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TechCheck

Where Silicon Valley meets Wall Street, TechCheck dives deep into stocks, trades, trends and opportunities focused on new technologies while highlighting news from mega-cap heavyweights, social media darlings, streaming giants, growth software and red-hot disruptors. Everyday TechCheck delivers investors what they need to know with compelling in-depth reporting and analysis from investors, analysts and leaders in the industry.
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Episodes

TechCheck+ Apple's AI killer is... the iPhone 6/14/24

Apple has now leapfrogged leaders Microsoft and Google in the high-stakes AI race by promising the first killer use of AI - a true personal assistant, in the form of.... the iPhone. Even the stock, once a laggard, has jumped to historic highs, anchored by Apple's singular combination of hardware, software and data. But its biggest edge over AI devices like the Humane pin and Rabbit R1 is that it's already in billions of consumers' pockets. This week on TechCheck, Apple takes the AI lead. Hosted ...

Jun 14, 202410 min

Apple’s AI Deal Reshuffles Rankings 6/13/24

Shares of Apple are hitting fresh highs today after showcasing at WWDC that it is not only catching up to the other megacaps, but may actually have leapfrogged the leaders. Its edge is its 2.2 billion install base and its focus on making AI usable by integrating it with your personal information. A slew of bullish commentary from the Street is also helping sentiment, outlining how Apple’s AI features will drive hardware sales later this year. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.ads...

Jun 13, 20247 min

Apple’s AI Edge 6/11/24

Shares of Apple are hitting fresh highs today after showcasing at WWDC that it is not only catching up to the other megacaps, but may actually have leapfrogged the leaders. Its edge is its 2.2 billion install base and its focus on making AI usable by integrating it with your personal information. A slew of bullish commentary from the Street is also helping sentiment, outlining how Apple’s AI features will drive hardware sales later this year. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.ads...

Jun 11, 202410 min

The AI Debut and Backlash Cycle 6/10/24

Apple just debuting its generative AI system Apple Intelligence, integrated with chatGPT that can look across your apps to retrieve, compile and take action on information. But after some of the other tech giants’ flagship products faced backlash, such as Microsoft’s Recall and Google’s AI Overviews, should Apple proceed with caution? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

Jun 10, 20245 min

TechCheck+ Tech for Trump: Silicon Valley investors turn against Biden 6/7/24

Silicon Valley investors held a mega fundraiser for former President Trump in the heart of San Francisco - what was once an overwhelmingly liberal bastion of America. It’s the most visible sign yet of a growing circle of tech elites switching camps -- and they’re vocal, emboldened and rich. This week on a special edition of TechCheck, we go to David Sacks’ mansion, as tech shifts to Trump. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use ...

Jun 07, 202411 min

Silicon Valley’s Political Shift 6/6/24

A mega-fundraiser for former president Trump is about to kick off in the heart of San Francisco, what was once a liberal bastion of America, and could raise more than $12 million. Hosted by the prominent venture capitalists David Sacks and Chamath Palihapitiya, the event is an example of a growing circle of tech elites now switching camps – turning against President Biden and warming to Trump. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and ...

Jun 06, 20248 min

Elliott Takes Aim at Softbank… Again 6/5/24

It worked the first time -- Elliott Management might be hoping the playbook works again. It's now rebuilding a more than $2 billion stake in Softbank and calling for a $15B buyback after pushing successfully for changes in early 2020. At the center of the push is that Softbank as a whole’s market value is far less than the sum of its parts: its 90% stake in Arm alone is worth more than $100 billion, far more than its market cap of around $85 billion. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See...

Jun 05, 20246 min

Elon Musk, Sam Altman and the Cult of the Founder 6/4/24

Elon Musk and Sam Altman are both now facing scrutiny for balancing conflicts of interest with their side ventures. Musk has now seemed to confirm a report that he diverted Nvidia AI chips reserved for Tesla, prioritizing getting them to X and xAI instead, while Altman has a sprawling empire of investments, raising questions of side dealing. The two are also CEOs who best exemplify the Silicon Valley view of the cult of the founder, with some investors willing to look the other way when developi...

Jun 04, 20247 min

Spotify’s Year of Monetization 6/3/24

Spotify is hiking prices for the second time in a year, raising a premium individual plan to $11.99 a month. But not all streamflation is the equal. Users are more loyal to audio services than video – plus Spotify’s main competitors are megacaps like Apple and Amazon, which also have other giant businesses that its audio streaming only compliments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

Jun 03, 20247 min

Google Scales Back AI Search Tool 5/31/24

Google is doing damage control again, this time with its newest AI product. It’s scaling back an AI search tool it had unveiled just a few weeks ago, after users reported getting back questionable and even downright bizarre results. They included suggestions that it was good to eat rocks or to use glue to thicken pizza sauce. But the rollbacks might also signal a new, nimbler Google that's now willing to disrupt traditional Search and make mistakes. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See ...

May 31, 20247 min

Software’s AI Nuclear Winter 5/30/24

Salesforce's quarterly revenue miss and weak guidance has sent shares plunging today, as the threat of AI looms over the cloud. Could it be a trend we're seeing across software, or might Salesforce’s subscription-based model just be harder to justify in the coming age of AI, especially compared to consumption-based names that have posted stronger quarters? We talked exclusively to Box CEO Aaron Levie on the trends he’s seeing in software cycles. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm....

May 30, 20247 min

OpenAI Board Member Speaks Out 5/29/24

New details were revealed today around the OpenAI saga that saw CEO Sam Altman ousted and reinstated within a week last fall. A former board member is now speaking out, pointing to a toxic atmosphere, psychological abuse, sketchy safety practices and more. That, along with a flurry of new deals that ChatGPT inked today aligns with the AI darling’s drive for commercialization and monetization, signaling the growing divide between OpenAI and other startups in the space like Anthropic. Hosted by Si...

May 29, 20247 min

Elon Musk’s Web of Loyalists Back xAI 5/28/24

Elon Musk's startup xAI is now valued at $24 billion after raising $6 billion in a fresh round of funding. The new raise is backed by a web of Musk's most loyal insiders – including venture capitalists like Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia, who also invested in his acquisition of X, but also includes institutional support from Fidelity and some new faces. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

May 28, 20246 min

Pricing the AI Race & Battle of the Home Smart Speakers 5/22/24

CNBC’s Dierdre Bosa discusses the AI profit motives behind companies investing all into AI and the latest news on Amazon, home smart speakers, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 22, 20245 min

AI Competition Heating Up 5/21/24

CNBC’s Deirdre Bosa discusses the latest news on monetizations towards AI features and China’s AI competition. Plus, Brent Thill, software and internet research analyst at Jeffries, shares his reaction to Microsoft’s developer conference, the company’s approach to AI, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 21, 202411 min

Microsoft & Departures from OpenAI 5/20/24

CNBC’s Deirdre Bosa breaks down the latest news on executive departures from OpenAI, big tech, AI plans, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 20, 20246 min

Gen AI Startups Get Corporate 5/17/24

Gen AI startups are growing up -- through both the underlying tech as we saw with OpenAI’s demo of GPT-4o and Google’s showcase of Gemini and Project Astra, but also the composition of the companies themselves. Recent executive moves and hires are showing how AI startups are now focusing more on products, monetization and commercialization. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

May 17, 202410 min

TechCheck+ Age of the AI agents: OpenAI’s GPT-4o and Google’s Project Astra, plus an exclusive sit-down with Google CEO Sundar Pichai 5/17/24

AI has moved into a new era – from chatbots to AI agents capable of having instantaneous, real-time conversations as showcased by Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s GPT-4o and Google’s Project Astra. The news -- bullish for Nvidia and over chipmakers, but Meta, Amazon, Apple and other megacap tech names will have to step up to the plate soon. We break down what’s behind the big leap forward, the risks involved, and sit down with Google CEO Sundar Pichai exclusively on the news Hosted by Simplecast, an Ad...

May 17, 202419 min

Walmart Takes a Page From Amazon, Plus AI Agents’ Impact on Education Tech 5/16/24

Shares of Walmart continue to be one of the top S&P performers today, rallying after beating quarterly earnings and revenue estimates while also posting big gains in e-commerce. Could its online shopping gains now threaten the e-commerce king, Amazon? Plus, OpenAI’s debut of its more conversational, real-time GPT-4o model have investors now asking whether it will disrupt sectors from education technology, advertising technology, white-collar jobs and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz co...

May 16, 20248 min

Google’s AI Search Overhaul 5/15/24

Google is now fully integrating generative AI into search, overhauling the 10 blue links we’ve known for decades. Deirdre Bosa spoke to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Google’s head of search Liz Reid on what this change will mean for advertisers, publishers, and consumers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 15, 202410 min

TechCheck+ Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai 5/14/24

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai joins CNBC’s Deirdre Bosa at Google I/O developer conference to talk its new AI rollout, project Astra, its response to OpenAI’s search competitor and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 14, 202411 min

OpenAI Front-Runs Google 5/13/24

OpenAI unveiled its new flagship AI model GPT-4o today that it says brings GPT-level intelligence to everyone, including free users. The event now raises the stakes for Google’s all-important developers’ event tomorrow, Google I/O, where the tech giant is set to outline its latest advancements in AI. Google has in the past been relatively slow to roll out its AI features to its wide base of users, so the question hanging over the event tomorrow is whether it will go all-in on gen AI, potentially...

May 13, 20245 min

TechCheck+ Google’s AI Hope: Demis Hassabis 5/10/24

Google has been consolidating its AI efforts and power around one man: Demis Hassabis. As one of the most respected leaders in the space, the DeepMind co-founder has a track record of critical AI breakthroughs. But can an academic also pave the way for Google's genAI commercialization and monetization? Hassabis is the key to Google's lead in AI but his biggest challenge lies ahead. This week on TechCheck, the real test. Can Google and Hassabis show Wall Street, investors, and the public that it ...

May 10, 20249 min

The Case for Staying Private 5/9/24

Money is continuing to flow into AI startups in the private market, with new reports of funding deals for Elon Musk’s xAI at a $18 billion valuation and the French AI startup Mistral’s valuation tripling to $6 billion. It signals that companies that can raise money in the private markets will continue to do so, especially as the kind of scrutiny that goes along with being a public company is exactly what some startups and founders want to avoid. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm....

May 09, 20247 min

Fed “Fumble”, Disney Disappointment, and iPad Promises 5/7/24

Stanley Druckenmiller says rate cuts should be entirely off the table and that the Fed fumbled the football on the 5-yard line with the game on the line. We’ll look at the path forward for the Fed. Plus, Disney nearly broke even on streaming, but missed revenue estimates for a fourth consecutive quarter. We’ll ask Oscar-winner Brian Grazer about the future of Hollywood. And Apple unveiling its first iPads since 2022, but today’s news is only an appetizer for next month’s big event. Hosted by Sim...

May 07, 20248 min

What’s Next for Uber 5/6/24

Uber had a banner year in 2023 – profitability turned a corner, S&P inclusion, and it became free cash flow positive. But what’s next for the stock, especially as it has underperformed other gig names in the last three months? Uber, Lyft, and Airbnb are all set to report quarterly results this week for a check on the gig economy. We take you through what to expect and what’s next. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of pe...

May 06, 20246 min

Chinese Stocks Stage Comeback 5/3/24

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was the world’s best-performing major stock market in April and has continued to move up another 5% this week. It may be part of a broader market theme, the unwinding of the “long AI, long Japan, short China” trade, but China is a world leader in AI research too, according to a new study from Georgetown University. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

May 03, 20246 min

TechCheck+ Tesla’s big gamble: Full Self-Driving in the wild 5/3/24

Full Self-Driving, or FSD, is one of the most controversial parts of Elon Musk’s Tesla strategy, with regulators calling the branding misleading and dangerous. But love it or hate it, Tesla has unleashed FSD, with a free trial for millions of U.S. drivers. That means more data -- an essential component to any company trying to develop autonomous driving. Tesla's approach to gathering all that data could prove all of Musk’s naysayers wrong, or leave it continuing to play catch up with more advanc...

May 03, 202412 min

Google’s Next Challenge 5/2/24

Closing arguments began today in the landmark antitrust case between the DOJ and Google. But what may ultimately matter more than the ruling is the damage already done to Google's market position, especially around generative AI vulnerabilities and progress. The fear is that under the pressure of regulators, Google has been hesitating or second-guessing itself. And the abundance of chatbots now available to consumers also makes the case, while Google’s Search Generative Experience, or SGE, remai...

May 02, 20246 min

Megacap Capex Soars in AI Ramp Up 4/30/24

Capital spending among the megacaps is now surging as Microsoft, Google and Meta all outline plans for tens of billions of dollars a quarter in AI investments. We dig into what’s in store for Amazon as it gets set to report tonight. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 30, 20247 min
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