Fri. 02/04 – Tech Earnings Whiplash!

Did Microsoft use dark patterns to charge more for AI? The tech angle to that whole NBA gambling scandal. Forget the AI bubble, the Counter-Strike bubble definitely just burst. Halo is coming to PlayStation. And how AI is revolutionizing the old, faking your expense reports scam. Australia sues Microsoft over AI-linked subscription price hikes (Reuters) Using a Security Key on X? Re-Enroll Now or Your Account Will Be Locked (PC Mag) $10,000 Card Shufflers Hit the Spotlight After NBA Poker Scandal (Bloomberg) Market for ‘Counter-Strike’ Items Falls $3 Billion (Bloomberg) Xbox’s Prized Sci-Fi Franchise Is Heading to PlayStation (NYTimes) ‘Do not trust your eyes’: AI generates surge in expense fraud (FT) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

27 Loka 202521min

Baratunde Thurston shares his journey from a tech-savvy upbringing to becoming a prominent voice in comedy and digital media. Baratunde reflects on his time at The Onion and The Daily Show, emphasizing the importance of community and the intersection of technology and humor. He also shares his thoughts on the role of AI in society, advocating for a future where technology enhances human connections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

24 Loka 202552min

Clem discusses his journey from early computing experiences to founding Hugging Face, emphasizing the importance of community, collaboration, and open-source technology in the AI landscape. He reflects on the evolution of technology, the significance of user feedback, and the need for a diverse range of AI models. Clem also shares insights on the startup ecosystem in Europe and the unique advantages of New York City for AI entrepreneurs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

23 Loka 202559min

Just two stories. First, OpenAI launches a web browser, ChatGPT Atlas. What it does, and why are they doing it. Then, Samsung has made a cheaper Vision Pro. They call it the Galaxy XR headset. What IT does, and why are THEY doing it. OpenAI’s AI-powered browser, ChatGPT Atlas, is here (The Verge) Introducing ChatGPT Atlas (Simon Willison) Why OpenAI Needs Its Own ChatGPT-Enabled Browser, Atlas (Forbes) Samsung’s Galaxy XR Headset Debuts at Half the Price of Apple’s Vision Pro (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

22 Loka 202520min

HBO Max might be on the market and I want Apple to buy it! Coinbase is on an acquisition tear. Is the Amazon job apocalypse nigh? Is OpenAI plotting to take over Wall Street in a literal sense? And a brain implant startup has leapfrogged Neuralink in terms of helping blind people see again. Warner Bros. Discovery says it’s open to a sale; shares jump 10% (CNBC) Coinbase Strikes Deal for Crypto-Investing Platform Echo (WSJ) Anthropic brings Claude Code to the web (TechCrunch) Amazon Plans to Replace More Than Half a Million Jobs With Robots (NYTimes) OpenAI Looks to Replace the Drudgery of Junior Bankers’ Workload (Bloomberg) This retina implant lets people with vision loss do a crossword puzzle (MIT Technology Review) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

21 Loka 202519min

Big AWS outage took down half the internet overnight. X wants you to be able to snap up dormant or desirable X handles. Blackwell chips look like they’ve hit volume production in the US. And you know who else is benefiting from the AI boom? Crypto miners and makers of plain old cables. Major AWS outage took down Fortnite, Alexa, Snapchat, and more (The Verge) OpenAI pauses Sora video generations of Martin Luther King Jr. (TechCrunch) X to launch marketplace for buying inactive handles (TechCrunch) Oura redesigns app with expanded stress tracking (The Verge) Exclusive: Nvidia and TSMC unveil first Blackwell chip wafer made in U.S. (Axios) $500 purple cables put this little-known company in the middle of the AI boom (CNBC) Crypto Miners Riding the AI Wave Are Leaving Bitcoin Behind (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

20 Loka 202519min

Do Skills for Claude represent a new sort of user paradigm for AI? Battlefield 6 seems to be doing what EA needs it to do. Nintendo seems to be killing it. Is Wikipedia in trouble because it’s losing human users? Now Uber drivers can earn new money thanks to AI. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Anthropic turns to ‘skills’ to make Claude more useful at work (The Verge) Claude Skills are awesome, maybe a bigger deal than MCP (Simon Willison) Steam just broke its concurrent user record with 41.6 million gamers (TweakTown) Nintendo Aims to Make 25 Million Switch 2s to Set Gaming History (Bloomberg) Wikipedia Says AI Is Causing a Dangerous Decline in Human Visitors (404media) Uber Launches Data Tasks as Option for Some US Drivers to Earn Money (Bloomberg) Apple and F1 reach 5-year media deal, bringing all races to Apple TV streaming in the U.S. (CNBC) Weekend Longreads Suggestions AI Data Centers, Desperate for Electricity, Are Building Their Own Power Plants (WSJ) Joshua Kushner, Thrive Capital, and the American dream (Colossus) How Sam Altman Played Hollywood (The Hollywood Reporter) TiVo Has Sold Its Last DVR. These People Refuse to Let Go. (WSJ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

17 Loka 202519min

So, a huge, huge, like bigger than the entire world’s GDP fat finger episode in the world of stablecoins. Zuck has poached another one from Apple. Potentially huge state sponsored hack of a key infrastructure company. The most interesting new phone concept I’ve seen in a while. And are we in an AI bubble episode 72. Printing Money: Paxos Mints, Then Burns $300 Trillion in PayPal Stablecoins (Decrypt) Apple’s Head of ChatGPT-Like AI Search Effort to Leave for Meta (Bloomberg) F5 says hackers stole undisclosed BIG-IP flaws, source code (BleepingComputer) Anthropic launches new version of scaled-down ‘Haiku’ model (TechCrunch) Honor’s Robot Phone concept features a fold-out camera arm (The Verge) ‘Of course it’s a bubble’: AI start-up valuations soar in investor frenzy (FT) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

16 Loka 202519min