Episodes

July 12, 2023

Wed. 07/12 – Microsoft Wins Big In The FTC Case

A big win for Microsoft leads critics of FTC chair Lina Khan to come out of the woodwork. Anthropic has released its Claude 2 chatbot. Say hello to the Nothing Phone (2). And while the market caps of the big players might have been boosted by AI, might the need for on premises AI lead to a unique o…
July 11, 2023

Tue. 07/11 – A Meaningful Anti-Tracking Law

Could Massachusetts pass the first meaningful anti-tracking law in the country? With social media in transition, what’s the lane for someone like Tumblr? Instagram is going after Twitter, but is someone coming for Instagram at the exact same time? And the sad state of affairs for video game history.
July 10, 2023

Mon. 07/10 – Evernote Deadpool?

Time to get worried about your Evernote files. Looks like Meta won’t have to leave the EU. OpenAI has a new product that people are raving about. More analysis of if AI can be useful to doctors. And I’ll tell you the one simple reason Threads has hit 100 million users so fast. The answer is right i…
July 7, 2023

Fri. 07/07 – I’ve Never Seen Anything Like Threads

It’s been my job for over a decade now to analyze the competitive landscape of the tech industry, and I’ve simply never seen anything like what Threads has achieved in less than 48 hours. Though, Elon is threatening to sue. Uber, DoorDash and GrubHub are suing NYC. Volkswagen is rolling out its sel…
July 6, 2023

Thu. 07/06 – Uh, Did Threads Just Win?

There’s only one story today. Threads. Threads. Threads. Has Threads already won?
July 5, 2023

Wed. 07/05 – Twitter Chaos: The Real Fireworks

Chaos at Twitter emphatically did NOT take the 4th of July weekend off. Instagram’s Twitter clone looks like it’s going to take advantage of this chaos to launch now. The Reddit app apocalypse has happened. Oh, and the mods for Reddit AMA’s have downed tools. And how drone technology is disrupting …
July 4, 2023

(IHP) Amazon's Founding Part 2

Originally published April 2015It’s part two of our Amazon founding story. How did Amazon come to completely dominate e-commerce? How did Jeff Bezos’ “Get Big Fast” strategy evolve? How and why did Amazon become the quintessential “dot com” and dot-com-era stock? The answers are within. Bibliog…
July 3, 2023

(IHP) Amazon's Founding Part 1

Finally, the long-promised foray into e-commerce, starting with… not the first… but practically the first… player in the space… and ironically enough, the 800 pound gorilla in the space to this day. Amazon. Dot com. We examine Jeff Bezos, the man. We consider Amazon, the idea. We look at e-commerce…
June 30, 2023

Fri. 06/30 – Apple $3T?

Second time the charm for Apple to close above $3 trillion? Google says it will remove news links in Canada. Meta will allow you to download apps directly from Ads. Self driving cars are giving cops more surveillance tape. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions.
June 29, 2023

Thu. 06/29 – Big Interesting (AI) Raises

Satya Nadella had his day in court. Looks like the FTC is finalizing its big case against Amazon. YouTube has advertisers asking for refunds. Big new interesting raises in the AI space. And ahead of the Fourth of July travel weekend, we may not have the autonomous driving we want, but maybe we can …
June 28, 2023

Wed. 06/28 – Who Needs A Mac Pro?

Even in bankruptcy, even FTX is like, maybe we’ll hold on to these AI investments. Could Windows itself become a fully cloud product? Has Google canceled its AR project? How AI is making even Billy Bean look like old school baseball. And who needs a Mac Pro when you’ve got a perfectly good Mac Stud…
June 27, 2023

Tue. 06/27 – What If OpenAI Did Its Own Copilot?

Checking in with the FTC vs. Microsoft case. Checking in with the effort to recover funds from FTX. What if OpenAI did its own Copilot? Would Microsoft be pissed? And reviews of the Pixel Fold include one reviewer’s unit dying after a mere few days.
June 26, 2023

Mon. 06/26 – The M&A Deluge In AI Begins

Well, this AI moment is only about 6 months old, but it looks like the mergers and acquisitions are beginning in earnest. Wait, we’re still worried about 5G interfering with airplanes? Amazon wants your local florist to deliver your packages. An Amazon/FTC kerfuffle we missed. And what are the OTHE…
June 24, 2023

(Portfolio Profile) The Player's Lounge

Find out more at ThePlayerslounge.io
June 23, 2023

Fri. 06/23 – Meta To Turn Off The (Canadian) News Spigot?

Are Canadians about to lose their access to news on Instagram and maybe Google too? More details about what that Apple headset will actually be like to use. The newest claimant to the supercomputer crown is about to come online. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions.
June 22, 2023

Thu. 06/22 – So, Elon And Zuck Are Gonna Fight, I Guess

Well, I guess Elon and Zuck are gonna fight? Literally? New Stability AI. Xbox prices are going up. The visionOS SDK is out. A Motorola Razr Plus review. And why celebrities are racing to duplicate themselves using AI.
June 21, 2023

Wed. 06/21 – Dropbox AI

Dropbox joins the AI bandwagon. Lots of news from Twitch. Netflix changes how it calculates its top 10. Mark your calendars for Prime Day. And what all the things Apple DIDN’T demo for their new headset might reveal about the directions in which the product could evolve.
June 20, 2023

Tue. 06/20 – Spotify To Go “Supremium”

Spotify is thinking of bucking the “max” and “ultra” naming convention and might introduce “supremium.” What if FTX, the exchange, makes a comeback? One of the hottest sectors in VC right now is defense. And the story of how Meta is playing catchup when it comes to AI.
June 18, 2023

(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 f…
June 16, 2023

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 w…
June 15, 2023

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 hap…
June 14, 2023

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 loo…
June 13, 2023

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.
June 12, 2023

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.