strength of the smartwatch sector. The surprising failure of the Kindle Scribe. Gorilla Glass Victus 2. And Sony has an actual new idea for the Metaverse. Sponsors: InternetSociety.org/techmeme Links: China’s Zhengzhou, home to world’s largest iPhone factory, ends Covid lockdown. Other cities do the same (CNN Business) India Becomes Biggest Smartwatch Market in Q3 2022 (Counterpoint) Amazon Security Lake is a standards-based d...
Nov 30, 2022•18 min
Elon says he’s willing to go to war with Apple. Why now? Is Apple really threatening Twitter’s status in the App Store, as he claims? Where, exactly, is the money for Binance’s crypto recovery fund coming from? Amazon wants kids to get in on the generative AI game. And with all the explosion of AI tools, why aren’t we seeing more adoption of AI for the very tangible and very important use case of medical imaging? Sponsors: ZenGo.com/ride and code: ride Links: Elon Musk Claims Apple Has 'Mostly S...
Nov 29, 2022•18 min
All of the protests erupting in China have, not only a definite tech angle, but might have been triggered by those lockdowns at that Foxconn factory. BlockFi officially files for bankruptcy. Binance attempts to prove its reserves. How to message yourself on WhatsApp. And how Minecraft might have led to a major new breakthrough in AI. Sponsors: LetsTalkInTouch.com Storyblok.com/ridehome Links: Twitter grapples with Chinese spam obscuring news of protests (Washington Post) US Bans Huawei, ZTE Tele...
Nov 28, 2022•15 min
Check out the extensive paper on LEO satellites and Internet from space at InternetSociety.org/techmeme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 24, 2022•34 min
Actual rioting happening at the major Foxconn factory that produces iPhones. Microsoft fully embraces Linux. Advertisers continue to flee from Twitter. What if your wifi router and mesh network was actually a fashionable home décor choice? And surprise! The weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: InternetSociety.org/techmeme Storyblok.com/ridehome Links: Violent Protests Erupt at Apple’s Main iPhone Plant in China (Bloomberg) Windows Subsystem for Linux generally available via Microsoft Store (...
Nov 23, 2022•18 min
The contagion in crypto continues to teeter on a knife’s edge. Why were Sam Bankman Fried’s parents allegedly buying property in the Bahamas? Elon says Twitter is hiring again. Turns out the Alexa deathwatch is very real. And is Apple really the privacy company, or just like everybody else when it comes to ads? Sponsors: InternetSociety.org/techmeme RocketMoney.com/ride Links: Crypto Brokerage Genesis Is Said to Warn of Bankruptcy Without Funding (Bloomberg) Hedge funds left with billions strand...
Nov 22, 2022•18 min
Ruh roh. Storm clouds gathering in crypto land again. This time it’s DCG and Genesis. The shocking CEO revolving door over at Disney. The surprising return of SwiftKey. What you missed this weekend in Twitter. And you’ve heard of Stable Diffusion; let me introduce you to Unstable Diffusion. Stable Diffusion but for porn. Sponsors: LetsTalkInTouch.com Masterclass.com/ride ZocDoc.com/techmeme Links: Grayscale won’t share proof of reserves, citing ‘security concerns’ (The Block) Grayscale refuses t...
Nov 21, 2022•17 min
The great Anil Dash joined us to talk about... well, what do you think we talked about? But also, a broader discussion about the crazy year that the tech industry has had. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 20, 2022•2 hr 4 min
I’m here with you all as we wait for the end of Twitter together. Unless it doesn’t die. In which case, I dunno. Masa Son is actually personally in hock to the Vision Fund now that all its investments have gone pear shaped. A weird end of an era for Facebook. It’s not about status updates anymore. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Sponsors: Storyblok.com/ridehome Links: Hundreds of employees say no to being part of Elon Musk’s ‘extremely hardcore’ Twitter (The Verge) Tweet threa...
Nov 18, 2022•20 min
The guy who handled the Enron bankruptcy says FTX is the worst he’s ever seen. Xbox gets full Discord integration. Apple’s plans for Major League Soccer are revealed. Evernote finds a forever home. A new Deepfake detector from Intel and supercomputing in the cloud from Microsoft and Nvidia. Sponsors: Storyblok.com/ridehome Medcline.com/techmeme Links: New FTX Boss Condemns Management of the Crypto Exchange During Sam Bankman-Fried's Tenure (CoinDesk) Built-in Discord voice chat is now rolling ou...
Nov 17, 2022•16 min
Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon chip. DuckDuckGo’s App Tracking blocker but for Android, the latest headlines from the two stories you know we have to hit, and what if I told you there’s a new startup that wants to do for home appliances, what Tesla did for automobiles? Sponsors: Akamai.com/techmeme Kinsta.com Links: Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 gives us a glimpse of 2023’s Android flagships (The Verge) DuckDuckGo’s App Tracking Protection beta is now available to all Android users (The Verge) Netfli...
Nov 16, 2022•19 min
If you tell Elon he doesn’t know what he’s doing, you could get fired. Matt Levine looks into the abyss of the FTX balance sheet and finds the abyss staring back at him. Is the Alexa platform in danger? Nike still believes in NFTs. And what it’s actually like to use Apple’s Emergency SOS feature. Sponsors: Hover.com/ride for 10% off Split.io/techmeme Links: Musk Publicly Punishes Twitter Engineers Who Call Him Out Online (Bloomberg) Is Elon Musk’s Twitter about to fall out of the GDPR’s one-stop...
Nov 15, 2022•18 min
Twitter still lives, at least at the time of this writing. But thousands more contractors have been laid off. CZ wants to start a fund to save crypto projects. Paging Jonah Hill to play SBF in the movie that Michael Lewis is shopping around Hollywood. Meta is exiting the Portal business. And a big review of the Meta Quest Pro is just downright befuddling. Sponsors: LadderLife.com/ride Storyblok.com/ridehome Links: Twitter reportedly cut thousands of contractors without warning (The Verge) SpaceX...
Nov 14, 2022•20 min
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
