Episodes

Dec. 13, 2021

Mon. 12/13 – Why the Log4j Bug Is Such A Big Deal

A huge bug in Apache servers is causing chaos around the Internet. What to expect, and what we’re still waiting on from iOS 15.2. Why did Instagram steal the @metaverse handle from a woman in Australia, and the story of the fat finger fire sale of a Board Ape Yacht Club NFT.
Dec. 11, 2021

(Bonus) a16z's Andrew Chen On The Cold Start Problem

The great Andrew Chen of a16z joins us to discuss his new book: The Cold Start Problem: How to Start and Scale Network Effects. This an indispensable guide to get that "rocket-ship" action going for whatever product or company you're working with.
Guest: Andrew Chen
Dec. 10, 2021

Fri. 12/10 – Google Play Games Coming To Windows

Google Play games are coming to Windows, while Microsoft was apparently willing to bend over backwards if Apple had let xCloud games into the iOS app store. Meta’s first tangible foray into the Metaverse. The English Football punters buying into NFTs. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestio…
Dec. 9, 2021

Thu. 12/09 – Instagram To Return To A Chronological Feed

Instagram is going to bring back a version of its chronological feed, sort of. The congressional hearings about Instagram, but also crypto. I was wrong: we are seeing Novi in the wild as WhatsApp starts testing it in the US. Deep Mind unveils its language model, and say goodbye to… checks notes… Al…
Dec. 8, 2021

Wed. 12/08 – AWS Outage Is Why You Didn’t Get Your Package

That AWS outage yesterday disrupted Amazon’s own delivery efforts. When we might see the AirPods Pro 2. More specific details on the Apple AR thingy. Ubisoft is the first major player to bring NFTs to games. And a look at the records being set in the African startup investment scene.
Dec. 7, 2021

Tue. 12/07 – Tim Cook’s Secret China Deal?

The Information has a story about a secret deal Apple struck that really solidifies Tim Cook as the China whisperer. Intel proves itself to be an astute investor as it weighs a public spinoff of Mobileeye. European tech startups raise all-time record amounts. Quantifying this year’s emerging NFT ma…
Dec. 6, 2021

Mon. 12/06 – DoorDash Tries Something Radical: Employees

DoorDash tests a wildly new business model. Apple launches a Winter War in Russia. Two stories of US telecom companies doing what US telecom companies do: act shady. And Buzzfeed finally hits the public markets.
Dec. 4, 2021

(TWTR SPC) Jack Dorsey, Halo Infinite And Foldable Phones

Mulling over the whole legacy of Jack Dorsey and name changes for tech companies in general. The weird way gaming is changing right now (see: Halo Infinite). And are foldable phones ready for the big time? With Bloomberg's @vladsavov
Dec. 3, 2021

Fri. 12/03 – Acquisition Deathwatch: Nvidia/Arm

Another tech deal goes on a deathwatch, but this time it’s Nvidia and Arm, and this time I think it’s for real. Google is probably working on its own smartwatch. Didi is the first Chinese stock to delist in the west. Instagram is ENCOURAGING you to create a Finsta. And, of course, the Weekend Longr…
Dec. 2, 2021

Thu. 12/02 – Square Changes Its Name To Block

Square changes its name to Block. Apple is hinting at unexpectedly weak iPhone demand. TikTok adds monetization tools. How many people have never used the Internet? And the story behind that whole Spotify Unwrapped thing.
Dec. 1, 2021

Wed. 12/01 – Twitter Bans “Private” Sharing

Twitter bans “private” sharing, but there’s some confusion about what that actually means. A big executive departure throws more doubt on Meta’s crypto ambitions. There’s a new Snapdragon flagship chip and I’ve got the specs. And we get some raw data to answer the question: are foldable phones actu…
Nov. 30, 2021

Tue. 11/30 – Meta Might Do The Giphy Deal Anyway

The UK quashes the Giphy acquisition, but is it actually dead? Maybe not. Was Cyber Monday a bit of a disappointment this year? Why your Pixel phone might reject your cheep charging cable. AWS’s new tools to help you build robots. And a profile of Twitter’s new CEO.
Nov. 29, 2021

Mon. 11/29 – Jack Dorsey To Leave Twitter?

Jack Dorsey is reportedly about to be a one company CEO if he steps down from Twitter. The acquisition of Giphy is on life support. Folks remember Microsoft could be an antitrust target too. Will Apple’s AR headset not need to be tethered to an iPhone? And a look at just how much Amazon has increas…
Nov. 24, 2021

(TWTR SPC) That Feeling When You Almost Buy The Constitution

The legendary analyst Benedict Evans @benedictevans comes on to discuss this essay about the state of the Metaverse right now. Then, several members of the ConstitutionDAO team come on to tell us the behind the scenes of all that historic event at Sotheby's all went down last week. Featuring: @sadl…
Guest: Benedict Evans
Nov. 23, 2021

Tue. 11/23 – How To Automate Your(self out of a?) Job

Italy has fined Amazon and Apple for alleged collusion. Tile taps out by getting acquired. Niantic is an interesting metaverse raise. Walmart is testing Twitter live shopping. And the story of the guy who automated his job so completely, he didn’t work for five years, but still got paid.
Nov. 22, 2021

Mon. 11/22 – Adele Says: Spotify, No Shuffling!

When Adele says jump, Spotify apparently says how high? Is Apple Watch slipping in market share? All the crypto miners who fled China have landed in Russia, Kazakhstan and… Texas? And an explanation for why buying bots will either ruin, or save your holiday gift buying.
Nov. 19, 2021

Fri. 11/19 – ConstitutionDAO Lost The Auction For The Constitution.

ConstitutionDAO lost the auction for the Constitution. But it was really about the friends we made along the way, right? More Apple Car rumors. Xbox and PlayStation have harsh words for Activision Blizzard. Everyone wants in on crypto exchanges. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions.
Nov. 18, 2021

Thu. 11/18 – So… Who Actually “Takes Delivery” Of The Constitution?

Paytm has a rough IPO. Nvidia has another in a long line of crushed earnings reports. Grammarly is an interesting raise. Twitter wants to take the pulse of the stock market. And if ConstitutionDAO wins its auction today, there are some practical questions to answer like, who actually goes and picks…
Nov. 17, 2021

Wed. 11/17 – Apple Will Let You Do At-Home iPhone Repairs, Yourself

Hell freezes slightly over. Apple is gonna let you repair your own devices, at home, yourself. The Staples Center goes crypto. Meta wants to bring touch to VR. Netflix now WANTS you to know which shows have been watched the most. And Miramax is suing Quentin Tarantino over NFT’s.  Sponsors:Wealthf…
Nov. 16, 2021

Tue. 11/16 – The War Between The Furries And The NFTs

Twitter has followed through on its promise to decentralize and play nice with 3rd party developers. Will the Nvidia/ARM acquisition actually happen? Substack reaches a million subscribers. Apple defends buying Google Ads. And I get my answer about the whole civil war between Crypto and NFT folks a…
Nov. 15, 2021

Mon. 11/15 – Why Apple Buying Google Ads Might Be Weird

Some app developers say Apple is buying Google ads to cut App Store work-arounds off at the pass. Huawei thinks it has an end run around US sanctions. The audacious hacker that managed to send fake emails from the FBI’s own servers. The story behind the big Taproot update to Bitcoin. And the DAO of…
Nov. 13, 2021

(TWTR SPC) How To Build A Metaverse

Coming at the Metaverse from a different angle. If you're a dev or even just an enthusiast, how, from a technological perspective, will the Metaverse be built?
Nov. 12, 2021

Fri. 11/12 – MoviePass Is Coming Back

Beware a watering hole, zero day attack that affected macOS. Spotify is getting into the audiobook game. MoviePass looks like it might be coming back from the dead, and of course, the weekend longreads suggestions.
Nov. 11, 2021

Thu. 11/11 – Do Gamers Not Like Crypto?

Discord floats the idea of incorporating crypto, but backs down after a vicious backlash. Apple wants to manage IT for small and medium businesses. YouTube is starting to hide the dislike option. Disney+ growth is suddenly anemic. And say hello to an NFT band. Like, literally, a Bored Ape Band.