Thu. 02/13 – Do We Maybe Have A Roadmap For GPT-5?

I explain the (latest) biggest crypto hack of all time, this time affecting Axie Infinity. Meta is paying to dish dirt on TikTok. Changes to Google Calendar could kneecap a bunch of startups, while the DOJ is investigating Google Maps. And signs of difficulty in two red-hot startup sectors, the instant delivery sector, and the fast checkout sector. Sponsors: AltoIRA.com/techmeme Links: Axie Infinity’s Ronin Network Suffers $625M Exploit (CoinDesk) Axie Infinity Owner ‘Fully Committed’ to Reimbursing Players After Hack (Bloomberg) Facebook paid GOP firm to malign TikTok (Washington Post) Messenger gets new shortcuts that let you send silent replies (The Verge) New Google Calendar feature takes the back-and-forth out of scheduling (Ars Technica) EXCLUSIVE-U.S. probe of Google Maps picks up speed -sources (Reuters) Gopuff Plans Hundreds of Layoffs to Cut $40 Million in Costs (The Information) Why Stripe’s ‘Fast’ Horse Is Losing the One-Click Checkout Race (The Information) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

30 Maalis 202216min

Sony’s answer to Xbox Game Pass is here. Spotify wants to TikTok-up your podcast listening. Have you ever gotten a spam text from your own phone number? Okta still has some ‘splaining to do. And forget AppleTV+, Disney+, I dunno… BobRoss+, how about NFL+? Isn’t it inevitable? Sponsors: Linode.com/techmeme Masterworks.io/ride Links: Sony merges PS Now and PS Plus to create three-tier subscription service (GamesIndustry.biz) Sony announces new PlayStation Plus subscriptions, its answer to Xbox Game Pass (The Verge) Spotify puts its Podz acquisition to use with test of new podcast discovery feature (TechCrunch) My own phone number is now spam texting me (The Verge) Leaked Details of the Lapsus$ Hack Make Okta’s Slow Response Look More Bizarre (Wired) NFL considers creating a streaming service of its own (The Athletic) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

29 Maalis 202218min

Apple wins a best picture Oscar. Bigger camaras mean bigger bumps in upcoming iPhones. Urgent Chrome update you need to be aware of. You probably guessed that that person bugging you on LinkedIn might be faked. And Fashion Week, but in the Metaverse. Sponsors: OurCrowd.com/ride Priceline.com Links: Apple Is First Streamer to Win Best Picture Oscar for ‘CODA’ (Variety) Kuo: iPhone 14 Pro's Larger Camera Bump Due to New 48MP Camera System (MacRumors) Apple to cut iPhone, AirPods output amid Ukraine war uncertainty (NikkeiAsia) HP buys Poly for $3.3 billion to ride hybrid work boom (TechStartups) Emergency Google Chrome update fixes zero-day used in attacks (BleepingComputer) That smiling LinkedIn profile face might be a computer-generated fake (WNYC/NPR) NFT Collection Failures Begin to Mount in Flashback to ICO Bust (Bloomberg) Metaverse Fashion Week Draws Big Brands, Startups (WSJ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

28 Maalis 202217min

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman comes on to dissuade us of our Apple delusions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

26 Maalis 20221h 14min

Listeners from Ukraine got in touch to tell us what it has been like for one particular tech startup in Ukraine these last few weeks. From the founder of the company: Lemon.io, Alekskandr Volodarsky, @volodarik these are the charities he recommends: https://bank.gov.ua/en/about/support-the-armed-forces https://www.1kproject.org/ https://savelife.in.ua/en/donate/ (including crypto donations) https://koloua.com/ https://novaukraine.org/donate/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

25 Maalis 202228min

Will the new EU Digital Markets Act mean that all messaging could soon become as interoperable as email? Some serious smoke around the whole grand unifying Apple subscription fire. Why Instacart is voluntarily lowing its valuation. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Codecademy.com promocode ride Links: EU negotiators agree new rules to rein in tech giants (Politico) Apple Is Working on a Hardware Subscription Service for iPhones (Bloomberg) Lapsus$: Oxford teen accused of being multi-millionaire cyber-criminal (BBC News) Instacart Slashes Its Valuation by Almost 40% to $24 Billion (Bloomberg) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: LAPSUS$: How a Sloppy Extortion Gang Became One of the Most Prolific Hacking Groups (Motherboard/Vice) The Man Behind Ethereum Is Worried About Crypto's Future (Time) There's something off about ApeCoin (Platformer) Of Course We’re Living in a Simulation (Wired) Nicolas Cage Can Explain It All (GQ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

25 Maalis 202220min

Have we uncovered the hackers behind Lapsus$, that crazy new hacker group? Another crack in the App Store wall as Google unilaterally decides to test alternative payment systems? Uber is actually teaming up with the Taxi drivers here in New York City. And would you buy a 15 inch MacBook Air? Sponsors: Policygenius.com NewRelic.com/techmeme Links: Teen Suspected by Cyber Researchers of Being Lapsus$ Mastermind (Bloomberg) A Closer Look at the LAPSUS$ Data Extortion Group (KrebsonSecurity) Google Play to pilot third-party billing option, starting with Spotify (TechCrunch) Twitter’s DM search will finally actually help you find conversations (The Verge) Uber Reaches Deal to List All New York City Taxis on Its App (WSJ) Report: Apple developing new 15-inch MacBook Air that could come in 2023 (9to5Mac) YouTube is taking on over-the-air TV with nearly 4,000 free episodes of TV (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

24 Maalis 202216min

Customers are getting frustrated with Okta over that potential Lapsus$ hack. Apple’s acquisition of an open banking startup is interesting. Yuga Labs is the (forgive me) 800lb gorilla of the NFT space. And why Zuckerberg’s personal remote work regimen might explain why he’s so obsessed with having meetings in VR. Links: Linkedin.com/ride Links: The Third-Party Okta Hack Leaves Customers Scrambling (Wired) Apple acquires UK open banking startup Credit Kudos (The Block) Apple Buys UK Fintech Start-Up Credit Kudos (CNBC) El Salvador postpones bitcoin bond issue, expects better conditions (Reuters) Bored Ape Yacht Club creator raises $450 million to build an NFT metaverse (The Verge) Crypto investor Katie Haun raises $1.5 billion, the largest debut fund ever by a female VC (CNBC) Mark Zuckerberg and Meta’s Leadership Take Remote Work to the Extreme (WSJ) Zoom’s new virtual avatars let you show up to your next meeting as a dog (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

23 Maalis 202216min