Techmeme Ride Home

Mon. 10/21 – Google Get’s A Stay

Google’s strategy of keeping it in the courts is already going to plan. New AI agents from Microsoft. New Open Source models from IBM. Perplexity is looking to raise again. How far behind Apple thinks it is in AI. And what it’s like to use your AirPods as hearing aids. Sponsors: Ramp.com/techmeme Miro.com Links: Epic judge lets Google keep its Android app store closed to competitors — for now  (The Verge) Microsoft unveils new autonomous AI agents in advance of competing Salesforce rollout ...

(Bonus) Goldeneye 007 With - John Gruber

Did Nintendo try to kill GoldenEye 007 before it was completed? Why did Shigeru Miyamoto keep telling the development team to tone down the violence. And why did the famous multiplayer aspect of the game almost didn’t happen? It’s slappers only on Rad History, because we’re diving into the history of THE game of the late 1990s, GoldenEye 007. With Special Guest:  John Gruber See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sel...

Fri. 10/18 – Netflix Wins

Thu. 10/17 – Sigh Of Relief From Chip Stocks

Now Amazon is building some modular nuclear reactors. TSMC’s results cheer up the chips industry. Uber but for buying plane tickets. No, I mean, really, use Uber to buy plane tickets. And the controversial reason Meta is reportedly laying off some folks. Sponsors: Lumen.me/ride Links: Amazon goes nuclear, to invest more than $500 million to develop small modular reactors  (CNBC) TSMC Hikes Revenue Outlook in Show of Confidence in AI Boom  (Bloomberg) The FTC is finally making it easier...

Wed. 10/16 – Color Kindles

Kindles come roaring back, with significant updates to the Paperwhite and the Scribe, but also, for the first time ever, a Kindle with a color screen. Why has ASML suddenly plunged so much if chips are so hot right now? Android 15 is beginning to roll out. And Sonos is back to releasing new speakers again. Sponsors: Promevo.com/techmeme Links: Amazon’s new seven-inch Kindle Paperwhite is bigger and faster than ever  (The Verge) Amazon’s new Kindle Scribe takes another step toward pen and pa...

Tue. 10/15 – Tech Going Nuclear

The Nuclear Energy sector is clearly getting back in business, thanks to big tech and their AI needs. The latest back and forth in the Wordpress brouhaha. The US is considering caps on the chips Nvidia can deliver to a bunch of countries worldwide. And is Tether getting deeper into the global finance game? Sponsors: 1Password.com/ride ArcticWolf.com/register Links: Google Backs New Nuclear Plants to Power AI  (WSJ) DHH's Original Post Matt Mullenweg's Original Response Matt's 2nd Response A...

Mon. 10/14 – Adobe Unleashes Firefly

Adobe unleashes its Firefly AI video model broadly. Mark Gurman lays out Apple’s headset strategy going forward. What’s been going on with the Internet Archive. What the heck IS going on with WordPress? VC deals are dropping precipitously. And a review of the Meta Quest 3S. Sponsors: WashingtonPost.com/ride Shopify.com/ride Links: Adobe’s AI video model is here, and it’s already inside Premiere Pro  (The Verge) Apple Has a New Smart Home Strategy: Screens Everywhere  (Bloomberg) The In...

(Bonus) The Rise And Fall Of Blockbuster Video

Why was Blockbuster so successful? Was it the DVD that killed Blockbuster? What was the deal with late fees? Is there any way Blockbuster, not Netflix, could have won out in the end? Special guest: Venture Capitalist and Writer  MG Siegler ! Subscribe to RAD! 80s90s History ! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....

Fri. 10/11 - Cybercab

All the headlines from Tesla’s robotaxi event. AMD unveils the chip it wants to use to go toe to toe with Nvidia. Are people actually making money building GPTs or not so much? And in the longreads, rebuilding Notre Dame as period accurately as possible. Sponsors: Go to  Hensonshaving.com/ride  and enter RIDE at checkout to get 100 free blades with your purchase. (Note: you must add both the 100-blade pack and the razor for the discount to apply.) Links: Tesla reveals 20 Cybercabs at W...

Thu. 10/10 – OpenAI Won’t Be Profitable Until When?

Apple TV+ finally comes to Prime Video Channels. OpenAI says they’ve been disrupting AI election influence campaigns. But they won’t be profitable until when? How Google plans to beat the regulation rap. And a review of basically the highest end smartwatch you can buy. Sponsors: Notion.com/ride Links: Amazon Adds Apple TV+ to Its Channels Store for Streaming  (Bloomberg) OpenAI says bad actors are using its platform to disrupt elections, but with little ‘viral engagement’  (CNBC) OpenA...

Wed. 10/09 – Big Podcast Announcement

Subscribe to RAD! 80s90s History in your podcast app! Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast The government says it does, in fact, want to break up Google. The Nobel Prize sure does love AI this year. Could Substack win by becoming the default way for creators to monetize? And listen to the end of the show today for a big announcement from me. Links: US Weighs Google Breakup in Historic Big Tech Antitrust Case (Bloomberg) Unmasking Bitcoin Creator Satoshi Nakamoto—Again (Wired) Google DeepMind Scientis...

Tue. 10/08 – Epic’s Win V. Google

Crack… at least for the Google Play store. Two AI scientists have won the Nobel Prize for physics?! Samsung is in a similar boat to Intel, just not quite as severely. And an unfortunate reminder that government mandated back doors are bad doors. Sponsors: Dell.com/deals Links: Google must crack open Android for third-party stores, rules Epic judge  (The Verge) Apple Potentially Facing Worst Leak Since iPhone 4 Was Left in a Bar  (MacRumors) ‘Godfather of AI’ Geoffrey Hinton Among Nobel...

Mon. 10/07 – Apple Intelligence Gets A Date

We finally have a date for Apple Intelligence. Meta has a new text to video AI model. Google could soon drop under 50% in the search ads market. More hope for level three automated driving. And how AI bots could revolutionize online dating. Sponsors: Miro.com Links: Apple Slowly Moves Away From Its Annual Product Release Strategy  (Bloomberg) Meta Unveils AI Video Generator, Taking On OpenAI and Google  (Bloomberg) Google’s Grip on Search Slips as TikTok and AI Startup Mount Challenge ...

Fri. 10/04 – AI Slop Comes To Podcasting

Google has updated Lens and is taking a page out of Perplexity’s book. OpenAI’s new canvas workspace. Why an upcoming iPhone SE might have some interesting internals. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Links: Google Lens now lets you search with video  (The Verge) Google brings ads to AI Overviews as it expands AI’s role in search  (TechCrunch) OpenAI launches new ‘Canvas’ ChatGPT interface tailored to writing and coding projects  (TechCrunch) iPhone SE 4 to featur...

Thu. 10/03 – The Monster OpenAI Raise

OpenAI raised their round, and it basically broke all the records. The whole Wordpress mess has gotten so crazy that WPEngine is suing. Using Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses to dox people in real time. And you’ll never guess the reason why you’re about to see more ads on streaming video. Hint: you’ll endure it. Sponsors: Lumen.me/ride Links: OpenAI raises $6.6 billion in largest VC round ever  (Axios) OpenAI asks investors not to back rival start-ups such as Elon Musk’s xAI  (Financial Time...

Wed. 10/02 – A Tech Angle To The Hurricane

Catching you up on a bunch of other Microsoft announcements we missed yesterday. Is Nvidia trying to break open the black box of AI? It’s absolutely wild that there’s still no viable YouTube app for the Vision Pro. And we were worried about disruption to the semiconductor industry if a typhoon hit Taiwan, but it turns out, a hurricane hitting North Carolina can be bad too. Links: Microsoft is using AI to improve Windows search  (The Verge) Microsoft starts paying publishers for content surf...

Tue. 10/01 – Running This Pod Through NotebookLM

Do we have the first IPO of the AI era? Do we have the first AI model beyond the transformer architecture? Microsoft has a bunch of new AI tools inside Windows. We try to explain that whole controversy around PearAI. And what about that NotebookLM feature that lets you create a two-hander podcast out of any text. Links: AI chipmaker Cerebras files for IPO to take on Nvidia  (CNBC) MIT spinoff Liquid debuts non-transformer AI models and they’re already state-of-the-art  (VentureBeat) Mi...

Mon. 09/30 – Controversial AI Bill Vetoed

That controversial AI bill in California has been vetoed by Governor Newsom. Is even Apple now thinking that its Vision Pro strategy might need a rethink? What really is OpenAI’s situation right now, and this time I’m talking money-wise? And the strange resurrection of the point and shoot camera. Links: California’s Gavin Newsom Vetoes Controversial AI Safety Bill  (WSJ) California Passes Law Protecting Consumer Brain Data  (NYTimes) Meta’s New Headsets Show Apple Has Lost Its Way With...

Fri. 09/27 – Sam Altman Declines To Go “Founder Mode”

Founder Mode? Not for me, says Sam Altman, but we will see. A few new gadgets from Samsung. Maybe ARM should buy Intel. Are AI startups hitting revenue traction faster than SaaS startups did? And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Links: Sam Altman tells OpenAI staff there’s no plan for him to receive a ‘giant equity stake’ in company  (CNBC) Samsung Galaxy S24 FE goes official starting at $649 – is it still a ‘Fan Edition?’  (9to5Google) Arm Is Rebuffed by Intel After Inqu...

Thu. 09/26 – The Orion Smartglasses

There’s only two stories really. If you can believe it, more executive departures at OpenAI, as it looks like they’re serious about going for profit. And yes, Meta announced a new Quest headset, but the real headlines are the Orion smartglasses, which you can’t actually buy. What? I’ll explain. Sponsors: Thorne.fit/ridehome Links: OpenAI considering restructuring to for-profit, CTO Mira Murati and two top research execs depart  (CNBC) Exclusive: OpenAI to remove non-profit control and give ...

Wed. 09/25 – Caroline Ellison Sentenced

Caroline Ellison benefits from being cooperative. Has your company unknowingly hired remote workers from North Korea? What is going on with this WordPress back and forth? Why OpenAI has to let people look at their training data. And why is everyone upset at Marquess Brownlee? Sponsors: Hims.com/ride Links: Caroline Ellison sentenced to two years in prison for her role in FTX scandal  (Axios) Dozens of Fortune 100 companies have unwittingly hired North Korean IT workers, according to report ...

Tue. 09/24 – Sam Altman’s Few Thousand Days

Sam Altman has a manifesto. Kinda. Telegram is beginning to walk things back a bit. Cloudflare wants to help you block the AI bots. New streaming device from Roku. And I guess TikTok can’t win at everything. Sponsors: Lumen.me/ride Links: The Intelligence Age  (Sam Altman) Sam Altman catapults past founder mode into ‘god mode’ with latest AI post  (TechCrunch) OpenAI CEO: We may have AI superintelligence in “a few thousand days”  (ArsTechnica) Some Kaspersky customers receive surp...

Mon. 09/23 – Qualcomm To Buy Intel?

Qualcomm as a white knight to save Intel? A huge bitcoin heist gets busted for the usual reasons. What if the US bans imports of all cars from China? And why can’t US car makers keep up when it comes, simply, to software? Sponsors: Timeline.com/ride Links: Qualcomm Approached Intel About a Takeover in Recent Days  (WSJ) Intel Gets Multibillion-Dollar Apollo Offer as Qualcomm Circles  (Bloomberg) Chip Giants TSMC and Samsung Discuss Building Middle Eastern Megafactories  (WSJ) Susp...

Fri. 09/20 – MacOS 15 Sequoia Is Breaking Things

You might want to hold off on updating to macOS 15 Sequoia. What, exactly, is Europe trying to get Apple to do? The AI energy crunch means they’re turning Three Mile Island back on. Could AI usage mean we use up all our 5G capacity? And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Sponsors: 1password.com/ride QualiaLife.com/ride  and code ride Links: Apple’s new macOS Sequoia update is breaking some cybersecurity tools  (TechCrunch) EU to tell Apple how to do interoperability, DMA st...

Thu. 09/19 – Pokémon: No!

Looks like they finally got around to suing that Palworld game. Google volunteered to break up some of its businesses but the EU said no. AI is coming to YouTube in a big way. A new social media platform that is ENTIRELY AI. And Amazon wants to get into the Shark Tank business. Sponsors: LinkedIn.com/ride Links: Nintendo and Pokémon are suing Palworld maker Pocketpair  (The Verge) Exclusive: Google offered to sell part of ad tech business, not enough for EU publishers  (Reuters) YouTub...

Wed. 09/18 – New Messages, New Headsets

Messages between Android and iOS are about to be encrypted. A new XR headset from HTC and new Spectacles from Snap. A big movie studio has signed up to use AI. Neuralink has implants for blindness. And why I’m kinda NOT gonna do a review roundup of the new iPhones. Sponsors: Ramp.com/techmeme Links: RCS texts on the iPhone aren’t encrypted now, but that could change  (The Verge) Here’s how green bubbles are getting upgraded in iOS  (The Verge) HTC Vive's Focus Vision is a $999 stab at ...

Tue. 09/17 – Intel Has A Plan

Intel announces a bunch of ways its hoping to turn its business around sooner rather than later. Is OpenAI about to have its chat bots query you? The whole TikTok divestment case is coming to a head right now. And speaking of turn arounds, darn if Netflix didn’t pull ITS turnaround off perfectly. Hollywood, not so much. Sponsors: Shopify.com/ride Links: Intel stock jumps on plan to turn foundry business into subsidiary and allow for outside funding  (CNBC) Intel to Make Custom AI Chip for A...

Mon. 09/16 – A Bunch Of Apple Stories

A bunch of Apple stories today. FDA approval for sleep apnea detection for the watch. Signs of poor pre-order sales for the phone. And a quick review of the new Airpods. Also, how did Intel lose out on making the chips for the next gen Playstation. And are dating apps responsible for income inequality? Sponsors: ArcticWolf.com/register Links: Apple Watch sleep apnea detection gets FDA approval  (TechCrunch) iPhone 16 first weekend pre-order analysis: estimated total sales of about 37 millio...

Fri. 09/13 – The First Strawberry is o1

The first of the Strawberry models is here. YC plans to have four cohorts a year, but each one is getting smaller. Waymo is already ready to expand to more pretty big markets. And in the long reads, a deep dive look into the options Intel has at this point in time. Sponsors: HensonShaving.com/ride  code ride Links: OpenAI releases o1, its first model with ‘reasoning’ abilities  (The Verge) Notes on OpenAI’s new o1 chain-of-thought models  (Simon Willison's Weblog) OpenAI's new mod...

Thu. 09/12 – OpenAI’s Big New Raise

As expected, OpenAI is in talks for a new capital raise at a $150B valuation. More layoffs in Microsoft’s gaming division. More holes poked in our creaking internet infrastructure. The tiny SpaceX competitor who’s stock has been soaring lately. And a look at what Apple’s recent AirPods announcement could do to the hearing aid industry. Links: OpenAI Fundraising Set to Vault Startup’s Valuation to $150 Billion  (Bloomberg) The AI Spending Spree, in Charts  (WSJ) Microsoft Lays Off Anoth...