Unpacked Podcast - Weekly Tech Deep Dive

Viggy Balagopalakrishnan, James Watterson•thisisunpacked.substack.com

Dive deeper into the world of technology with Unpacked, where every week, Viggy Balagopalakrishnan & James Watterson bring you more than just news. They dissect the layers of tech company strategies, product updates, AI developments, and policy shifts with a critical eye. Built on the belief that informed opinions are shaped by understanding the full story, Unpacked delivers research-driven insights, free from surface-level summaries and one-sided opinions.

With their extensive experience in building technology products, our hosts offer listeners a unique perspective on the 'how' and 'why' behind the latest tech news. Follow Unpacked for a no-frills, nuanced conversation on the most pressing tech topics of our time.

Last refreshed: July 25th, 2025 at 10:58 PM ⓘ

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Episodes

DOJ Sues Apple & the Perplexity Hypothesis | EP9

We dive into two meaty topics today. First, we analyze the Department of Justice's recent antitrust lawsuit against Apple. We look at the crux of their arguments, compare against past cases and debate whether Apple's lack of interoperability can be construed as anticompetitive. Second, we dive into a new crop of search engine alternatively coming up called answer engines, the most popular one today being Perplexity. We dig into how these are different from search engines, past attempts at replac...

Mar 29, 2024•1 hr 4 min

NVIDIA Explained: Origins, GPUs and AI stock bump | EP8

NVIDIA has seen their valuation 5x over the last 5 years and is now worth more than $2 trillion. This week, we dive a few layers deep into the company. We start with the origin of the company and the launch of their first GPU in 1999 which unlocked several computing-heavy applications including gaming and video editing. We then talk about the NVIDIA of today that generates 78% of revenue from their AI-focused data center business (compared to 40% in 2021). Finally, we analyse what assumptions ne...

Mar 13, 2024•48 min

Reddit's IPO Filing & India's AI Regulation | EP 7

In this episode, we dissect Reddit's IPO filing, diving into critical aspects outlined in their S-1 - spanning across user growth, advertising, and data licensing to AI model providers. In the second half, we shift focus to India's recent contentious policy requiring government approvals for all AI model providers and applications before launch. Follow us and join the conversation - every week, Viggy & James provide research-based deep dives on the latest news, company strategies and trends ...

Mar 05, 2024•48 min

Tech's Pledge To Fight AI Election Interference & Twillio's woes with Segment | EP 6

Last week, 20 tech companies across Big Tech, social networks and AI providers signed a voluntary pledge to fight election interference from AI-generated content going through 2024. We dive into the timing of the announcement (2024 is a big election year across the globe), some recent deepfake mishaps, where should liability lie when bad things happen, and whether this pledge is enough. Bonus - couple of ideas for AI startups. In the second half, we dive into Twillio’s recent troubles, particula...

Feb 21, 2024•59 min

Instagram Curbs Political Posts & Google Unveils Gemini App | EP 5

In this episode, we dive into Meta's policy shift from last week, which halts the proactive recommendation of political content on platforms like Instagram Reels and Threads. We explore the criticism Meta has faced over its handling of political content, the factors driving this significant decision, the fragmented media environment, and how this decision impacts political discourse especially in an election year. Switching gears, we dive into the launch of Google Gemini app, which is the upgrad...

Feb 13, 2024•1 hr 9 min

Apple's Reluctant App Store Changes & Semafor Tries AI News | EP 4

This week, we delve into two significant developments. First, we explore Apple's App Store changes, focusing on third-party payments in the US and the introduction of side-loading apps in the EU . This move, particularly impactful for app developers like Epic Games, tests the boundaries of compliance while offering new monetization avenues. Next, we analyze Semafor’s venture into AI-generated news with the launch of Semafor Signals. Our discussion spans across the state of the media landscape to...

Feb 08, 2024•1 hr 5 min

Apple Watch Drops Oxygen Feature & How Big A Deal Is GPT Store? | EP3

In this episode, we peel a few layers beneath Apple's decision to pull the blood oxygen feature from its flagship Apple Watches after losing a patent infringement battle against medical devices company Massimo. We then pivot to understanding the GPT Store and our analyses on how big a deal this really is. Follow us and join the conversation - every week, Viggy & James provide research-based deep dives on the latest news, company strategies and trends in tech.

Jan 23, 2024•1 hr 4 min

2024 Tech Predictions: AI, Media, Advertising & more | EP 2

They say predictions is a bad business - You get it right, people say "duh". You get it wrong, you are terribly wrong. So, of course we are kicking the year off with 2024 tech predictions. Tune in for some hot takes across AI, Media, Advertising & more. Follow us and join the conversation - every week, Viggy & James provide research-based deep dives on the latest news, company strategies and trends in tech.

Jan 17, 2024•1 hr 2 min

Zoom's AI Policy Draws Fire for Customer Data Use | EP 1

In this episode, we take a closer look at Zoom's controversial AI policy change. The company sparked widespread concern with its recent update to the terms of service, allowing the use of customer data, including video and audio recordings, for training AI features. We explore the timeline of events that ignited the debate, Zoom's official response, and the ethical considerations of using customer data for AI model training. Follow us and join the conversation - every week, Viggy & James pro...

Aug 16, 2023•27 min•Ep. 1

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