(Bonus) The State Of VR Right Now
As mentioned, for my birthday this year I got my first VR rig, an Occulus Quest 2 because if an Apple AR/VR thingy is coming, if Facebook continues to invest in VR, then I figured it was time to, you know, not be functionally inexperienced with the space. I have a little bit of crypto to understand the space. Looking to get my hands on some NFTs to understand the space. I’ve got an onlyfans account to understand the dynamics of what works in the creator economy. And that’s the only reason, I swear. Anyway, in this episode we’re going to talk about some of the things I’ve learned and to do so, we’re going to talk to two folks. First, some of you might know Kyle Hilliard, he was for a long time the host of our Gaming Ride Home podcast, before the pandemic put paid to that show. He’s a veteran games journalist, and actually, you can still hear Kyle talk gaming on the MinnMax podcast. Link in the show notes. Kyle helps me understand the state of the industry from a developer and corporate and startup perspective. And also, we’re going to talk to Seth Rininger (@Sethmr1989) who is a kind-hearted listener to this show who, when I put out the word for someone to help me get onboarded with Oculus platform, kindly answered the call and helped guide me through getting my VR legs under me. My discussion with Seth is designed to give you an idea of where VR is at right now, in case you’re looking to give it a go yourself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
20 Helmi 202159min
Fri. 02/19 – UK Supreme Court Officially Smacks Down Uber
Uber has lost one of its most significant independent contractor battles, in this case, in the UK. The Android 12 Developer Preview is here. Office 2021 is coming. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: AirMedCareNetwork.com/tech offer code: TECH Tovala.com/ride Links: Uber loses a major employment rights case as the UK’s top court rules its drivers are workers (CNBC) Android 12 developer preview is available now with many under-the-hood updates (The Verge) Apple Is Working on Magnetic Battery Pack Attachment for IPhones (Bloomberg) Microsoft announces Office 2021, available for Windows and macOS later this year (The Verge) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: The Bizarre Reaction To Facebook's Decision To Get Out Of The News Business In Australia (TechDirt) Why did I leave Google or, why did I stay so long? (Noam Bardin) Why the three biggest vaccine makers failed on Covid-19 (Financial Times) Citibank just got a $500 million lesson in the importance of UI design (Ars Technica) All Your Base Are Belong To Us has turned 20 (The Verge) What Peter Jackson’s original two-movie Lord of the Rings almost looked like (Polygon) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
19 Helmi 202119min
Thu – 02/18 – Facebook Calls Australia’s Bluff; Google Pays Off Murdoch
I’ll do my best to explain this Australia situation with Facebook and Google. SpaceX is our interesting raise today. Nvidia unveils a line of chips just for crypto. Does Apple want to set the standards for 6G? And if remote work is the future, why is Big Tech still building so much office space? Sponsors: Uber.com/techmeme Tovala.com/ride Links: Facebook restricts users, publishers from sharing news content in Australia (AP) Facebook calls Australia's bluff (Platformer) SpaceX Funding Round at $74 Billion Valuation Was Led by Sequoia (Bloomberg) NVIDIA Annoucnes CMP 30HX, 40HX, 50HX and 90HX GPUs For Mining, Cripples Hash Rate Of RTX 3060 (WCCFTech) Apple Hiring Engineers to Develop 6G Wireless (Bloomberg) If Work Is Going Remote, Why Is Big Tech Still Building? (Wired) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
18 Helmi 202122min
Wed. 02/17 - Epic Games Takes Its War With Apple To Europe
Epic Games takes its war with Apple to Europe. But Apple wins a skirmish in North Dakota of all places. New York sues Amazon over worker issues. Google maps will now let you pay for parking. Some tangible numbers about the recent NFT explosion. And why the new headphone emoji look suspiciously like AirPods Max. Sponsors: Tovala.com/ride PingIdentity.com Links: Epic Games files EU antitrust complaint against Apple (FT) Apple wins victory as North Dakota votes down bill that would regulate app stores (CNBC) New York Sues Amazon, Saying It Inadequately Protected Workers From Covid-19 (NYTimes) Amazon won’t build this Alexa cuckoo clock unless it hits a preorder goal (The Verge) Google Maps will now let you pay for public transportation and parking through its app (The Verge) Chromebooks outsold Macs worldwide in 2020, cutting into Windows market share (GeekWire) Ethereum NFT Market Primed for Explosive Growth in 2021 (Decrypt) First Look: 217 New Emojis in iOS 14.5 (Emojipedia) The essay we hope to discuss on Clubhouse tonight: Why did I leave Google or, why did I stay so long? (Noam Bardin) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
17 Helmi 202117min
Tue. 02/16 – Bitcoin Crosses $50k
Bitcoin hits its latest, biggest milestone. A OnePlus cofounder’s latest startup is: Nothing. But it bought something: Essential. I’ll explain why this “who’s on first” routine might be interesting. Why government antitrust action has a tendency to open the litigation floodgates. And if you’ve been hearing about that new app Dispo, I’ve got an explainer for you. Cause that’s what I’m here for. Sponsors: Fundrise.com/techmeme Tovala.com/ride Links: Bitcoin Jumps to $50,000 as Record-Breaking Rally Accelerates (Bloomberg) Essential is now officially owned by Carl Pei’s Nothing Technologies (9to5Google) Microsoft’s new Office app now available on iPad (The Verge) New Samsung laptops rumored to include OLED screens and S Pen support (The Verge) Big Tech’s Next Big Problem Could Come From People Like ‘Mr. Sweepy’ (NYTimes) Retro photo app is winning buzz (Axios) The bull case for Dispo (Justin Potts) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
16 Helmi 202119min
Mon. 02/15 – First Look At xCloud Via Browser
We’ve got our first look at how Microsoft plans to bring xCloud to every device, even iOS. Is Facebook building a smartwatch? Maybe because they’re so pissed at Apple? Is everyone trying to scupper the Nvidia/ARM deal? And why I failed to mention that Paramount+ is the new entrant in the streaming wars. Sponsors: ExpressVPN.com/techmeme MintMobile.com/ride Links: Here’s a first look at Microsoft’s xCloud for the web (The Verge) Facebook Plans Smartwatch With Focus on Messaging, Health (The Information) Facebook Meets Apple in Clash of the Tech Titans—‘We Need to Inflict Pain’ (WSJ) Google, Microsoft, Qualcomm Protest Nvidia’s Acquisition of Arm Ltd. (Bloomberg) Microsoft’s Big Win in Quantum Computing Was an ‘Error’ After All (Wired) ViacomCBS Goes ‘All-In’ on Streaming, But Without Many of Its Top Shows (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
15 Helmi 202121min
(Bonus) Is Silicon Valley "Over?" With Bloomberg's @noahpinion
If you want the single best person in economics twitter to follow, it’s Noah Smith, Bloomberg’s Economics Opinion Columnist. If you want to him, its @noahpinion, by the way. If you want a great substack to sign up to, try noahpinion.substack.com… the free article this week is called Triumph of the HODler’s… I hope I remember to link to it in the show notes. It’s the best summation I’ve read of what’s going on with Bitcoin at the moment. But also, as you’ll hear, he has a great new podcast with another economist I respect, Brad Delong. Noah is just a smart, smart guy. If you want a smart economics angle to anything happening in the world right now, he’s just the best. Noah and I have been friendly on Twitter over the years, occasionally exchanging DMs about obscure details about the Holy Roman Empire, but this is the first time I “met” him if you will. It’s been a while since I was sort of starstruck to interview someone, but here you go. The great Noah Smith… Sponsors: AirMedCareNetwork.com/tech offer code TECH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
13 Helmi 202138min
Fri. 02/12 – Google Adds Pixel-Exclusive Photo Editing Features To Google Photos
Google adds some photo editing features to Google Photos that maybe points to a larger subscription play. Is Apple’s new AR app for TV+ a sign of things to come? Disney+ numbers are amazing. Apple Watch estimated numbers are impressive. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Oracle.com/goto/ride TinyCapital.com Links: Google Photos gets new paywalled editing features for Google One subscribers (The Verge) First Apple TV+ AR app launches with ‘For All Mankind’ backstory through mixed reality (9to5Mac) Disney says it now has 94.9 million Disney+ subscribers (CNBC) Apple Watch Is Now Worn on 100 Million Wrists (Above Avalon) Bumble stock closes up 63% after soaring in market debut (CNBC) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT): Beginner's Guide (Decrypt) 20 years of orange cones: The history of VLC (Protocol) N.Y.’s Vaccine Websites Weren’t Working. He Built a New One for $50. (NYTimes) Cadillac Super Cruise Review: Better Than Tesla’s Autopilot (MotorTrend) Chip Shortage Spirals Beyond Cars to Phones and Consoles (Bloomberg | Quint) HOW SONY DESIGNED THE PS5’S ULTIMATE EASTER EGG (The Verge) Who Really Created the Marvel Universe? (The New Yorker) Listen to this weekend's Interesting Raise Episode by signing up right here: tech.supercast.tech Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
12 Helmi 202121min
