Tech Brew Ride Home

Why Sora is all anyone can talk about, both the new social network and the new AI model. Satya Nadella is still Microsoft’s CEO but he’s taken some things off his plate. Oura gets colorful, and a hardware company that we’ve not spoken about in years is back, with AI onboard. OpenAI's Sora app lets friends swap AI video cameos (Axios) OpenAI made a TikTok for deepfakes, and it’s getting hard to tell what’s real (The Verge) Satya Nadella appoints a new CEO to run Microsoft’s biggest businesses (The Verge) Oura adds colorful ceramic rings and charging case to lineup (The Verge) I got sweaty with Peloton's new Bike and Tread — but Peloton IQ is just as impressive (Tom's Guide) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 Okt 20min

All the headline’s from Amazon’s fall hardware event. Daniel Ek is stepping back from Spotify. A new Claude model. ChatGPT gets into the shopping biz. And OpenAI is likely launching it’s own TikTok clone soon to feature AI videos. And new buzzword alert! Microsoft wants you to start “vibe working.” Amazon announces new Kindle Scribes, including one with a color screen (The Verge) Amazon Revamps Echo Speakers, Displays in Hardware Reboot (Bloomberg) Spotify Founder Daniel Ek Leaving CEO Job (WSJ) Anthropic launches Claude Sonnet 4.5, its best AI model for coding (TechCrunch) Etsy pops 16% as OpenAI announces ChatGPT Instant Checkout for the shopping site (CNBC) OpenAI Is Preparing to Launch a Social App for AI-Generated Videos (Wired) Microsoft launches ‘vibe working’ in Excel and Word (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

30 Sep 20min

The biggest sign yet of the state of the gaming industry, EA is being taken private. DeepSeek’s new model might start a new AI price war. OpenAI announces their parental controls for teen users. And, the Wall Street Journal says debt financing is now playing an increasing role in AI CAPEX buildout. Electronic Arts Goes Private for $52.5 Billion in Largest LBO Ever (WSJ) EA Agrees to $55 Billion Sale in Largest Leveraged Buyout on Record (Bloomberg) EA Buyout Talk Highlights Gaming Struggles as Growth Slows (Bloomberg) DeepSeek Debuts ‘Sparse Attention’ Method in Next-Gen AI Model (Bloomberg) Jaguar Land Rover Gets Government Loan Guarantee to Support Supply Chain; Restarts Production (WSJ) OpenAI Adds Parental Safety Controls for Teen ChatGPT Users. Here’s What to Expect (Wired) Debt Is Fueling the Next Wave of the AI Boom (WSJ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

29 Sep 20min

One of the very first VCs of the Internet Era, and especially the NYC tech ecosystem, Jerry Colonna reflects on his journey from growing up in New York to becoming a successful journalist and venture capitalist. Jerry discusses his transition to venture capital, the founding of Flatiron with Fred Wilson, and the challenges faced during the dot-com bubble and 9/11. He emphasizes the importance of curiosity and the human experience in his coaching practice, aiming to alleviate suffering and transform lives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

27 Sep 1h 14min

Maybe… the TikTok thing has finally reached a resolution. Again. Maybe Amazon owes us all some money. Maybe that Neon app from yesterday was a bad idea. OpenAI and Meta make some super interesting strategic AI moves. And, of course, The Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Trump signs executive order supporting proposed deal to put TikTok under US ownership (AP) TikTok Being Sold for a Song (Spyglass) Amazon agrees largest ever civil penalty in $2.5bn settlement with US regulators (Financial Times) Viral call-recording app Neon goes dark after exposing users’ phone numbers, call recordings, and transcripts (TechCrunch) OpenAI really, really wants you to start your day with ChatGPT Pulse (The Verge) Meta launches ‘Vibes,’ a short-form video feed of AI slop (TechCrunch) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: AI isn't replacing radiologists (Works In Progress) HSBC claims quantum trading breakthrough (FT) Jerry Colonna Interview On YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

26 Sep 23min

Another lawsuit against OpenAI, this time from xAI. Intel approached Apple about bailing them out. What if crypto was reversable so you could recover fraud. Drama in open source land. And would you like to get paid to train AI on your phone calls? You’re in luck! Musk's xAI accuses rival OpenAI of stealing trade secrets (Reuters) Intel Is Seeking an Investment From Apple as Part of Its Comeback Bid (Bloomberg) Spotify to label AI music, filter spam and more in AI policy change (TechCrunch) Stablecoin issuer Circle examines ‘reversible’ transactions in departure for crypto (Financial Times) Microsoft embraces OpenAI rival Anthropic to improve Microsoft 365 apps (The Verge) Shopify, pulling strings at Ruby Central, forces Bundler and RubyGems takeover (Joel Drapper) Neon, the No. 2 social app on the Apple App Store, pays users to record their phone calls and sells data to AI firms (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

25 Sep 20min

Stargate gets off the ground, or at least, announces it is. What if OpenAI leases the chips from Nvidia instead of buying them. I go a bit deep in this episode in terms of the incentives behind all these AI moves. And what happens if AI makes translation as ubiquitous as spell check? OpenAI Teams Up With Oracle and SoftBank to Build 5 New Stargate Data Centers (Wired) In OpenAI Megadeal, Nvidia Discusses a New Business Model: Chip Leasing (The Information) Nvidia’s $100bn bet on ‘gigantic AI factories’ to power ChatGPT (FT) Alibaba Shares Soar After Hiking AI Budget Past $50 Billion (Bloomberg) VCs to AI Startups: Please Take Our Money (Bloomberg) Disney+, Hulu, ESPN to Hike Prices Again in October (The Wrap) WhatsApp adds built-in text translations on iPhone and Android (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

24 Sep 20min

Nvidia is investing $100B in OpenAI, and there are a billion angles to that fact, so get ready to dive into it. Why were there giant sim farms popping up around NYC? The new AI to help you with Candy Crush, I guess. And new buzzword alert: say hello to “workslop.” Nvidia is partnering up with OpenAI to offer compute and cash (The Verge) Altman, Huang and the last-minute negotiations that sealed the $100 billion OpenAI-Nvidia deal (CNBC) Secret Service Thwarts Plot to Take Out Cell Service Near UN (Bloomberg) Play Games Sidekick is Gemini Live for Android games (9to5Google) AI Generated "Workslop" Is Destroying Productivity (Harvard Business Review) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

23 Sep 20min