Episodes

Dec. 9, 2020

Wed. 12/09 – FireEye Says It Got Hacked By A Nation State

FireEye says it got hacked by a nation state. Microsoft’s cloud gaming is coming to iOS in the spring. Samsung’s unpacked event is coming in about a month, and we already got plenty of leaks about the phones we expect to see. Is Apple’s self-driving project still on track? And if you feel like you’ve been getting more spam calls this year, while rents in San Francisco have been plummeting, I’m here to tell you, neither of those trends seem to be imaginary. Sponsors: MasterWorks.io to skip the wa...
Dec. 8, 2020

Tue. 12/08 – Apple’s $549 AirPods Max

Say hello to AirPods Max. Cloudflare and Apple have developed a new internet privacy protocol. Google’s Stadia is finally flipping the switch on one of its biggest selling points. Uber is exiting the self-driving sweepstakes, but what does that mean for its future? And more fallout from that Warner Media streaming decision. Sponsors: Amazon.com/ridehome Wipers123.com promocode: ride Links: Apple introduces AirPods Max, the magic of AirPods in a stunning over-ear design (Apple Newsroom) Cloudflar...
Dec. 7, 2020

Mon. 12/7 – ARMpocalypse Soon For The Entire Mac Lineup?

Apple isn’t wasting any time when it comes to ARM-ing up its entire Mac lineup, according to Mark Gurman. Wish is about to go public too. Airbnb and DoorDash are lifting their ranges. Is email signatures a bigger market than I ever imagined? And how drone deliveries might change how we design or homes and neighborhoods. Sponsors: BuyRaycon.com/tech Kiwico.com promocode RIDE for 50% first month! Links: Apple Preps Next Mac Chips With Aim to Outclass Top-End PCs (Bloomberg) Wish plans to price bet...
Dec. 5, 2020

(Bonus) Peter Kafka on Media, Hollywood, Substack and TikTok

As promised, here’s Recode’s Peter Kafka, the dean of the media reporters, someone we should have had on the podcast a long time before this. Do checkout his podcast, Recode Media with Peter Kafka . Sponsors: ProtonMail.com/techmeme VistaPrint.com/techmeme DoubleUp.agency
Guest: Peter Kafka
Dec. 4, 2020

Fri. 12/04 – CRACK! Warners Blows Up The (Traditional) Hollywood Business Model

Another monumental crack across the land as Warner Brothers has maybe signaled the death of the business model Hollywood has relied on for 100 years. Is Stripe signaling it wants to completely rewire the global monetary system? Have Chinese scientists achieved Quantum Supremacy? Would you be interested in deep sea tourism? And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Fundrise.com/techmeme VistaPrint.com/techmeme Links: Warner Bros. will release all of its new 2021 movies simultane...
Dec. 3, 2020

Thu. 12/03 – A Law To Turn Crypto Basic?

A new bill could regulate crypto in a way that crypto folks say would defeat the point of decentralization. Facebook antitrust could be coming next week. Loon is the first to turn the skies over to artificial intelligence. Hackers are targeting the vaccine rollout. And now, you too can contribute to Street View on Google Maps. Sponsors: Impartner.com/ridehomedemo Liftoff.to Links: US Lawmakers Introduce Bill That Would Require Stablecoin Issuers to Obtain Bank Charters (Coindesk) PhonePe raises ...
Dec. 2, 2020

Wed. 12/2 – A Salesforce/Slack Deal Analysis

A full analysis of the huge Salesforce/Slack deal. What HPE leaving Silicon Valley means, even if only symbolically. Qualcomm’s new flagship Snapdragon chip. All the announcements from AWS re:Invent. A smartwatch with a 9 day battery life and putting holograms right on your mantle might finally be getting practical. Sponsors: ImPartner.com/ridehomedemo GetRoman.com/techmeme Links: Salesforce buys Slack in a $27.7B megadeal (TechCrunch) Why Salesforce bought Slack (Divinations) Hewlett Packard En...
Dec. 1, 2020

Tue. 12/01 - Amazon Launches EC2 Mac Instances

Amazon launches EC2 Mac instances. Don’t call it Libra. At least, not the Libra Association. Is Samsung thinking about discontinuing the Galaxy Note line? Why DeepMind solving the protein folding problem is such a big deal. Are VR and AR about to blend? And the interesting case surrounding our main computer hacking law that was argued before the US Supreme Court yesterday. Sponsors: IMpartner.com/ridehomedemo Vistaprint.com/techmeme Links: AWS brings the Mac mini to its cloud (TechCrunch) Libra ...
Nov. 30, 2020

Mon. 11/30 – DoorDash’s IPO Seems To Be Cresting The Wave

DoorDash lines up for its IPO and seems to be cresting the wave perfectly. Airbnb is right behind it, swelling a bit as well. Salesforce looks like it will be buying Slack as soon as tomorrow. The UK finally, officially bans Huawei. The monster computer display I want very badly. And remembrances Tony Hsieh, gone, tragically, way too soon. Sponsors: MasterWorks.io promocode: ride MintMobile.com/ride Links: DoorDash seeks valuation of up to $32 billion in IPO, double what it was in June (CNBC) Ai...
Nov. 25, 2020

Wed. 11/25 – The Blue Checkmarks Are Returning To Twitter

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, a...
Nov. 24, 2020

Tue. 11/24 – Apple’s Head Of Global Security Indicted On Bribery Charges

Apple’s head of global security is indicted on bribery charges. But… it’s a little nuanced. Facebook turned back the dial on divisive news stories after the election. Forget Substack; why OnlyFans might be the biggest story in terms of creator platforms right now. How Elon Musk became the second richest man in the world, and why Werner Herzog is mad at him. Sponsors: Tovala.com for $200 off the oven! VistaPrint.com/techmeme Links: Undersheriff, Apple security chief, businessman indicted in bribe...
Nov. 23, 2020

Mon. 11/23 - Snapchat Launches Spotlight, A TikTok Clone

Cloning Snapchat isn’t cool. You know what’s cool? Cloning TikTok. Even Snapchat has joined the bandwagon with Spotlight. Are people fleeing ads in feeds because the market is saturated? I break down all of last week’s big moves in Digital Media. And why the Covid Tracking Project deserves a friggin Nobel Prize. Sponsors: ProtonMail.com/techmeme Amazon.com/ridehome Links: Snapchat launches a TikTok-like feed called Spotlight, kick-started by paying creators (TechCrunch) Facebook Ads Could Be Rea...
Nov. 21, 2020

(Bonus) Office Hours With Chris Messina

A deep-dive conversation with hashtag inventor Chris Messina about what makes good product design, how to Product Hunt effectively, and his unique advice about finding success in the Tech Industry. Sponsors: VistaPrint.com/techmeme Netgear.com/bestwifi Watch this episode on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vekRLZcnfpU
Nov. 20, 2020

Fri. 11/20 – Facebook And Apple Trade Schoolyard Taunts

Facebook and Apple are calling each other names again. “Privacy Thief!” “Monopolist!” And why we might see more of this in the coming years. Roblox files maybe the most exciting S-1 of this IPO batch. Stadia is going to work around the App Store too. Another big milestone crossed for self-driving cars. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Netgear.com/bestwifi Amazon.com/techmeme Links: Apple doubles down on upcoming iOS 14 privacy features, slams Facebook for collecting ‘...
Nov. 19, 2020

Thu. 11/19 – Google Pay Pivots In An Interesting Way

A major strategy shift for Google Pay might be a big deal. But a minor shift in YouTube monetization is the same old, same old. Apple pays to settle an investigation into iPhone throttling. Affirm files for its IPO. Apple Silicon continues to absolutely wow people, and by the way, the iPhone 12 Pro Max camera is wowing professional photographers. Sponsors: MailmanHQ.com Amazon.com/ridehome Links: Google Pay gets a major redesign with a new emphasis on personal finance (TechCrunch) YouTube will r...
Nov. 18, 2020

Wed. 11/18 – Crack! Apple Cuts Its App Store Vig In Half

The App Store has cracked open a bit. Apple will cut its vigorish in half, for most developers, but not the ones that make them the most money. Robinhood is probably gonna join the cavalcade of IPOs. Marissa Mayer is back. And the biggest social network you’ve probably never heard of is coming from France. Sponsors: Amazon.com/ridehome Netgear.com/bestwifi Links: Apple will reduce App Store cut to 15 percent for most developers starting January 1st (The Verge) 'Fortnite' now offers Houseparty vi...
Nov. 17, 2020

Tue. 11/17 – Amazon Pharmacy Aims To Conquer Another Huge Retail Sector

Amazon launches Amazon Pharmacy. Twitter launches Fleets, but the real news is they’re testing a Clubhouse clone with audio rooms. Airbnb finally files to go public. And running through the flood of reviews for the new Macs with Apple Silicon, I’m starting to become a believer. Apple might be able to revolutionize—and run away with—mobile computing with these chips. Sponsors: Amazon.com/ridehome Netgear.com/bestwifi Links: Amazon jumps into the pharmacy business with online prescription fulfillm...
Nov. 16, 2020

Mon. 11/16 – Is Big Sur Apple’s Vista?

Continued problems with Big Sur have some people wondering if this is Apple’s version of Windows Vista. But actual benchmarks continue to show Apple Silicon is probably a big win. All the details of the Galaxy S21 lineup have leaked. A monster new GPU for supercomputers. And a PC monitor that can actually double as a modern smart tv. Sponsors: MasterWorks.io : code RIDE to skip the waitlist BuyRaycon.com/tech Links: macOS Big Sur Update Bricking Some Older MacBook Pro Models (MacRumors) Apple Si...
Nov. 13, 2020

Fri. 11/13 – The DoorDash S-1 Is Surprisingly Good

DoorDash files its S-1, and has a surprisingly good business, it looks like. The US backs down on TikTok. Is the whole Ant IPO thing, not business but personal? Why you should probably wait to download macOS Big Sur. How much Disney+ continues to kill it. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Calm.com/techmeme TinyCapital.com Links: DoorDash files to go public (TechCrunch) U.S. Backs Down on TikTok (WSJ) China’s President Xi Jinping Personally Scuttled Jack Ma’s Ant IPO (WS...
Nov. 12, 2020

Thu. 11/12 – The Google Photos Free-For-All Is Over

Why Google sunsetting the free version of its Photos service has so many people riled up. Apple’s TestFlight update should make beta testing apps easier. Amazon’s Alexa Care Hub should make caring for elderly relatives easier. A “bank on rails” is an interesting raise. And is the HomePod mini worth buying? Sponsors: TinyCapital.com VistaPrint.com/techmeme Links: Google Photos will end its free unlimited storage on June 1st, 2021 (The Verge) Google warns Google Drive users: Use it, or lose your f...
Nov. 11, 2020

Wed. 11/11 – Groundhog Day! Is TikTok Going Dark Tomorrow?

So wait, is TikTok facing shutdown again, as soon as tomorrow or… what? Some analysis on how well those M1 chips might actually perform. Ring doorbells are catching fire. The Hyperloop takes its first passengers for a ride. And does China now ALSO think that big tech has gotten too big? Sponsors: VistaPrint.com/techmeme TinyCapital.com Links: TikTok hasn’t heard from the Trump administration in weeks, prompting latest CFIUS petition (CNBC) Apple Announces The Apple Silicon M1: Ditching x86 - Wha...
Nov. 10, 2020

Tue. 11/10 – The Apple Silicon Macs Are Here

Apple’s One More Thing Mac Event. The EU sues Amazon for antitrust. The Slingbox is no more. And, apparently, the MagSafe Duo charger is no good. Sponsors: TinyCapital.com Wipers123.com , promocode: ride Links: EU accuses Amazon of breaching antitrust rules (FT) Slingbox discontinued, services sunsetting (SlashGear) Walmart and Cruise launch pilot to deliver orders via self-driving cars (Venture Beat) Apple MagSafe Duo Charger Review: Useful, but expensive and underwhelming (TechCrunch)
Nov. 9, 2020

Mon. 11/09 – Apple Mad At Pegatron

Apple is not happy with a key parts supplier. If you’re running an old version of android, you might be shut out of some important websites soon. Is SoftBank’s Vision Fund, back, baby? Is the Raspberry Pi 400 any good to use? And what can Silicon Valley expect from a Biden administration. Sponsors: KiwiCo.com promocode: "ride" for 50% your first month TinyCapital.com Links: Apple Freezes New Business for Pegatron on China Labor Abuse (Bloomberg) Zoom and other ‘stay-at-home’ stocks are getting c...
Nov. 7, 2020

(Bonus) Listener Call In III - Son Of The Call-in-a-ning

You know the drill... Sponsors: Canva.me/ride Metalab.co