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Microsoft wins its big prize. The EU officially opens and X investigation. VC investment activity has reached its lowest level in years. Netflix dips its toe into the IRL experience business. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Links: Microsoft's purchase of Activision Blizzard for Xbox has been fully APPROVED by the UK regulator (Windows Central) EU opens probe into Elon Musk’s X over Israel-Hamas war misinformation (Financial Times) U.S. VC funding hit lowest level in 6 years in Q3 | A story told in charts (VentureBeat) Netflix to Open Stores Where Fans Can Play, Shop and Eat in 2025 (Bloomberg) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Adobe Is Focused on AI Rather Than Figma With Acquisition in Limbo (Bloomberg) Can EA’s FIFA-Free Soccer Game Win Fans? (Bloomberg) Has Bob Iger Lost the Magic? (Bloomberg) Why Dizziness Is Still a Mystery (The New Yorker) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

That thing where the IRS says you’ve underpaid your taxes to the tune of almost $30 billion dollars. Adam Mosseri says Threads is NOT coming for the breaking news crown. Those kids today, they love YouTube and they REALLY love iPhones. And forget social chat with your friends. How about social chat with your friends, and your AI bot, and their AI bots? Sponsors: DrinkTrade.com/ride Links: IRS says Microsoft owes an additional $29 billion in back taxes (CNBC) Linda Yaccarino responds to EU: 700 Community Notes, 5K+ images shared on Israel-Hamas war, ‘thousands’ of pieces of content removed (TechCrunch) Instagram head says Threads is ‘not going to amplify news on the platform’ (TechCrunch) Google pays Apple $18B to $20B a year to keep its search in iPhone (The Register) PlayStation 5 cloud streaming launches this month (VGC) YouTube passes Netflix as top video source for teens (CNBC) iPhone Continues to Be Most Popular Smartphone Among Teens, Apple Watch Ownership Growing (MacRumors) Character.

The EU is warning Elon Musk over X content related to the Israel-Hamas war. The biggest DDoS attack of all time, by, like, 8x. New image models from Adobe. New PS5s from Sony. New rules from the FTC to help you avoid hidden fees. And checking in with the Sam Bankman Fried trial. Sponsors: Shopify.com/ride Links: EU warns Elon Musk of ‘penalties’ for disinformation circulating on X amid Israel-Hamas war (CNN) New technique leads to largest DDoS attacks ever, Google and Amazon say (The Record) Adobe Firefly can now generate more realistic images (TechCrunch) Sony’s new PS5 with a removable disc drive launches in November (The Verge) The End of Junk Fees? FTC Proposes New Rule (The Hollywood Reporter) Caroline Ellison, Adviser to Sam Bankman-Fried, Says He ‘Directed’ Her to Commit Crimes (NYTimes) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

That whole bungled pricing thing has cost the Unity CEO his job. The big 23andMe breach is a different kind of hack. And it turns out if you fall victim to a scam, it’s probably because you were online. Can you charge enough to cover the costs of AI products? And is the Pixel brand finally having a moment. Sponsors: ipn.ibotta.com/ride TryFum.com code ride Links: John Riccitiello steps down as CEO of Unity after pricing battle (GamesBeat) 23andMe says private user data is up for sale after being scraped (ArsTechnica) Social media scams are costing Americans more than ever (TechRadar) Big Tech Struggles to Turn AI Hype Into Profits (WSJ) Google has shipped almost 40 million Pixel phones since 2016, 10 million last year (9to5Google) Elon Musk’s X Cut Disinformation-Fighting Tool Ahead of Israel-Hamas Conflict (The Information) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Holy crap! Anyone coming to the listener meetup tonight, I hope you see this! Turns out Johnny Foley's is closed on Mondays! We will instead try to meet at the Kan Pai lounge in the Hotel Nikko! It's on the 2nd floor. Go up the escalators! Sorry for my error and this late notice! 222 Mason St. Right across the st! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Looks like Microsoft is inches away from getting the Activision acquisition over the line. Hardware ambitions are one thing, but OpenAI might also design its own silicon. Microsoft’s new version of Teams is finally not the most resource hungry piece of software on your computer. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Links: Microsoft eyes closing its giant Activision Blizzard deal next week (The Verge) Exclusive: ChatGPT-owner OpenAI is exploring making its own AI chips (Reuters) Microsoft’s faster and redesigned Teams app now available for Windows and Mac (The Verge) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: How Will A.I. Learn Next? (The New Yorker) How Bandcamp makes more money than Spotify (Fast Company) Long gone, DEC is still powering the world of computing (ArsTechnica) The Genius Behind Hollywood’s Most Indelible Sets (NYTimes Magazine) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new front in the regulation battle is opening up for major cloud platforms. What is the point of removing article headlines in X posts? Amazon’s Project Kuiper is launching… literally. And is the new camera on the iPhone 15 Max the biggest smartphone camera upgrade ever? Sponsors: Netsuite.com/ride Links: Microsoft and Amazon face UK regulator investigation over cloud services (The Verge) Elon Musk Starts Stripping Headlines From Links Shared to X (The Wrap) Galaxy SmartTag 2 launches next week for $30, still only works with Samsung devices (9to5Google) Android 14 is now available for Pixel phones (The Verge) Amazon Prepares to Challenge SpaceX’s Starlink With Maiden Satellite Launch (Gizmodo) Apple Considered, Rejected Switch to DuckDuckGo From Google (Bloomberg) iPhone 15 Pro Max Camera Review: Depth and Reach (Lux) Vera wants to use AI to cull generative models’ worst behaviors (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All the headlines from the Made By Google event this morning. Samsung also announced their low end lineup of phones. Gmail is taking some big new steps to combat spam. And what if I told you Netflix is about to raise prices. Again. Sponsors: DomainMoney.com Links: Google’s Pixel Watch 2 brings new sensors for improved health tracking (TechCrunch) Google’s Pixel 8 brings new camera tricks, better display and a thermometer (TechCrunch) The Pixel 8 Pro has better cameras, a brighter screen, and a lot of new AI tricks (The Verge) Google announces AI-powered photo-editing features for new Pixel phones (TechCrunch) The Galaxy S23 FE, Tab S9 FE, and Buds FE get you flagship specs at way lower prices (XDADevelopers) Google is making big changes to prevent Gmail spam (CNBC) Anthropic in Talks to Raise $2 Billion From Google and Others Just Days After Amazon Investment (The Information) Netflix Plans to Raise Prices After Actors Strike Ends (WSJ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho

Snapchat has led the way, but are we going to see everybody in social media offering subscription plans? An interesting raise for AI investing. Satya Nadella was on the stand yesterday at the Google trial. And what’s up with Threads? Has it missed its moment? Sponsors: Nutrisense.com/ride code ride Links: Meta Plans to Charge $14 a Month for Ad-Free Instagram or Facebook (WSJ) TikTok Confirms It Is Testing an Ad-Free Subscription Tier (Variety) Frec steps out of stealth with $26M in funding, aiming to democratize sophisticated investing with AI (VentureBeat) Microsoft CEO Says Google’s Agreements With Apple Unfairly Harmed Bing (WSJ) US issues first ever fine for space junk to Dish Network (BBCNews) Instagram Looks for Ways to Revive Interest in Threads (The Information) The official podcast development partner! Uptech.team! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple says your iPhone might be heating up because of… Instagram? Rumors suggest Apple has a search engine in its back pocket if it ever wants one. Chromebook Plus is the moniker for high end Chromebooks. And we have our first glimpse of that Humane wearable AI device. Sponsors: Collective.com/ride Kolide.com/ride Links: Apple Says iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Due to iOS 17 Bug, Not Hardware Design (CNET) Apple Has What It Needs to Launch Its Own Google Replacement (Bloomberg) Chromebook Plus is Google’s new certification for premium Chromebooks (The Verge) The synthetic social network is coming (Platformer) Humane shows off its wearable AI pin at Paris Fashion Week (Apple Insider) The official podcast development partner! Uptech.team! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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What if Apple had bought Bing and turned it into its own search engine? Why did France’s competition authority raid, we believe, Nvidia’s offices? Big layoffs and peel offs from Epic shows that the gaming industry is still hurting. And of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Sponsors: EarnIn App, enter Techmeme under podcast Nutrafol.com/men enter code ridehome Links: Microsoft Discussed Selling Bing to Apple as Google Replacement (Bloomberg) Google adds a switch for publishers to opt out of becoming AI training data (The Verge) Nvidia’s French Offices Raided in Cloud-Computing Antitrust Inquiry (WSJ) Epic Games cuts around 830 jobs (The Verge) Weekend Longreads Suggestions The new phone call etiquette: Text first and never leave a voice mail (Washington Post) Can FTX Be Revived—Without Sam Bankman-Fried? (Wired) Could ‘The Terminator’ really happen? Experts assess Hollywood’s visions of AI. (Washington Post) ‘Nerfball’ introduces Nerf’s smartest foam yet — it detects dart impa

The Meta Connect keynote was yesterday and they announced a bunch of stuff including AI chatbots, a new Quest 3, and the continuation of those Ray-Ban smart glasses that are actually getting kind of interesting. Looks like OpenAI is serious about working with Jony Ive. A big new open-source LLM available to download now. And the new Raspberry Pi 5. Sponsors: ShopBeam.com/ride and code RIDE for up to 40% off TryFum.com and use code ride for 10% off Links: Facebook and Instagram will soon get a slew of AI-powered creator tools (The Verge) Meta is putting AI chatbots everywhere (The Verge) Meta Rolls Out Higher-Priced Quest 3 Headset, Just Ahead of Apple’s Vision Pro (Bloomberg) Meta’s smart glasses can take calls, play music, and livestream from your face (The Verge) OpenAI and Jony Ive in talks to raise $1bn from SoftBank for AI device venture (FT) Mistral AI makes its first large language model free for everyone (TechCrunch) Elon Musk Wins US Space Force Contract for Starshield (Bloomber

The big FTC-led lawsuit against Amazon is live. Is Jony Ive working with OpenAI to create an AI hardware product? OpenAI might soon be 3x-ing its private valuation. What the writers won from Hollywood. And what it’s actually like to ride in the only street-legal Level 3 autonomous car. Sponsors: Mindbloom.com/techmeme and promocode techmeme CrucibleMoments.com Links: FTC and 17 states sue Amazon on antitrust charges (CNBC) Designer Jony Ive and OpenAI’s Sam Altman Discuss AI Hardware Project (The Information) OpenAI Seeks New Valuation of Up to $90 Billion in Sale of Existing Shares (WSJ) The iPhone 15 Pro series overheating issues are unrelated to TSMC’s advanced 3nm node / iPhone 15 Pro (Ming-Chi Kuo) The new WGA contract will change how Hollywood works (The Verge) Hollywood Studios Can Train AI Models on Writers’ Work Under Tentative Deal (WSJ) We put our blind faith in Mercedes-Benz’s first-of-its-kind autonomous Drive Pilot feature (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices

Spotify’s new Jam product is kind of the coolest new feature I’ve heard in a while. Looks like the FCC is bringing net neutrality back. Google discontinues some products. New drone reviews and a new drone that either will eliminate police chases… or bring on the panopticon. Sponsors: Skip the waitlist and invest in blue-chip art for the very first time by signing up for Masterworks: https://www.masterworks.art/techmeme .Purchase shares in great masterpieces from artists like Pablo Picasso, Banksy, Andy Warhol, and more. See important Masterworks disclosures: https://www.masterworks.com/cd Hatch.co/ride Links: Spotify launches Jam, a real-time collaborative playlist controlled by up to 32 people (TechCrunch) Coinbase Role in Crypto Firm Celsius’s Bankruptcy Plan Questioned by SEC (Bloomberg) FCC Aims to Reinstate Net Neutrality Rules After US Democrats Gain Control of Panel (Bloomberg) Google killing Basic HTML version of Gmail In January 2024 (The Register) Not just a Pixel thing: iPhone 15 se

Amazon makes a big bet on Anthropic. A big DeFi hack. The US government is weighing a sort of “know your customer” rule for big cloud providers. OpenAI has rolled out some cool new ways to interact with their AI. And why the number of smartphone brands around the world has basically collapsed. Sponsored: NPR Planet Money Zbiotics.com/ride and code: ride Links: Amazon to invest up to $4bn in AI start-up Anthropic (Financial Times) Defi Project Mixin Network Suspends Services After $200 Million Crypto Hack (Bloomberg) Booking to appeal after EU vetoes $1.7 bln ETraveli deal (Reuters) White House could force cloud companies to disclose AI customers (Semafor) You can now prompt ChatGPT with pictures and voice commands (The Verge) WGA and the studios reach tentative deal to end writers’ strike (Los Angeles Times) Nearly 500 Brands Exited Smartphone Market During 2017-2023 (Counterpoint) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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The UK CMA looks like it’s folding, so the Microsoft/Activision acquisition can go through now? YouTube unveils some cool AI tools. Amazon is adding ads to Prime Video and raising the price. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Miro.com/podcast Nutrisense.com/ride and code ride Links: Microsoft’s Activision Deal Set to Clear Final UK Hurdle (Bloomberg) Apple emergency updates fix 3 new zero-days exploited in attacks (BleepingComputer) YouTube to add AI creator tools to find music for videos, add dubs (TechCrunch) YouTube Shorts to gain a generative AI feature called Dream Screen (TechCrunch) Amazon to Run Ads on Prime Video in Key Markets Starting in 2024 (Bloomberg) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Amazon’s rumored home projector can turn anything into a screen (The Verge) The Physical Process That Powers a New Type of Generative AI (Quanta) Unraveling The AI-Generated Spiral Art Phenomenon (NFTNow) The Early Days of American English (Lapham's Quarterly)

All the headlines from the Microsoft Fall event. The Amazon Fall event. OpenAI teasing DALL-E 3. And one more review of a recent Apple product, and for the first time in a long time, the consensus seems to be it’s hot garbage. Sponsors: Rocketcard.com/ride Miro.com/podcast Links: Microsoft unveils unified Copilot that extends across Bing, Edge, and Windows (Windows Central) The Surface Laptop Go 3 starts at $799 and arrives on October 3 (Engadget) Microsoft announces the Surface Laptop Studio 2 with upgraded chips and ports (The Verge) The Surface Go 4 comes with a much-needed performance boost (The Verge) All the biggest announcements from Amazon’s September 2023 product launch event (The Verge) Amazon brings generative AI to Alexa (TechCrunch) OpenAI releases third version of DALL-E (The Verge) The new FineWoven iPhone cases are very bad (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices