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Gemini Flash Thinking a model making a serious run at “reasoning.” The FAA has had to ban drones in New Jersey cause of all those weird drone sightings. Self Driving technology continues to prove it is safer. An open source generative physics engine for robots. Sponsors: WashingtonPost.com/ride Links: Google reveals AI ‘reasoning’ model that ‘explicitly shows its thoughts’ (The Verge) FAA Bans Drone Flights in Parts of New Jersey (Bloomberg) Instagram teases AI editing tools that will completely reimagine your videos (The Verge) Waymo still doing better than humans at preventing injuries and property damage (The Verge) New physics sim trains robots 430,000 times faster than reality (ArsTechnica) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple says Meta is getting annoying. You can now call 1800CHATGPT to, you know, talk to ChatGPT. Apple scraps plans for a hardware subscription package. Oura’s big new raise also indicates how well its smart-ring business is going. And has Bengaluru grown to quickly for its own good? Links: Apple hits out at Meta's numerous interoperability requests (Reuters) OpenAI makes ChatGPT available for phone calls and texts (CNBC) Apple Halts Effort to Build iPhone Hardware Subscription Service (Bloomberg) Smart ring start-up Ōura raises $200mn as valuation leaps to $5.2bn (Financial Times) Oura closes $200M round, bringing its valuation to $5.2B (TechCrunch) 3 Changes That Would Make Samsung's Galaxy Ring So Much Better (CNET) PS5 Pro deep dive reaction: GPU and RT improvements, PSSR and Sony's new AMD Amethyst partnership (EuroGamer) Inside India's 'Silicon Valley' (BusinessInsider) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is your home internet router about to be banned? The US has a new Chinese tech target. An AI dev kit from Nvidia. Who actually buys the most chips from Nvidia? Hollywood has flip-flopped on the whole theatrical release strategy. And why Instagram is officially king of the hill at Meta. Sponsors: Lumen.me/ride Links: U.S. Weighs Ban on Chinese-Made Router in Millions of American Homes (WSJ) Nvidia's new $249 AI development board promises 67 TOPS at half the price of the previous 40 TOPS model (TomsHardware) Nvidia’s $249 dev kit promises cheap, small AI power (The Verge) Microsoft acquires twice as many Nvidia AI chips as tech rivals (Financial Times) Grubhub to pay $25 million for misleading customers, restaurants, drivers (Reuters) ‘Red One’ Becomes Most-Watched Prime Video Film Debut Ever With 50 Million Viewers After Modest Theatrical Run (Variety) Here’s a Hollywood Twist: Streaming Success Runs Through Theaters (NYTimes) Instagram Expected to Generate 50% of Meta’s US Ad Sales in 2025 (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the same day that ByteDance asks the US Supreme Court to intervene, the TikTok CEO meets with Donald Trump. DeepMind’s big new competitor to Sora called Veo 2. The FTC comes down against so called “junk fees.” And on their historic raise, a deep dive look at Databricks, one of the biggest private companies in the world. Sponsors: Miro.com Links: Trump meets with TikTok CEO as video app challenges potential ban (NBCNews) TikTok Asks Supreme Court to Block Law Banning Its U.S. Operations (NYTimes) Google DeepMind unveils a new video model to rival Sora (TechCrunch) FTC issues rules requiring hotels, ticket sellers to reveal ‘junk fees’ (WashingtonPost) Waymo to begin testing in Tokyo, its first international destination (CNBC) His Startup Is Now Worth $62 Billion. It Gave Away Its First Product Free. (WSJ) Google’s Whisk AI generator will ‘remix’ the pictures you plug in (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I break down the coming battle of the titans that is going to likely play out in 2025 between Sam Altman and Elon Musk. Mark Gurman says Apple is finally going foldable. Oh, and that Magic Mouse is finally that sin against God charger design. Every country wants a Starlink. And the big legal battle happening this week. Links: Meta Urges California Attorney General to Stop OpenAI From Becoming For-Profit (WSJ) OpenAI hits back at Elon Musk's lawsuit in court filing (Axios) Sam Altman reckons with a growing threat to OpenAI: Elon Musk (Financial Times) Apple’s New Vision for Computing Is a Giant Foldable iPad (Bloomberg) Europe signs €10.6bn Iris² satellite deal in bid to rival Elon Musk’s Starlink (Financial Times) Chip groups Arm and Qualcomm square off in high-stakes US trial (Financial Times) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian on The Newsworthy podcast with Erica Mandy. Find out more about the show here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ok, what if AI models are really the new OS for… everything. But also: smartglasses and a Vision Pro competitor. I’ll explain. Could NotebookLM become a fully fledged product? Seemingly the leader in the clubhouse in the race to create the next AI paradigm beyond the transformer model. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Links: I saw Google’s plan to put Android on your face (The Verge) Google’s NotebookLM AI podcast hosts can now talk to you, too (The Verge) Google says its breakthrough quantum chip can’t break modern cryptography (The Verge) Liquid Set to Raise $250 Million to Build AI Inspired by Tiny Worm Brains (Bloomberg) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: The Cult of Claude (NYTimes) How WhatsApp ate the world (Rest Of World) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More fallout from the whole Cruise wind-down. What it’s like to use some of the new Gemini 2.0 features. Has Apple, quite belatedly, finally done a feature update that provides the Vision Pro with a “killer app?” An Instagram-like app from China I had never heard of. And one singular, eye-popping datapoint from the CHIPS Act. Links: The end of Cruise is the beginning of a risky new phase for autonomous vehicles (The Verge) Gemini 2.0 Flash: An outstanding multi-modal LLM with a sci-fi streaming model (Simon Willison's Blog) FCC Opens Entire 6-GHz Band to Very-Low-Power Device Operations (TV Tech) The Vision Pro’s ultrawide Mac display is very close to being a killer app (The Verge) China’s Instagram-Style Xiaohongshu Crosses $1 Billion in Profit (Bloomberg) Harvard Is Releasing a Massive Free AI Training Dataset Funded by OpenAI and Microsoft (Wired) US chipmaking boom in doubt after Biden’s defeat (Financial Times) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GM shocked everybody by shutting down the Cruise robotaxi business. ChatGPT is finally on your iPhone once you update it. Could all Apple watches someday have satellite texting? And then, I guess Google wanted to pre-empt Santa Sam, because they released an absolute slew of AI products today. Links: GM to refocus autonomous driving development on personal vehicles (GM Investor Relations) GM Calls It Quits on Mary Barra’s $50 Billion Robotaxi Dream (Bloomberg) Apple’s Next Ultra Smartwatch Will Be Able to Send Texts Via Satellite (Bloomberg) Google Rolls Out Faster Gemini AI Model to Power Agents (Bloomberg) Google’s new Trillium AI chip delivers 4x speed and powers Gemini 2.0 (VentureBeat) Gemini 2.0, Google’s newest flagship AI, can generate text, images, and speech (TechCrunch) Google unveils AI coding assistant ‘Jules,’ promising autonomous bug fixes and faster development cycles (VentureBeat) Google unveils Project Mariner: AI agents to use the web for you (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can now buy a car on Amazon. A new AI unicorn doing something with AI I hadn’t heard about before. New AI enhanced smartglasses. Microsoft says it has a new datacenter design that uses zero water. And if you were able to use Sora yesterday, what was that like? Sponsors: Shopify.com/ride Links: You Can Buy a Car on Amazon Now (Wired) US finalizes $6.1 bln Micron chip-making subsidy (Reuters) Memory chip maker Micron’s $6.1 billion grant confirmed by Commerce Dept. (Washington Post) OpenAI-Backed Language Tutor Startup Doubles Value to $1 Billion (Bloomberg) Solos challenges Meta’s Ray-Bans with $299 ChatGPT smart glasses (The Verge) Microsoft Unveils Zero-Water Data Centers to Reduce AI Climate Impact (Bloomberg) Bluesky teases paid subscription, Bluesky+, in new mockup (TechCrunch) I just went hands-on with Sora — the good, the bad, and the wow (Tom's Guide) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OpenAI’s Sora model is here! TikTok is still in trouble. China does more turnabouts is fair play, this time with Nvidia. I Apple, belatedly, getting serious about gaming on the Vision Pro? And did Google just make a huge, historic leap forward in quantum computing? Sponsors: 1Password.com/ride MackWeldon.com promocode: brian Links: Sora is here (OpenAI) OpenAI’s controversial Sora is finally launching today. Will it truly disrupt Hollywood? (LATimes) OpenAI releases Sora, its buzzy AI video-generation tool (CNBC) Appeals Court Upholds U.S. Ban of TikTok (WSJ) Nvidia Hit With China Probe in Global Tech War Escalation (Bloomberg) Apple, Sony Discuss Teaming Up on Gaming Controllers for Vision Pro (Blooomberg) Quantum Computing Inches Closer to Reality After Another Google Breakthrough (NYTimes) Google Debuts New Quantum Chip, Error Correction Breakthrough, and Roadmap Details (HPCWire) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Santa Sam has made his first delivery of the promised 12 days of launches from OpenAI. David Sacks is named the AI and Crypto Czar. Samsung’s entire UI is getting a radical overhaul. OpenAI is seemingly about to restructure everything. No more Surface Studios? And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Links: OpenAI is charging $200 a month for an exclusive version of its o1 ‘reasoning’ model (The Verge) Trump Names David Sacks as White House AI and Crypto Czar (Bloomberg) Here’s everything new Samsung’s Android 15 update, One UI 7, and the full changelog [Gallery] (9to5Google) OpenAI seeks to unlock investment by ditching ‘AGI’ clause with Microsoft (Financial Times) The Surface Studio is dead? — Microsoft ends production on $4,500 Surface Studio 2+ as stock dwindles (Windows Central) Hawk Tuah memecoin dumps 90% amid backlash over controversial launch (Cointelegraph) What Pat Gelsinger’s exit means for Intel and the US Chips Act (Financial Times) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: He Was Going to Save Intel. He Destroyed $150 Billion of Value Instead. (WSJ) Friend or Faux (The Verge) When a Telescope Is a National-Security Risk (The Atlantic) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bitcoin crosses the big $100k mark for the first time. We now know who Trump wants to fill the roles Silicon Valley cares about the most. Is Amazon about to become a top tier AI model player? Two new models from Google DeepMind, one of them promises to revolutionize weather prediction. And Waymo says bienvenido a Miami. Sponsors: WashingtonPost.com/ride Links: Crypto Trading Volume Surged to $10 Trillion for the First Time in November (Bloomberg) Trump Picks Paul Atkins to Run the S.E.C. (NYTimes) Trump Taps Vance Aide Gail Slater as Top DOJ Antitrust Cop (Bloomberg) Amazon announces Nova, a new family of multimodal AI models (TechCrunch) First impressions of the new Amazon Nova LLMs (via a new llm-bedrock plugin) (Simon Willison's Blog) DeepMind’s Genie 2 can generate interactive worlds that look like video games (TechCrunch) Google Introduces A.I. Agent That Aces 15-Day Weather Forecasts (NYTimes) Key leaders behind Google’s viral NotebookLM are leaving to create their own startup (TechCrunch) Waymo to expand to Miami, aims to launch robotaxi service there in 2026 (CNBC) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid the Salt Typhoon hack, the US government wants you and me to go encrypted. Ubisoft shuts down XDefiant. Spotify Wrapped 2024 has NotebookLM baked right into it. And Google’s text to video AI model has beaten Sora to market, but is Sam Altman about to get all Santa on us? Sponsors: Lumen.me/ride Links: U.S. officials urge Americans to use encrypted apps amid unprecedented cyberattack (NBCNews) Ubisoft shutting down XDefiant in 2025, laying off half of its team (Polygon) Spotify Wrapped 2024 adds an AI podcast powered by Google’s NotebookLM (TechCrunch) Smart Home Market Becomes Apple’s Next Strategic Target; New HomePod with Display Set to Be Key Product in Apple’s Smart Home Strategy (Ming-Chi Kuo) Google’s new generative AI video model is now available (The Verge) AWS announces Aurora DSQL, a new distributed SQL database that promises virtually unlimited scalability (TechCrunch) Kindle Scribe 2 review in progress: Is slightly useful AI worth the extra cash? (Engadget) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The search for a new Intel CEO has begun in earnest, but a change in leadership probably makes a wholesale transformation of the company more likely. China goes tit for tat on banning things. Why ChatGPT can’t say certain names. And how is that shopping with AI agents thing going? Links: Exclusive: Intel's CEO-shortlist candidates include former board member Lip-Bu Tan, sources say (Reuters) Intel CEO Forced Out by Board Frustrated With Slow Progress (Bloomberg) China retaliates against latest US chip restrictions (Financial Times) Why does the name ‘David Mayer’ crash ChatGPT? Digital privacy requests may be at fault (TechCrunch) The race is on to make AI agents do your online shopping for you (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pat Gelsinger is out at Intel. So where do they go from here? The first announces from the AWS re:Invent conference. More signs that crypto is in the ascendency. Elon files to block OpenAI from going for profit. Is he the greatest threat to that company? And a new startup taking on Nvidia. Links: Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger retires (TechCrunch) AWS opens physical outlets that let customers upload their data (TechCrunch) Ripple-Linked XRP Soars to Third-Largest Token After Trump Win (Bloomberg) Elon Musk files for injunction to halt OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit (TechCrunch) Musk’s Rivals Fear He Will Target Them With His New Power (WSJ) Bezos Backs AI Chipmaker Vying With Nvidia at $2.6 Billion Value (Bloomberg) Open-source OpenWrt One router released at $89 — 'hacker-friendly device' sports two Ethernet ports, three USB ports, with dual-band Wi-Fi 6 (Tom's Hardware) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is maybe the one moment of tragedy where most 80s kids remember where they were when it happened. Today, RAD! 80s90s History is looking at the Challenger disaster. Our guest is @fmanjoo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you know that we could have had the answering machine decades before we actually got to buy one? Why the 1980s and 90s was an unusual time for an innovation explosion in communications technology. The history of the whole AT&T/Ma Bell breakup by the government. And how much did YOU beg your parents to get your own phone line in your bedroom? The guest this episode is the actress Toni Trucks. @tonitrucks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OpenAI has suspended access to Sora after an activist stunt. Anyone can train AI on your Bluesky posts, but that is by design, in a way. Elon is readying a straight ChatGPT competitor. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Links: OpenAI’s Sora video generator appears to have leaked (TechCrunch) OpenAI hits pause on video model Sora after artists leak access in protest (Washington Post) Someone Made a Dataset of One Million Bluesky Posts for 'Machine Learning Research' (404Media) Inside Elon Musk’s Quest to Beat OpenAI at Its Own Game (WSJ) Yes, That Viral LinkedIn Post You Read Was Probably AI-Generated (Wired) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Should You Still Learn to Code in an A.I. World? (NYTimes) Bad influence (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Intel does get its money. Threads continues to feel the heat from Bluesky, and responds by… giving people what they want. The new Mate 70 flagship smartphone from Huawei. Is Apple trying to make the iPhone so thin it can’t put a sim card in it? And yes, the whole Drake/Kendrick Lamar beef. Sponsors: LegalZoom.com promocode: techmeme Links: Intel Gets Up to $7.9 Billion Award for U.S. Chip-Plant Construction (WSJ) Threads is testing the option to choose your own default feed (The Verge) Elon Musk Admits X is Throttling Links — Effectively Limiting People From Reading News (Mediaite) Starbucks, Other Retailers Hit by Ransomware Attack on Tech Provider (WSJ) China’s Huawei Takes Aim at Apple With Latest Smartphone (NYTimes) Apple’s Thin iPhone Has No Physical SIMs—That Could Dampen China Sales (The Information) Drake Accuses UMG & Spotify of Scheme to ‘Artificially Inflate’ Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ (Billboard) Link to AI avatar experiment Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Sony about to get back into the mobile gaming hardware business? Is Bluesky in the dog house with the EU? Nvidia’s new AI model. Is Intel not going to get as much money as it hoped for? And the rise of AI superclusters. Sponsors: MackWeldon.com promocode BRIAN 1Password.com/ride Links: Sony Working on Handheld Console for PS5 Games to Rival Switch (Bloomberg) Bluesky breaching rules around disclosure of information, says EU (Financial Times) Nvidia shows AI model that can modify voices, generate novel sounds (Reuters) NVIDIA's new AI model Fugatto can create audio from text prompts (Engadget) Washington Curtails Intel’s Chip Grant After Company Stumbles (NYTimes) Klarna’s Planned IPO Sets the Stage for More Fintech Listings (Bloomberg) Exclusive: CoreWeave targets valuation of over $35 billion in 2025 US IPO, sources say (Reuters) AI’s Future and Nvidia’s Fortunes Ride on the Race to Pack More Chips Into One Place (WSJ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian's appearance on Daily Detroit talking about creating new tech hubs around the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wait, how long is it going to take Apple to make Siri behave like ChatGPT already does today? Maybe that talk of OpenAI buying the Chrome browser isn’t completely far fetched after all. Is Threads feeling the heat from Bluesky? Do I want to wear a watch on my finger? And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Links: Apple Readies More Conversational Siri in Bid to Catch Up in AI (Bloomberg) OpenAI Considers Taking on Google With Browser (The Information) Threads’ algorithm will focus more on the people you follow (The Verge) As Bluesky soars, Threads rolls out custom feeds globally (TechCrunch) Casio’s first smart ring has innovative features like a stopwatch and flashing alarm (The Verge) The Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Here’s some cool stuff you can do with Bluesky (The Verge) How Mark Zuckerberg has fully rebuilt Meta around Llama (Fortune) Are the robots finally coming? (FT) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The DOJ has filed its “remedy” for Google but what would it mean for end users if their recommendations actually come to pass? Nvidia’s earnings continue to be historic but are they worried about current AI models hitting a wall? How AI might help make quantum computing become reality. And did a major new AI player just release its first product? Sponsors: Lumen.me/ride Links: US regulators seek to break up Google, forcing Chrome sale as part of monopoly punishment (Associated Press) Google could be forced to sell Chrome – here’s what it would mean for users (iNews) Apple Pay, Other Tech Firms Come Under CFPB Regulatory Oversight (Bloomberg) Nvidia’s CEO defends his moat as AI labs change how they improve their AI models (TechCrunch) AI Power For Quantum Errors: Google Develops AlphaQubit to Identify, Correct Quantum Errors (Quantum Insider) Elon Musk’s xAI Startup Is Valued at $50 Billion in New Funding Round (WSJ) H, the AI startup that raised $220M, launches its first product: Runner H for ‘agentic’ applications (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now authors are being approached about training AI on their books, and some are not pleased. The new Android development cadence is here. More signs crypto is ascendant. More signs that Bluesky has taken off. And a case in point for why governments and militaries are worried about smartphone tracking. Links: Microsoft Signs AI-Learning Deal With News Corp.’s HarperCollins (Bloomberg) Penguin Random House underscores copyright protection in AI rebuff (The Bookseller) The first Android 16 developer preview just landed: Here’s what you need to know (Android Police) Sony’s new PlayStation Portal update lets you stream PS5 games from the cloud (The Verge) Howard Lutnick, Tether's Wall Street Banker, Is Trump's Pick for Commerce Chief, Not Treasury Secretary (CoinDesk) Bluesky tops 20M users, narrowing gap with Instagram Threads (TechCrunch) Anyone Can Buy Data Tracking US Soldiers and Spies to Nuclear Vaults and Brothels in Germany (Wired) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have an idea of how the DOJ wants to breakup Google, and it seems to hinge a lot on selling the Chrome web browser. Sony wants the Elden Ring franchise. The outgoing administration is racing to give out Chips Act money. And all the headlines from today’s Microsoft Ignite event. Sponsors: WashingtonPost.com/ride Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code RIDEHOME at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: http://incogni.com/ridehome Links: Google’s Chrome to Fetch Up to $20 Billion If Judge Orders Sale (Bloomberg) Source: Google is turning Chrome OS into Android to compete with the iPad (AndroidAuthority) Exclusive: Sony is in talks to buy media powerhouse behind 'Elden Ring' (Reuters) Two undersea cables in Baltic Sea disrupted, sparking warnings of possible ‘hybrid warfare’ (CNN) Windows 365 Link is a $349 mini PC that streams Windows from the cloud (The Verge) Windows comes to the Meta Quest (TechCrunch) Want to speak Italian? Microsoft AI can make it sound like you do. (Washington Post) Biden Team Races to Deliver Chip Grants Before Trump Takes Over (WSJ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have the nomination for the next FCC chair. More hype around smartglasses. About that Jake Paul/Mike Tyson fight on Netflix. Is YouTube now the king of the podcast ecosystem? And a deeper dive on how AI is giving Wall Street a brand new window into the startup ecosystem. Sponsors: ArcticWolf.com/techmeme Ramp.com/techmeme Links: Trump Designates FCC Veteran Brendan Carr as Chair of Agency (Bloomberg) Report: Samsung XR glasses have Ray-Ban Meta specs with more features, seemingly no display (9to5Google) Netflix’s Tyson-Paul Boxing Bout Gets 65 Million Viewers at Peak (Bloomberg) Why Everyone Is Now Watching Podcasts on YouTube (WSJ) Nvidia Customers Worry About Snag With New AI Chip Servers (The Information) Wall Street's Elites Are Piling Into a Massive AI Gamble (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk to @cara_jacqueline about what its like when your startup dies. How do you know when it's over? What were the lessons she learned from her journey? One of my favorite episodes we've ever done. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eighteen states are suing the SEC over crypto regulation. The FTC might be going after Microsoft, but is this well timed or terribly timed? ChatGPT on Windows just got more available. NASA has created an AI Copilot for… Earth. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Sponsors: Acorns.com/ride Links: SEC, Gary Gensler Sued by 18 States Over Biden’s Crypto Crackdown (Decrypt) US regulators plan to investigate Microsoft’s cloud business (Financial Times) ChatGPT App for Windows Now Available to Everyone (PCMag) NASA’s AI Earth Copilot will take your questions about our planet (The Verge) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Not even Spotify is safe from AI slop (The Verge) Klarna’s Seb Siemiatkowski — from burger flipping to billionaire club (Financial Times) Inside the Billion-Dollar Startup Bringing AI Into the Physical World (Wired) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Buckle up cause it’s going to be a regulation heavy day. Meta is served up its first big EU fine. The FBI is investigating Polymarket? The CFPB might require regular inspections of Google? A new AI agent from OpenAI in about a month? And forget the streaming wars, are we entering the age of the puzzle wars? Sponsors: Notion.com/ride Links: Meta fined nearly €800mn for breaking EU law over classified ads practices (FT) Polymarket Investigated by DOJ for Allegedly Letting US Users Bet on Platform (Bloomberg) CFPB looks to place Google under federal supervision, setting up clash (WashingtonPost) OpenAI Nears Launch of AI Agent Tool to Automate Tasks for Users (Bloomberg) Live Scam Detection in calls rolling out to Pixel 6-9 Phone app (9to5Google) Apple Releases Updates to Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for the Mac and iPad (MacStories) Meta to Launch Ads on Threads in Early 2025 (The Information) Words With Friends takes on Wordle with new single-player daily puzzles (The Verge) AI Avatar YouTube Experiment Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The guessing game on who the new tech regulators will be for the new administration. What is Amazon Haul? Why has Bluesky suddenly seen a flurry of activity? More on Apple’s smarthome ambitions. And more on why AI seems to be hitting a wall lately? Here’s what you missed today in the world of Tech. Sponsors: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code RIDEHOME at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: Incogni.com/ridehome Links: Donald Trump’s potential antitrust enforcers may keep Big Tech in their sights (Financial Times) Amazon debuts discount store with everything under $20 to take on Temu and Shein (CNBC) With Surge in New Users, Bluesky Emerges as X Alternative (NYTimes) Apple’s Next Device Is an AI Wall Tablet for Home Control, Siri and Video Calls (Bloomberg) OpenAI, Google and Anthropic Are Struggling to Build More Advanced AI (Bloomberg) Bluesky Techmeme Starter Pack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Looks like Apple wants to get serious about smarthome tech. The EU gets Meta to change, but has another requested change from Apple. Signal has some new features. Netflix’s ad-tier continues to win. And a deeper dive into how AI can leap this scaling wall it seems to have run into. Here’s what you missed today in the world of tech. Sponsors: Shopify.com/ride Links: Kuo: Apple to release its own smart home camera in 2026, with AI features (9to5Mac) In Europe, Instagram Ads Are About to Get Less Personal (WSJ) Apple Gets EU Warning to Stop Geo-Blocking on App, ITunes Stores (Bloomberg) Nvidia’s new app replacement for GeForce Experience is now out of beta (The Verge) Signal calls now work a lot more like Meet and Zoom (The Verge) Netflix Says Ad Tier Reaches 70 Million Users Globally (Variety) OpenAI and others seek new path to smarter AI as current methods hit limitations (Reuters) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FTX is suing basically anybody you can think of. Why will your iPhone now reboot itself if you don’t log into it for several days? Is OpenAI’s next flagship model underperforming what they were expecting? And I’ve found the one company most disrupted by AI. At least, so far. Sponsors: 1Password.com/ride Links: FTX Sues Binance, Ex-CEO Zhao Seeking $1.8 Billion Clawback (Bloomberg) FTX Sues Scaramucci to Recoup Money for Creditors (Bloomberg) Apple Quietly Introduced iPhone Reboot Code Which is Locking Out Cops (404Media) OpenAI Shifts Strategy as Rate of ‘GPT’ AI Improvements Slows (The Information) How ChatGPT Brought Down an Online Education Giant (WSJ) Painting by A.I.-Powered Robot Sells for $1.1 Million (NYTimes) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Middle Mile is the next evolution of the gig economy. Make use of your spare garage/basement space to provide fullfillment for ecommerce brands. More here: GetMiddleMile.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some interesting moves over at Block. Share to TikTok could be something major for the music industry. Amazon’s offer to invest again in Anthropic comes with some interesting strings attached. More signs that the smartglasses category is coming now. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Sponsors: LegalZoom.com promocode Techmeme Links: Block reports revenue miss but a slight beat on earnings (CNBC) Jack Dorsey's Square to Invest More in Bitcoin Mining and Shut Decentralized 'Web5' Venture (CoinDesk) TikTok’s latest feature lets music fans ‘Share to TikTok’ from Spotify and Apple Music (TechCrunch) Amazon Discussing New Multibillion-Dollar Investment in Anthropic (The Information) Baidu Readies AI Smart Glasses to Rival Meta’s Ray-Bans (Bloomberg) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Your TV set has become a digital billboard. And it’s only getting worse. (ArsTechnica) What I Learned From Destroying Myself at the NYC Marathon (Intelligencer) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More in depth analysis of what the Trump victory might mean for Silicon Valley, and Elon Musk’s companies in particular. Canadian regulators going after TikTok. Australia wants to make sure no one uses social media until they’re sixteen. France is “aware” of Polymarket. And the reviews of all the new Macs. Sponsors: Promevo.com/techmeme Links: Elon Musk Helped Elect Trump. What Does He Expect in Return? (NYTimes) Canada orders shutdown of TikTok's Canadian business, app access to continue (Reuters) Labor backs 16 as the minimum age to use social media ahead of national cabinet meeting (ABCNews) French Regulator Examines Polymarket After Bets on Trump (Bloomberg) Apple Mac mini review (M4 Pro, 2024): Shockingly small, incredibly powerful (Engadget) Apple MacBook Pro M4 review: the Pro for everyone (The Verge) Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch review (2024): Brace yourself for M4 speed (Engadget) Apple iMac M4 review: More power, same great looks (Tom's Guide) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The tech angle to the election news yesterday, and interestingly a lot of it is crypto related. The EU Commission looks like it will fine Apple and has opened a case against Corning? Perplexity is raising another massive new round. And a pretty definitive piece about how drone tech has changed warfare. Sponsors: Head to Lumen.me/RIDE for 15% off your purchase. WashingtonPost.com/ride Links: Polymarket, Prediction Betting Markets Vindicated by Trump's Strong Showing (Coindesk) Apple to Face First EU Fine Under Bloc’s Digital Markets Act (Bloomberg) Corning Faces EU Probe Into Smartphone ‘Gorilla Glass’ (Bloomberg) How Lina Khan Became an Election Hot Topic (NYTimes) Mozilla Foundation lays off 30% staff, drops advocacy division (TechCrunch) AI Startup Perplexity to Triple Valuation to $9 Billion in New Funding Round (WSJ) Battles of Precise Mass (Foreign Affairs) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Big hacking arrest in Canada. More evidence Apple is thinking: “You know, maybe smartglasses are the way to go…” More signs OpenAI is focusing on hardware. More signs they’re about to go for-profit. And what it’s actually like to use GPT Search? Is it a Google killer or no? Links: Canada Arrests Man Suspected of Hacks of Snowflake Customers (Bloomberg) Apple Explores Push Into Smart Glasses With ‘Atlas’ User Study (Bloomberg) Meta’s former hardware lead for Orion is joining OpenAI (TechCrunch) OpenAI in Regulator Talks to Become For-Profit Company (Bloomberg) Anthropic hikes the price of its Haiku model (TechCrunch) Uber’s Real Threat Isn’t From Robots (WSJ) ChatGPT Search is not OpenAI’s ‘Google killer’ yet (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple is investing more in Satellite technology, and also acquires Pixelmator. What does this all mean for them? Is the high end Vision Pro getting abandoned? What does it mean that Google Cloud is now growing faster than AWS? And how Coreweave and other “neocloud” startups are financing their crazy growth in a totally new way. Here’s what you missed today in the world of Tech. Sponsors: Miro.com MackWeldon.com promocode BRIAN Links: Apple expands iPhone satellite services deal, commits $1.1bn to expand capacity (9to5Mac) Apple is acquiring the popular image editing app Pixelmator (The Verge) Apple Finally Finds Its Gaming Console With the New Mac Mini (Bloomberg) Apple Vision Pro rumored to get M5 in 2025, but lower cost model is delayed (Apple Insider) X updates block feature, letting blocked users see your public posts (TechCrunch) Google’s cloud outpaces rivals in third quarter as AI battle heats up (CNBC) Early Apple M4 Pro and M4 Max benchmarks hint at a massive performance boost (Neowin) Wall Street frenzy creates $11bn debt market for AI groups buying Nvidia chips (Financial Times) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OpenAI officially gets into the search game. Earnings from Apple and Amazon. Why Google is switching up how it does Android. And in the longreads, Meta to win AI even if doesn’t produce AGI, and how downsizing is helping game developers survive the jobspocalypse. Links: OpenAI Brings Search Features to ChatGPT in Challenge to Google (Bloomberg) China Ruins Apple's Quarter (24/7WallStreet) Amazon Surges Past Earnings Forecasts (The Motley Fool) Google confirms Android 16 is coming earlier than usual, developer preview begins soon (Android Authority) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Meta’s AI Abundance (Stratechery) After Era of Bloat, Veteran Video-Game Developers Are Going Smaller (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve got that day where all the tech earnings have come at once, but this time I’m gonna mention Uber too cause did you know they’re making bank these days? China says that two can play the sanctioning technology game. A niche little app from Nintendo. And a review of the Starlink Mini, which seems incredibly compelling for a specific type of user. Links: Meta AI has more than 500 million users (Engadget) Meta’s Next Llama AI Models Are Training on a GPU Cluster ‘Bigger Than Anything’ Else (Wired) Microsoft says AI is on pace to be a $10 billion-a-year business (Axios) Uber shares slide on slowing bookings growth (Financial Times) Chinese sanctions hit US drone maker supplying Ukraine (Financial Times) Nintendo made a music streaming app for Switch Online subscribers (The Verge) Starlink Mini review: space internet goes ultraportable (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Apple release week continues with new MacBook pros. GitHub goes multi-model. Alphabet earnings were good, but Reddit earnings were massive. Why Samsung is having such a hard time since the summer. And a summary of the color Kindle reviews. Here’s what you missed today in the world of Tech. Links: Apple updates the MacBook Pro with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips (The Verge) Every MacBook Air now starts with 16GB of RAM at no extra cost (Engadget) GitHub Copilot will support models from Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI (The Verge) PlayStation Shutters Studio Behind ‘Concord’ Video-Game Flop (Bloomberg) More than a quarter of new code at Google is generated by AI (The Verge) Reddit shares soar 22% on earnings beat and better-than-expected forecast (CNBC) Samsung’s Sudden $122 Billion Wipeout Shows the Cost of Sleeping on AI (Bloomberg) Russian Hackers Are Targeting US Officials, Microsoft Says (Bloomberg) Kindle Colorsoft review: The missing link in Amazon’s ereader lineup (Engadget) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A whole bunch of new Macs plus the first dribbles of Apple Intelligence. Apple is taking a big step in weening itself off of China reliance for manufacturing. Microsoft accuses Google of astroturfing. And potentially the return of startups buying startups? Here’s what you missed today in the world of Tech. Links: Apple Announces iMac With M4 Chip, Upgraded Camera, Nano-Texture Display Option, and More (MacRumors) New Mac mini shrinks down, gains M4 and M4 Pro chips (SixColors) Apple Intelligence goes live with iOS 18.1 update (TechCrunch) Apple Taps India to Learn How to Build New iPhone (The Information) Microsoft says Google is running ‘shadow campaigns’ in Europe to influence regulators (CNBC) Sequoia to Rake in More Than $100 Million From Crypto Acquisition (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Robinhood rolls out smart contract derivatives around the election, a look at how smart markets have seemed to have their mainstream breakthrough this year. TikTok now has a Fediverse, open-source competitor. AI now has an opensource definition, or something? And Meta opensourced their own AI podcast making tool. Here’s what you missed today in the world of tech. Sponsors: 1Password.com/ride Links: Robinhood jumps into election trading, giving users chance to buy Harris or Trump contracts (CNBC) Billions in election bets raise the stakes of the presidential race (Washington Post) Apple Blocked From Selling iPhone 16 Models in Indonesia (Bloomberg) The fediverse is getting its own TikTok competitor called Loops (TechCrunch) We finally have an ‘official’ definition for open source AI (TechCrunch) Even With Venture Slowdown, Megadeals Grow (CrunchBase) Netflix Adds ‘Moments’ Feature Allowing Users to Easily Share Favorite Scenes (EXCLUSIVE) (Variety) Meta Releases NotebookLlama, An Open-Source Podcast Generator (Techopedia) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Verge says we could get GPT-5 by December, but it might be called Orion. The biggest health care data breach in US history. Turns out Americans can actually produce high yield, quality silicon. Or, at least, Arizonans can. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Here’s what you missed today in the world of Tech. Sponsors: Acorns.com/ride Links: OpenAI plans to release its next big AI model by December (The Verge) UnitedHealth says data of 100 million stolen in Change Healthcare breach (BleepingComputer) TSMC’s Arizona Chip Production Yields Surpass Taiwan’s in Win for US Push (Bloomberg) Bluesky raises $15M Series A, plans to launch subscriptions (TechCrunch) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: The mystifying, acrimonious battle between Arm and Qualcomm (Financial Times) Who Gets the TikTok in the Divorce? The Messy Fight Over Valuable Social Media Accounts (WSJ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Raspberry PI does AI now too. Apple is cutting iPhone production orders. Microsoft says China, Russia and Iran are still doing the dirt as the election nears. What if Foxconn got into the business of manufacturing cars? And what if surge pricing, but for groceries? New electronic price tags could make that possible. Sponsors: Notion.com/ride Links: Raspberry Pi releases more AI-focused add-ons (TechCrunch) Raspberry Pi release higher performance AI HAT+ — 13 and 26 TOPS variants (TomsHardware) iPhone 16 orders cut by around 10 million units for 4Q24–1H25; no evidence yet that Apple Intelligence could boost iPhone shipments in the near term (Ming-Chi Kuo) Microsoft Warns Foreign Disinformation Is Hitting the US Election From All Directions (Wired) Roblox to Enact Child-Safety Changes Giving Parents More Control (Bloomberg) What if carmaking went the way of consumer electronics? (The Economist) Kroger and Walmart Deny ‘Surge Pricing’ After Adopting Digital Price Tags (NYTimes) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A huge dispute in the semiconductor space has gone nuclear with implications that are crazy. Anthropic’s new AI app can control your computer for you. Runway’s new model lets you do your own motion capture. And farewell to Foursquare, the OG version at least. Links: Arm to Scrap Qualcomm Chip Design License in Feud Escalation (Bloomberg) Anthropic’s new AI can use computers like a human, redefining automation for enterprises (VentureBeat) Apple Sharply Scales Back Production of Vision Pro (The Information) Runway’s Act-One uses smartphone cameras to replicate facial expression motion capture (Silicon Angle) ‘This is a game changer’: Runway releases new AI facial expression motion capture feature Act-One (VentureBeat) Farewell to Foursquare’s app (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Qualcomm has unveiled its big, next gen Snapdragon SoC which will someday be in all the phones. Except iPhones, of course. Is Netflix pulling back on its gaming strategy? Why a new marketplace from Epic might actually point the way to the metaverse. And how are various people trying to get AI to have a better personality? Links: Snapdragon 8 Elite deep dive: A return to custom CPUs and much more (Android Authority) Scoop: Netflix shuts down 'AAA' Team Blue gaming studio, amid gaming shake-up (Game File) Netflix has closed its AAA gaming studio (Engadget) Hulu and Disney+ No Longer Support Signups and Payment Using App Store (MacRumors) Epic’s ambitious digital asset shop is now open (The Verge) Biden administration proposes new rules governing data transfers to adversarial nations (The Record) How AI groups are infusing their chatbots with personality (Financial Times) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google’s strategy of keeping it in the courts is already going to plan. New AI agents from Microsoft. New Open Source models from IBM. Perplexity is looking to raise again. How far behind Apple thinks it is in AI. And what it’s like to use your AirPods as hearing aids. Sponsors: Ramp.com/techmeme Miro.com Links: Epic judge lets Google keep its Android app store closed to competitors — for now (The Verge) Microsoft unveils new autonomous AI agents in advance of competing Salesforce rollout (GeekWire) AI Startup Perplexity in Funding Talks to More Than Double Valuation to $8 Billion (WSJ) IBM debuts open source Granite 3.0 LLMs for enterprise AI (VentureBeat) Apple’s New iPad Mini Highlights the Company’s Secret AI Advantage (Bloomberg) Apple’s AirPods Pro hearing health features are as good as they sound (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did Nintendo try to kill GoldenEye 007 before it was completed? Why did Shigeru Miyamoto keep telling the development team to tone down the violence. And why did the famous multiplayer aspect of the game almost didn’t happen? It’s slappers only on Rad History, because we’re diving into the history of THE game of the late 1990s, GoldenEye 007. With Special Guest: John Gruber Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices