Episodes

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.

IBM says it has created the world’s first 2nm chip. Google really wants everyone to use two factor authentication. Twitter is enacting more speed bumps to get you to stop trolling people in your tweets. Apple’s delicate dance with Netflix over in app payments. And SpaceX finally gets its Mars rocket to… not blow up on landing.

Facebook’s Oversight Board upholds the Trump account suspension. Signal trolls Facebook using its own ad system. An appeals court has ruled that Section 230 does not apply to app design. Kind of. It’s complicated. And the not complicated reason why some exchanges can’t tell you the price of Berkshire Hathaway stock right now. Think: partying like it’s 1999.

Twitter opens up Space more broadly, and buys the startup Scroll. So, what is the larger endgame here with their subscription play? Apple benefits from the turmoil in Google’s AI team. A breakdown of day one of the Apple/Epic Games trial. And how many people still pay a monthly subscription to AOL?

Kuo says we’re gonna see a foldable iPhone soon. After the iOS privacy changes, Facebook is giving users popups begging them to turn tracking on. The interesting new “green” cryptocurrency that is launching today. And a backgrounder and breakdown of the Apple/Epic games trial that is kicking off today.

Last week, the great Ed Zitron (@edzitron) , head of the media relations firm EZPR, put out a post that got a lot of chatter where he laid out a bear case for Clubhouse. So I tweeted out, did anyone want to do a bull case for clubhouse so we could do a bull/bear debate episode? And the great Joseph Flaherty (@josephflaherty) of Founders Collective raised his hand and said he’d be game to do it, so this is what we have today. An episode of two halves. First, Joe makes the bull case, then after the break, Ed gives the bear take. And that’s it? Great conversation. Great points made by both guys. Enjoy.Here is Ed's piece that we refer to throughout: Clubhouse and Audio's Feature Not A Product Problem (And How It Might Possibly Be Meerkat 2)

The EU does indeed charge Apple with antitrust violations. Roku has indeed followed through on its threats to YouTube TV. Will the Magic Keyboard actually work with the new iPad Pros or not? And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions.

Another earnings round up leads me to ask, what if the Covid era really is a historical inflection point for tech? AT&T has decided what to charge for HBO with ads, while Verizon is try to get someone to take AOL and Yahoo of their hands. What if we did streaming gaming, but just for browsing the web? Say hello to Mighty. And odds are, you’ve probably never gotten millimeter wave 5G on you fancy new phone.

The Consumer Technology Association says they’re doing it live! As in, an in-person CES once again. Samsung announces two superlight laptops that are nonetheless, still “pro.” Netflix launches a new interface to take away what to watch fatigue. A roundup of tech earnings. And help Microsoft pick a new default font for Office.

Is the EU about to bring the hammer down on Apple? Are Apple M2 chips right around the corner? Spotify launches its Podcast Subscription offering, and it is an interesting contrast to Apple’s. A whole slew of new Fire Tablets from Amazon. Lyft exits the self-driving game. And we’re in a dark new world when it comes to ransomware attacks.

Facebook rolls out that Spotify integration. Roku accuses Google of making anticompetitive demands for YouTube TV. iOS 14.5 rolls out, and with it that App Tracking Transparency tool. Apple plans a big new campus in North Carolina. And DoNotPay’s latest service helps protect your selfies from the global panopticon.

Figuring out the AirTags play. New iMac lust. And a deep discussion of the Apple Podcasts Subscription thing.

Spotify looks like it’s going to quickly counter Apple with a Podcasts Subscription competitor that might be extremely creator friendly. The mystery of the driverless Tesla car crash. Worth noting how quickly things have been turned around for the better over at Snapchat. And of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions.

Dish partners with AWS to build the first public cloud-based 5G network. iPadOS 15 might let you go full widget on the home screen. Some of those stolen schematics suggest we will be getting the MacBook Pros we deserve. I’ve got an interesting raise for a product every Product Manager should know about. And the first reviews of the Apple Air Tags are in.

The EU proposes a big new regulatory framework for AI. A ransomware gang threatens to release Apple product schematics unless they get paid off. Fallout from yesterday’s Apple event including what you can and cannot put on your AirTags. Netflix has disappointed Wall Street, and Amazon is expanding its “pay with your palm” program to more Whole Foods locations.Sponsors:Skiff.org/ride Tovala.com/rideClassified:RobBettis.comLinks:Artificial Intelligence, Facial Recognition Face Curbs in New EU Proposal (Wall Street Journal)Instagram launches tools to filter out abusive DMs based on keywords and emojis, and to block people, even on new accounts (Tech Crunch)Apple announces AirTag accessories that cost more than the device (9 to 5 Mac)Ransomware gang tries to extort Apple hours ahead of Spring Loaded event (The Record)Netflix falls after pandemic boom reverses to rare weakness (Bloomberg)Amazon is bringing palm-scanning payment system to Whole Foods stores (CNBC)(Order your own …

All of the headlines from Apple’s “Spring Loaded” event. All of the announcements Mark Zuckerberg made in that Discord room yesterday. Binance hires a former regulator to be its new CEO. And Fitbit wants to sell you a fashion forward Fitness Tracker.Sponsors:ManlyBands.com/techmemeKracken.com/techmemeClassified:RobBettis.comLinks:Apple updates 11" and 12.9" iPad Pros with M1, 8-core GPU, Thunderbolt, up to 2TB storage, 5G, 1080p FaceTime HD camera, and a miniLED screen on the 12.9" model (Techmeme)Apple introduces Podcasts Subscriptions to pay creators for content in redesigned app (9to5Mac)Facebook unveils suite of new audio products (Axios)Clubhouse’s Monthly Downloads Plunged 72% Last Month (The Wrap)Cryptocurrency Giant Binance.US Hires Former Top Bank Regulator (WSJ)Fitbit’s Luxe is a fashion-focused fitness band that costs $149.95 (The Verge)(Order your own classified at: https://www.ridehome.info/p/classifieds/)

Mon. 04/19 – Facebook To Announce Going Big On Audio, Via Audio?Facebook has probably just outlined its plans to go big on audio, via a digital audio room. Clubhouse has officially announced that big new raise, probably in reaction to that, to some degree, A16Z did indeed triple down, and I try to outline all the threads for you. Britain might block ARM’s sale to Nvidia. And what to expect from tomorrow’s Apple event.Sponsors:Masterworks.io promocode ride Fundrise.com/techmemeLinks:Facebook plans to go after Clubhouse — and podcasts — with a suite of new audio products (Vox)Clubhouse closes an undisclosed $4B valuation Series C round, as tech giants’ clones circle (Tech Crunch)UK invokes national security to investigate Nvidia's ARM deal (Reuters)Tencent's Ma dangles billions in aid as antitrust scrutiny grows (Bloomberg)Microsoft’s xCloud beta arrives on iOS and PC this week (The Verge)What to Expect From Apple's April 20 Event: New iPads, AirTags and More (Mac Rumors)

Chris Fralic of First Round Capital was involved in funding such companies as Ring, Hotel Tonight, Warby Parker, Rec Room, and as you’ll hear today, Roblox. But in addition to being a legend, as you’ll hear, Chris is just an all around good dude...

The biggest semiconductor companies in the world warn than the global chip shortage might roll on for years. Could that recent batch of Facebook accounts showing up on the dark web lead to the dreaded maximal GDPR action? Apple says it pays artists more than Spotify does, but is that really true? Depends on how you run the numbers. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions.Sponsors:Skiff.org/ride GivingMultiplier.org/techmeme Links:Intel, Nvidia, TSMC execs agree: Chip shortage could last into 2023 (Ars Technica)Facebook faces ‘mass action’ lawsuit in Europe over 2019 breach (Tech Crunch)Apple Music Reveals How Much It Pays When You Stream a Song (Wall Street Journal)Weekend Longreads Suggestions:Dogecoin: The meme that somehow became a real cryptocurrency (Cnet)They were ancient internet memes. Now NFTs are making them rich (Wired)Why did Microsoft spend $19.7 billion to purchase Nuance? The answer may lie beyond health care. (Protocol)A Little-Known Upstart Might Just…

Jeff Bezos pens his farewell to the troops, and also, the shareholders. A big Google Earth update. Some thoughts on yesterday’s Coinbase debut. DJI updates its mid-level workhorse drone. And Ford is taking baby steps to that sort of super cruise control that I really want while we’re wait for full autonomy.Sponsors:AirMedCareNetwork.com/tech offer code TECH AwayTravel.com/techmeme Links:Jeff Bezos says Amazon needs to do a better job for employees in his final shareholder letter as CEO (CNBC)Google Earth’s historical 3D time lapses show the ravages of climate change (The Verge)Apple announces $200 million investment fund for forest restoration projects (9 to 5 Mac)Parallels 16.5 with native Apple Silicon support now available, up 30% faster VM performance than Intel (9 to 5 Mac)I funded Coinbase in 2012. Making 6000x on my best startup investment yet (Gary Tan)DJI’s new Mavic Air 2S comes with one big upgrade (The Verge)Ford’s hands-free BlueCruise driving feature coming soon to th…

Wed. 04/14 – Now It’s the FBI Doing The (Legal?) HackingThe FBI hacked into some Exchange servers to prevent further hacking of Exchange servers. Ming-Chi Kuo thinks the iPhone mini and the notch are both going away after this year. Sony wants you to think of their phones as cameras first. Oculus gets a key new wireless update. And yes, those Boston Dynamics robot dogs have been spotted on the streets of NYC.Sponsors:Startmail.com/Techmeme for 50% off your first year!Blockchain.com Links:FBI Accesses Computers Around Country to Delete Microsoft Exchange Hacks (Vice)Kuo: 2022 iPhones to Feature 48-Megapixel Camera, 8K Video, and 6.1 and 6.7" Sizes With No 5.4" Mini Option (Mac Rumors)Kuo: Apple to Adopt Under Display Face ID Starting With 2023 iPhones (Mac Rumors)Kuo: 2023 iPhones to Feature 'Periscopic' Telephoto Lens (Mac Rumors)Samsung's third Unpacked event of 2021 set for April 28 (Cnet)Sony announces the Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III with variable telephoto lenses (The Ver…

Everyone announced something today. A new Surface Laptop 4. New Nvidia things. New Roku things. Something new from Spotify literally called Car Thing. Oculus is going to hold a product event. Siri leaked the next Apple event. And Grab is going public via a SPAC.Sponsors: LinkedIn.com/ride Fundrise.com/techmemeLinks:Microsoft announces Surface Laptop 4 with choice of Intel or AMD processors (The Verge)Siri Reveals Apple Event Planned for Tuesday, April 20 (Mac Rumors)Facebook Announces Oculus Gaming Showcase For April 21 (Upload)Nvidia unveils rental model for DGX Station A100 mini supercomputers (Venture Beat)Roku’s latest streaming device gives 4K, HDR, and a voice remote for $40 (Ars Technica)Spotify’s Car Thing debuts as a limited release for selected US users (The Verge)

Microsoft acquires the biggest name in speech tech. Apple is maybe developing some home gadgets I feel like they should have done years ago. Might we see new iPads by the end of the month? Google wants to stop you from walking and texting. And a review of the new Mercedes-Benz entrant into the EV wars. Sponsors:Skiff.org/ride Netgear.com/bestwifi and promocode:tech10 Links:Microsoft buys speech recognition firm Nuance in a $16 billion deal (CNBC)Apple Working on Combined TV Box, Speaker to Revive Home Efforts (Bloomberg)Apple Facing Supply Shortage of Upcoming High-End iPad Displays (Bloomberg)Ant to Be Financial Holding Firm in Overhaul Forced by China (Bloomberg)Alibaba’s rivals on alert after China’s regulators hand out record fine (FT)Google starts rolling out “Heads Up” in Digital Wellbeing to stop distracted walking (XDA Developers)THE 2022 MERCEDES-BENZ EQS IS A DECLARATION OF MAXIMUM ELECTRIC LUXURY (The Verge)