Techmeme Ride Home

More signs that Apple is diversifying its smart headgear ambitions. Meta wants back in on the stablecoin game it arguably bailed on too early. The Celsius network CEO gets 12 years in prison. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions.Sponsors:Quince.com/ridehomeLinks:Apple Is Developing Specialized Chips for Glasses, New Macs and AI Servers (Bloomberg)Meta Explores Stablecoin Integration as US Senate Blocks Key Crypto Bill (Coinpaper)Google rolls out AI tools to protect Chrome users against scams (TechCrunch)Celsius Founder Mashinsky Gets 12 Years for Crypto Fraud (Bloomberg)Weekend Longreads Suggestions:Can we make AI less power-hungry? These researchers are working on it. (ArsTechnica)Rejoice! Carmakers Are Embracing Physical Buttons Again (Wired)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

OpenAI has hired Instacart's CEO to be a kind of CEO. Apple reveals the degree to which AI might be eating into Google Search. Why aren't people seeing a return on their AI investments yet? And my dream grid gadget is finally coming to the US.Sponsors:Oracle.com/techmemeLinks:OpenAI hires InstaCart CEO Fidji Simo for major leadership role (Fortune)Instacart CEO Fidji Simo is joining OpenAI (TechCrunch)Apple Eyes Move to AI Search, Ending Era Defined by Google (Bloomberg)Anthropic rolls out an API for AI-powered web search (TechCrunch)FYI: Most AI spending driven by FOMO, not ROI, CEOs tell IBM, LOL (The Register)Netflix debuts its generative AI-powered search tool (TechCrunch)EcoFlow brings its plug-in solar power plant to US homes (The Verge)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Meta wins a case against that NSO Group in spyware allegations. Netflix is completely revamping its design for the first time in years. Amazon has a new robot that can do 70% of the work in its warehouses. And a big chip breakthrough that can bring about the ChatGPT moment for quantum computing?Sponsors:CornBreadHemp.com/ride and code rideAcorns.com/rideLinks:Meta wins $168 million in damages from Israeli cyberintel firm in Whatsapp spyware scandal (Courthouse News Service)Netflix Overhauls Its Home Screen for the First Time in 12 Years (NYTimes)Amazon makes ‘fundamental leap forward in robotics' with device having sense of touch (The Guardian)Generative AI tops cybersecurity in 2025 tech budget priorities, new AWS study finds (GeekWire)Mistral claims its newest AI model delivers leading performance for the price (TechCrunch)Cisco says its new entanglement chip could speed up practical quantum computing by a decade (Fast Company)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

OpenAI backtracks in a major way, saying its nonprofit entity will remain in control of business operations. Huge consolidation happening all at once in the food delivery space. New Surface hardware from Microsoft. Huge investment in European defense tech startups. And Shein and Temu turn to Europe to stay afloat.Sponsors:LinkedIn.com/rideLinks:OpenAI reverses course, says its nonprofit will remain in control of its business operations (TechCrunch)OpenAI Reaches Agreement to Buy Startup Windsurf for $3 Billion (Bloomberg)DoorDash strikes £2.9bn deal for Deliveroo (FT)Microsoft shrinks its Surface Laptop down to 13 inches, priced at $899 (The Verge)Microsoft's smaller Surface Pro has a 12-inch display and starts at $799 (The Verge)Capital flies into Europe's defence drone start-ups (FT)Exclusive: Shein, Temu ramp up advertising in UK and France as US tariffs hit (Reuters)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The whole Telegram use by government officials story gets weirder as a Telegram clone has been hacked. Apple is thinking about REALLY shaking up its iPhone release schedule. Who put AI in my crypto? Deepfakes are being chased from the Internet. And the maker of Cursor closes its big round.Sponsors:Take control of your cellular health today. Go to qualialife.com/ride and save 15% to experience the science of feeling younger.Links:TeleMessage, a modified Signal clone used by US govt. officials, has been hacked (TechCrunch)Apple Plans iPhone Release Schedule Shakeup, New Styles (The Information)Tether CEO says the firm's AI product will enable peer-to-peer network of AI agents (The Block)Senate Democrats' reversal on US stablecoin bill throws future of legislation into doubt (The Block)Leading deepfake porn site is shut down for good (Engadget)Maker of AI ‘vibe coding' app Cursor hits $9bn valuation (Financial Times)Reports: US losing edge in AI talent pool (Semafor)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Omnibus Week Of 04/28See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The big cultural event of maybe the decade is going to take a little while longer to get here. Earnings from Apple and Amazon. More signs of the impending death of the password. More signs of self-driving rapidly becoming reality. And in the longreads, what happens when AI completely changes your field? The AI researchers were the first to experience it.Links:Grand Theft Auto VI release delayed to May 2026 (The Verge)Amazon Says Operating Profits May Decline Amid Economic Uncertainty (NYTimes)Microsoft goes passwordless by default on new accounts (The Verge)Temu Blocks US Shoppers From Seeing Products Shipped From China (Wired)Aurora's driverless trucks are making deliveries in Texas (The Verge)Weekend Longreads Suggestions:When ChatGPT Broke an Entire Field: An Oral History (Quanta Magazine)The Life of the Most-Used Citi Bike in New York City (Bloomberg)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Apple basically got held in contempt of court in the Epic case. Rumors about Elon staying at Tesla. Meta and Microsoft earnings. Xbox price increases. Would you wear a smart ring that proves you're not cheating on your significant other?Links:Apple Dealt Stinging Court Defeat on App Store Sales Commissions (Bloomberg)Tesla Board Opened Search for a CEO to Succeed Elon Musk (WSJ)Microsoft is raising prices on Xbox consoles, controllers, and games worldwide (The Verge)Meta tightens privacy policy around Ray-Ban glasses to boost AI training (The Verge)Would you wear a smart ring that proves you're not a cheater? (The Verge)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Meta has launched a standalone competitor to ChatGPT. But is ChatGPT bending too far backwards in an attempt to please you? Even OpenAI thinks so. Waymo and Toyota cut a deal. And concerns about sovereign tech stacks rear their head again.Sponsors:Go to my sponsor https://venice.ai/techmeme and use code techmeme to enjoy private, uncensored AI. Using my code will get you 20% off a pro plan.Links:Meta's ChatGPT competitor shows how your friends use AI (The Verge)Microsoft CEO says up to 30% of the company's code was written by AI (TechCrunch)OpenAI rolls back update that made ChatGPT ‘too sycophant-y' (TechCrunch)Waymo, Toyota strike partnership to bring self-driving tech to personal vehicles (CNBC)Google Play sees 47% decline in apps since start of last year (TechCrunch)EU views break from US as ‘unrealistic' amid global tech race (Politico)Microsoft vows to protect European operations from Donald Trump (Financial Times)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is Amazon about to start showing tariff prices in listings? Armageddon has finally come for Temu and Shein. Is OpenAI getting into the shopping game because their web search usage is exploding? And Project Kuiper finally gets off the ground in a literal and meaningful way.Links:042925 (PunchBowl News AM)Kickstarter Introduces ‘Tariff Manager Tool' to Add Charges to Already Fully Funded Projects (404 Media)Temu adds ‘import charges' of about 145% after Trump tariffs, more than doubling price of many items (CNBC)Congress passes bill to fight deepfake nudes, revenge porn (Washington Post)Alibaba unveils Qwen3, a family of ‘hybrid' AI reasoning models (TechCrunch)OpenAI Adds Shopping to ChatGPT in a Challenge to Google (Wired)Duolingo will replace contract workers with AI (The Verge)Amazon launches first Kuiper internet satellites, taking on Starlink (Reuters)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone the reason they can't quit China just yet? That Chinese AI Manus just raised a big round. Is Prompt Engineer the job title that never was? And what really goes on in those powerful, behind the scenes Silicon Valley group chats?Sponsors:Freshbooks.comLinks:Apple Begins Breaking Up Its AI Team With Robotics, Siri Changes (Bloomberg)Why Trump can't build iPhones in the US (FT)The Future of Gadgets: Fewer Updates, More Subscriptions, Bigger Price Tags (WSJ)Google is killing software support for early Nest Thermostats (The Verge)Chinese AI Startup Manus Scores Funding at $500 Million Value (Bloomberg)The Hottest AI Job of 2023 Is Already Obsolete (WSJ)The group chats that changed America (Semafor)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alphabet earnings. Intel earnings. Apple is making moves to make sure all iPhones heading to the US are no longer manufactured in China. Zuck seems bound and determined to revive his original baby. Sexy looking new Motorola Razr phones. And, of course the Weekend Longreads Suggestions.Links:Alphabet shares rise on stronger-than-expected revenue growth (CNBC)Intel offers weak forecast amid trade tensions as CEO talks to TSMC (Reuters)Apple aims to source all US iPhones from India in pivot away from China (Financial Times)Publisher of PCMag and Mashable Sues OpenAI (NYTimes)Facebook cracks down on spammy content by cutting reach and monetization (TechCrunch)Mark Zuckerberg once considered deleting all your Facebook friends (TechCrunch)Motorola's new Razr Ultra brings the wood back panel back (The Verge)Netflix rolls out dialogue-only subtitles (The Verge)Weekend Longreads Suggestions:The Apple Watch Just Turned 10. Here's How Far It's Come (Wired)The Race to Fix Aging Computer Systems Heats Up With AI's Help (Bloomberg)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

More fallout from those EU fines yesterday. A whole slew of self driving car news. The AI Coding Wars have officially begun. The back to the office wars continue. Is Chrome worth $50 billion? And let me tell you about the AI app that wants to help you cheat at everything.Links:Apple and Meta Are First to Be Hit by E.U. Digital Competition Law (NYTimes)Uber, Volkswagen pair up to launch robotaxi service in US with self-driving, electric microbuses (TechCrunch)Windsurf slashes prices as competition with Cursor heats up (TechCrunch)Google Chrome Worth ‘Upwards of $50 Billion,' Browser Rival Says (Bloomberg)Google forcing some remote workers to come back 3 days a week or lose their jobs (CNBC)Columbia student suspended over interview cheating tool raises $5.3M to ‘cheat on everything' (TechCrunch)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

That delayed action from the European Commission finally came down on Apple and Meta. Would OpenAI be a logical home for the Chrome web browser? Massive layoffs coming to Intel. Anysphere turned down an acquisition offer from OpenAI. And are the tariff wars coming for Elon Musk's robots?Sponsors:Shopify.com/rideLinks:Apple, Meta Fined by EU, Ordered to Comply With Tech Competition Rules (WSJ)OpenAI Would Buy Google's Chrome Browser, ChatGPT Chief Says (Bloomberg)Intel to Announce Plans This Week to Cut Over 20% of Staff (Bloomberg)A new, open source text-to-speech model called Dia has arrived to challenge ElevenLabs, OpenAI and more (VentureBeat)Why OpenAI wanted to buy Cursor but opted for the fast-growing Windsurf (TechCrunch)Ex-OpenAI staff and top AI experts seek to block proposed for-profit restructure (FT)Tesla Humanoid Robot Plan Hampered by China Rare Earth Curbs (Bloomberg)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As the US v. Google remedy trial begins, the FTC also sues Uber and makes Airbnb disclose all fees. Looks like tech regulation is still very much a thing. Bluesky begins rolling out verification. Meta is using AI to find if kids are lying about their age on Instagram. And Microsoft is forging ahead with that Recall feature.Sponsors:Udacity.com/ride and code RIDELinks:Justice Dept. asks judge to ‘thaw' Google's search monopoly by forcing Chrome sale (Washington Post)FTC sues Uber, says company charged for Uber One without consent (CNBC)Airbnb to Show Fees in Price Display to Comply With FTC Rule (Bloomberg)Bluesky Is Rolling Out Official Verification (Wired)Google Messages Sensitive Content Warnings for nudity rolling out (9to5Google)Meta is ramping up its AI-driven age detection (The Verge)Microsoft Is Dedicated To Building A Dodgy New Database Of Every Windows 11 User's Online Behaviors (TechDirt)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Meta and Apple were about to go to the woodshed in Europe, but it looks like Trump's tariffs have run interference for them. Everyone wants in on stablecoins, example number 23. Beware of phishing emails from Google.com. And are OpenAI's latest models good, bad, or just “jagged”?Sponsors:QualiaLife.com/ride and code RIDELinks:EU Delayed Punishing Apple, Meta Just Before Trade Talks Started (WSJ)Crypto Knocks on the Door of a Banking World That Shut It Out (WSJ)Phishers abuse Google OAuth to spoof Google in DKIM replay attack (Bleeping Computer)Coinbase in hot water over $12 million ‘content coin'—but exec tells haters to lean in (Fortune Crypto)OpenAI's new reasoning AI models hallucinate more (TechCrunch)On Jagged AGI: o3, Gemini 2.5, and everything after (Ethan Mollick)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Google is ruled an illegal monopoly. Again. But for a different reason this time. Switch 2 pre-orders are back on. Americans are flocking to Temu and Shein alternatives. And in the Weekend Longreads Suggestions, what if I told you 25 percent of community college applicants are now AI bots? And not only that, the bots are now “attending classes” in quotes.Sponsors:FactorMeals.com/ride50off and code ride50offLinks:Google Broke the Law to Keep Its Advertising Monopoly, a Judge Rules (NYTimes)Google loses online advertising monopoly case (Axios)Google Found GUILTY of Monopolization Again (The Big Newsletter)Nintendo Switch 2 preorders start April 24th and the price is still $449.99 (The Verge)The latest viral ChatGPT trend is doing ‘reverse location search' from photos (TechCrunch)Chinese shopping app Taobao joins DHgate in Top 5 on US App Store (TechCrunch)Weekend Longreads Suggestions:As ‘Bot' Students Continue to Flood In, Community Colleges Struggle to Respond (Voice Of San Diego)Astronomers Detect a Possible Signature of Life on a Distant Planet (NYTimes)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

OpenAI has a new reasoning model, and more lower cost models as well. Is OpenAI about to acquire a coding startup? Is Perplexity turning to Samsung for distribution and branding? A Neuralink rival gets FDA approval. And why is Jensen Huang on a code-red mission to China at the moment?Sponsors:1Password.com/rideLinks:OpenAI's new o3 and o4-mini models are all about 'thinking with images' (Engadget)OpenAI debuts Codex CLI, an open source coding tool for terminals (TechCrunch)Vibe Check: o3 Is Here—And It's Great (Every)OpenAI In Talks to Buy Windsurf for About $3 Billion (Bloomberg)Perplexity AI in Talks to Integrate Assistant Into Samsung, Motorola Phones (Bloomberg)Neuralink Rival Gets FDA Clearance in Path to Less Invasive Brain Implants (Bloomberg)Nvidia chief Jensen Huang flies to Beijing for talks (FT)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Well, it looks like DOGE has finally come for cybersecurity. It sounds like the tariff stuff is already biting Nvidia to the tune of $5 billion. Why is OpenAI building a social network? The government would have settled the antitrust case with Meta to the tune of $30 billion. And why did Mark Zuckerberg consider spinning off Instagram voluntarily?Sponsors:SelectQuote.com/rideLinks:Uncle Sam abruptly turns off funding for CVE program. Yes, that CVE program (The Register)Nvidia says it will record $5.5 billion charge tied to H20 processors exported to China (CNBC)OpenAI is building a social network (The Verge)Figma confidentially files for IPO more than a year after ditching Adobe deal (CNBC)Inside Mark Zuckerberg's Failed Negotiations to End Antitrust Case (WSJ)Zuckerberg Says He Considered Spinning Off Instagram in 2018 (Bloomberg)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

OpenAI releases its latest next gen models but you wouldn't know it by the nomenclature because the numbers are going backwards. What's up with that? Apple is tying itself in a pretzel to train on user data but still stick to privacy. And a big rundown of the first day of the big Meta antitrust trial.Sponsors:MackWeldon.com promocode BRIANLinks:OpenAI's new GPT-4.1 AI models focus on coding (TechCrunch)OpenAI launches another model before GPT 5 — here's what this one can do (Tom's Guide)Nvidia says it plans to manufacture some AI chips in the US (TechCrunch)Apple to Analyze User Data on Devices to Bolster AI Technology (Bloomberg)Zuckerberg testifies as FTC, Meta trade opening salvos in antitrust trial (Politico)Mark Zuckerberg Takes Stand to Defend Meta Against Antitrust Suit (NYTimes)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You know that meme of Ebenezer Scrooge shouting out the window? “Hey boy, what tariff regime is it today?” Sam Altman again implies ChatGPT usage has exploded. If you're coding with AI, a big new vulnerability you need to know about. And is Apple pivoting the Vision Pro to the type of product I thought they should have done all along?Sponsor:Freshbooks.comLinks:Apple, Nvidia Score Relief From US Tariffs With Exemptions (Bloomberg)Sony raises PlayStation 5 prices in Europe citing ‘challenging' economic environment (CNBC)ChatGPT Hits 1 Billion Users? ‘Doubled In Just Weeks' Says OpenAI CEO (Forbes)LLMs can't stop making up software dependencies and sabotaging everything (The Register)AI-hallucinated code dependencies become new supply chain risk (Bleeping Computer)Apple Readies Pair of Headsets While Still Looking Ahead to Glasses (Bloomberg)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Europe says it could tax social media ads if the tariff wars get really nasty. Why COULDN'T Apple make an iPhone in the US as President Trump wants? Is OpenAI cutting corners on safety in order to stay ahead in the AI race? And as always, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions.Sponsors:Oracle.com/techmemeLinks:EU could tax Big Tech if Trump trade talks fail, says von der Leyen (Financial Times)Why Trump's Dream of Made-in-the-USA iPhones Isn't Going to Happen (Bloomberg)OpenAI updates ChatGPT to reference your past chats (TechCrunch)OpenAI slashes AI model safety testing time (Financial Times)Mira Murati doubled the fundraising target for her new AI startup to $2 billion. It could be the largest seed round in history. (Business Insider)Weekend Longreads Suggestions:12 Graphs That Explain the State of AI in 2025 (IEEE Spectrum)Generative AI is learning to spy for the US military (MIT Technology Review)How Apple Fumbled Siri's AI Makeover (The Information)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At the time of this writing, the tariffs are back off, but who know what will happen by the time you hear this. OpenAI sues back. Google wants a framework for AI agents to talk to each other. Oh, and how many iPhones can you pack in a jumbo jet?Sponsors:Acorns.com/rideLinks:Trump temporarily drops tariffs to 10% for most countries, hits China harder with 125% (CNBC)Nintendo Gains Time to Prep Switch 2 Debut With Tariff Pause (Bloomberg)How Many New iPhones Can Fit on a Freight Plane? (Daring Fireball)Wall Street Consultant Paul Atkins Confirmed to Lead SEC (Bloomberg)OpenAI countersues Elon Musk, claims harassment (Reuters)Google launches Agent2Agent protocol to connect AI agents across platforms (Testing Catalog)OpenAI launches program to design new ‘domain-specific' AI benchmarks (TechCrunch)AI is set to drive surging electricity demand from data centres while offering the potential to transform how the energy sector works (IEA)AI to double data centre energy demand by 2030 (Silicon Republic)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Google unveils its new TPU's, this time with inference! Temu and Shein officially get nuked from orbit. More signs of pullback in AI datacenter buildout. Are we actually, for real, about to get an iPad Instagram app? And a cute little home robot from ages ago, looks like it's finally coming to a house near you this summer.Sponsors:Shopify.com/rideLinks:Ironwood is Google's newest AI accelerator chip (TechCrunch)Google announces ‘Workspace Flows' automation with Gems, audio in Docs, and more Gemini (9to5Google)US Raises Charges on Small Parcels, Targeting Chinese Retailers (Bloomberg)Microsoft pauses $1bn data center plans in Licking County, Ohio (Data Center Dynamics)Instagram's Mosseri Positions App for TikTok Turmoil (The Information)Amazon Seeks Partners for $15 Billion Warehouse Expansion Plan (Bloomberg)Google Maps is launching tools to help cities analyze infrastructure and traffic (The Verge)Samsung Taps Google AI to Launch Long-Promised Ballie Robot With Video Projector (Bloomberg)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Uh oh, it looks like the tech price hikes are already starting! People are accusing Meta of doing some weird things with those latest AI models. Shopify tells workers that they need to embrace AI for everything. Is AI killing web traffic? And how AI is being used to automatically create sequels for books.Sponsors:Kinsta.com/brianLinkedIn.com/rideLinks:Framework “temporarily pausing” some laptop sales because of new tariffs (ArsTechnica)Exclusive: Micron to impose tariff-related surcharge on some products from April 9, sources say (Reuters)Apple Plans to Source More iPhones From India as Potential Tariff Fix (WSJ)Apple Customers Dash to Stores to Buy iPhones Ahead of Tariffs (Bloomberg)Meta got caught gaming AI benchmarks (The Verge)Shopify CEO says staffers need to prove jobs can't be done by AI before asking for more headcount (CNBC)Google AI Search Shift Leaves Website Makers Feeling ‘Betrayed' (Bloomberg)THE A.I. ROMANCE FACTORY (Bloomberg Businessweek)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

TikTok lives! Again. Again. At least for another 75 days. Meta's big new Llama models are out. AI coding assistant Cursor has become the big breakout hit of the AI moment. And then yes, we get into the tariff situation, including, me polling tech execs who make consumer facing gadgets: do you plan to raise prices? Here's what they told me.Sponsors:Robinhood.com/goldQualialife.com/ride and code RIDELinks:Trump extends TikTok deadline for the second time (CNBC)Meta releases two Llama 4 AI models (The Verge)AI Coding Assistant Cursor Draws a Million Users Without Even Trying (Bloomberg)Tariffs are tanking tech stocks, so why is Microsoft escaping the worst of the bloodbath? (Fortune)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is what happened with the Studio Ghibli ChatGPT image generation stuff even legal? I spoke with AI lawyer Rob Rosenberg, former general counsel at Showtime Networks and founder and principal of Telluride Legal Strategies about it, and what he told me was very interesting.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Well we gotta talk about this tariff thing because the early indications are this could impact almost every nook and cranny of the tech industry. Could we get an announcement about TikTok within days? I think I figured out why CoreWeave's stock popped back up. And how Nintendo plans to fight the scalpers.Links:Trump's New Tariffs Test Apple's Global Supply Chain (NYTimes)Trump to Outline TikTok Deal Proposal, With ByteDance Retaining Stake (The Information)Google in Advanced Talks to Rent Nvidia AI Servers From CoreWeave (The Information)AI Video Startup Runway Valued at $3 Billion in Funding Round (Bloomberg)Amazon targets April 9 launch of first Kuiper internet satellites (Reuters)Nintendo's Switch 2 preorder process has strict requirements to thwart scalpers (The Verge)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

All the details from the big Nintendo Switch 2 reveal this morning. Wikimedia says AI bots are increasing its costs by 50%. North Korean IT workers allegedy continue to go after remote IT jobs worldwide. Meta is reading its more ambitious, more expensive smartglasses for maybe later this year. And maybe the CoreWeave IPO wasn't a bust?Sponsors:Udacity.com/ride and promocode RIDELinks:Amazon Said to Make a Bid to Buy TikTok in the U.S. (NYTimes)Everything announced at Nintendo's Switch 2 Direct (Polygon)AI crawlers cause Wikimedia Commons bandwidth demands to surge 50% (TechCrunch)North Korean IT worker army expands operations in Europe (BleepingComputer)How Meta's Upcoming $1,000+ Smart Glasses With a Screen Will Work (Bloomberg)Stablecoin issuer Circle files for IPO as public markets open to crypto (CNBC)CoreWeave shares rip nearly 42% higher, rising above IPO price (CNBC)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Masa Son came through for OpenAI, to the tune of a $40 billion dollar round at a $300 billion-dollar post-money valuation. Sam Altman says OpenAI is going back to open weights. A new encryption model for Gmail. A new movie strategy for Amazon. And why the Switch 2 represents a new revenue strategy for Nintendo.Sponsors:FreshBooks.comLinks:OpenAI closes $40 billion funding round, largest private tech deal on record (CNBC)OpenAI Finalizes $40 Billion Funding at $300 Billion Value (Bloomberg)OpenAI plans to release a new ‘open' AI language model in the coming months (TechCrunch)Gmail is making it easier for businesses to send encrypted emails to anyone (The Verge)Amazon's New Movie Strategy Starts With Theaters (NYTimes)Nintendo Departs From Its Founding Philosophy With Switch 2 (Bloomberg)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Over the weekend Elon said that xAI has acquired X. Elon does love to blend his companies together. Tensions between SpaceX and Apple. Apple is working on a major Health app overhaul. And in this era of crypto ascendency, is Ethereum being left behind?Links:Elon Musk says xAI has acquired X in deal that values social media site at $33 billion (CNBC)Musk's xAI Startup Swallows Up X Social Network in Surprise Deal (Bloomberg)Amazon unveils Nova Act, an AI agent that can control a web browser (TechCrunch)Apple and Musk Clash Over Satellite Expansion Plans (WSJ)Apple Readies Its Biggest Push Into Health Yet With New AI Doctor (Bloomberg)Crypto's Trumpian Embrace Is Leaving Bitcoin's Big Rival Behind (Bloomberg)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Me On The Big Technology Podcast Talking This Week In TechSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Silicon Valley is in more trouble than I think people are talking about...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Move big moves in the gaming space. But we need to talk about that CoreWeave IPO. It. Didn't. Go. Well. Facebook has a shocking idea: what if you could see what your friends were up to? Anthropic says it's getting close to understanding how LLM's actually work. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions.Sponsors:LinkedIn.com/rideLinks:‘Assassin's Creed' Maker Ubisoft Jumps After Games Carve Out (Bloomberg)CoreWeave prices IPO at $40 a share, below expected range (CNBC)CoreWeave's Shaky IPO Signal (The Information)Facebook Returns to Its Roots: Showing Posts From Friends and Family (NYTimes)Thoughts on setting policy for new AI capabilities (Joanne Jang)Anthropic makes a breakthrough in opening AI's ‘black box' (Fortune)Weekend Longreads Suggestions:Yahoo Is Still Here—and It Has Big Plans for AI (Wired)Inside arXiv—the Most Transformative Platform in All of Science (Wired)YouTube Video Of My EssaySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Everyone is using that new ChatGPT image generator to make Miyazaki memes. Google is taking Android development private. Are we seeing signs of an AI datacenter pullback? Now even you can do extra gig work for Instacart. And quantum computers seem to have cracked truly random random number generators.Sponsors:Get the right life insurance for YOU, for LESS, at SELECTQUOTE.COM/RIDEShopify.com/rideLinks:OpenAI's viral Studio Ghibli moment highlights AI copyright concerns (TechCrunch)OpenAI CEO Responds to ChatGPT Users Creating Studio Ghibli-Style AI Images (Variety)Exclusive: Google will develop the Android OS fully in private, and here's why (AndroidAuthority)Microsoft Abandons Data Center Projects, TD Cowen Says (Bloomberg)China built hundreds of AI data centers to catch the AI boom. Now many stand unused. (MIT Technology Review)Apple chips will be made in US at faster pace, says TSMC (9to5Mac)Instacart will pay shoppers to take videos of store shelves (The Verge)JPMorgan Says Quantum Experiment Generated Truly Random Numbers (Bloomberg)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's all AI today basically. New Gemini “thinking” models. New “deep reasoning” agents for Copilot. But the really big news is the new image generator from OpenAI. Fidelity wants to get in the stablecoin business. And if Europe wants to create its own Starlink, it's got some serious hurdles to overcome.Links:OpenAI rolls out image generation powered by GPT-4o to ChatGPT (The Verge)Gemini 2.5 Pro is Google's ‘most intelligent AI model' with thinking built-in (9to5Google)Microsoft adds ‘deep reasoning' Copilot AI for research and data analysis (The Verge)Fidelity plans to launch stablecoin in digital assets push (FT)‘No substitute': Europe's battle to break Elon Musk's stranglehold on the skies (FT)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Looks like the EU is bringing down the hammer on Meta. Waymo's next city is Washington DC. Napster continues to live! And it has a new owner! Maybe domestic chip production can be cost competitive? And what happens if Europe decouples from Silicon Valley?Sponsors:Tonal.com promocode RIDE for $200 offLinks:European Union to slap Meta with fine up to $1B or more for breaching strict antitrust rules: sources (NYPost)EToro Files for IPO Showing Commissions Jumped 46% Last Year (Bloomberg)Waymo plans robotaxi launch in Washington, DC in 2026 (The Verge)Napster pioneered music sharing over 25 years ago. It just got bought for $207 million (CNBC)Producing wafers at TSMC Arizona is only 10% more expensive than in Taiwan: TechInsights (Toms Hardware)Trump's Aggression Sours Europe on US Cloud Giants (Wired)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

23andMe files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Are mergers and acquisitions officially back on the menu of Silicon Valley? Are cameras coming to the Apple Watch? Devs, does your AI experience line up with your peers? And how Broadway is using AI live translation to reach new audiences.Sponsors:Timeline.com/rideLinks:DNA Tester 23andMe Files Bankruptcy to Sell Firm, CEO Quits (Bloomberg)Big Startup Deals Soar to $55 Billion, Passing Quarterly Record (Bloomberg)Ticket reseller StubHub files for an IPO (Axios)AI Chip Startup FuriosaAI Rejects Meta's $800 Million Offer (Bloomberg)Google is rolling out Gemini's real-time AI video features (The Verge)Apple Working on Turning Watches Into AI Devices With Cameras (Bloomberg)How Software Engineers Actually Use AI (Wired)New York's longest-running play offers AI-powered live translations to attract new audiences (Semafor)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

That whole thing with Meta allegedly scraping all the world's books using LibGen is back in the news. Cloudflare is fighting AI scraping with AI slop. A super interesting executive shakeup at Apple. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions.Sponsors:FreshBooks.comLinks:The Unbelievable Scale of AI's Pirated-Books Problem (The Atlantic)Cloudflare builds an AI to lead AI scraper bots into a horrible maze of junk content (The Register)Apple Shuffles AI Executive Ranks in Bid to Turn Around Siri (Bloomberg)Gmail rolling out AI-powered ‘Most relevant' search update (9to5Google)Weekend Longreads Suggestions:How the AI Boom Created the Most Valuable Monopolies in History (Bloomberg)One Man's Crypto Windfall Is Funding a $1 Billion Space Station Dream (Bloomberg)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

SoftBank acquires a chip making startup. Nvidia says it hasn't been approached to help save Intel. OpenAI announces another expensive AI tier. Apple TV+ is losing more than a billion dollars a year. And do Apple's recent stumbles indicate their where Microsoft was in the Windows Vista era?Sponsors:Incogni.com/ridehome and code ridehomeLinks:SoftBank Seals $6.5 Billion Deal for Chip Designer Ampere (Bloomberg)Nvidia CEO says company has not been asked to buy a stake in Intel (Reuters)Nvidia to spend hundreds of billions on US supply chain, says chief (FT)A First Look at How Apple's C1 Modem Performs With Early Adopters (Ookla)OpenAI's o1-pro is the company's most expensive AI model yet (TechCrunch)Apple Streaming Losses Top $1 Billion a Year (The Information)Apple innovation and execution (Benedict Evans)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The EU Commission has brought the hammer down on Apple and Google at the same time. All the big news from Nvidia's big event yesterday. More details on that Google/Wiz deal. Two new Pebble smartwatches and Google's new entry-level Pixel… that you can't preorder yet.Sponsors:MackWeldon.com and promocode BRIANLinks:EU sends Apple first DMA interoperability instructions for apps and connected devices (TechCrunch)Google Search charged with breaking EU antitrust rules (The Verge)Nvidia announces Blackwell Ultra and Rubin AI chips (CNBC)The key takeaways from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's GTC keynote (SiliconAngle)NVIDIA GTC 2025 – Built For Reasoning, Vera Rubin, Kyber, CPO, Dynamo Inference, Jensen Math, Feynman (SemiAnalysis)Google's $32 billion deal for Wiz accelerated under Trump, sources say (Reuters)The first new Pebble smartwatches are coming later this year (The Verge)The Pixel 9A is a midrange phone that actually looks like a good deal (The Verge)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We get that first big test of M&A I was looking for as Alphabet acquires Wiz. Is Roku going to force us to watch ads just to turn on our TVs? The AI coding assistant space continues to be hot. The breakthrough in electric vehicle charging that could really change the game. And what exactly does Lumon Industries do?Sponsors:Robinhood.com/goldLinks:Google Strikes $32 Billion Deal for Cybersecurity Startup Wiz (WSJ)“Awful”: Roku tests autoplaying ads loading before the home screen (Ars Technica)Critical RCE flaw in Apache Tomcat actively exploited in attacks (Bleeping Computer)Cognition AI Hits $4 Billion Valuation in Deal Led by Lonsdale's Firm (Bloomberg)BYD Shares Jump to Record on Five-Minute EV Battery Charging (Bloomberg)They Named Their Companies Lumon. Then ‘Severance' Aired. (WSJ)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Europe wants to ween itself off of foreign big tech. Could this be the sign of a future rift with Silicon Valley? The weird case of Rippling versus Deel. Klarna lands a big fish. What the Coreweave IPO could mean for tech. And how the new iPhone Air signals a big hardware design change at Apple.Sponsors:QualiaLife.com/ride and promocode RIDELinks:European tech industry coalition calls for ‘radical action' on digital sovereignty — starting with buying local (TechCrunch)Accusations of Corporate Espionage Shake a Software Rivalry (NYTimes)Klarna, nearing IPO, plucks lucrative Walmart fintech partnership from rival Affirm (CNBC)CoreWeave serves as bellwether for AI in soft IPO market (Semafor)Apple's iPhone 17 ‘Air' Is a Step Toward a Slimmer, Port-Free Era (Bloomberg)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The new RCS messaging standard makes encryption universal, and even Apple is getting on the bandwagon. OpenAI calls for a US ban of DeepSeek. Is Apple about to turn your AirPods into the Universal Translator from Star Trek? And, of course, The Weekend Longreads Suggestions.Sponsors:FactorMeals.com/factorpodcast and code FACTORPODCASTLinks:Apple will soon support encrypted RCS messaging with Android users (The Verge)OpenAI calls DeepSeek ‘state-controlled,' calls for bans on ‘PRC-produced' models (TechCrunch)Apple Plans AirPods Feature That Can Live-Translate Conversations (Bloomberg)Gemini can now personalize its answers based on your search history (The Verge)Sony's new RGB backlight tech absolutely smokes regular Mini LED TVs (The Verge)Weekend Longreads Suggestions:‘Ne Zha 2's $2B+ Box Office Run: How It Happened And What Does Blockbuster Behemoth Mean For China & Hollywood Ahead (Deadline)The End Of Children (The New Yorker)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Intel has a new boss and they seem to want to double down on the Foundry strategy. Meta is testing community notes. Sonos is abandoning its big streaming video hardware project. Is Adobe falling behind in AI? Is Oracle the leader to take over TikTok US? And why is John Gruber so mad at Apple?Sponsors:Shopify.com/rideLinks:Intel appoints chip industry veteran Lip-Bu Tan as CEO (Reuters)Intel CEO Signals That He'll Stick With Contentious Foundry Plan (Bloomberg)Meta unveils new community notes program; will not apply distribution penalties nor limit flow of information (Fox News)Sonos has canceled its streaming video player (The Verge)Microsoft's new Xbox Copilot will act as an AI gaming coach (The Verge)Adobe shares drop 13% as concerns about AI growth overshadow better-than-expected results (CNBC)Oracle Is Leading Contender to Help Run TikTok in New Deal (The Information)Something Is Rotten in the State of Cupertino (Daring Fireball)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.