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The regulators have come for adobe and their alleged subscription shenanigans. Apple might settle with the EU. But it’s also shutting down its BNPL service. The Threads API is here. Tether is making bank. Uber might be having a breakthrough moment. And back to using Reddit for search. Sponsors: A Better Paradise Podcast Links: US sues Adobe for ‘deceiving’ subscriptions that are too hard to cancel (The Verge) Apple to settle ‘tap-and-go’ payments probe with EU (FT) Apple discontinuing Apple Pay Later, ahead of new features launching this fall (9to5Mac) Threads finally launches its API for developers (TechCrunch) Tether Announces a New Synthetic Dollar That Is Backed by Gold (Bloomberg) A Robotaxi Business Is A Dream For Elon Musk–But Already A Reality For Waymo (Forbes) Can You Replace Google Search With Reddit? I Tried It for a Week (WSJ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Gurman says Apple is going to go all in on making the thinnest and lightest devices in the industry. Though the Apple Watch is probably going to get a bigger screen. McDonalds pumps the breaks on AI in the drive through. And two contradictory anecdotal stories about what happens when AI comes for your job. Sponsors: ArcticWolf.com/techmeme Miro.com Links: Apple’s Slow Rollout of Intelligence Features Will Stretch Into 2025 (Bloomberg) Kuo: Apple Watch Series 10 to Get Larger Screen and Thinner Design (MacRumors) Privacy app maker Proton transitions to non-profit foundation structure (TechCrunch) McDonald's is ending its drive-thru AI test (Restaurant Business Online) AI took their jobs. Now they get paid to make it sound human (BBC) AI in finance is like ‘moving from typewriters to word processors’ (Financial Times) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The recall of some Microsoft AI products continues as literally Recall gets delayed. Another deep dive into how Apple’s AI actually works. Dream Machine is an open source AI video generator you can use this weekend. And in the Weekend Longreads Suggestions, the people who have found everyday use cases for the Apple Vision Pro. Links: Microsoft’s all-knowing Recall AI feature is being delayed (The Verge) Here’s how Apple’s AI model tries to keep your data private (The Verge) Luma AI debuts ‘Dream Machine’ for realistic video generation, heating up AI media race (VentureBeat) As streaming becomes more expensive, Tubi cashes in on the value of free (Los Angeles Times) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: I Know What the Apple Vision Pro Is For (Intelligencer) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple isn’t paying OpenAI anything for their partnership. Guess they’ll make it up on volume. More details on how much money OpenAI IS making. The surprise Galaxy Watch FE. And do you think you’d have the skills to compete in the Excel World Championships? Links: Apple to ‘Pay’ OpenAI for ChatGPT Through Distribution, Not Cash (Bloomberg) OpenAI’s Annualized Revenue Doubles to $3.4 Billion Since Late 2023 (The Information) Perplexity was planning revenue-sharing deals with publishers when it came under media fire (Semafor) You’ll soon be able to join Discord calls directly from your PS5 (The Verge) Nintendo Switch Update 18.1.0 Pulls X/Twitter Support, Bringing It In-Line With PlayStation and Xbox (IGN) Samsung’s Galaxy Watch FE is its new entry-level smartwatch (The Verge) Spreadsheet Superstars (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elon Musk has withdrawn his lawsuit against Sam Altman and OpenAI. I guess Wall Street likes Apple’s AI strategy. But why is Microsoft already putting the brakes on some of its AI features? BeReal gets acquired. What does the word “slop” mean when it comes to AI? And what happens when you add modern technology to the humble walkie talkie? Links: Elon Musk drops suit against OpenAI and Sam Altman (CNBC) X is officially making likes (mostly) private for everyone (Engadget) Apple quietly improves Mac virtualization in macOS 15 Sequoia (ArsTechnica) Microsoft is killing off GPT Builder in Copilot Pro for consumers, just three months after broad availability (XDA Developers) OpenAI ex-employees worry about company’s control over their millions of dollars in shares (CNBC) Photo-sharing app BeReal acquired by Voodoo for €500mn (FT) First Came ‘Spam.’ Now, With A.I., We’ve Got ‘Slop’ (NYTimes) Raleigh smart walkie-talkie startup Relay raises $35M from investors (Axios) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All of the drips and drabs details from yesterday’s WWDC keynote. Spotify is about to announce a higher tier of membership with some perks. Mistral raises a big new round. The Raspberry Pi IPO is a success. And what if AI could actually make every stoplight in the country more intelligent in real time? Sponsors: Vanta.com/ride Lumen.me/ride Links: Apple’s AI promise: “Your data is never stored or made accessible to Apple” (ArsTechnica) How will Apple’s new AI change your phone? I asked Tim Cook. (Washington Post) Thoughts on #WWDC24 (Chris Messina) Apple’s Push to Infuse Devices With AI Will Take Years to Pay Off (Bloomberg) Spotify to Introduce More Expensive Subscription Tier for Music Lovers (Bloomberg) Mistral secures €600mn funding as valuation soars to almost €6bn (Financial Times) Raspberry Pi shares jump more than a third on first day of trading (Financial Times) The Smart, Cheap Fix for Slow, Dumb Traffic Lights (WSJ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All the headlines from WWDC. All the AI goodness, even if Apple spent half the time not even mentioning the words Artificial Intelligence. Also, what if the audio quality of cell phones didn’t have to suck? And what if AI could actually make every stoplight in the country more intelligent in real time? Sponsors: Miro.com Shopify.com/ride Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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As we prep for WWDC on Monday, word of a completely new Passwords app from Apple. Also, it’s a day of backlashes. The backlash against Adobe’s terms of service. The backlash against Windows Recall. The new social media app that is riding the backlash against AI. And, of course, the Weekend Longread Suggestions. Sponsors: get.StoryBlok.com/ridehome Links: Here’s Everything Apple Plans to Show at Its AI-Focused WWDC Event (Bloomberg) Apple to Debut Passwords App in Challenge to 1Password, LastPass (Bloomberg) Adobe responds to vocal uproar over new Terms of Service language (VentureBeat) Adobe terms clarified: Will never own your work, or use it for AI training (9to5Mac) A PR disaster: Microsoft has lost trust with its users, and Windows Recall is the straw that broke the camel's back (WindowsCentral) A social app for creatives, Cara grew from 40k to 650k users in a week because artists are fed up with Meta’s AI policies (TechCrunch) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Behind ‘Suicide Squad,’ the Year’s Biggest Video-Game Flop (Bloomberg) The Unistellar Odyssey smart telescope made me question what stargazing means (ArsTechnica) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nvidia hits $3T. US regulators aren’t sleeping on the AI market, including Nvidia itself. Humane tells users of the AI Pin to stop using the charging case “immediately.” Google is gonna store your Maps data on device. And would you take a job at Ikea... but in the Metaverse? Sponsors: get.StoryBlok.com/ridehome Kolide.com/ride Links: U.S. Clears Way for Antitrust Inquiries of Nvidia, Microsoft and OpenAI (NYTimes) FTC Opens Antitrust Probe of Microsoft AI Deal (WSJ) US antitrust enforcer says ‘urgent’ scrutiny needed over Big Tech’s control of AI (Financial Times) Humane warns AI Pin owners to ‘immediately’ stop using its charging case (The Verge) ‘This Is Going to Be Painful’: How a Bold A.I. Device Flopped (NYTimes) Google Maps is making a big privacy change to protect your location history (The Verge) Stability AI releases a sound generator (TechCrunch) Ikea Is Hiring Roblox Players To Run Its Virtual Store (The Gamer) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As I said on that bonus episode with Alex Kantrowitz, the research side of OpenAI isn’t happy, and they’re starting to speak out. More details on AI at WWDC next week. More price hikes in digital media. Palmer Luckey can’t stop; won’t stop. And how CoreWeave became one of the biggest winners of the AI era. Links: OpenAI Insiders Warn of a ‘Reckless’ Race for Dominance (NYTimes) Apple Made Once-Unlikely Deal With Sam Altman to Catch Up in AI (Bloomberg) Twitch is raising US subscription prices for the first time (Engadget) Quest v66 Update "Significantly" Reduces Quest 3 Passthrough Distortion & Warping (UploadVR) How an upstart is using its Nvidia ties to challenge cloud computing giants (Financial Times) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More headlines from Computex. More layoffs at Microsoft, but why? Instagram is copying YouTube’s unskippable ads. Why Samsung is pre-emptively suing Oura. And Palmer Lucky is personally bankrolling a modern-day Gameboy. Sponsors: CrunchLabs.com/ride Links: Intel CEO Takes Aim at Nvidia in Fight for AI Chip Dominance (Bloomberg) E*Trade Considers Kicking Meme-Stock Leader Keith Gill Off Platform (WSJ) Microsoft is laying off hundreds in its Azure cloud business, sources say (BusinessInsider) Microsoft cuts jobs in Azure, HoloLens, and other units in latest move to control costs (GeekWire) Instagram confirms test of ‘unskippable’ ads (TechCrunch) Samsung sues Oura preemptively to block smart ring patent claims (The Verge) Palmer Luckey is now selling pixel-perfect ultrabright magnesium Game Boys for $199 (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Computex brings a slew of announcements from AMD and Nvidia, including an AI bot to help you with your gaming. Another price hike from Spotify. Perplexity launches Pages. X is now officially NSFW. And a look at Sam Altman’s investment portfolio. Sponsors: WashingtonPost.com/ride MackWeldon.com code: BRIAN Links: Nvidia’s G-Assist is an AI chatbot that guides you through games and optimizes your PC (The Verge) Spotify is increasing US prices again (The Verge) Perplexity will research and write reports (The Verge) X tweaks rules to formally allow adult content (TechCrunch) The Opaque Investment Empire Making OpenAI’s Sam Altman Rich (WSJ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OpenAI Teases GPT-5, Musk Raises $6B for xAI, Loneliness in Remote Work Era. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OpenAI has a new “affordable” version of ChatGPT for universities and schools. They also are planning to get back into robotics in a big way. Behind the scenes, TikTok is forking its algorithm just in case. Why doesn’t Apple just euthanize the Siri brand? And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Links: OpenAI has a has a new version of ChatGPT just for universities (Engadget) OpenAI Is Rebooting Its Robotics Team (Forbes) OpenAI finds Russian and Chinese groups used its tech for propaganda campaigns (Washington Post) Apple Plans AI-Based Siri Overhaul to Control Individual App Functions (Bloomberg) Exclusive: TikTok preparing a US copy of the app’s core algorithm, sources say (Reuters) Spotify offers Car Thing refunds as it faces lawsuit over bricking the streaming device (TechCrunch) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Disney Is Banking On Sequels to Help Get Pixar Back on Track (Bloomberg Businessweek) They Built a $100 Million Watch Empire. Then the Market Tanked. (WSJ) The Creator Of ‘Magic: The Gathering’ Knows Exactly Where It All Went Wrong (Defector) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Global authorities take down what they say is the biggest botnet of all time. More big AI deals for big media. More on the delicate dance between OpenAI and Microsoft. Why aren’t there more smartwatches for tweens? And the AR laptop that might give the Apple Vision Pro a run for its money. Links: US dismantles 911 S5 botnet used for cyberattacks, arrests admin (BleepingComputer) Exclusive: The Atlantic, Vox Media ink licensing, product deals with OpenAI (Axios) OpenAI CEO Cements Control as He Secures Apple Deal (The Information) Internal divisions linger at OpenAI after November’s attempted coup (Financial Times) Amazon to Expand US Drone Service After Getting Regulator’s Nod (Bloomberg) Apple Signals That It’s Working on TV+ App for Android Phones (Bloomberg) Google announces Fitbit Ace LTE for kids with Wear OS, Pixel Watch 2 specs (9to5Google) The Spacetop G1 Arrives This Fall. We Try the AR Laptop With No Screen (Wired) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A big leak at Google might be the tech equivalent of the secret formula for Coca-Cola being revealed for the first time. The ex-OpenAI board members are starting to explain why they tried to fire Sam Altman. Did the Biden administration pass on TikTok’s concessions to avoid a ban? And remember delivery apps? How they doin’ these days? Sponsors: Lumen.me code: RIDE Links: An Anonymous Source Shared Thousands of Leaked Google Search API Documents with Me; Everyone in SEO Should See Them (SparkToro.com) Ex-OpenAI Director Says Board Learned of ChatGPT Launch on Twitter (Bloomberg) Anthropic hires former OpenAI safety lead to head up new team (TechCrunch) YouTube’s free games catalog ‘Playables’ rolls out to all users (TechCrunch) How the U.S. ignored a chance to make TikTok safer (Washington Post) Food delivery apps rack up $20bn in losses in fierce battle for diners (Financial Times) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have a rough timeline of when we can expect GPT5 and it looks like it won’t be this summer. xAI has a big raise. Another in-depth look at Apple’s AI strategy. The surprising old school companies getting boosted by the AI boom. And more data on how popular ad-supported streaming is becoming. Sponsors: YahooFinance.com 1Password.com/ride Links: OpenAI Says It Has Begun Training a New Flagship A.I. Model (NYTimes) Elon Musk’s xAI raises $6 billion to fund its race against ChatGPT and all the rest (The Verge) Apple Bets That Its Giant User Base Will Help It Win in AI (Bloomberg) Google adds AI-powered features to Chromebook (TechCrunch) The future of financial analysis: How GPT-4 is disrupting the industry, according to new research (VentureBeat) AI Is Driving ‘the Next Industrial Revolution.’ Wall Street Is Cashing In. (WSJ) What Happened to Our Ad-Free TV? (NYTimes) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Out of nowhere, the SEC has approved spot ETFs for ether. Spotify is killing its Car Thing. Google’s AI Overview is giving crazy answers all over the place. But Meta already wants to charge more for their AI bots. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Sponsors: Miro.com Links: US SEC approves exchange applications to list spot ether ETFs (Reuters) Spotify is going to break every Car Thing gadget it ever sold (The Verge) Google's AI search feature suggested using glue to keep cheese sticking to a pizza (Business Insider) Save $200+ on your upgrade to The Information Pro (The Information) The Daylight DC1 is a $729 attempt to build a calmer computer (The Verge) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: VCs and the military are fueling self-driving startups that don’t need roads (TechCrunch) Two students find security bug that could let millions do laundry for free (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nvidia’s earnings are still historic, but what could upset their apple cart? A few things, actually. I think we know the truth or at least the timeline of JohanssonGate. Big new media deal for OpenAI. Likes are going private on X. And would you clone your voice to answer the phone on your behalf? Sponsors: Vanta.com/ride Links: Nvidia shares pass $1,000 for first time on AI-driven sales surge (CNBC) Nvidia’s Business Is Booming. Here’s What Could Slow It Down. (WSJ) OpenAI didn’t copy Scarlett Johansson’s voice for ChatGPT, records show (Washington Post) OpenAI, WSJ Owner News Corp Strike Content Deal Valued at Over $250 Million (WSJ) Crypto Lobby Wins: House Passes FIT21 as Democrats Deride Historic Regulatory Framework (Decrypt) Elon Musk Wants to Make X's Likes Private to Hide Your Favorite 'Edgy' Content (Gizmodo) Truecaller and Microsoft will let users make an AI voice to answer calls (The Verge) The story about my wife's theater project (NYTimes) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All the AI announcements from Microsoft Build. I know it’s only been a minute, but is Humane already circling the Deadpool? They’re supposedly shopping themselves, but at a valuation that seems… shall we say, on brand for them? Don’t forget Alexa needs an AI upgrade. And the efforts to peek inside the black box that is the Large Language Model. Links: Microsoft’s new Copilot AI agents act like virtual employees to automate tasks (The Verge) Microsoft is bringing ‘Windows Volumetric Apps’ to Meta Quest headsets (The Verge) Wearable AI Startup Humane Explores Potential Sale, Sources Say (Bloomberg) Google Search’s New AI Overviews Will Soon Have Ads (Wired) Amazon plans to give Alexa an AI overhaul — and a monthly subscription price (CNBC) AI Is a Black Box. Anthropic Figured Out a Way to Look Inside (Wired) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are only 2 stories today, but they’re big ones. First, at an event yesterday, Microsoft showed off what they want the PC to look like in the AI era. Plus, this Recall app is super interesting. Then, look, it’s the Scarlett Johansson/OpenAI thing. It’s gotten weird. And more importantly, it’s continuing to highlight how OpenAI itself is… weird. Sponsors: Miro.com for 3 free boards! Links: The new, faster Surface Pro is Microsoft’s all-purpose AI PC (The Verge) Microsoft announces an Arm-powered Surface Laptop (The Verge) Microsoft unveils Copilot+ PCs with generative AI capabilities baked in (Engadget) Recall is Microsoft’s key to unlocking the future of PCs (The Verge) Scarlett Johansson says she was 'shocked, angered' when she heard OpenAI's voice that sounded like her (NBCNews) Midler v. Ford Motor Co. (Wikipedia) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No, that ChatGPT voice is not Scarlett Johansson, stop asking. In fact, that voice is going away. What does it mean if OpenAI’s entire superalignment team has gone away? Is Apple News+ the partner publishers have been waiting for? And if you want to be a digital nomad, you’ve got a lot of options these days. Sponsors: Pivotal Podcast To access The Washington Post for just 50 cents per week, head to WashingtonPost.com/ride Links: OpenAI to Pull Johansson Soundalike Sky’s Voice From ChatGPT (Bloomberg) What We Lose When ChatGPT Sounds Like Scarlett Johansson (NYTimes) Apple Needs to Evolve to Compete in the Artificial Intelligence Era (Bloomberg) OpenAI’s Long-Term AI Risk Team Has Disbanded (Wired) As clicks dry up for news sites, could Apple’s news app be a lifeline? (Semafor) Countries wooing corporate digital nomads hope to make them stay (FT) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As telegraphed for the last year, Reddit is going all in on being an all you can eat buffet for AI companies. Will new batteries give iPhones longer battery life like I want, or will they just make the phones thinner? A subtle but important improvement to ChatGPT and in the Longreads, a deep dive into what happened at Cruise. Links: OpenAI strikes deal to bring Reddit content to ChatGPT (Reuters) OpenAI strikes Reddit deal to train its AI on your posts (The Verge) Grand Theft Auto VI is launching in fall 2025 (The Verge) iPhone 16 Pro Max to get new battery that could last longer (AppleInsider) ChatGPT now lets you import files directly from Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive (VentureBeat) Twitter is officially X.com now (The Verge) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: In a single night, self-driving startup Cruise went from sizzling startup to cautionary tale. Here’s what really happened—and how GM is scrambling to save its $10B bet (Fortune) How cuddly robots could change dementia care (MIT Technology Review) Where Did All The Stocks Go? (Sherwood) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some AI companies want to go after web search. But by hiring an Instagram founder, is Anthropic going in a social or app direction? Will AI kill the carbon neutral ambitions of the major tech players? Will tech companies now have to onshore EMPLOYEES from China? And Netflix with ads? Definitely working. Links: EU launches probe into Meta over social media addiction in children (Financial Times) Instagram’s co-founder is Anthropic’s new chief product officer (The Verge) Android will be able to detect if your phone has been snatched (The Verge) Microsoft’s AI Push Imperils Climate Goal as Carbon Emissions Jump 30% (Bloomberg) Microsoft Asks Hundreds of China-Based AI Staff to Consider Relocating Amid U.S.-China Tensions (WSJ) Stability AI, Facing Cash Crunch, Discusses Sale (The Information) Netflix ad-supported tier has 40 million monthly users, nearly double previous count (CNBC) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All the announces from Google’s massive I/O event yesterday, including, yes, generative AI summaries are fully coming to Google Search. Plus, the camera-based AI system they teased that looks really cool. Ilya Sutskever officially leaves OpenAI. And is crypto the only place left where you can raise a billion-dollar seed round? Sponsors: Lumen.me code RIDE for $100 off Links: Google rolls out AI Overviews in US with more countries coming soon (SearchEngineLand) Can Google Give A.I. Answers Without Breaking the Web? (NYTimes) Google's Project Astra uses your phone's camera and AI to find noise makers, misplaced items and more. (Engadget) OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever says he will leave the startup (CNBC) TikTok creators sue U.S. government over potential ban (Washington Post) Humanity Protocol Becomes Crypto’s New Digital Identity Unicorn (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OpenAI unveils GPT-4o which makes Siri look like the technical cul-de-sac it very much is. But what does it mean that this was NOT GPT-5? What does it mean for the gaming industry that the PS5 might be underperforming? More streaming bundles. And the 2024 iPad refresh reviews. Sponsors: YahooFinance.com ConstantContact.com Links: OpenAI debuts GPT-4o ‘omni’ model now powering ChatGPT (TechCrunch) OpenAI debuts new model with enhanced real-time voice abilities (Axios) Tom Warren's PS5 sales Tweet Comcast to Launch Peacock, Netflix and Apple TV+ Bundle at a ‘Vastly Reduced Price’ (Variety) The new Apple iPad Air is great — but it’s not the one to get (The Verge) Apple iPad Pro (2024) review: the best kind of overkill (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, looks like my worries about solar weather being a threat to technology wasn’t just in my head. Ask farmers. Squarespace to go private. Raspberry Pi to go public? Waymo is setting some impressive records. And the new type of deal Apple and the other streamers want to offer Hollywood. Sponsors: ArcticWolf.com/techmeme Shopify.com/ride Links: Solar Storm Knocks Out Farmers' Tractor GPS Systems During Peak Planting Season (404Media) Website-design firm Squarespace to go private in $6.9 billion deal with Permira (Reuters) British tech firm Raspberry Pi lines up £500m float (The Times) Microsoft set to face EU competition charges over Teams software (Financial Times) Google’s Waymo Crosses 50,000 Paid Driverless Rides Per Week (The Information) Apple Nears Deal With OpenAI to Put ChatGPT on iPhone (Bloomberg) Apple, Netflix Amazon Want to Change How They Pay Hollywood Stars (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well that was fast. Apple apologized for the “Crush” Ad, saying they missed the mark on that one. Microsoft is launching a mobile game app store. Elevenlabs is getting into the music generating game. And of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Links: Apple apologizes for iPad ‘Crush’ ad that ‘missed the mark’ (The Verge) Apple doesn’t understand why you use technology (The Verge) Microsoft Plans Mobile-Game Store, Vying With Apple, Google (Bloomberg) Apple to Power AI Tools With In-House Server Chips This Year (Bloomberg) ElevenLabs previews music-generating AI model (VentureBeat) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Tim Cook Can’t Run Apple Forever. Who’s Next? (Bloomberg) World’s Biggest Construction Project Gets a Reality Check (WSJ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AlphaFold 3 is a new AI model to predict interactions and structures of proteins, the better to cure diseases and create medicine with. More cuts in Microsoft gaming. The community backlash erupting over at Stack Overflow. And that really weirdly tone deaf Apple commercial that has everyone so upset. Links: Google DeepMind unveils AI model for living cells (FT) Microsoft’s Xbox Is Planning More Cuts After Studio Closings (Bloomberg) Stack Overflow bans users en masse for rebelling against OpenAI partnership — users banned for deleting answers to prevent them being used to train ChatGPT (TomsHardware) Alphabet Progressing in Talks to Buy HubSpot, Sources Say (Bloomberg) That Weird Apple Ad "Crush!" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Multiple Bethesda studios are being shut down by Xbox and gamers are worried. The new Pixel phone announcement yesterday that probably nobody heard about. What if OpenAI decides to go after web search? And the surprising fact that FTX investors could be made whole, and then some. With interest! Links: Microsoft Closes Redfall Developer Arkane Austin, Hi-Fi Rush Developer Tango Gameworks, and More in Devastating Cuts at Bethesda (IGN) US revokes licences for supply of chips to China’s Huawei (Financial Times) Exclusive: In Tesla Autopilot probe, US prosecutors focus on securities, wire fraud (Reuters) Google’s New $500 Pixel 8A Smartphone Will Get 7 Years of Software Updates (Wired) OpenAI Is Readying a Search Product to Rival Google, Perplexity (Bloomberg) TikTok Sues U.S. Government Over Law Forcing Sale or Ban (NYTimes) FTX Has Billions More Than Needed to Pay Bankruptcy Victims (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All the headlines from today’s Spring Apple event. New iPads? M4 chip? I don’t actually know cause I’m recording this bit beforehand. I can tell you Apple might make its own server chips tho. Nintendo has outlined plans to replace the Switch. And Microsoft is training its own high-end LLM, separate from OpenAI. Links: Apple Is Developing AI Chips for Data Centers, Seeking Edge in Arms Race (WSJ) Nintendo Teases Long-Awaited Switch Successor as Profit Slides (Bloomberg) Meet MAI-1: Microsoft Readies New AI Model to Compete With Google, OpenAI (The Information) Amazon’s Delivery Drones Won’t Fly in Arizona’s Summer Heat (Wired) China hacked Ministry of Defence, Sky News learns (SkyNews) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack Dorsey abandoned Twitter and now he’s abandoned Bluesky as well. YouTube rolls out Jump Ahead. Threads launches post quote controls. More than 40 thousand books on Audible are now voiced by AI. The Air Force is planning more than a thousand AI fighter jets by the end of the decade. And if you’re listening to this on Apple Podcasts, please listen to the end for an important announcement. Sponsors: 1Password.com/ride MackWeldon.com promocode: ride Links: Jack Dorsey departs Bluesky board (TechCrunch) YouTube's AI-powered 'Jump Ahead' feature rolling out widely to Premium users (AndroidAuthority) Farewell, dunks? Threads launches quote controls for all users (TechCrunch) AI-Voiced Audiobooks Top 40,000 Titles on Audible (Bloomberg) An AI-controlled fighter jet took the Air Force leader for a historic ride. What that means for war (AP) Hugging Face launches LeRobot open source robotics code library (VentureBeat) Washed Out’s new music video was created with AI. Is it a watershed moment for Sora? (LATimes) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple earnings are out and revenue was down almost everywhere. Boy, AI can’t come fast enough for them. Did you know you can send Bluetooth signals to satellites in space? The full Rabbit R1 reviews turned out exactly how we expected. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads suggestions. Links: Apple Sales Fall as iPhone, China Businesses Remain Sluggish (WSJ) FDA Qualifies Apple’s AFib History feature as an MDDT (MyHealthyApple) Hubble Network makes Bluetooth connection with a satellite for the first time (TechCrunch) Coinbase’s First-Quarter Profit, Revenue Top Forecasts (Bloomberg) Rabbit R1 review: nothing to see here (The Verge) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: The Revenge of the Home Page (The New Yorker) Nick Bostrom Made the World Fear AI. Now He Asks: What if It Fixes Everything? (Wired) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The music is back on TikTok with a new deal struck. Maybe a third of Americans were affected by that Change Healthcare hack. Why are companies suddenly cutting teams you’d think would be sacred cows? Airbnb wants you to stay in the house from the movie Up. And we finally know just how much Google pays Apple for the search default in iOS. Sponsors: Kolide.com/ride Links: TikTok and Universal Music Group Settle Royalty Dispute With New Licensing Agreement (Variety) UnitedHealthcare CEO says ‘maybe a third’ of US citizens were affected by recent hack (TechCrunch) UnitedHealth CEO tells lawmakers the company paid hackers a $22 million ransom (CNBC) Google lays off hundreds of ‘Core’ employees, moves some positions to India and Mexico (CNBC) Amazon-backed Anthropic launches iPhone app and business tier to compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT (CNBC) In Latest Stunt, Airbnb Lists the ‘Up’ House. It Floats. (NYTimes) Google’s Payments to Apple Reached $20 Billion in 2022, Antitrust Court Documents Show (Bloomberg) Microsoft Concern Over Google’s Lead Drove OpenAI Investment (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Binance founder CZ looks like he’s heading to jail too, but for way less time than SBF. Is the Rabbit R1 just a fancy device for a glorified Android app? Has OpenAI floated a secret pre-release of GPT5? And finally, so much has happened, I decided we had to do an omnibus catch up with what’s going on in the world of Elon. Links: Binance founder Changpeng Zhao sentenced to four months in prison (The Verge) Rabbit R1, a thing that should just be an app, actually is just an Android app (Updated) (Android Authority) Powerful New Chatbot Disappears as Mysteriously as It Arrived (Gizmodo) Tesla conducting more layoffs, including entire Supercharger team (Electrek) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The FCC has fined all the major telecom companies. You’ll never guess why. Why the DMA actions from the EU might be a constant thing. Devs, how about an AI-powered IDE? You’ll never guess why Peacock thinks it can raise prices again. And is Marquess Brownlee right about underbaked hardware releases? Sponsors: ZocDoc.com/techmeme ConstantContact.com Links: FCC fines AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon nearly $200 million for illegally sharing location data (The Verge) Meta Risks EU Fines Over Kremlin Lies on Facebook, Instagram (Bloomberg) How an empty S3 bucket can make your AWS bill explode (Maciej Pocwierz) Copilot Workspace is GitHub’s take on AI-powered software engineering (TechCrunch) Peacock Hikes Subscription Prices Ahead of 2024 Paris Olympics (The Hollywood Reporter) Rabbit R1 Review (MKBHD) Marques Brownlee slams another AI product as “barely reviewable” after Humane AI Pin controversy (Dexerto) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple continues discussions with folks to partner for AI product. Will the upcoming iPad event kick off Apple’s AI strategy? Why does spending on AI seem to work for Google and Microsoft but not for Meta? Why were a bunch of Apple users signed out of their accounts this weekend? And has AI already ruined Meta’s family of apps? Sponsors: CutsClothing.com/RIDE, promocode RIDE for 20% off YahooFinance.com Links: Apple Intensifies Talks With OpenAI for iPhone Generative AI Features (Bloomberg) Apple Rivals Retool to Challenge the iPhone and Vision Pro (Bloomberg) Investors Cheer AI Spending Boom in Big Tech—Just Not at Meta (WSJ) The Financial Times and OpenAI strike content licensing deal (Financial Times) Apple users are being locked out of their Apple IDs with no explanation (9to5Mac) AI is making Meta's apps basically unusable (Fast Company) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Net Neutrality has been voted back into existence. Earnings from Microsoft and Google, but it’s the YouTube numbers that continue to impress me. ByteDance claims it would rather be banned than sell US TikTok. The Onion finds a benevolent billionaire. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Links: F.C.C. Votes to Restore Net Neutrality Rules (NYTimes) Google parent announces first-ever dividend; beats on sales, profit; shares soar (Reuters) OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Other Tech Leaders to Serve on AI Safety Board (WSJ) Exclusive: ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in US if legal options fail, sources say (Reuters) The Onion Is Sold by G/O Media (NYTimes) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: The Chips Act has been surprisingly successful so far (Financial Times) Why You Can’t Get a Restaurant Reservation (The New Yorker) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meta’s earnings were fine, but it’s what Zuck warned about spending that has Wall Street nervous. Sub 2nm chips are on their way. An AI startup has a big new raise after its big raise just a month ago. Google Meet lets you jump devices. And the first reviews of the Rabbit R1 are out. Links: Zuckerberg Asks for Patience as Meta’s AI Push Spooks Market (Bloomberg) Zuckerberg says it will take Meta years to make money from generative AI (The Verge) TSMC aims to produce ultra-advanced 1.6-nm chips by 2026 (NikkeiAsia) Six-Month-Old AI Coding Startup Valued at $2 Billion by Founders Fund (The Information) Google Meet will let you transfer calls between web and phone with ‘Switch here’ (9to5Google) A morning with the Rabbit R1: a fun, funky, unfinished AI gadget (The Verge) Rabbit R1 hands-on: Already more fun and accessible than the Humane AI Pin (Engadget) Rabbit’s R1 is a little AI gadget that grows on you (TechCrunch) First Ones videos on YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The TikTok divestment bill has probably already been signed into law. What happens now? What are the legal arguments that this thing can stick? What about things like, you know, the First Amendment? Also, ads in Windows? Time to take Meta’s RayBan smartglasses seriously? And what it’s like to use AI inside of Instagram. Links: Senate passes TikTok ban bill, sending it to President Biden’s desk (The Verge) TikTok Ban Looms With Biden Poised to Start 270-Day Countdown (Bloomberg) How the TikTok ban could survive a court challenge (Platformer) Windows 11 Start menu ads are now rolling out to everyone (The Verge) The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses get video calling, Apple Music, and a new style (The Verge) Meta’s A.I. Assistant Is Fun to Use, but It Can’t Be Trusted (NYTimes) "First Ones" YouTube Videos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Microsoft has launched new lightweight AI models. Perplexity has a big new raise. Meta wants other people to build Quest headsets. Another reason Apple needs to find new revenue. And if Congress really is going to ban TikTok, are they ever going to tell us exactly why? Links: Microsoft launches Phi-3, its smallest AI model yet (The Verge) Meta Expands Its Mixed Reality Beyond the Quest Headsets (CNET) Meta wants to be the Microsoft of headsets (The Verge) China Smartphone Sales Remain in Black on Huawei, HONOR, Xiaomi Outperformance (Counterpoint) AI Search Startup Perplexity Valued at $1 Billion in Funding Round (Bloomberg) Adobe’s new Firefly model makes it easier to use Photoshop’s AI tools (The Verge) If TikTok Is Such a Threat, Show Us the Receipts (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I know we’ve said this before, but TikTok really seems on the brink this time. What the heck is going on with Tesla? Tinder wants you to share your date. Streamers want you to stop dating around and playing the field. An open-source smarthome standard. And again, do we really need standalone AI devices when we already have smartphones? Links: TikTok ‘ban’ passes in the House again, moving to the Senate in foreign aid package (The Verge) Tesla lowers price of ‘Full Self-Driving’ to $8,000, down from $12,000 (Electrek) Tinder gets a ‘Share My Date’ feature for users to send date plans to their curious friends (TechCrunch) Americans’ New TV Habit: Subscribe. Watch. Cancel. Repeat. (NYTimes) The little smart home platform that could (The Verge) The future of AI gadgets is just phones (The Verge) Space Ghost Coast To Coast Marathon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meta released Llama 3 yesterday, and some of the moves they made have made be consider if Zuck could win these first AI wars. Is Zuck also getting aggressive in VR? Why Apple had to take down the WhatsApp and Threads apps in China. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Links: Meta’s battle with ChatGPT begins now (The Verge) Meta, in Its Biggest A.I. Push, Places Smart Assistants Across Its Apps (NYTimes) Meta gives the Quest 2 its second permanent price cut in four months (Engadget) Cool or creepy? Microsoft's VASA-1 is a new AI model that turns photos into 'talking faces' (Tom's Guide) China Orders Apple to Remove Popular Messaging Apps (WSJ) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: How Perfectly Can Reality Be Simulated? (The New Yorker) The Life and Death of Hollywood (Harper's Magazine) How Neopets’ nostalgic revival tripled users in six months (The Guardian) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google has fired 28 employees for political protests yesterday. A well-known coding school has been fined by the CFPB. Game emulators come to the iPhone. TikTok’s Instagram clone is rolling out. Has Sony perfecting Mini LED TVs? And the Atlas robot has been reborn in a new body! Links: Google fires 28 employees after sit-in protest over Israel cloud contract (The Verge) Consumer Financial Protection Bureau fines BloomTech for false claims (TechCrunch) Third-party iPhone app store AltStore PAL is now live in Europe (The Verge) TikTok Notes starts rolling out as a new rival to Instagram (The Verge) US Air Force confirms first successful AI dogfight (The Verge) Sony might have perfected Mini LED TVs with its new 2024 lineup (The Verge) Boston Dynamics’ Atlas humanoid robot goes electric (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

T-Mobile and Verizon employees are being offered bribes for SIM swaps. How much coding copilots have taken over. How much would you value Mistral or Cohere in the LLM race? How popular has Airchat gotten? How big has Amazon Prime gotten? And one of the original modern robots is being retired. Links: T-Mobile, Verizon workers get texts offering $300 for SIM swaps (BleepingComputer) Microsoft’s AI Copilot Is Starting to Automate the Coding Industry (Bloomberg) Mistral, an OpenAI Rival in Europe, in Talks to Raise Capital at a $5 Billion Valuation (The Information) Invitation-Only Audio Social Network Is the Hot New App in Tech Circles (Bloomberg) Musk’s Starlink Cracks Down on Growing Black Market (WSJ) Amazon Prime Memberships in US Gain 8% to New High After Lull (Bloomberg) Atlas shrugged: Boston Dynamics retires its hydraulic humanoid robot (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Microsoft continues to spread its AI bets. Disney wants to bring back tv channels. YouTube is not gonna let you block ads. What did Humane get wrong with the AI Pin? And can Limitless do any better with its AI Pendant? Sponsors: MackWeldon.com, promocode ride YahooFinance.com Links: Microsoft to invest $1.5bn in Abu Dhabi AI group G42 (Financial Times) To Keep Viewers, Disney Plans a New Streaming Concept: Old-Style TV Channels (The Information) YouTube cracking down on third-party apps that block ads (9to5Google) YouTube Accounted for Nearly 10% of All TV Viewing in March, Nielsen Says (TheWrap) Oh the Humanity (Sandofsky.com) Limitless is a new AI tool for your meetings — and an all-hearing wearable gadget (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Really looks like high-end re-shoring of chip tech is happening, and happening soon. What if satellite telephony becomes a table-stakes smartphone feature? Get ready for the bitcoin halving. Does anyone have invites to Airchat? And get ready for 4TB, yes, TB, SD cards. Sponsors: Shopify.com/ride ArcticWolf.com/techmeme Links: Samsung boosts Joe Biden’s chipmaking ambitions with Texas plant upgrade (Financial Times) Exclusive: Google Pixel 9 series to get emergency satellite connectivity, new modem (Android Authority) Bitcoin ‘Halving’ Will Deal a $10 Billion Blow to Crypto Miners (Bloomberg) ChatGPT essay cheats are a menace to us all (Financial Times) Naval Ravikant’s Airchat is a social app built around talk, not text (TechCrunch) 4TB SD cards are arriving in 2025 for your cameras and laptops (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now a big business intelligence company has been breached. Do you get the sense that people are laying the groundwork for something? Google discontinues a product, but this time, its probably our fault. M4 chips are coming from Apple. OpenAI continues to be the drama queen of Silicon Valley. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Links: US government urges Sisense customers to reset credentials after hack (TechCrunch) Google One VPN will be discontinued, Pixel VPN remains with upgrade coming (9to5Google) X’s Premium users can no longer hide their blue checks (The Verge) Apple Plans to Overhaul Entire Mac Line With AI-Focused M4 Chips (Bloomberg) OpenAI Researchers, Including Ally of Sutskever, Fired for Alleged Leaking (The Information) Is Google's AI Actually Discovering 'Millions of New Materials?' (404 Media) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: AI-Music Arms Race: Meet Udio, the Other ChatGPT for Music (RollingStone) How Bluey Became a $2 Billion Smash Hit—With an Uncertain Future (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple is notifying people their iPhones may have been compromised. Spotify wants you to mix up your music. Adobe is paying handsomely for videos. And the biggest new gadget review event in a long time. Link: Apple alerts users in 92 nations to mercenary spyware attacks (TechCrunch) Spotify Plans New Remixing Tools for the TikTok Generation (WSJ) Adobe Is Buying Videos for $3 Per Minute to Build AI Model (Bloomberg) Humane AI Pin review: not even close (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices