Wed. 05/29 – Did The Secret Sauce Of Google Search Just Leak?

Really looks like high-end re-shoring of chip tech is happening, and happening soon. What if satellite telephony becomes a table-stakes smartphone feature? Get ready for the bitcoin halving. Does anyone have invites to Airchat? And get ready for 4TB, yes, TB, SD cards. Sponsors: Shopify.com/ride ArcticWolf.com/techmeme Links: Samsung boosts Joe Biden’s chipmaking ambitions with Texas plant upgrade (Financial Times) Exclusive: Google Pixel 9 series to get emergency satellite connectivity, new modem (Android Authority) Bitcoin ‘Halving’ Will Deal a $10 Billion Blow to Crypto Miners (Bloomberg) ChatGPT essay cheats are a menace to us all (Financial Times) Naval Ravikant’s Airchat is a social app built around talk, not text (TechCrunch) 4TB SD cards are arriving in 2025 for your cameras and laptops (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

15 Apr 202416min

Now a big business intelligence company has been breached. Do you get the sense that people are laying the groundwork for something? Google discontinues a product, but this time, its probably our fault. M4 chips are coming from Apple. OpenAI continues to be the drama queen of Silicon Valley. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Links: US government urges Sisense customers to reset credentials after hack (TechCrunch) Google One VPN will be discontinued, Pixel VPN remains with upgrade coming (9to5Google) X’s Premium users can no longer hide their blue checks (The Verge) Apple Plans to Overhaul Entire Mac Line With AI-Focused M4 Chips (Bloomberg) OpenAI Researchers, Including Ally of Sutskever, Fired for Alleged Leaking (The Information) Is Google's AI Actually Discovering 'Millions of New Materials?' (404 Media) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: AI-Music Arms Race: Meet Udio, the Other ChatGPT for Music (RollingStone) How Bluey Became a $2 Billion Smash Hit—With an Uncertain Future (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

12 Apr 202418min

Apple is notifying people their iPhones may have been compromised. Spotify wants you to mix up your music. Adobe is paying handsomely for videos. And the biggest new gadget review event in a long time. Link: Apple alerts users in 92 nations to mercenary spyware attacks (TechCrunch) Spotify Plans New Remixing Tools for the TikTok Generation (WSJ) Adobe Is Buying Videos for $3 Per Minute to Build AI Model (Bloomberg) Humane AI Pin review: not even close (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11 Apr 202415min

More AI announces from Google. More hints on how Apple will bring AI to iPhones. And a bunch of interesting datapoints: how much Apple has moved away from manufacturing in China, how much money TikTok’s parent company is making, are kids warming up to VR and are alternative browsers benefitting from the DMA? Links: Google Launches Coding AIs That Could Rival Microsoft's Github Copilot (PCMag) Apple's new AI model could help Siri see how iOS apps work (AppleInsider) Apple’s India iPhone Output Hits $14 Billion in China Shift (Bloomberg) ByteDance Profit Jumps 60%, Taking It Past Archrival Tencent (Bloomberg) Exclusive: EU's new tech laws are working; small browsers gain market share (Reuters) Survey shows that teenagers are using more VR devices in the US (9to5Mac) Kobo announces its first color e-readers (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

10 Apr 202417min

Google has a ton of AI announces, including new Arm-based AI chips, utilizing Google search in Gemini, and more. They also released their own Find My network. Microsoft is confident they can release chips that can best Apple Silicon. And maybe OpenAI DID train on YouTube videos after all. Everybody is desperate for data right now. Sponsors: 1Password.com/ride Links: Google Expands In-House Chip Efforts in Costly AI Battle (WSJ) Google Shows AI Model Is Enterprise-Ready After Gemini Mishaps (Bloomberg) Gmail adding voice input, Gemini for Google Chat, Meet ‘Translate for me,’ & more (9to5Google) Google rolling out Find My Device network for Android (9to5Google) Microsoft is confident Windows on Arm could finally beat Apple (The Verge) Spotify launches personalized AI playlists that you can build using prompts (TechCrunch) How Tech Giants Cut Corners to Harvest Data for A.I. (NYTimes) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

9 Apr 202417min

David Marcus comes on the pod to discuss what he's been working on since leaving Meta. Specificially: Lightspark, and efforts to expand the Lighting Network and bitcoin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 Apr 202420min

Apple joins the tech layoff club. Microsoft warns China is planning to disrupt elections using AI. Disney+ is joining Netflix in cracking down on password sharing. How much is the going rate to buy pictures or videos to train AI models on? And, of course, the Weekend Longreads suggestions. Links: Apple Cut at Least 600 Workers When Car, Screen Projects Stopped (Bloomberg) China will use AI to disrupt elections in the US, South Korea and India, Microsoft warns (The Guardian) Disney+ will crack down on password sharing in June (CNN) Inside Big Tech's underground race to buy AI training data (Reuters) YouTube Says OpenAI Training Sora With Its Videos Would Break Rules (Bloomberg) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: How One Tech Skeptic Decided A.I. Might Benefit the Middle Class (NYTimes) How WhatsApp became the world’s default communication app (Engadget) The 18 most interesting startups from YC’s Demo Day show we’re in an AI bubble (TechCrunch) YC’s latest Demo Day shows fascinating wagers on healthcare, chip design, AI and more (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5 Apr 202418min

Is Apple pivoting to home robotics now that the Apple Car project is dead? Is Google about to pivot to subscription based search? Why is X handing back blue checkmarks whether people want them or not? Why Amazon merchants are upset over return scams. And why the band Kiss might live forever. Sponsors: Kolide.com/ride Links: Apple Explores Home Robotics as Potential ‘Next Big Thing’ After Car Fizzles (Bloomberg) Google considers charging for AI-powered search in big change to business model (FT) X’s ‘complimentary’ Premium push gives people blue checks they didn’t ask for (The Verge) Washington state judge blocks use of AI-enhanced video as evidence in possible first-of-its-kind ruling (NBCNews) Amazon Sellers Plagued by Surge in Scam Returns (WSJ) Business Schools Are Going All In on AI (WSJ) Rock band Kiss sells rights for $300mn to firm behind Abba hologram show (FT) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4 Apr 202417min