Twitter Episodes

Layoffs at Arm signal the IPO is nigh. Microsoft has brought that fast loading games technology from Xbox to Windows. Twitter heard you were made and has backed down. Crypto dodges another bullet in the EU. And some solid, tangible numbers to prove that streaming has taken over Hollywood.

Well, what can I tell you. Foxconn is shutting factories in China again cause of the new Omicron outbreak there. Will Apple only give new chips it its pro phones going forward? Why people are mad at Twitter now. How people actually watch Netflix. And… checks notes... A robot goat.

Rogangate rolls on. Why a controversy in the Ethereum Name Service community might be even more interesting, because of what it might teach us about the viability of DAOs. Twitter is, oddly, testing ways to make it easier for folks to DM you. And rumors of a new entry level MacBook Pro.

Twitter bans “private” sharing, but there’s some confusion about what that actually means. A big executive departure throws more doubt on Meta’s crypto ambitions. There’s a new Snapdragon flagship chip and I’ve got the specs. And we get some raw data to answer the question: are foldable phones actually a thing or not?

Jack Dorsey is reportedly about to be a one company CEO if he steps down from Twitter. The acquisition of Giphy is on life support. Folks remember Microsoft could be an antitrust target too. Will Apple’s AR headset not need to be tethered to an iPhone? And a look at just how much Amazon has increased its delivery capacity.

Instagram is playing nice with Twitter all of the sudden. But Meta has some new creator tools that try once again to shiv the App Stores. That South Korean law is actively cracking open the App Stores in that country. Google might be back in the defense contract business. And why it MIGHT be worth paying $30 for a keyboard with only 3 keys.

Twitter lets you remove followers without having to block them. Magic Leap is back with a fresh $500 million dollars. Canva gets into video while 1Password wants to make it easier to share your password. Microsoft and Nvidia claim to have trained the largest AI language model yet. And when it comes to AI, is China about to dominate everyone else, or are they only focused on one thing?

Chris and I thought we had not guests lined up this week so we were going to just potpourri some topics. But then Keyvon Beykpour, who is heading the Twitter project revolution came on and talked to us longer than we had any right to ask for. It was a great conversation.

Twitter is testing downvotes. Tumblr gets into the subscription game. Google unveils a unified backup service for Android. Is HBO Max leading the pack of followers in the musical chairs streaming wars contest? The FTC is getting serious about right to repair. And let me introduce you to the Airbnb for back yard swimming pools.

Bloomberg's @Lucas_Shaw comes on to explain the math of that Black Widow stream release story from Monday. Then @alexeheath from the Verge explains the death of Fleets, the creator thirst at Facebook and then we all get into the questioning the real value/process of Twitter verification.

If Twitter verification is now run by humans, how did so many obvious bot accounts get verified? Why you might start seeing brand logos in your emails, and why that’s actually a good thing. Biden's non-compete clause executive order is a big deal for Big Tech. And a look at the absurdity of the right to repair situation when it comes to gadgets you own.

Twitter takes the wrapping off its subscription product, Twitter Blue. Multi-device support hints at a future WhatsApp app for iPads. Stack Overflow is the latest part of the developer ecosystem to sell for big bucks. And taking the temperature of Google’s Ethical AI team.

We talk about the Tip Jar and all the other big changes Twitter has been making. We get into the Basecamp brouhaha and also why I didn’t end up covering it this week. We talk about Dogecoin with someone who was there at the beginning of the project. And we even have an actual newsmaker on the show. At the very end, we talk to Tony Haile, founder of Scroll, which, if you’ll remember, just got acquired by Twitter this past week.

Twitter introduces a tip jar, literally called Tip Jar. Why crypto trading juicing Square’s earnings is worth thinking about. What is the mysterious social space Netflix is surveying users about building? Yes, Substack is letting writers build magazines and newsrooms, so stop pointing out the obvious. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions.

Twitter just wants to give us everything all of the sudden, including charging for tweets, sort of groups based on interests, and even blocking and muting accounts. Google gives devs a Sleep API. Why has LastPass decided to piss everyone off all of the sudden? Why Xiaomi is the up-and-comer to keep your eye on. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors:CalderaLab.com use code TECHMEME (all caps one word) at checkout Links:Twitter announces paid Super Follows to let you charge for tweets (The Verge)Twitter planning a feature to let you auto-block and mute abusive accounts (The Verge)Google launches Android Sleep API to detect snoozing, waking up; available to apps now (9to5Google)1Password has none, KeePass has none... So why are there seven embedded trackers in the LastPass Android app? (The Register)European Smartphone Market Down 14% YoY in 2020; Xiaomi gains while Huawei and Samsung Lose (Counterpoint Research) Weekend Longreads Suggestions:Xiaomi is undercutt…

Twitter acquires a Substack competitor. It’s also iterating product in terms of… check’s notes: content moderation? The black hats are targeting the white hats in infosec. Interesting executive shuffle at Apple. A $2500 smartphone from Sony that really might be a “pro” device. And would you let me put a 5G gear box in your front lawn? You might not have a choice. Sponsors:NewYorker.com/techmeme promocode: techmemeJamf.it/techmeme Links: Twitter acquiring newsletter publishing company Revue (Axios) Twitter launches 'Birdwatch,' a forum to combat misinformation (NBC News) Google warns of ‘novel social engineering method’ used to hack security researchers (The Verge) Dan Riccio Transitioning to New Project, John Ternus to Lead Apple's Hardware Engineering Team (MacRumors) Sony’s creator-focused Xperia Pro arrives in the US priced at $2,499 (The Verge) Americans spend average of $47 a month on streaming services (The Desk) 5G boxes are coming to people’s homes, whether they want them o…

Twitter is revving the little blue checkmark engine back up, but it will work slightly differently than before. Stripe is either already impossibly big, or not nearly as big as it should be, depending on your point of view. Are you ready to speculate about the next generation of Apple Silicon chips? And, uniquely for this week, the week… end longreads suggestions. Sponsors: VistaPrint.com/techmeme Tovala.com for $200 off the oven! Links: Twitter to relaunch account verifications in early 2021,...

Brian Krebs has a theory of who specifically he thinks was behind the Twitter hijack, but other people have theories too. Netflix kicks off tech earnings season, but also makes a pretty interesting executive move. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: TinyCapital.com Discover.bot/podcast Links: Who’s Behind Wednesday’s Epic Twitter Hack? (Krebs on Security) 130 high-profile Twitter accounts targeted in hacking attack (The Guardian) Netflix shares fall after earnings miss...

I run down the whole mess of the great twitter hijacking from last night. Facebook is rolling out more labels for politicians. Facebook might also be positioning itself for a TikTok diaspora. Amazon now lets influencers run home shopping-network-style shows on the website. And Apple officially has a podcast. Sponsors: JoinFightCamp.com/techmeme TinyCapital.com Links: Apple, Biden, Musk and other high-profile Twitter accounts hacked in crypto scam (TechCrunch) A hacker used Twitter’s own ‘admi...

Apple has rejected a Facebook app five times, so back to that debate again. Twitter lets you add audio to tweets. Door Dash raises a round. Surprise! Reliance Jio raises another monster round. And stick around for the last segment because I’ve got the single weirdest tech story that I think we’ve ever done on this show. Sponsor: DoubleUp.agency Links: Apple Rejects Facebook’s Gaming App, for at Least the Fifth Time (NYTimes) Twitter starts rolling out audio tweets on iOS (The Verge) UK virus...

Is the Trump administration finally willing to go to war with big tech? Another Apple startup acquisition, but also why Fraggle Rock might indicate a strategy shift for Apple TV+. Remember 4k TV’s? And the microcredit app that will threaten to shame you if you fall behind on your payments. Sponsors: DoubleUp.Agency Tovala.com/ride Links: Trump expected to sign executive order that could threaten punishment against Facebook, Google and Twitter over allegations of political bias (Washington Post...

Another day of markets in turmoil, another Robinhood outage. Jack Dorsey lives to fight another day. Apple is repairing some iPad Airs for free, and might bring 64 MP cameras to the iPhone 12. Gaming out the reality of a ARM-based Mac. And let me hip you to “sleep streaming” on TikTok. Sponsors: DoubleUp.agency Links: Robinhood goes down again, causing clients to miss out on another historic trading day (CNBC) Twitter CEO Dorsey keeps his job after company strikes investment deal with Elliott...

You already know Tweets, but let me introduce you to Fleets. Robinhood explains its outages. Google assistant can now read you webpages out loud. Netlify is an interesting raise. And why getting a big-named VC in your seed round might actually be detrimental to your startup. Sponsors: Metalab.co Kiwico.com/ride Links: Twitter Is Finally Doing Stories (Buzzfeed) Robinhood offers $15 discount, blames outage on record trades (TechCrunch) Robinhood offers traders $15 for going down as markets ga...

No ads in WhatsApp… for now. We have all the details on the Peacock streaming service. The other streaming wars are taking their toll on Twitch. Jack Dorsey asked Elon Musk how to fix Twitter. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Metalab.co Links: Facebook Backs Off Controversial Plan to Sell Ads in WhatsApp (WSJ) NBC’s Peacock streaming service will launch on July 15th with three different price tiers (The Verge) Twitch's loss of top streamers impacts hours watched a...