(IHP) Eugene Wei On How Amazon Won
No joke, this is one of my favorite episodes we've ever done. Eugene Wei was an early employee at Hulu, so we get some details on that company for the first time, and he also worked at Flipboard and Oculus, so we get some important context especially on the future of VR and the like. But the most fascinating stories you'll hear will be about Amazon, where Eugene was the first analyst in the strategic planning department. As you'll hear, Eugene had a unique perspective on Amazon's early strategy and business structure, almost a historically unique perspective... he could see month to month, how Amazon was built, what Amazon was trying to do, and why. This is such an amazing perspective on such an important company. Sponsors: Grammarly.com/go Hillsdale.edu/ride Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
18 Jun 20231h 14min
Fri. 06/16 – Google Does it Again
Google does it again. For like the 10th time just since I’ve been doing this podcast. What is “it?” You’ll hear in a second. The whole Reddit thing is simultaneously seeming to calm down, AND heat up, largely thanks to Reddit’s CEO. Will we finally get a bitcoin ETF this time? And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: TryNom.com/ride CrashPlan.com Links: Alphabet Selling Google Domains Assets to Squarespace (Bloomberg) Reddit says it won’t force subreddits back open (but will it?) (The Verge) Reddit CEO slams protest leaders, saying he'll change rules that favor ‘landed gentry’ (NCBNews) AI and media companies negotiate landmark deals over news content (Financial Times) BlackRock files for bitcoin ETF in push into crypto (Reuters) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Microsoft’s Sudden AI Dominance Is Scrambling Silicon Valley’s Power Structure (Bloomberg Businessweek) How Nvidia Became ChatGPT’s Brain and Joined the $1 Trillion Club (Bloomberg Businessweek) How MrBeast Became the Willy Wonka of YouTube (NYTimes Magazine) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
16 Jun 202317min
Thu. 06/15 – Everbody Does Ads Now
The every platform can be an ad platform too march continues. This time, it’s Uber. Intel drops the “I.” Google lens can check your skin condition. Another breakthrough in quantum computing. And why Apple bringing back the answering machine is a feature lots of folks, including me, are actually happy about. Sponsors: CrashPlan.com Links: Video Ads Are Coming to All Your Uber Apps (The Wall Street Journal) Intel To Launch New Core Processor Branding: Drop the i, Add Ultra Tier (AnandTech) Google Lens can now identify rashes and other skin conditions (9to5Google) Mechanical Turk workers are using AI to automate being human (TechCrunch) Fake zero-day PoC exploits on GitHub push Windows, Linux malware (BleepingComputer) Quantum Computing Advance Begins New Era, IBM Says (NYTimes) iOS 17 Live Voicemail will return the glory of the answering machine to your iPhone (TechRadar) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
15 Jun 202317min
Wed. 06/14 – EU Threatens Google With A Breakup
The European Commission might have just taken the first steps toward separating Google from its cash cow. Reddit’s CEO keeps saying not so soothing things. New Open AI and Meta releases for… AI stuff. Cybersecurity premiums are skyrocketing. Spotify has fully shifted its podcast strategy. And a look at the tech job market as AI takes over. Sponsors: NewtonX.com/techmeme CrashPlan.com Links: EU suggests breaking up Google’s ad business in preliminary antitrust ruling (The Verge) Reddit CEO tells employees that subreddit blackout ‘will pass' (The Verge) Google is getting a lot worse because of the Reddit blackouts (The Verge) OpenAI intros new generative text features while reducing pricing (TechCrunch) Cyber Insurance Premiums Surge by 50% as Ransomware Attacks Increase (Bloomberg) Spotify Takes a Sharp Turn With Its $1 Billion Podcast Division (Bloomberg) Meta AI researchers unveil I-JEPA, a computer vision model that learns more like humans do (SiliconAngle) Layoffs and AI Are Changing Tech’s Once-Invincible Job Market (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
14 Jun 202317min
Tue. 06/13 – New Beatles Song Thanks To AI
The FTC has filed an injunction to block the Microsoft/Activision tie-up. Netflix is dipping its toe into live sports. Why Larry Ellison is thankful AI showed up on the scene. The whole Reddit situation came to a head partially cause of AI. And one guess why we’re about to get a new Beatles song. Sponsors: CrashPlan.com notion.com/ride Links: FTC files to block Microsoft-Activision as deadline approaches (CNBC) Netflix to Enter Live-Streamed Sports With Celebrity Golf Event (WSJ) Reddit goes dark (Platformer) Larry Ellison Rides AI Boom to Highest Wealth Ranking Ever (Bloomberg)\ Sir Paul McCartney says artificial intelligence has enabled a 'final' Beatles song (BBC) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
13 Jun 202315min
Mon. 06/12 – Why Your Favorite Subreddit Might Go Dark.
Why your favorite subreddit might be going dark. Why a16z opened an office in the UK. Why AI seems to be recycling the same few dozen jokes when you ask it to be funny. A new AI music generation tool. And the first reviews of the 15-inch Macbook Air. Sponsors: CrashPlan.com go.tech/tm Links: Thousands of subreddits pledge to go dark after the Reddit CEO’s recent remarks (The Verge) Andreessen Horowitz believes that crypto's future may be in the U.K. (Axios) Meta's open source AI MusicGen turns text and melody into new songs (The Decoder) Researchers discover that ChatGPT prefers repeating 25 jokes over and over (ArsTechnica) How AI art killed an indie book cover contest (The Verge) Apple MacBook Air 15-inch review: exactly what was asked for (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
12 Jun 202316min
(IHP) Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott
Kevin Scott is the current Chief Technology Officer of Microsoft. We talk about his entire career, how being an academic seemed to be his path before he transformed the ads system at Google. Then he revolutionized the entire advertising industry at AdMob; is credited by some people by saving LinkedIn from technical rot; and now, today, oversees Microsoft's efforts in AI, VR/AR all the future things. Fantastic conversation. Kevin's podcast is: Behind the Tech Originally Aired: May 2019 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
10 Jun 20231h 22min
Fri. 06/09 – Zuck’s Not Worried About Apple’s Headset (Corrected)
Lots of juicy nuggets from a recent all hands over at Meta. Binance.US looks like it’s on the road to shutting down. The first trials of AI tutors for kids are happening. The self-driving revolution I’ve been waiting for seems to be happening. And the Weekend Longreads are happening. As always. Links: Here’s what Mark Zuckerberg thinks about Apple’s Vision Pro (The Verge) This is what Instagram’s upcoming Twitter competitor looks like (The Verge) Meta plans to put AI everywhere on its platforms (Axios) Binance.US Set to Be Cut Off From Banking System After SEC Lawsuit (Bloomberg) Spotify says it’s testing an ‘offline mix’ for when your connection’s patchy (The Verge) New A.I. Chatbot Tutors Could Upend Student Learning (NYTimes) Netflix Subscriptions Jump as U.S. Password-Sharing Crackdown Begins (WSJ) Mercedes first to sell vehicles in California with hands-free, eyes-off automated driving (TechCrunch) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: The Binge Purge TV’s streaming model is broken. It’s also not going away. For Hollywood, figuring that out will be a horror show. (Vulture) The Simpsons Is Good Again After 34 seasons, 750 episodes, and a decades-long funk, the show innovated its way back to popularity and relevance. (Vulture) First Impressions of Vision Pro and VisionOS (Daring Fireball) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
9 Jun 202318min
