Is a big mergers and acquisition wave about to hit the tech industry. I make the case from several different angles. AMD releases its next generation Ryzen chips. And a super interesting new startup in the Web 3 space. Is it game? Is it a fitness app? Can you earn money for moving? Yes. Sponsors: Zapier.com/ride LCX.com/ride Links: Broadcom in Talks to Acquire Cloud Company VMware (Bloomberg) Report: EA Looking To Sell Or Merge (Kotaku) Big Tech Is Getting Clobbered on Wall Street. I...
May 23, 2022•16 min
Friend of the show, Chris Dixon ( @cdixon ) of a16z's crypto and web3 investing initiatives comes on to talk about the recent report: 2022 State of Crypto . We got into all the things, using our favorite lens of tech history. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
May 21, 2022•42 min
A new high end Snapdragon chip. The Apple AR/VR headset has been demoed, but only 9 people got to see it in action. A YC backed startup is facing lawsuits related to the whole UST blowup. The feds will no longer go after good faith, white hat hackers. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Composer.trade/ride AthleticGreens.com/ride Links: Qualcomm announces Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, for when flagship isn’t flagship enough (The Verge) Apple Shows AR/VR Headset to Board...
May 20, 2022•18 min
A code red alert about vulnerabilities in VMware products. TikTok has a clever new program to crowdsource ad content from TikTok users. Oh, and they’re getting into games. FTX gets into regular old stock trading. The dreaded down rounds have arrived. And are there more Airbnb’s available in NYC right now, than there are apartments for rent? Sponsors: Policygenius.com Superside.com/techmeme Links: 2 vulnerabilities with 9.8 severity ratings are under exploit. A 3rd looms (ArsTechnica) TikTo...
May 19, 2022•18 min
Apple is delaying its recent return to work policy indefinitely. If crypto mining is banned in China, how come it still the second biggest contributor to the global hashrate? Twitter’s board says it’s going to hold Elon’s feet to the fire. And the interesting raise for a startup looking to save encryption from quantum computing? Sponsors: LiveOuter.com/techmeme LCX.com/ride Links: Apple Delays Plan to Have Staff in Office Three Days a Week (Bloomberg) Apple Executive Who Left Over Return-t...
May 18, 2022•16 min
Now Elon says he can’t move forward with the deal until he gets solid answers from Twitter about the bot issue, even though, we have the paperwork of his original offer and there were no contingencies about bot numbers, and he totally could have written that into the deal. Will Apple use E Ink on their foldable device? Coinbase is slowing hiring, while Microsoft is boosting pay. And a big test of driver assist systems says they’re still not as reliable as we all hope they are. Sponsors: LCX.com/...
May 17, 2022•18 min
Is Netflix about to experiment with actual live broadcasts? Where did all the bitcoin go in the whole Luna/UST backstop debacle? Spotify is testing NFTs. Uber Eats gets into the ankle robot delivery game. And the Texas law that has all of big social media platforms worried. Sponsors: AltoIRA.com/techmeme Superside.com/techmeme Links: Netflix Exploring Live Streaming For First Time; Plans To Roll Out For Unscripted Series & Stand-Up Specials (Deadline) LFG Reserves Dwindle to Just 313 B...
May 16, 2022•17 min
Techpocalypse Now! W/ @EricNewcomer @loganbartlett & @alexrkonrad How bad is it? How bad can it get? How do we get out of this? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
May 14, 2022•1 hr 17 min
Ok. Are you sitting down? Would you believe me if I told you Elon Musk is giving signals that the Twitter deal might be off? Could we fix the whole stablecoin mess if we just turn it off and turn it back on again? The refugees from Meta’s failed crypto project have a new startup to call home. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions™. Sponsors: Superside.com/techmeme Masterworks.io/ride Sponsors: Elon Musk says Twitter deal ‘on hold’ after spam / fake account report (The Verge) Te...
May 13, 2022•19 min
Other algorithmic stablecoins are teetering. Meta is cutting back, even when it comes to the Metaverse. Could an Instacart IPO lead us out of this darkness? Disney’s streaming business is holding up. For now. And the AR demo that was the most exciting thing from the I/O keynote yesterday. Sponsors: Ortto.com Links: Terra Crunch Shakes Foundations of Crypto Stablecoin Complex (Bloomberg) Exclusive: Facebook-owner Meta tells hardware staffers to prepare for cutbacks (Reuters) SoftBank ...
May 12, 2022•17 min
All the headlines from Google’s I/O keynote this afternoon. The stablecoin fiasco has gotten rapidly worse. More carnage in tech stocks. Is Apple shifting to USB C for the iPhone at long last? And pour one out for the iPod, the product and brand that very much kicked off our modern era of gadgetry. Sponsors: Superside.com/techmeme HubSpot.com Links: Google Maps bringing a new ‘immersive view’ of select cities, Live View’s AR for other apps (9to5Google) Google’s new ‘multisearch’ features h...
May 11, 2022•19 min
A major algorithmic stablecoin has lost its peg to the dollar. More concerns of a slowdown as Tiger Global has racked up massive paper losses. Match Group sues Google. Has GDPR crushed the European app economy? Amazon engages mom and pop stores to deliver packages. And an interesting raise that is building the GitHub of machine learning. Sponsors: ConstantContact.com Links: UST Stablecoin Loses Dollar Peg for Second Time in 48 Hours, LUNA Market Cap Falls Below UST's (CoinDesk) Crypto’s Au...
May 10, 2022•17 min
Everything is down, not just tech stocks, but now crypto too. More signs of belt tightening and possible hiring freezes, this time from Uber. Twitter has avoided the overall market route thanks to Elon’s bid, but could the downturn effect that as well? Instagram launches an NFT pilot. And what to expect from Google’s I/O later this week. Sponsors: OurCrowd.com/ride Links: Bitcoin’s Unraveling Hits 50% From Peak With Drop Below $33,000 (Bloomberg) Uber CEO tells staff company will cut down ...
May 09, 2022•17 min
With Apple, Google and Microsoft all signed up to offer FIDO Alliance technology, are we about to hear about some big passwordless tech at all the developers conferences this summer? China wants the whole country to turn in their foreign made laptops. Fortnite is available everywhere, including iOS, thanks to Microsoft. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: HubSpot.com Ortto.com Links: Apple, Google, Microsoft Back 'FIDO' Tech to Dump Passwords on Websites and Apps (...
May 06, 2022•15 min
Elon gets some friends to join his Twitter deal. And does he expect to be Twitter CEO soon? A Google acquisition shows their metaverse aspirations. Sonos to launch a voice assistant. A hiring slowdown at Meta. How can there be need for layoffs at Cameo? And is anyone other than me and the US Government concerned about quantum computing breaking encryption? Sponsors: HubSpot.com Links: Ellison, Binance and Sequoia back Musk’s $44bn bid for Twitter (FT) Google bought a MicroLED display compa...
May 05, 2022•17 min
Uber is seeing rider usage return to pre-Covid levels. New, better flash storage. Twitter tests the ability to only tweet to certain circles. An interesting laptop and an interesting raise. And Spotify wants you to hang out, in Roblox. Sponsors: AthleticGreens.com/ride Links: Uber reports surging revenue as drivers return, but posts massive loss on investments (CNBC) NFT Sales Are Flatlining (WSJ) Samsung's UFS 4.0 flash storage is a major upgrade, especially for 5G phones (And...
May 04, 2022•18 min
What do you know? Facebook got bored of something and left the market in a bit of a mess. The SEC seems to be staffing up to get serious about crypto. Apple accuses a rival of stealing trade secrets. And it seems like Meta wants to start getting those Metaverse enabling headsets in our hands sooner rather than later. Sponsors: Smith.ai promocode techmeme for $100 off signup CreditKarma.com Links: Facebook Pulls the Plug on Podcast Business After a Year (Bloomberg) SEC to Hire More Cr...
May 03, 2022•16 min
The expected EU hammer is coming down on Apple. Yuga Labs’ latest project didn’t bring down Ethereum, but made it hella expensive. Bots DID bring down Solana. Again. A new book looks at why Jony Ive left Apple. And what the heck is going on with Google and it’s AI researchers? Sponsors: Traceroute Podcast ( Origins.dev for more info) Links: Apple charged by Brussels with abusing its market power in mobile payments (Financial Times) Bored Ape Metaverse Frenzy Raises Millions, Crashes ...
May 02, 2022•19 min
(The audio has been fixed in this version) How was the web won and lost? If you had to do Web2.0 over again, what would you do differently? What is the future of Twitter under Elon Musk. All this and more from a huge crew of web 2.0 OGs. Check them out from 15 years ago on YouTube . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
May 01, 2022•1 hr 33 min
Snap’s Pixy, is a new sort of done/camera hybrid. We wrap up tech earnings week with Apple and Amazon. I continue to wonder if the one click checkout space is all it’s cracked up to be. And of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Sponsors: Ortto.com Masterworks.io/ride Links: Snap announces a mini drone called Pixy (TechCrunch) Snap Pixy Review: Don’t Call It a Drone or a Selfie Stick—Even Though It’s Both (WSJ) Apple Reports Second Quarter Results (BusinessWire) The Twit...
Apr 29, 2022•20 min
Twitter reports earnings, for maybe the last time, publicly. Meta’s earnings weren’t THAT bad but that’s mostly because the set the table for it. Apple faces antitrust charges in the EU as soon as next week. Another country adopts bitcoin as currency. And would you like a dedicated metaverse room in your next house? Sponsors: Ortto.com Composer.trade/ride Links: Twitter reports user bump, revenue miss for Q1, days after accepting Musk’s takeover bid (CNBC) Twitter miscounted its daily users for ...
Apr 28, 2022•15 min
Quick summation of Alphabet and Microsoft earnings. DJI is trying to prevent its drones from being used in the Ukraine war. Google has released tools to make it easier to spin up your own YouTube. Apple wants you to repair your iPhone yourself. And a deep dive into why autocorrect can’t ducking get it right sometimes. Ducking. I said ducking, which is the iPhone autocorrect version of that word. Sponsors: HubSpot.com discover.upland.me/techmeme Links: Alphabet Announces First Quarter 2022 Result...
Apr 27, 2022•17 min
You did it, you crazy son of a bitch, you did it. You know what that’s referring to, of course. Fidelity lets you allocate some of your 401(k) to bitcoin. More Bored Apes got swiped. And with the F-150 Lightning actually shipping today, another glimpse at the precarious reality of the electric car revolution. Links: Twitter accepts Elon Musk’s buyout deal (CNBC) Elon Musk buys Twitter (Platformer/Casey Newton) From punchline to deal in under 2 weeks: how Elon Musk won his Twitter pri...
Apr 26, 2022•17 min
By the time you hear these words, Elon Musk might already own Twitter. A big Java vulnerability. All of Mark Gurman’s expectations for the iPhone 14. Where and by how much, tech worker salaries are rising. And why the struggles at Netflix might lead to worse television across the board. Sponsors: HubSpot.com discover.upland.me/techmeme Links: Twitter Eyes Deal With Musk as Soon as Monday (Bloomberg) Analysis: Musk tears up buyout playbook with $46.5 billion Twitter financing (Reuters...
Apr 25, 2022•17 min
Founder Alex Damianou tells us about OpenAxis , which tells stories with data. If a picture tells a thousand words, how many does a chart tell? Easily and beautifully visualize data with an accessible point-and-click, no-code, no-pivot-table tool. Learn more about the Ride Home Fund . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Apr 24, 2022•27 min
The great Julia Alexander ( @loudmouthjulia ) joins us to talk about Netflix's big earnings bomb, CNN+ biting the big one, and the state of the streaming wars. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Apr 23, 2022•1 hr 26 min
CNN+ only made it, what, 1/8th of a Quibi? There’s blood on the streaming wars dance floor. a16z’s new crypto research lab makes me feel like I have to start covering them like a startup or a conglomerate. More bad news for Meta: they’re way behind in the payments race in India. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: discover.upland.me/techmeme Links: CNN+ Streaming Service Will Shut Down Weeks After Its Start (NYTimes) a16z Crypto is launching an academic research lab...
Apr 22, 2022•17 min
Ok. Funding actually secured, Elon? For real this time? A look at Tesla’s good earnings and monster margins. Unions are coming for big tech, it seems. A reckoning is coming for the lightning cable, it seems. And advertising in your console games is inevitable, it seems. Sponsors: Composer.trade/ride Policygenius.com Links: Twitter Has a Poison Pill Now (Matt Levine/Bloomberg) Elon Musk Says He Has Commitments for $46.5 Billion in Financing for Twitter Deal (WSJ) Elon Musk lays out fu...
Apr 21, 2022•17 min
Netflix shares crater after earnings, and the company might be turning to ad-supported streaming to eke out some growth. Coinbase’s NFT marketplace is live. Why crypto stocks are uncoupled from the underlying crypto market. Why the surge in zero days might actually be good news. And the tech bubble that would never burst. So far. Sponsors: Linkedin.com/ride Hapbee.com/techmeme Links: Netflix Q1 net subscribers unexpectedly decline, revenue misses expectations (Yahoo!Finance) Netflix Plans ...
Apr 20, 2022•17 min
Courts have reaffirmed the right to scrape the public facing web. We have some hints about how the Twitter edit button might work. Updates on the whole Twitter/Elon situation. Microsoft wants to bring in-game ads to Xbox. And a new startup accelerator you’re gonna want to put on your radar. Sponsors: OurCrowd.com/ride Links: Web scraping is legal, US appeals court reaffirms (TechCrunch) Twitter's in-development Edit button offers hints as to how the feature could work (TechCrunch) Ap...
Apr 19, 2022•17 min
