Episodes

Feb. 13, 2024

Tue. 02/13 – Why Microsoft’s Xbox Strategy Shift Is A Big Deal

Threads gets “today’s topics.” iMessage and Bing dodge EU DMA regulation. Why Temu bought a bunch of SuperBowl ads. Nvidia’s Chat with RTX lets you run your own ChatGPT right on your Windows machine. And why Microsoft’s forthcoming Xbox strategy shift is potentially such a big deal.
Feb. 12, 2024

Mon. 02/12 – Luddite Riots?

Is actual neo-ludditeism going to become a thing, as some people have predicted? Google reveals the strength of its subscription businesses. A review of Google’s Gemini. Bluesky is open and doing some interesting things. And what about the strategic position Snap suddenly finds itself in?
Feb. 9, 2024

Fri. 02/09 – Sam Altman Wants To Raise $5 Trillion Dollars. With a T.

Sam Altman wants to raise more money for his chip ambitions than the entire semiconductor industry. The Feds might put the breaks on Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision… again. Is Ring raising its subscription doorbell prices too much? And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions.
Feb. 8, 2024

Thu. 02/08 – Google Releases Gemini Ultra 1.0

Google has released Gemini Ultra 1.0, renamed Bard as Gemini and looks to be replacing Google Assistant with Gemini. Disney has invested in a big stake of Epic Games to get at Fortnite IP. Leaked images of the Pixel Fold 2. And what if OpenAI is facing the same strategic dilemma that Mark Zuckerber…
Feb. 7, 2024

Wed. 02/07 – AI Watermarks And New Apple AI Models

OpenAI is adding watermarks to Dall-E 3 images. A new AI model from Apple. A new open source model that is king of the LLM hill. More rumors of a foldable iPhone. A new streaming service that will be like Hulu but for sports. And the specific words and phrases that will get your college application…
Feb. 6, 2024

Tue. 02/06 – Don’t Forget Your Vision Pro Password!

Don’t forget your Vision Pro password, or else you’re going to have to return it to the Apple Store to use it again. Why are the gaming platforms willing to play nice all of the sudden. The AI that can spit out fake IDs in seconds. Does Google owe you yet more money? And more signs the tech recessi…
Feb. 5, 2024

Mon. 02/05 – The Most Shocking Deepfake Scam Of The AI Era

Let me tell you the story of the most shocking AI deepfake scam we’ve heard yet, because it’s a warning to all of us going forward. An Apple Vision Pro teardown explains why EyeSight looks so blurry. Another sign that Google is losing interest in the web. And an interesting peek behind the curtain …
Feb. 3, 2024

(Bonus) a16z's Chris Dixon On His New Book And Web3

Our friend Chris Dixon is back to talk about his new book: Read Write Own! How Web3 and the blockchain can save the web as we know it!
Feb. 2, 2024

Fri. 02/02 – Facebook’s Golden Age Is Now

A run down of some interesting details from Tech’s big earnings day yesterday. Rufus is Amazon’s AI-powered shopping assistant. The Browser Company continues to be the catalyst for me thinking about how AI is going to change the web. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions.
Feb. 1, 2024

Thu. 02/01 – A Tech Regulation Tipping Point?

Why I think yesterday’s Congressional hearings might actually be a tipping point for tech regulation. What would a Kids Online Safety Act actually mean? More proof of YouTube’s dominance. Celsius and FTX customers are about to get some money back. And Google’s new text to image AI processor.
Jan. 31, 2024

Wed. 01/31 – Tech Execs Back Before Congress

The tech execs have been called before Congress once again. Universal Music Group pulls its songs from TikTok. Is 23andMe in danger of going out of business? Figure is an AI robotics company that Microsoft and OpenAI might be about to invest in. And say hello to the Chief AI Officer job title.
Jan. 30, 2024

Tue. 01/30 – The Vision Pro Reviews Are Here

Elon Musk says Neuralink implanted its device into a human for the first time. You can search for Taylor Swift X again, but was a Microsoft tool to blame for the deepfakes? Better AI coding from Meta. And I read all the Apple Vision Pro reviews so you don’t have to.
Jan. 29, 2024

Mon. 01/29 – Is Arc Search The Future Of Search I Was Talking About?

Amazon calls off its iRobot acquisition. Is Arc Search the future of search we were talking to Baratunde about this weekend? Why you can’t search for Taylor Swift on X at the moment. How many ads will be in streaming? And who is quietly killing it in subscription gaming? The answer may surprise you.
Jan. 27, 2024

(Bonus) Baratunde Thurston On The Apple Vision Pro

The great Baratunde Thurston join Chris and Brian to talk about his hour-long in-person demo with the Apple Vision Pro. In the second half, we discuss the idea of whether or not Google Search (and maybe the web) is doomed in the era of AI.
Jan. 26, 2024

Fri. 01/26 – CRACK! The App Store Opens Up. Or Does It?

Apple has announced major changes to the App Store. In the EU, alternative app marketplaces, but does the new Core Technology Fee mean it’s still a shell game? Also in Europe, alternative default browsers. And for everyone, game streaming apps are now permissible. Also, cheaper GPT from OpenAI. And…
Jan. 25, 2024

Thu. 01/25 – Will Nintendo Try To Shut Down Palworld?

As Palworld surpasses 8 million in sales, The Pokemon Company says it will “investigate and take appropriate measures” with regards to those IP infringement allegations. Layoffs at Activision Blizzard and Xbox. Google’s Lumiere is a text to video AI generator. And how the rising prices of streaming…
Jan. 24, 2024

Wed. 01/24 – Netflix’s Cheapest Ad-Free Plan Is Going Away

Netflix kicks off Tech Earnings Season, and suggests it’s taking it’s cheapest ad-free plan away. The one chart that shows why Netflix is winning the streaming wars. Spotify demos how it plans to break out of Apple’s App Store. Renders of the Pixel 9 have already leaked. Apple scales back its EV ca…
Jan. 23, 2024

Tue. 01/23 – Netflix Buys Rights To Raw And WWE Shows

Netflix is getting into the live event business in a big way by buying the rights to WWE wrestling. We have the first political ad incident of the AI era. Who’s really doing all the buying on apps like Shein and Temu? OpenAI struggles to fend of an army of girlfriend bots. And let me introduce you …
Jan. 22, 2024

Mon. 01/22 – How Many Vision Pros Did Apple Sell This Weekend?

Just what the title says. How many Vision Pros do we think Apple sold this weekend? And Mark Gurman has some ideas for why developers are so lukewarm on the product. Eleven Labs is an interesting raise. Sam Altman seems serious about making his own AI chips. And the breakthrough in VR from Disney I…
Jan. 19, 2024

Fri. 01/19 – Vision Pro Pre-Order Begin With New Questions

Preorders for the Vision Pro begin, but huge new questions about partner support have arisen. Zuckerberg says he wants to open source AGI. You’re going to have to pay for those Galaxy AI features. Perplexity will power the rabbit r1. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions.
Jan. 18, 2024

Thu. 01/18 – Google: The Layoffs Will Continue Until Strategy Improves

Google signals more layoffs are in the mail, but what’s interesting is what that says about Google specifically. Reddit is probably going to IPO in a few months. How did tying itself to ChatGPT work out for Bing? Why is Netflix not on the Vision Pro? And the fun parlor game that suggests AI spam is…
Jan. 17, 2024

Wed. 01/17 – The Galaxy Unpacked Event. Galaxy AI Is Here.

All the headlines from the Galaxy Unpacked event earlier today. Apple revises its App Store rules but in a way that seems to a lot of people to be in “bad faith.” The big, and big-money talent war going on between Google and OpenAI. And Tesla and Uber are working together to make Uber completely em…
Jan. 16, 2024

Tue. 01/16 – Apple Tops Global Smartphones Sales For The First Time Ever

The app that was supposed to be TikTok but for news is shutting down. Apple tops global smartphone sales for the first time ever. Microsoft debuts Copilot Pro. How the Apple Vision Pro demos are actually going to work. And about that weekend streaming NFL playoff game.Sponsors:Shopify.com/ride…
Jan. 15, 2024

(Bonus) Brian's Favorites From CES 2024

Just what the title says. All my faves from CES this year. If you want to SEE what I'm talking about, here's the YouTube playlist.