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Techmeme Ride Home

Brian McCulloughwww.ridehome.info

The day's tech news, every day at 5pm. From Techmeme.com, Silicon Valley's most-read news source. 15 minutes and you're up to date.

Episodes

Thu. 03/30 – No Headset Reveal At WWDC?

Wait, are we NOT going to see the new Apple headset at WWDC? Twitter’s new API tiers? Ads are coming to Bing Chat. Is Elon Musk guilty of laundering his grudge against OpenAI through AI concern trolling? And is TikTok creating more one hit wonders? Sponsors: Shopify.com/ride Miro.com/podcast Links: Kuo: Apple Mixed-Reality Headset May Not Appear at WWDC as Mass Production Pushed Back Yet Again  (MacRumors) Twitter announces new API pricing, including a limited free tier for bots  (Enga...

Mar 30, 202316 min

Wed. 03/29 – Hit Pause On AI Development?

Over 1,000 big names sign a petition urging a pause on AI development. What analysts think AI could to for or to the economy. North Korean hackers allegedly have a new trick. And did you know ByteDance has an Instagram rival? Well, it looks like they’re putting the pedal to the metal on that. Sponsors: Miro.com/podcast go.tech/tm Links: Elon Musk and top AI researchers call for pause on ‘giant AI experiments’  (The Verge) Generative AI set to affect 300mn jobs across major economies  (...

Mar 29, 202316 min

Tue. 03/28 – Rise Of The Blue Checks

I titled an episode last week “Twilight Of The Blue Checks.” Well, today is the sequel, “Rise Of The Blue Checks” cause starting April 15, you’ll have to be a blue check to appear on Twitter’s For You tab. Also: the feds go after Binance. Disney cuts its entire metaverse unit. And the UK cancels its NFT. Sponsors: Miro.com/podcast Notion.com/ride Links: Elon Musk says Twitter’s For You page will only recommend verified accounts  (The Verge) The secret list of Twitter VIPs getting boosted ov...

Mar 28, 202317 min

Mon. 03/27 – SVB Finds A New Home

Looks like the short, sharp, SVB saga has reached the beginning of a conclusion. Twitter source code has been leaked. The doubts inside Apple about the upcoming mixed reality headset. Why has no one presented any evidence for why TikTok might need to be banned? And, again, will generative AI lead to a physical robot revolution? Sponsors: Miro.com/podcast GetSunday.com/ride  for 20% off Links: First Citizens to Buy SVB After Biggest Failure Since 2008  (Bloomberg) Twitter Says Parts of ...

Mar 27, 202316 min

(Portfolio Profile) Investor Update (And How To Do Them) With Rownd

Robert from Rownd shares his most recent investor update live and in real time, so you can hear how these things go. Also, want to learn more about Rownd? From Robert: Demo site:  https://demo.rownd.com . Try out Rownd! We put Rownd into a webflow site to show how easy it works! Sign in with google or email, add biometrics (if you choose), create a wallet, and get an NFT!   Do you have a mobile app or eCommerce company? Reach out at  [email protected]  or si...

Mar 25, 202325 min

Fri. 03/24 – Twilight Of The Blue Checks

Twitter is finally sunsetting its legacy verified program. OpenAI rolls out ChatGPT plugins. Do Kwan has been detained and is facing formal charges here in the US. The FTC’s “click to cancel” proposal. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Headspace.com/RIDE30DAY Links: Twitter to Revoke ‘Legacy’ Verified Badges in April, Leaving Only Paying Subscribers With Blue Check-Marks  (Variety) OpenAI is massively expanding ChatGPT’s capabilities to let it browse the web and m...

Mar 24, 202318 min

Thu. 03/23 – Coinbase Wells Notice

Coinbase got a Wells Notice, which is not good. Hindenburg research has a new note out and is making short run on Block, which is not good. Apple might expand its sports streaming and release more things in actual theaters. And the space startup that 3d prints its own rockets. Sponsors: Thuma.co/techmeme  for a $25 credit Links: Coinbase warned by SEC of potential securities charges  (CNBC) SEC charges Tron founder Justin Sun, celebrities Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul with crypto violations...

Mar 23, 202317 min

Wed. 03/22 – Google Bard Joins The Fray

Well, we’ve got Google Bard. We’ve got a new Copilot from GitHub. Bing Image Creator is rolling out. Mozilla AI launches. The low hanging fruit that is plugging AI into NPCs to make games more realistic. And at the very end, some actual non AI news! Links: Google opens early access to its ChatGPT rival Bard — here are our first impressions  (The Verge) Microsoft’s GitHub to Add OpenAI Chat Functions to Coding Tool  (Bloomberg) Microsoft brings OpenAI’s DALL-E image creator to the new B...

Mar 22, 202316 min

Tue. 03/21 – TikTok Showdown

Ahead of a major showdown in Congress this week, TikTok wants the US to know exactly how popular it is. Why ChatGPT was shut down for a while yesterday. Why Google is suspending PinDuoDuo from the play store. The AI powered doctor’s office of the future. And is Andy Jassy the David Moyes of Amazon? If you get that reference, congratulations. Down Round Podcast  (Listener Ad!) Links: TikTok says it now has 150m monthly active users in the US  (MusicAlly) TikTok bans deepfakes of nonpubl...

Mar 21, 202317 min

Mon. 03/20 – Robots All The Way Down

New bots to make video from text prompts. Fending off the bots from biting your style. Falling in love with the bots. In the streaming wars, the ad supported experiments are working, and pricing power is a thing. And the startup that says it’s about to introduce humanoid bots. Real, definitional robots. Sponsors: Dot Tech Domains:  Go.tech/tm Links: Generative AI’s Next Frontier Is Video  (Bloomberg) Glaze protects art from prying AIs  (TechCrunch) AI love: What happens when your ...

Mar 20, 202317 min

Fri. 03/17 – Midjourney 5 Is Amazing

Amazon Kindle gets out of the magazine business. An ironically named PE firm is buying Porn Hub. Midjourney v5 is really mind blowing. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Sponsors: RelationshipHero.com/techmeme Links: Amazon will discontinue newspaper and magazine subscriptions in September  (GoodEReader) SVB Financial files for Ch. 11 bankruptcy protection, says it has $2.2B in liquidity  (TechCrunch) Pornhub owner sold to Canadian private equity firm Ethical Capital &n...

Mar 17, 202317 min

Thu. 03/16 – We’re A Long Way From Clippy

For the first time ever, I had to delay producing this show so I could watch and cover and AI product announcement. Let me tell you about how Microsoft is bringing GPT-4, to basically all their most famous apps with Copilot. Looks like the potential for a TikTok ban is getting really real. And why folks are suddenly turning on OpenAI. Sponsors: Overtired Podcast Links: Introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot — your copilot for work  (Microsoft) Microsoft 365 gets a host of new AI-powered features...

Mar 16, 202317 min

Wed. 03/15 – GPT-4 Is Here

GPT-4 is unveiled and it’s multimodal, and man, is everybody rushing to make use of this stuff. Alleged renders of Google's Pixel 8 Pro appear to show a mysterious new sensor. The state of the music industry in the streaming era. And Deadpool sells his phone company to another phone company. Links: OpenAI unveils GPT-4 with multimodal input and more creative and complex capabilities  (Windows Central) 10 Ways GPT-4 Is Impressive but Still Flawed  (NYTimes) With Evals, OpenAI hopes to c...

Mar 15, 202318 min

Tue. 03/14 – Meta Has Now Cut 1/4th Of Its Workforce

Those expected layoffs have come to Meta. AI tools come to Google Workspace and an API for Google’s PaLM language model. Seems like things have generally worked out with this Silicon Valley Bank aftermath. Microsoft laid off its AI risk team. Layoffs at Y Combinator. And a look at the standard that’s trying to keep over the air broadcast television relevant. Sponsors: Notion.com/ride Links: Meta to cut another 10,000 jobs and cancel ‘low priority projects’  (TechCrunch) Google announces AI ...

Mar 14, 202318 min

Mon. 03/13 – Crisis Averted?

Unless it affected you, you might have missed a huge tech story this weekend. But now that depositors to Silicon Valley Bank are being made whole, is the whole crisis averted? Tim Cook is pressing ahead with the Apple headset over the objections of Apple’s design team. And the varied and complex dilemmas of this new AI reality in two, somewhat oppositional segments. Sponsors: RelationshipHero.com/techmeme ZocDoc.com/techmeme Links: SVB’s tech failings were a problem long before the bank run that...

Mar 13, 202319 min

(Portfolio Profile) Cadre.com

Cadre.com is revolutionizing commercial real estate investing. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Mar 12, 202334 min

Fri. 03/10 – Silicon Valley Bank(Run)

There’s really only one story right now. The troubles at Silicon Valley Bank and how it has literally everyone in the startup ecosystem worried right now. It’s a classic bank run, people. Plus, Meta is developing a Twitter clone. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Links: This just broke, FYI:  Silicon Valley Bank is shut down by regulators, FDIC to protect insured deposits  (CNBC) Meta is building a decentralized, text-based social network  (Platformer) Weekend Lon...

Mar 10, 202318 min

Thu. 03/09 – Silvergate’s Collapse Makes The Crypto Winter Even Colder

Silvergate Capital is shutting down, so the crypto winter just got colder. Microsoft says the new Bing has crossed 100 million daily active users. Why TikTok is responsible for the new Spotify redesign. Can police grab your Ring camera footage without your permission, even if you’re not the target of an investigation? And looks like Stripe won’t be going public this year after all. Sponsors: Thuma.co/techmeme Links: Silvergate will liquidate bank, wind down operations  (The Block) Microsoft...

Mar 09, 202317 min

Wed. 03/08 – The “Cambrian Explosion” Moment For AI

Today, you might have heard about the latest Elon controversy where he criticized an employee, and then walked it all back. We’ll get into that. DuckDuckGo melds two AI tools together. A Large Visual Language Model that will help robots move around in the real world. I explain why I’m telling you about every new Generative AI advance seemingly every single day. And with Google officially announcing the date for I/O, is their headlong rush to release AI products the waking of a sleeping giant, or...

Mar 08, 202318 min

Tue. 03/07 – A TikTok Paywall

TikTok launches a paywall, but it’s all about the creators. Salesforce has its own generative AI product. More layoffs coming for Meta. Another autonomous driving startup bites the dust. Why Twitter broke yesterday, and new speakers from Sonos. Sponsors: This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at  betterhelp.com/techmeme  and get on your way to being your best self. Links: TikTok Launches ‘Series’ Feature, Which Lets Creators Sell Premium Episodes Up to 20 Mi...

Mar 07, 202317 min

Mon. 03/06 – AI And The Golden Age Of Scamming

As Microsoft begins to integrate AI into its core enterprise and productivity products, are we ready for the scamming that AI is going to be able to produce? Details on forthcoming new iMacs. A checkin on Twitter. And why does Meta seem hellbent on ignoring what most people use VR for in the first place? Sponsors: ZocDoc.com/techmeme RelationshipHero.com/techmeme Links: Microsoft’s Latest AI Assistant Is Meant for Marketers, Customer Reps and Work Apps  (Bloomberg) They thought loved ones w...

Mar 06, 202317 min

(Bonus) State Of The Job Market With Grupa

Checking in on the state of the tech job market with Grupa.io. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Mar 04, 202316 min

Fri. 03/03 – AI Summarizers And Glamour Filters

Everyone in crypto stops doing business with Silvergate. Brave search launches an AI summarizer. A look at TikTok's AI Bold Glamour filter. Maybe the Activision acquisition is going to skate through the regulators. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: RelationshipHero.com/Techmeme Links: Silvergate Stock Drops Over 50% as Crypto Clients Flee Beleaguered Bank  (CoinDesk) Brave Search launches an AI-powered summarization feature  (TechCrunch) Why won’t TikTok conf...

Mar 03, 202318 min

Thu. 03/02 – And Right On Schedule, Here Come The APIs

A ChatGPT API for business is here. Microsoft gives Bing those nobs and dials that I’ve been talking about. What are multimodal LLMs? New turmoil in crypto, this time around one of the big crypto friendly banks. How is it going in terms of social platforms diversifying into subscription revenue? And why the FDA has rejected Neuralink’s applications to begin human testing of brain implants. Links: OpenAI launches an API for ChatGPT, plus dedicated capacity for enterprise customers  (TechCrun...

Mar 02, 202320 min

Wed. 03/01 – Bluesky Launches

Decentralized social network Bluesky launches in the iOS App Store. TikTok adds wellbeing feature for families and kids. You know about eSIMs but say hello to iSIMs. Meta's entire four-year AR/VR roadmap. And I’m still banging the drum on laptops and smartphones where you can unroll the screen for more real estate. Sponsors: RelationshipHero.com/techmeme Links: Jack Dorsey-backed Twitter alternative Bluesky hits the App Store as an invite-only app  (TechCrunch) Republican Bill That Gives Bi...

Mar 01, 202316 min

Tue. 02/28 – Elon Wants To Compete With OpenAI

AI-powered Bing is now integrated into Windows. Elon wants to compete with OpenAI, a company he co-founded. Major financial institutions continue to back away from crypto while NFTs on the bitcoin blockchain are on the rise. The iPhone SE might not be dead. And how the LastPass debacle happened. Links: Microsoft brings its new AI-powered Bing to the Windows 11 taskbar  (The Verge) Fighting ‘Woke AI,’ Musk Recruits Team to Develop OpenAI Rival  (The Information) Meta revamps AI unit to ...

Feb 28, 202315 min

Mon. 02/27 – Here Come The Prompt Engineers

Snap wants to go the route of the movie Her, with a personified chatbot inside of Snapchat. Interesting layoffs at Twitter. Yes. More. Inside Apple's Exploratory Design Group. The best AR glasses we’ve seen yet. And, right on schedule, here come the prompt engineers. Sponsors: This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at  betterhelp.com/techmeme  and get on your way to being your best self. Links: Snapchat is releasing its own AI chatbot powered by ChatGPT &nbs...

Feb 27, 202318 min

(Portfolio Profile) Nanome.ai

Find out more and see demos at  Nanome.ai See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....

Feb 25, 202332 min

Fri. 02/24 – Record Scratch On The Adobe/Figma Deal

Is the DOJ about to sue to stop of Adobe’s acquisition of Figma? Confirmation of the lower end mixed reality headset from Apple due next year. A reporter used an AI-generated replica of a voice to bypass the voice verification system of a major bank. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Sponsors: HelloFresh.com/techmeme65  and code techmeme65 for 65% off Links: DOJ Preps Antitrust Suit to Block Adobe’s $20 Billion Figma Deal  (Bloomberg) Kuo: Apple to Launch High-End and ...

Feb 24, 202317 min

Thu. 02/23 – Coinbase Wants To Seed Web 3

Coinbase wants to let a thousand Web3 flowers bloom by launching its own Layer 2 network. The new iPhone specs have leaked. Apple might have made a breakthrough in blood glucose monitoring. Satellite telephony continues to be a busy space, weirdly enough. And reviews of the Galaxy S23 lineup. Links: Coinbase Launches Layer 2 Blockchain Base to Provide On-Ramp for Ethereum, Solana and Others  (CoinDesk) Exclusive: iPhone 15 CADs reveal larger 6.2-inch display, Dynamic Island, and more  ...

Feb 23, 202316 min
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