Tech Brew Ride Home

Weirdly, this turned into a sort of education on VC and startup investing episode? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Sponsors: Wix.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The trend of re-onshoring silicon production domestically and Intel’s turnaround plans collide in a way that is very good for Ohio. Twitter will let you NFT-up your profile picture. Google’s doing the AR headset thing too. That Apple education discount has gotten harder to spoof. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: DeVry.edu/engineering EditorX.com Links: Exclusive: Intel Reveals Plans for Massive New Ohio Factory, Fighting the Chip Shortage Stateside (Time) Twitter Embraces NFTs With New Profile-Picture Feature (WSJ) GOOGLE IS BUILDING AN AR HEADSET (The Verge) Netflix Falls Short of Q4 Subscriber Target, Stock Tumbles on Weak Forecast (Variety) We regret to inform you that Apple now verifies anyone asking for educational discounts (The Verge) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: How Did ID.me Get Between You and Your Identity? (Bloomberg Businessweek) The SPAC Ship Is Sinking. Investors Want Their Money Back. (WSJ) THE INSIDE STORY OF IBEER, THE UNDERDOG BEER APP THAT MADE MILLIONS (MelMagazine) The Rise of A.I. Fighter Pilots (The New Yorker) How Tumblr Became Popular for Being Obsolete (The New Yorker) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meta is working on NFTs for Instagram and Facebook while Google is starting a blockchain team. Instagram Subscriptions launches. Google Play Games launches on Windows. Amazon launches its first physical fashion store. And why, by this summer, you will only be able to pay the IRS your taxes online by doxing yourself? Sponsors: NewRelic.com/techmeme Wix.com Links: Facebook owner Meta dives into NFT digital collectibles craze (FT) Google Forms Blockchain Group Under Newly Appointed Executive (Bloomberg) Instagram launches early test of creator subscriptions in the US (TechCrunch) Google Play Games for PC starts limited beta for Android games on Windows, sharing system requirements (Android Police) Amazon to try another tech-infused retail concept with ‘Amazon Style,’ its first physical fashion store (GeekWire) Crypto.com Says Regulators Haven’t Reached Out After Hack (Bloomberg) Web3 ‘Proof of attendance’ startup raises $10M to mint shared memories as NFTs (TechCrunch) IRS Will Require Facial Recognition Scans to Access Your Taxes Online (Gizmodo) IRS Will Soon Require Selfies for Online Access (KrebsonSecurity) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today is the big day for the showdown between 5G and the airlines. Nobody’s blinked yet, but both sides have sort of blinked. An interesting raise in the NFT space. And I’ve heard of autonomous road cars, but autonomous rail cars? More fallout from the Activision/Microsoft tie-up, and how literally fallout from that undersea volcano may have knocked Tonga off the internet. Sponsors: EditorX.com do.co/trh Links: Airlines Cancel Some Flights Ahead of U.S. 5G Wireless Launch (WSJ) Major airlines cancel, change flights to US over 5G dispute (AP) Coinbase NFT Marketplace Will Enable Purchases With Mastercard (Decrypt) OpenSea confirms acquisition of Dharma, sets sights on fiat onramps (The Block) Michael Jordan, Multicoin Back Solana NFT Firm Metaplex in $46M Round (Decrypt) Former SpaceX engineers bring autonomous, electric rail vehicle startup out of stealth (TechCrunch) Activision Blizzard’s Workplace Problems Spurred $75 Billion Microsoft Deal (WSJ) Microsoft is buying one of the biggest names in games — if Washington lets it (Recode) Tonga’s volcano blast cut it off from the world. Here’s what it will take to get it reconnected. (MIT Technology Review) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Microsoft is buying Activision Blizzard in the biggest gaming acquisition of all time. Partially this is a metaverse play, but meanwhile, Meta is quietly locking down all the metaverse patents. Crypto.com halts withdrawals on its platform but insists it hasn’t been hacked. And why are countries encouraging their athletes to use burner phones when they attend the upcoming Olympics? Sponsors: Streak.com/techmeme EditorX.com Links: Microsoft to buy Activision in $68.7 billion all-cash deal (CNBC) Activision Blizzard Games Will Come To Xbox Game Pass As Part Of Acquisition (PureXbox) Facebook patents reveal how it intends to cash in on metaverse (Financial Times) Crypto.com Suffers Hack for At Least $15M in Ethereum (Decrypt) Samsung begins mass production of Exynos 2200 smartphone processor (ZDNet) Cross-country Exposure - Analysis of the MY2022 Olympics app (Citizenlab.ca) Olympic burner phones? Athletes warned about bringing personal devices to China for 2022 Beijing Games (USAToday) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

... and I'm not just talking about the hosts! Myself, Chris, and about a dozen listeners kick around the latest apps, tools, platforms and other things we use to GTD. Sponsors: Wix.com Some of the books I mention at the end: A Short History Of Nearly Everything The Infinite Machine: How an Army of Crypto-hackers Is Building the Next Internet with Ethereum Rocket Billionaires: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the New Space Race Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russia has cracked down on REvil? Question-mark? Investing in crypto is so hot, FTX has launched its own monster venture fund. Why has the Android 12 rollout been such a disaster so far? How long is the Cybertruck going to be delayed? And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: EditorX.com Napjitsu.com/techmeme Links: Russia takes down REvil hacking group at U.S. request - FSB (Reuters) Crypto Exchange FTX Sets Up $2 Billion Venture Fund (WSJ) "You Don't Own Web3": A Coinbase Curse and How VCs Sell Crypto to Retail (Startups And Econ) GOOGLE’S ANDROID 12 UPDATE HAS BEEN THE ROCKIEST IN YEARS (The Verge) Tesla delays Cybertruck to early 2023, says reportTesla delays Cybertruck to early 2023, says report (The Verge) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Remembering VRML: The Metaverse of 1995 (How To Geek) After the Beanie Baby bubble burst (Vox) Crypto Firms Gear Up for Battles Over New Rules in Washington (Bloomberg) Xbox players are fed up with forced crossplay against PC gamers (The Verge) Academics want to preserve video games. The game industry is fighting them in court. (The Washington Post) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple indeed is removing Wordle clones, but PUBG sues them for NOT removing what they allege are clones of their game. Does Google Analytics run afoul of GDPR? China is going to do NFTs, NOT on the blockchain. And will the new Nuro bot bring me my burrito? Sponsors: RealVision.com/techmeme DeVry.edu/engineering Links: Apple Removes Wordle Apps Fueled by Confused Users (Bloomberg) Game maker says Apple, Google selling rip-offs in new lawsuit (Reuters) In bad news for US cloud services, Austrian website’s use of Google Analytics found to breach GDPR (TechCrunch) Canalys: Worldwide PC shipments soared in 2021 to 341 million units (TechCrunch) Instagram, still benefiting from TikTok’s ban in India, again became the top app by downloads in Q4 (TechCrunch) China to create own NFT industry based on state-backed blockchain infrastructure, main developer says (South China Morning Post) Nuro’s newest autonomous delivery bot is designed for the masses (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The FTC gets a second shot at Meta, after a judge okays their lawsuit edit. Samsung ghost on its own event. The state of the mobile app economy. Is cloning Wordle to release an app ok or not? And the new app at the top of the App Store that definitely comes from the, why didn’t I think of that file. Sponsors: EditorX.com Links: ‘Second time lucky?’ FTC’s case against Facebook can move forward, federal judge rules. (Washington Post) Samsung no-showed on its major Exynos 2200 launch [Update: Samsung speaks] (Ars Technica) Samsung Electronics to Unveil Exynos 2200 AP on Launch Day of Galaxy 22 (BusinessKorea) App Annie: Global app stores’ consumer spend up 19% to $170B in 2021, downloads grew 5% to 230B (TechCrunch) The Wordle clones have disappeared from the App Store (The Verge) Locket, an app for sharing photos to friends’ homescreens, hits the top of the App Store (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Moxie Marlinspike is stepping down as CEO of Signal, and Brian Acton is stepping up. For now. Y Combinator is getting more generous with the investment it makes in its cohort companies. Carriers aren’t pleased with Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service. And another day, another headline like: the Associated Press is getting into NFTs. Sponsors: do.co/trh Wix.com Links: Moxie Marlinspike has stepped down as CEO of Signal (The Verge) Y Combinator’s New Deal Sparks Fear in Seed Investors (The Information) T-Mobile begins blocking iPhone users from enabling iCloud Private Relay in the US [U] (9to5Mac) Apple Highlights Services in 2021, Recaps Upcoming Features Like IDs on iPhone (MacRumors) The Associated Press is starting its own NFT marketplace for photojournalism (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Take-Two takes out Zynga for $12.7 billion dollars. The SEC wants private unicorn companies to report more financial details. The open source developer who borked a bunch of projects to protest working for the man, I guess. And the weekend Web3 debate between Moxie Marlinspike and Vitalic Buterin. Sponsors: Grammarly.com/techmeme EditorX.com Links: Take-Two to acquire mobile gaming giant Zynga for $12.7B (TechCrunch) SEC Pushes for More Transparency From Private Companies (WSJ) Matter was a major star at CES 2022, but can it maintain its shine? (The Verge) Dev corrupts NPM libs 'colors' and 'faker' breaking thousands of apps (BleepingComputer) My first impressions of web3 (Moxie.org) Response From Vitalic Buterin on Reddit Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our first ever Portfolio Profile, of the first investment the Ride Home Fund ever made! Sensel! As you’ll hear, touch technology as a key layer in computing interface and interaction is about to undergo a major generational leap forward, and Sensel is at the bleeding edge of this transformation. Not only is there a good chance that the next laptop you buy will have Sensel technology inside, but you’ll hear how Sensel’s tech could come to smartphones soon, to medical devices, to automobiles. In essence, Senel’s tech has the potential to radically transform how we interact with computers all across the real world, and even provide a key foundational layer as we build out the metaverse. Sponsors: My First Million Podcast Wix.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sonos beats Google in trade court. E3 is going remote again this year. Mozilla is the latest company to suffer crypto backlash. Are foldable laptops the future? And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions, this week with a profile of the programmer behind Wordle. Sponsors: Wealthfront.com/techmeme EditorX.com Links: Google Infringed on Sonos Speaker Technology, Trade Court Rules (NYTimes) E3 shifts to online-only event because of Omicron concerns (GamesBeat) Mozilla pauses accepting crypto donations following backlash (The Verge) Asus will release a 17-inch foldable OLED laptop this year (The Verge) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: CES 2022 was the best auto show in years (CNET) Can You Really Tell the Difference Between 4K and 8K? (Gizmodo) The Pixel Art Revolution Will Be Televised (Wired) Banks Tiptoe Toward Their Cloud-Based Future (NYTimes) The Danger of Leaving Weather Prediction to AI (Wired) Wordle Is a Love Story (NYTimes) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google’s big announce at CES is better syncing and interoperability with everything. Instagram is launching their feed experiment. IBM might be looking to dump Watson. Ethereum has the most developers in crypto. And you know startups have been awash in money lately, here’s exactly how much. Sponsors: Masterworks.io/ride Coinbase.com/techmeme Links: Google is working to improve Windows and Android integration (Engadget) Google will spend 2022 trying to match Apple’s ecosystem integrations (The Verge) Instagram testing three new feed sorting choices, including chronological options (9to5Mac) HTC is launching a VR wrist tracker for its Vive Focus 3 headset (The Verge) Scoop: IBM tries to sell Watson Health again (Axios) Electric Capital Developer Report (2021) (Electric Capital) Crypto Crime Trends for 2022: Illicit Transaction Activity Reaches All-Time High in Value, All-Time Low in Share of All Cryptocurrency Activity (Chainalysis) US start-ups raise record $330bn as venture investors vie for stakes (FT) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let’s stand in front of the firehose of CES news. Sony details its new VR headset for PlayStations. Chip news from Intel, from Nvidia, from AMD, from Microsoft and Qualcomm. Two really big interesting raises, and a new autonomous tractor allows us to talk about John Deere, for the first time ever, I believe. Sponsors: RealVision.com/techmeme EditorX.com Links: Sony confirms PlayStation VR2’s specs, first official game (ArsTechnica) Intel Says New Core i9 Processor for Laptops is Faster Than Apple's M1 Max Chip (MacRumors) Nvidia unveils GeForce RTX 3050, 3070 Ti, 3080 Ti, and 3090 Ti graphics cards (GamesBeat) Nvidia still has no idea how to pronounce the name of its best gaming GPU (The Verge) AMD unveils Ryzen 6000 Series processors for laptops (GamesBeat) Qualcomm and Microsoft are partnering on chips for future AR glasses (CNET) John Deere's Self-Driving Tractor Stirs Debate on AI in Farming (Wired) OpenSea valued at $13.3 billion in new round of venture funding. (NYTimes) Visual collaboration company Miro valued at $17.5B following $400M in new funding (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple becomes the world’s first $3 Trillion dollar company. Samsung unveils its latest budget flagship smartphone. AT&T and Verizon delay their controversial 5G rollout while Verizon and T-Mobile end their controversial Apple rebate program. And a trip down the aisles at CES, including a smart collar for your dog and a gadget to bring home hair coloring into the 21st century. Sponsors: Do.co/trh Wix.com Links: Apple becomes first U.S. company to reach $3 trillion market cap (CNBC) The Galaxy S21 FE officially joins Samsung’s crowded midrange lineup (The Verge) Verizon, AT&T agree to FAA's request for a two-week delay on 5G expansion plans (CNET) Verizon and T-Mobile Discontinue iPad Rebate Program Following Widespread Customer Complaints [Updated] (MacRumors) Version two of TCL’s wearable display glasses are lighter and less dorky-looking (The Verge) Are we ready for the smart front door? Masonite thinks so (The Verge) This smart collar wants to be an Apple Watch for your dog (The Verge) L’Oreal's precision hair coloring device is the end of home dye job disasters (Input) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CES kicks off with some major Samsung TV announcements, as per usual. Are we about to get the biggest MacBook Air redesign in history? Did Oculus (and VR generally) have a big holiday season? And does OpenSea helping folks get back their stolen NFTs point to the reality of decentralization in the NFT market? Sponsors: OurCrowd.com/ride Editor-X.com Links: Samsung’s new 2022 TVs bring Nvidia GeForce Now and Google Stadia gaming (The Verge) Samsung promises ‘groundbreaking’ new TV feature: NFT support (The Verge) Samsung shows off new monitors - including world's first 4K 240Hz gaming monitor (TechRadar) Kuo: AirPods Pro 2 to Feature Lossless Support and Sound-Emitting Charging Case (MacRumors) Apple Set to Step Up Product Launches in 2022 After Modest 2021 (Bloomberg) Metaverse Needs More Than VR Christmas Bump (WSJ) China gaming crackdown: freeze on new video game licences extends into 2022 as 14,000 gaming-related firms shut down (SCMP) Airlines Warn of Flight Delays as AT&T, Verizon Balk at 5G Delay (Bloomberg) OpenSea freezes $2.2M of stolen Bored Apes (CoinTelegraph) How NFTs became a $40bn market in 2021 (FT) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Might want to doublecheck if your LastPass master password is safe. Apple has issued stock to try to retain a bunch of their key talent. Google is dangling investments in front of startups to try to win their cloud business. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: DTCnewsletter.co enterprise.spectrum.com/techmeme Links: LastPass users warned their master passwords are compromised (BleepingComputer) Apple Aims to Prevent Defections to Meta With Rare $180,000 Bonuses for Top Talent (Bloomberg) Google and Tech Rivals Tap Cash Reserves to Realize Cloud Ambitions (WSJ) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: How Discord, Born From an Obscure Game, Became a Social Hub for Young People (NYTimes) Here’s why streaming services are always duking it out over channels (The Verge) How Shopify Outfoxed Amazon to Become the Everywhere Store (Bloomberg Businessweek) We Are at the Dawn of the Age of Physics-Supplied Energy (Wired) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

China is pissed at Elon Musk cause of his Starlink satellites. Xiaomi’s new smartphones. The delivery robots taking over college campuses. The three fund companies that made fully 12% of all venture investments this year. And why cybersecurity companies are the hot startup sector as we head into the new year. Sponsors: Coinbase.com/techmeme Schwab.com/plan Links: China berates US after ‘close encounters’ with Elon Musk satellites (The Guardian) Xiaomi 12 and 12 Pro debut with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipsets, Xiaomi 12X comes with SD870 (GSMArena) Sidewalk Robots Find Foothold on College Campuses (Bloomberg Businessweek) How Tiger Global, SoftBank Vision Fund And Insight Partners Changed The Venture Landscape In 2021 (Crunchbase News) Truly Terrible Performers Multiply Among Startups Taking SPAC Route To Market (Crunchbase News) Record Number Of VC-Backed Cyber Companies Acquired in 2021, Even As Venture Funding Hits New Highs (Crunchbase News) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gibraltar wants to add crypto to its stock exchange. The complicated truth about how successful Alexa has been as a product for Amazon. It was a big year for decentralized exchanges, but an even bigger one for centralized ones. And the story behind that SOS token drop that happened on Christmas Day. Sponsors: RadPowerBikes.com DTCNewsletter.co Links: ‘Blockchain Rock’: Gibraltar moves to become world’s first cryptocurrency hub (The Guardian) Amazon’s Alexa Stalled With Users as Interest Faded, Documents Show (Bloomberg) Decentralized exchanges saw over $1 trillion in trading volume this year (The Block) Centralized crypto exchanges saw over $14 trillion in trading volume this year (The Block) Everything You Need to Know About OpenDAO’s SOS Token Airdrop for OpenSea Users (Decrypt) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First we talk to the Spatial folks about pivoting in Web3. Then, the top tech stories of the year, as picked by you. Sponsors: Dataiku.com FindYourFidelity.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some big names pull out of CES at the last minute. TikTok is now the most popular destination in all the Internet. Justin Kan’s new NFT platform got hacked before even launching. Why my beloved Arsenal is in trouble for offering tokens. And Elon Musk comes out swinging against Web3 and the Metaverse. Sponsors: DTCNewsletter.co Streak.com/techmeme Links: Amazon, Meta Scrap CES Plans in Las Vegas After Covid Surge (Bloomberg) In 2021, the Internet went for TikTok, space and beyond (CloudFlare Blog) Americans widely distrust Facebook, TikTok and Instagram with their data, poll finds (Washington Post) Justin Kan’s NFT platform suffers rocky debut as scammer makes off with $150K in user funds (TechCrunch) Arsenal fan token posts broke advertising rules, says watchdog (BBCNews) Elon Musk: metaverse isn’t ‘compelling’ and Web3 ‘more marketing than reality’ (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I do my best to give you all the angles on the cold tech civil war concerning Web3 that has been bubbling under the surface for a while now but burst out in the open overnight. Interesting raises in the crypto space and interesting data on investment in the space. An interesting CEO departure and a CEO who maybe never really stepped down. And a look at satellite internet speeds. Sponsors: Schwab.com/plan Directtoconsumer.co Links: Jack Dorsey Stirs Uproar by Dismissing Web3 as a Venture Capitalists’ Plaything (Bloomberg) The New Get-Rich-Faster Job in Silicon Valley: Crypto Start-Ups (NYTimes) OnlyFans Names Marketing Chief Ami Gan as CEO; Founder Steps Down (Bloomberg) Zhang Yiming Still Oversees ByteDance, Despite Stepping Back (The Information) Starlink Expands but Q3 2021 Performance Flattens in Some Areas (SpeedTest.net) The article featuring Chris and I talking about the Twitter Spaces: How the Copycats Came for Clubhouse (NYTimes) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Could a new 5G system lead the FCC to ground flights around some major metropolitan areas? Chipmakers are busting a gut to try to build out capacity. To what degree is Siri holding back Apple? A longtime Metaverse startup you should maybe have your eyes on. And is Microsoft best positioned to realize the Metaverse? Sponsors: RadPowerBikes.com Coinbase.com/techmeme Links: Airlines Brace for Flight Restrictions in 5G Standoff (WSJ) Semi CapEx to Hit $152 Billion in 2021 (AnandTech) Apple Should Make a Giant iPad as Its Smart Home Portal (Bloomberg) Rec Room raises $145M at a $3.5B valuation for its user-generated, immersive gaming platform (TechCrunch) Why Xbox's Phil Spencer thinks Minecraft is a blueprint for the metaverse (Protocol) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple really is going to try to make all its gadget components itself, isn’t it? The deeper reason why the Biden administration doesn’t want you investing in Chinese tech. More on the brewing war between the gamers and the NFTers. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: VPLS.com/goit Streak.com/techmeme Links: Apple Builds New Team in Southern California to Bring More Wireless Chips In-House (Bloomberg) Biden administration concerned about U.S. investments in Chinese tech companies with military or surveillance ties (Washington Post) FTC Slows Meta Platforms’ Metaverse Strategy By Extending Antitrust Probe of VR Deal (The Information) Players invest $54M in Molyneux’s NFT game Legacy in hopes of earning even more (ArsTechnica) S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 will no longer have NFTs after fan outcry (The Verge) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: THE METAVERSE IS ALREADY HERE — AND IT’S FULL OF POKEMON, SAYS NIANTIC CEO JOHN HANKE (The Verge) The ‘To the Moon’ Crash Is Coming (Motherboard) Strange, horny game ads are flooding social media. I accidentally became obsessed (The Guardian) MATTER’S PLAN TO SAVE THE SMART HOME (The Verge) Computers Revolutionized Chess. Magnus Carlsen Wins by Being Human (WSJ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reddit finally files to go public. Is Apple once again the canary in the coal mine, this time for Omicron? HR Block sues Square cause Square is now Block. Get it? The biggest investing star of Web3 is starting her own fund. And a look at the battery technology breakthrough the could transform all our lives. Sponsors: HeyLaika.com/techmeme Dataiku.com Links: Reddit Files Confidentially for IPO (WSJ) Apple Scraps Office-Return Deadline Without Setting New Date (Bloomberg) H&R Block Sues Block, Formerly Square, for Trademark Infringement (WSJ) Adidas Originals launches NFTs and buys a plot in the Sandbox metaverse (VentureBeat) Scoop: Crypto investor Katie Haun leaving Andreessen Horowitz (Axios) Solid-State Batteries Are Here and They're Going to Change How We Live (Popular Mechanics) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Google the first Silicon Valley company to adopt a vaccine mandate? A new foldable phone from Oppo. Why the US might ban you from investing in DJI. Twitter gets auto captions. And a look at the up and coming Chinese ecommerce giant that you might have already heard of, but definitely need to be aware of going forward. Sponsors: Masterworks.io/ride Findyourfidelity.com Links: Google tells employees they’ll lose pay and will eventually be fired if they don’t follow vaccination rules (CNBC) Oppo’s Find N is an impressive first folding phone (The Verge) Twitter adds auto captions feature to make videos more accessible (TechCrunch) Apple and Google's mobile duopoly likely to face UK antitrust action (TechCrunch) US to blacklist eight more Chinese companies including dronemaker DJI (Financial Times) How Shein beat Amazon at its own game — and reinvented fast fashion (Rest of World) Submit top stories of the year to us! https://chrismessina.me/topstories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More fallout from what is now being called potentially the worst bug of all time. Apple helps Android users discover if they’re being tracked by AirTags. A new entrant into the AR and VR product category that I guess we’re going to be covering going forward. Amazon is coming for DoorDash and Instacart. And how much did Meta have to pay to become Meta? Sponsors: Tovala.com/ride FirstRepublic.com Links: CISA warns 'most serious' Log4j vulnerability likely to affect hundreds of millions of devices (CyberScoop) The numbers behind a cyber pandemic – detailed dive (Check Point) Apple launches AirTags and Find My detector app for Android, in effort to boost privacy (CNET) Oppo announces Air Glass ‘assisted reality’ device (The Verge) Amazon Ramps Up Plans for Instacart-Like Service in U.S., Europe (The Information) Nike acquires NFT collectibles studio RTFKT (TechCrunch) Facebook Owner Is Involved in $60M Deal Over Meta Trademark Assets (Coinspeaker) Send us your nomination for the top tech stories of the year: chrismessina.me/topstories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A huge bug in Apache servers is causing chaos around the Internet. What to expect, and what we’re still waiting on from iOS 15.2. Why did Instagram steal the @metaverse handle from a woman in Australia, and the story of the fat finger fire sale of a Board Ape Yacht Club NFT. Sponsors: Grammarly.com/techmeme Tovala.com/ride Links: Zero-day in ubiquitous Log4j tool poses a grave threat to the Internet (ArsTechnica) The Internet’s biggest players are all affected by critical Log4Shell 0-day (ArsTechnica) PROFESSIONAL MAINTAINERS: A WAKE-UP CALL (Filippo.io) Apple Set to Release Nudity Detection in Texting, But Other Features Remain on Hold (Bloomberg) Her Instagram Handle Was ‘Metaverse.’ Last Month, It Vanished. (NYTimes) Bored Ape Yacht Club: Someone accidentally sold a $300,000 NFT for $3,000 (CNET) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The great Andrew Chen of a16z joins us to discuss his new book: The Cold Start Problem: How to Start and Scale Network Effects. This an indispensable guide to get that "rocket-ship" action going for whatever product or company you're working with. Sponsors: RadPowerBikes.com AltoIra.com/techmeme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google Play games are coming to Windows, while Microsoft was apparently willing to bend over backwards if Apple had let xCloud games into the iOS app store. Meta’s first tangible foray into the Metaverse. The English Football punters buying into NFTs. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Tovala.com/ride My First Million Podcast Links: Google is bringing Android games to Windows in 2022 (The Verge) MICROSOFT QUIETLY TOLD APPLE IT WAS WILLING TO TURN BIG XBOX-EXCLUSIVE GAMES INTO IPHONE APPS (The Verge) Meta opens up access to its VR social platform Horizon Worlds (The Verge) Football fans spending millions on club crypto-tokens (BBC News) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Pokémon and the First Wave of Digital Nostalgia (The New Yorker) Half a Billion in Bitcoin, Lost in the Dump (The New Yorker) Amazon is making its own containers and bypassing supply chain chaos with chartered ships and long-haul planes (CNBC) HOW AN EXCEL TIKTOKER MANIFESTED HER WAY TO MAKING SIX FIGURES A DAY (The Verge) Three Steps To The Future (Ben Evans' 2022 Slide Deck) On “Succession,” Jeremy Strong Doesn’t Get the Joke (The New Yorker) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Instagram is going to bring back a version of its chronological feed, sort of. The congressional hearings about Instagram, but also crypto. I was wrong: we are seeing Novi in the wild as WhatsApp starts testing it in the US. Deep Mind unveils its language model, and say goodbye to… checks notes… Alexa? Sponsors: Schwab.com/plan Dataiku.com Links: Instagram Chief and Lawmakers Clash Over App’s Real World Harms (Bloomberg) Instagram will bring back a chronological feed in 2022 (Engadget) What we learned at Congress' much-anticipated summit of crypto execs (The Block) Epic v. Apple ruling put on hold after appeals court grants a stay (The Verge) Italy fines Amazon €1.13B for abusing market dominance (Politico.eu) WhatsApp launches cryptocurrency payment in the US with Novi (9to5Mac) Kickstarter Will Move Its Crowdfunding Platform to Blockchain (Bloomberg) DeepMind says its new language model can beat others 25 times its size (MIT Technology Review) Amazon is shutting down web ranking site Alexa.com (BleepingComputer) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

That AWS outage yesterday disrupted Amazon’s own delivery efforts. When we might see the AirPods Pro 2. More specific details on the Apple AR thingy. Ubisoft is the first major player to bring NFTs to games. And a look at the records being set in the African startup investment scene. Sponsors: WealthFront.com/techmeme FindYourFidelity.com Links: An Amazon server outage caused problems for Alexa, Ring, Disney Plus, and deliveries (The Verge) AWS Outage Grinds Amazon Warehouses and Deliveries to a Halt (Motherboard) Kuo: AirPods Pro 2 With New Design and Improved Chip to Launch in Late 2022 (Macrumors) Kuo: Second-Generation Apple AR Headset to Launch in 2024 With Lighter Design, Redesigned Battery System, and More (Macrumors) Ubisoft Becomes First Major Gaming Company to Launch In-Game NFTs (Decrypt) Roku, Google settle messy battle over YouTube distribution (Axios) Facebook's new website lets fans buy 'Stars' without paying the app stores' commissions (TechCrunch) African Startup Inflows Seen Hitting Record $5 Billion This Year (Bloomberg) Twitter’s New CEO Agrawal Got Early Nod From Dorsey a Year Ago (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Information has a story about a secret deal Apple struck that really solidifies Tim Cook as the China whisperer. Intel proves itself to be an astute investor as it weighs a public spinoff of Mobileye. European tech startups raise all-time record amounts. Quantifying this year’s emerging NFT market. And the first ever marketable quantum computing product? Sponsors: Detectify.com/techmeme ARM Viewpoints Podcast Links: Facing Hostile Chinese Authorities, Apple CEO Signed $275 Billion Deal With Them (The Information) Samsung's mobile and consumer electronic divisions merge into one in exec reshuffle (ZDNet) Intel to List Shares in Mobileye Unit (WSJ) The Popular Family Safety App Life360 Is Selling Precise Location Data on Its Tens of Millions of Users (The Markup) Microsoft Office prices going up 20% for some business clients unless they move from monthly to annual subscriptions (CNBC) European start-up funding triples to a new record above $100 billion this year (CNBC) [Report Preview] The 2021 NFT Market Explained (Chainalysis) Honeywell Unit Offers First-Ever Quantum-Created Encryption Key (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DoorDash tests a wildly new business model: employees! Apple launches a Winter War in Russia. Two stories of US telecom companies doing what US telecom companies do: act shady. And Buzzfeed finally hits the public markets. Sponsors: FirstRepublic.com Enterprise.Spectrum.com Links: DoorDash breaks gig worker model to hire couriers as employees in New York trial (Financial Times) Apple Attempts to Stop Developers Promoting Alternative Payment Options for In-App Purchases in Russia (MacRumors) Crypto exchange BitMart confirms hack resulting in loss of $150 million in crypto (The Block) The Verizon app might be collecting your browsing history and more (The Verge) Apple iPhone 13 Rebates Fail to Deliver for Some Buyers (Bloomberg) BuzzFeed Tumbles in Turbulent Debut for Digital Media (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mulling over the whole legacy of Jack Dorsey and name changes for tech companies in general. The weird way gaming is changing right now (see: Halo Infinite). And are foldable phones ready for the big time? With Bloomberg's @vladsavov Sponsors: AltoIra.com/techmeme RadPowerBikes.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another tech deal goes on a deathwatch, but this time it’s Nvidia and Arm, and this time I think it’s for real. Google is probably working on its own smartwatch. Didi is the first Chinese stock to delist in the west. Instagram is ENCOURAGING you to create a Finsta. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Sponsors: MasterWorks.io/ride Links: FTC Challenges Nvidia’s Deal for Arm Holdings (WSJ) EXCLUSIVE: Google readies 'Pixel Watch' for 2022 launch as it renews ambitions in wearable tech (Insider) Didi bows to China regulatory pressure, will delist from NYSE (Reuters) Why Instagram Asks Users to Create Second Accounts (WSJ) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Can a Digital Reality Be Jacked Directly Into Your Brain? (Wired) Metaverse Real Estate Piles Up Record Sales in Sandbox and Other Virtual Realms (WSJ) World's first living robots can now reproduce, scientists say (CNN) Planetary scientists are starting to get stirred up by Starship’s potential (ArsTechnica) ‘Oregon Trail’ at 50: How Three Teachers Created the Computer Game That Inspired — and Diverted — Generations of Students (the74million.org) Why the Beatles’ ‘Get Back’ May Stand as the Best Rock Doc Ever (Column) (Variety) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Square changes its name to Block. Apple is hinting at unexpectedly weak iPhone demand. TikTok adds monetization tools. How many people have never used the Internet? And the story behind that whole Spotify Unwrapped thing. Sponsors: FindYourFidelity.com Dataiku.com Links: Jack Dorsey’s Square changes corporate name to Block (CNBC) Apple Tells Suppliers iPhone Demand Has Slowed as Holidays Near (Bloomberg) Instacart Plans 15-Minute Delivery Trial as Rival Startups Grow (The Information) Microsoft Teams Essentials is a new standalone version for small businesses (The Verge) TikTok adds creator monetization features, including tips and video gifts (TechCrunch) 37 Percent of the World's Population Has Never Been Online, U.N. Report Finds (Gizmodo) The art and science of Spotify Wrapped (Protocol) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Twitter bans “private” sharing, but there’s some confusion about what that actually means. A big executive departure throws more doubt on Meta’s crypto ambitions. There’s a new Snapdragon flagship chip and I’ve got the specs. And we get some raw data to answer the question: are foldable phones actually a thing or not? Sponsors: BoxOfAwesome.com, code techmeme for 20% off your first box FirstRepublic.com Links: Twitter bans sharing 'private' images and videos without consent (Engadget) Meta’s David Marcus, Creator of Embattled Diem Project, to Leave Company (Bloomberg) Quest v35 Update To Add iPhone Mixed Reality Capture, Messenger Calling (UploadVR) China to Close Loophole Used by Tech Firms for Foreign IPOs (Bloomberg) Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip is here to power the Android flagships of 2022 (The Verge) Q3’21 Was a Record Quarter for Foldable Smartphones, Samsung Enjoys a 93% Share per DSCC Report (DSCC) Dorsey’s Twitter Departure Hints at Tech Moguls’ Restlessness (NYTimes) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tue. 11/30 – Meta Might Do The Giphy Deal Anyway The UK quashes the Giphy acquisition, but is it actually dead? Maybe not. Was Cyber Monday a bit of a disappointment this year? Why your Pixel phone might reject your cheap charging cable. AWS’s new tools to help you build robots. And a profile of Twitter’s new CEO. Sponsors: FirstRepublic.com Detectify.com/techmeme Links: Meta ordered to sell Giphy by UK regulator (The Verge) Finland Battles ‘Exceptional’ Malware Attack Spread by Phones (Bloomberg) Cyber Monday Sales Flat as Smaller Savings Curb Incentive to Spend (WSJ) The Google Pixel 6 will refuse to charge if you use a low-quality USB-C cable or charger (AndroidPolice) Amazon launches AWS RoboRunner to support robotics apps (Venture Beat) Who Is Parag Agrawal, Twitter’s New C.E.O.? (NYTimes) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack Dorsey is reportedly about to be a one company CEO if he steps down from Twitter. The acquisition of Giphy is on life support. Folks remember Microsoft could be an antitrust target too. Will Apple’s AR headset not need to be tethered to an iPhone? And a look at just how much Amazon has increased its delivery capacity. Sponsors: Napjitsu.com/techmeme OurCrowd.com/ride Links: Twitter CTO Parag Agrawal will replace Jack Dorsey as CEO (CNBC) Twitter CTO Parag Agrawal replaces Jack Dorsey as CEO (The Verge) UK regulator expected to block Meta’s Giphy deal (Financial Times) Social media companies could be forced to give out names and contact details, under new anti-troll laws (ABC News) EU companies issue formal complaint against Microsoft OneDrive Windows integration (ZDNet) Report: Apple still working on multi-device charger, a future where all devices ‘can charge each other’ (9to5Mac) Kuo: Apple AR Headset Coming in Late 2022 With Mac-Level Computing Power (MacRumors) Amazon Builds Out Network to Speed Delivery, Handle Holiday Crunch (WSJ) Amazon poised to pass UPS and FedEx to become largest U.S. delivery service by early 2022, exec says (CNBC) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The legendary tech analyst and general deep-thinker @benedictevans comes on to discuss this essay about the state of the Metaverse right now. Then, several members of the ConstitutionDAO team come on to tell us the behind the scenes of all that historic event at Sotheby's all went down last week. Featuring: @sadlyoddisfying, @youfoundanisha, @julianweisser, @RobbieHeeger, @ciaomack, @kyle_billings Sponsors: FindYourFidelity.com ARM Viewpoints Podcast VPLS.com/goit Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Italy has fined Amazon and Apple for alleged collusion. Tile taps out by getting acquired. Niantic is an interesting metaverse raise. Walmart is testing Twitter live shopping. And the story of the guy who automated his job so completely, he didn’t work for five years, but still got paid. Sponsors: MasterWorks.io/ride Detectify.com/techmeme Links: Amazon and Apple handed $225 million in Italian antitrust fines (Reuters) Samsung to Choose Taylor, Texas, for $17 Billion Chip-Making Factory (WSJ) AirTag Competitor Tile Getting Acquired by Location Sharing App Life360 (MacRumors) Niantic raises $300M at at $9B valuation to build the 'real-world metaverse' (TechCrunch) Walmart will be the first retailer to test Twitter’s new livestream shopping platform (TechCrunch) “You’ve Won The Game”: Employee Hacks His Job, Gets Paid To Do Nothing For 5 Years (BoredPanda) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Adele says jump, Spotify apparently says how high? Is Apple Watch slipping in market share? All the crypto miners who fled China have landed in Russia, Kazakhstan and… Texas? And an explanation for why buying bots will either ruin, or save your holiday gift buying. Sponsors: Betterhelp.com/ridehome Dataiku.com Links: Adele gets Spotify to take shuffle button off all album pages (BBC News) Meta delays encrypted messages on Facebook and Instagram to 2023 (The Guardian) Wear OS Share Surges on Samsung’s Highest Quarterly Smartwatch Shipments in Q3 2021 (CounterpointResearch) India’s Paytm Tumbles Another 13% After First-Day IPO Flop (Boomberg) China’s exiled crypto machines fuel global mining boom (Financial Times) Texas Plans to Become the Bitcoin Capital, Vulnerable Power Grid and All (Bloomberg) Desperate Parents Turn to Shopping Bots to Hunt for Hottest Christmas Gifts (WSJ) Sweden's Ericsson snaps up cloud firm Vonage in $6.2 bln deal (Reuters) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ConstitutionDAO lost the auction for the Constitution. But it was really about the friends we made along the way, right? More Apple Car rumors. Xbox and PlayStation have harsh words for Activision Blizzard. Everyone wants in on crypto exchanges. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Tovala.com/ride FindYourFidelity.com Links: Crypto Investors Lose Out In $43.2 Million Sale Of Rare Copy Of U.S. Constitution (Forbes) Apple Accelerates Work on Car Project, Aiming for Fully Autonomous Vehicle (Bloomberg) Xbox Chief Says He’s Evaluating Relationship With Activision (Bloomberg) Gemini Raises $400 Million To Build A Metaverse Outside Facebook’s Walled Garden (Forbes) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: The most influential man on the internet (ReadMax) Visions of a U.S. Computer Chip Boom Have Cities Hustling (NYTimes) The Video Game History Book I Mentioned GAMECUBE AT 20: NINTENDO INSIDERS ON THE FAILED CONSOLE THAT CHANGED THE INDUSTRY (Video Games Chronicle) How Xbox outgrew the console: inside Phil Spencer’s multi-billion dollar gamble (GQ) Who Knows Anthony Bourdain? (Eater) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paytm has a rough IPO. Nvidia has another in a long line of crushed earnings reports. Grammarly is an interesting raise. Twitter wants to take the pulse of the stock market. And if ConstitutionDAO wins its auction today, there are some practical questions to answer like, who actually goes and picks it up? Sponsors: Tovala.com/ride Dataiku.com Links: Paytm falls 27% on first trading day after India’s largest IPO (TechCrunch) Nvidia easily beats earnings expectations on strong gaming and data center sales (Yahoo!Finance) Grammarly raises $200M at a $13B valuation to make you an even better writer using AI (TechCrunch) AllTrails raises $150M after COVID accelerates people’s interest in exploring the outdoors (TechCrunch) Nreal’s $599 mixed reality glasses are launching in the US on Verizon (The Verge) Twitter partners with S&P 500 on stock index that crowdsources public opinion (CNET) Crypto Group’s Bid for Constitution Faces Real-World Snags—Who Picks It Up? (WSJ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hell freezes slightly over. Apple is gonna let you repair your own devices, at home, yourself. The Staples Center goes crypto. Meta wants to bring touch to VR. Netflix now WANTS you to know which shows have been watched the most. And Miramax is suing Quentin Tarantino over NFT’s. Sponsors: Wealthfront.com/techmeme Tovala.com/ride Links: Beginning next year, Apple will send you parts and tools to fix your iPhone and Mac at home (TechCrunch) Activision CEO Bobby Kotick Knew for Years About Sexual-Misconduct Allegations at Videogame Giant (WSJ) Goodbye, Staples Center. Hello, Crypto.com Arena (LATimes) Meta’s sci-fi haptic glove prototype lets you feel VR objects using air pockets (The Verge) Microsoft states that x64 emulation is only available on Windows 11 on ARM PCs (Windows Central) Netflix’s Expanded Viewing Data Move Is Mainly a Flex (Variety) Miramax Sues Quentin Tarantino Over ‘Pulp Fiction’ NFT Auction (Variety) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Twitter has followed through on its promise to decentralize and play nice with 3rd party developers. Will the Nvidia/ARM acquisition actually happen? Substack reaches a million subscribers. Apple defends buying Google Ads. And I get my answer about the whole civil war between Crypto and NFT folks and… furries? Sponsors: CometBackup.com promocode: ride FindYourFidelity.com Links: TWITTER MAKES BIG CHANGES FOR DEVS AS IT EYES DECENTRALIZED FUTURE (The Verge) Nvidia’s $40 billion takeover of chip designer Arm faces a UK national security probe (CNBC) Newsletter start-up Substack hits 1m subscribers (Financial Times) Apple Defends Its Ads for Third-Party Apps, Says It Regularly Communicates With Developers and Has Been Running Them for Five Years (MacRumors) Right-clickers vs. the monkey JPG owners (Garbage Day) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some app developers say Apple is buying Google ads to cut App Store work-arounds off at the pass. Huawei thinks it has an end run around US sanctions. The audacious hacker that managed to send fake emails from the FBI’s own servers. The story behind the big Taproot update to Bitcoin. And the DAO of crypto enthusiasts looking to buy a copy of the US Constitution. Sponsors: Betterhelp.com/ridehome HeyLaika.com/techmeme Links: Apple Quietly Buying Ads Via Google For High-Value Subscription Apps To Capture App Publisher Revenue (Fortune) Samsung releases Android 12-powered One UI 4 for Galaxy S21 phones (The Verge) Huawei Recruits Smartphone Partners to Sidestep U.S. Sanctions (Bloomberg) FBI system hacked to email 'urgent' warning about fake cyberattacks (Bleeping Computer) Hoax Email Blast Abused Poor Coding in FBI Website (KrebsOnSecurity) A major upgrade to bitcoin just activated — here’s what investors should know (CNBC Make It) A crypto group has raised nearly $3 million in Ether to bid on a rare copy of the U.S. Constitution (Fortune) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coming at the Metaverse from a different angle. If you're a dev or even just an enthusiast, how, from a technological perspective, will the Metaverse be built? Sponsors: FirstRepublic.com Streak.com/techmeme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices