M&A Episodes

Spotify officially buys The Ringer, we have the official Disney+ subscriber numbers, Jeff Weiner is officially stepping down as LinkedIn CEO, a Rockstar Games co-founder is apparently leaving the company, and what languages do most developers say they want to learn next? Sponsors: TinyCapital.com NetGear.com/bestwifi Links: Spotify is buying Bill Simmons’s The Ringer to boost its podcast business (Recode) Disney earnings beat expectations, fueled by strong Disney+ subscriptions (Yahoo! Finance) ...

Amazon earnings, the new Apple Maps is rolling out in the US, Uber and DoorDash held merger talks at Softbank’s behest, who’s number two to TikTok in short form videos, and of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsor: Metalab.co Links: Amazon Revenue Jumps on Holiday Sales as Profit Rises (WSJ) Apple's redesigned Maps app is available across the US (TechCrunch) Uber and DoorDash held merger talks after SoftBank push (Financial Times) SoftBank Is Funding Every Side of a Bruising Startup...

Apple has acquired a pretty interesting AI startup, the Chromium-based Edge browser is here, but there is trouble in Mozilla land, Fitbit is first to market with blood oxygen monitoring, the state of the app economy and ‘instant’ weather forecasts from Google. Sponsor: Metalab.co Links: Exclusive: Apple acquires Xnor.ai, edge AI spin-out from Paul Allen’s AI2, for price in $200M range (GeekWire) XNOR.ai frees AI from the prison of the supercomputer (TechCrunch) Microsoft launches Chromium Edge f...

Uber loses its license in London, the web’s founder launches a “contract” to save it, eBay sells StubHub, the Threadrippers seem to be the real deal, Deadpool is buying a mobile carrier and Elon Musk knows why those windows cracked. Sponsors: Mealime DollarShaveClub.com/ride Links: Uber loses London licence after TfL finds drivers faked identity (The Guardian) Tim Berners-Lee unveils global plan to save the web (The Guardian) EBay to sell StubHub to Viagogo for about $4 billion in cash (CNBC) In...

Google acquires Fitbit, Apple TV+ officially launches, might the US Government be about to bring the hammer down on TikTok, and of course, the Weekend Longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Tiny Capital Leap.FidelityCareers.com Links: Google to acquire Fitbit, valuing the smartwatch maker at about $2.1 billion (CNBC) Maps Incognito is launching for Google Maps Android Users (Google Maps Help) Apple TV+ is now live in the TV app: Start watching Apple’s original TV shows and movies (9to5Mac) Exclusive: ...

Instagram launches Threads, the iPhone SE might ride again, the biggest content recommendation players have merged, Vice Media and Refinery 29 have merged, and why has Apple banned an app for users in Hong Kong? Sponsors: PixelUnion.net Manscaped.com , code: "ride" Links: Instagram launches Threads, a Close Friends chat app with auto-status (TechCrunch) Facebook Can Be Forced to Delete Content Worldwide, E.U.’s Top Court Rules (NYTimes) Kuo: Apple to release ‘iPhone SE 2’ in Q1 2020 with iPhone ...

Tumblr finds its final home (hopefully), new Snap Spectacles, a new gaming startup tries to one-up Fortnite’s social model, why your DSLR camera is a prime ransomware target, and yes, Twinfluencers are apparently a thing. Sponsors: MacStadium.com/ridehome Metalab.co Links: Verizon to Sell Tumblr to WordPress.com Owner (WSJ) Snap Unveils a New Version of Video-Recording Spectacles (Bloomberg) Microsoft Cancels Super Duper Graphics Pack for Minecraft (Thurrott.com) Singularity 6 raises $16.5M from...

The T-Mobile/Sprint merger gets the go-ahead, a whole bunch of odds-n-ends Apple stories, SoftBank announces a new Vision Fund, the biggest earnings wrap-up of the calendar quarter, turns out that Chris Hughes was serious about breaking up Facebook, and the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Pixelunion.net Firesideconf/ride Links: T-Mobile and Sprint merger approved by Justice Department (The Verge) Apple and Goldman Sachs Credit Card Targeting August Launch Date (Bloomberg) Trump says App...

Apple buys Drive.ai, the days of the phone notch might be numbered, the first solar powered electric car, fighting over the streaming rights for The Office, and why streaming music hasn’t been kind to classical music.Sponsors:SVB.com/nextWeWorkRemotely.comLinks:Apple acquires self-driving startup Drive.ai (Axios)Oppo unveils the world’s first under-screen selfie camera (The Verge)Airbnb’s New Luxe Tier Includes a $1 Million Polynesian Island (Bloomberg)3D printing platform Carbon rais...

Facebook is shutting down its controversial Onavo app, Google’s streaming gaming service might get some hardware to go along with it, the most acquisitive unicorns and the weekend longreads suggestions. Here’s what you missed today in the world of tech. Sponsors:The Castro Podcast AppLegacybox.com/rideLighstream.com/rideLinks:Facebook will shut down its spyware VPN app Onavo (TechCrunch)Samsung will extend Bixby button remapping to premium Galaxy phones running Android Pie (The Verge)...

Amazon acquires Eero, Apple is putting marketing muscle behind AR, looks like everyone was abusing Apple’s Enterprise Certificate program, and the new video game sensation giving Fortnite a run for its money.Sponsors:DataDogHQ.com/ridehomeTiny.websiteLinks:Why Amazon buying Eero feels so disappointing (The Verge)Your Smart Light Can Tell Amazon and Google When You Go to Bed (Bloomberg)Apple Taps iPhone Executive to Be First Head of Marketing for AR (Bloomberg)Apple fails to block porn...

THE expert on the Podcasting Industry breaks down today's big news. Subscribe to Nick's newsletter, HotPod. This episode has a full transcript.

Podcasting has its biggest news day ever, some pretty big executive shakeups, the new emojis for 2019 and how to steal a million dollars from an ATM without anyone noticing. Sponsors:QCon.ai Promocode: QCONAI2019 Metalab.coLinks:Spotify has bought two podcast startups and it wants to buy more (ReCode)Relaxation app Calm raises $88 million, valuing it $1 billion (CNBC)Facebook’s top PR exec is leaving (ReCode)230 New Emojis in Final List for 2019 (EmojiPedia)Programmer finds ridiculou...

IBM buys Red Hat, museums get new ways to preserve video games, Sony announces the full list of titles for its retro PlayStation mini-console, DJI has a drone for first responders, and a look at the service Gab.Links:IBM to acquire Red Hat in deal valued at $34 billion (CNBC)Forget Watson, the Red Hat acquisition may be the thing that saves IBM (TechCrunch)IBM’s Old Playbook (Stratechery)Copyright Law Just Got Better for Video Game History (Motherboard)Exemption to Prohibition on Circumv...

The T-Mobile/Sprint merger, Fitbit wants to share health data with doctors, Oculus wants virtual reality theater, Galaxy S9s get a storage boost, and did Jeff Bezos become a billionaire simply because he wanted to live in space? Links:As controversy swirls, Facebook dials down the swagger on its developer conference (The Verge)Oculus wants to make immersive virtual theater a reality (CNET)Jeff Bezos reveals what it’s like to build an empire and become the richest man in the world — and why he's...

Apple acquires Texture, details on the Dropbox IPO, drone deliveries might be coming soon, Twitter attacks tweetdecking, more on the Broadcom/Qualcomm story, and an interesting story out of the bitcoin world. Here's what happened today in tech.Credits:Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme staffMusic by @jpschwinghamer