Techmeme Ride Home

The UK looks like it’s going to make that Online Safety Bill into law. Instacart closed up, but Arm has been trending down on the markets. Could Apple really have considered getting into the stock trading game? Is the iPad finally getting a WhatsApp app? And what if you could get AI to perform better simply by giving it gentle words of encouragement. Sponsors: Miro.com/podcast Links: UK opens new chapter in digital regulation as parliament passes Online Safety Bill (TechCrunch) Instacart closes up 12% in Nasdaq debut, after first-day rally sputters (CNBC) Apple and Goldman were planning stock-trading feature for iPhones until markets turned last year (CNBC) WhatsApp appears to be about to launch its long-overdue iPad app (The Verge) Musk's Neuralink to start human trial of brain implant for paralysis patients (Reuters) Telling AI model to “take a deep breath” causes math scores to soar in study (ArsTechnica) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bunch of internal Microsoft documents have leaked, so now we know the new Xbox that is coming next year, and their full gaming roadmap which includes “convergence” by 2028. Microsoft’s Chief Product Officer looks like he might take over Alexa. Google sets Bard loose on your Gmail. And what’s new in those new OS releases from Apple. Sponsors: IPN.Ibotta.com/ride Miro.com/podcast Links: Microsoft's Xbox plans revealed in emails tied to FTC case (NBCNews) Microsoft’s next Xbox, coming 2028, envisions hybrid computing (The Verge) Amazon Is Poised to Hire Departing Microsoft Product Chief (Bloomberg) Google’s Bard chatbot can now find answers in your Gmail, Docs, Drive (The Verge) iOS 17 is a lot of little updates that make a big impact (The Verge) watchOS 10 preview: widgets all the way down (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google won’t support screen repairs on your watch but will extend support of Chromebooks. How Spotify and other streamers have changed the way music sounds. And the software update coming to AirPods that might change the way you listen. Sponsors: Miro.com/podcast Collective.com/ride Links: Google won’t repair cracked Pixel Watch screens (The Verge) Google Extends Lifespan of Chromebooks With 10-Year Update Policy (WSJ) How the Lazarus Group is stepping up crypto hacks and changing its tactics (Elliptic) AI Startup Writer Raises $100 Million to Pen Corporate Content (Bloomberg) Streaming Is Changing the Sound of Music (WSJ) Apple’s AirPods Pro just got much better — no matter what port is on the case (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Big fine in Europe of TikTok. Apple thinks it can fix that iPhone radiation issue with a software update. The whole Unity controversy has gotten crazy. Maybe it’s a bad idea to have AI write obituaries. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Links: TikTok fined $379M in EU for failing to keep kids’ data safe (TechCrunch) Apple moves to defuse French iPhone 12 dispute as EU scrutiny steps up (Reuters) MGM hack followed failed bid to rig slot machines, ‘Scattered Spider’ group claims (Financial Times) Video-Game Company Unity Closes Offices Following Death Threat (Bloomberg) Microsoft Publishes Garbled AI Article Calling Tragically Deceased NBA Player "Useless" (Futurism) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Startup That Lets You Instantly Talk in Foreign Language Targets a Nasdaq IPO at $1 Billion Value (Bloomberg) From $1 Billion to Almost Worthless: FaZe Clan Runs Out of Hype (Bloomberg) The Pumpkin Spice Latte just turned 20. This is how we got here. (Washington Post) Learn

Arm’s IPO is happening as I record these words. Vegas and the casino industry in general seem to be the target of some widescale cyberattacks. Unity acknowledges people’s ire about their proposed pricing change. And the wildest new laptop design you can buy, but you’re gonna need a bigger wallet. Links: Chip giant Arm raises nearly $5 billion in year's largest IPO (Axios) Inside The Ransomware Attack That Shut Down MGM Resorts (Forbes) Caesars Entertainment Paid Millions to Hackers in Attack (Bloomberg) Judge Allows Bankrupt FTX to Sell Its Crypto Holdings, Including BTC and SOL (CoinDesk) Unity Acknowledges 'Confusion and Frustration' Among Developers But Won't Walk Back Install Fee Plan (IGN) The HP Spectre Fold is the world’s thinnest 17-inch foldable PC (The Verge) HP's $5,000 Spectre Fold might be the best flexible-screen laptop yet (Engadget) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unity has upset game developers across the world with new pricing changes. France has ordered Apple to stop selling the iPhone 12 over radiation concerns. Lots of extra drips and drabs from yesterday’s iPhone event. And Stability AI gets into the generative music generation game. Sponsors: Shopify.com/ride Links: Unity has introduced new fees that could have dire effects on the entire game industry, from indies to Xbox Game Pass (UPDATE) (Windows Central) Sony has launched a major PlayStation 5 system update (VGC) Apple disputes French findings, says iPhone 12 meets radiation rules (Reuters) Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max Pushes Up the Price (WSJ) iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max hands-on (The Verge) Adobe’s Firefly generative AI models are now generally available, get pricing plans (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All the headlines from the iPhone event today at Apple HQ. Why is Meta blocking some basic terms on their new Threads search feature? TikTok Shop is rolling out broadly. And the US Copyright Office keeps knocking down copyright claims for AI generated Art. Sponsors: TryNom.com/ride Links: Apple Watch Series 9 Unveiled With S9 Chip, 'Double Tap' Gesture, and More (MacRumors) Apple announces new Apple Watch Ultra 2 (9to5Mac) Apple announces iPhone 15 with USB-C, a camera upgrade, and the Dynamic Island (The Verge) Apple iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max announced with titanium bodies and an Action Button (The Verge) Thunderbolt 5 offers up to 3x the speed over Thunderbolt 4 (VideoCardz) Threads blocks searches related to covid and vaccines as cases rise (Washington Post) TikTok Popularizes Products. Can It Sell Them, Too? (NYTimes) US Copyright Office denies protection for another AI-created image (Reuters) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Instacart IPO is coming with a helluva haircut. Meta is planning a big new LLM trained on its own stuff. Some eye-watering details on how much water ChatGPT uses. If you don’t do that AI tech, that doesn’t mean someone else won’t. And what tomorrow’s iPhone event says as about Apple’s high-end strategy. Sponsors: Collective.com/ride DraftKings Sportsbook with code TECHMEME for $200 in bonus bets Links: Instacart targets up to $9.3 bln valuation for much-awaited US IPO (Reuters) Meta Is Developing a New, More Powerful AI System as Technology Race Escalates (WSJ) Roblox’s new AI chatbot will help you build virtual worlds (The Verge) Artificial intelligence technology behind ChatGPT was built in Iowa — with a lot of water (AP) The Technology Facebook and Google Didn’t Dare Release (NYTimes) Apple Renews Qualcomm Deal in Sign Its Own Modem Chip Isn’t Ready (Bloomberg) Apple Bets on Titanium and Cameras to Nudge Buyers Toward Pricier iPhones (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad cho

You really need to update your Apple devices. Today. Here come the AI generated misinformation campaigns. Microsoft will defend you from lawsuits if you use their AI. And in the Weekend Longreads Suggestions, might AI finally give us a real life Doctor Dolittle? Sponsors: CrucibleMoments.com Nutrafol.com/men promocode: ridehome Links: Apple discloses zero-days linked to NSO Group spyware (The Record) Ex-FTX Executive Ryan Salame Could Forfeit $1.5B as Part of Guilty Plea (CoinDesk) China turns to AI in hopes of creating viral online propaganda, Microsoft researchers say (Cyberscoop) Microsoft Says It Will Protect Customers from AI Copyright Lawsuits (Bloomberg) Exclusive: ChatGPT traffic slips again for third month in a row (Reuters) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: The Decomposition of Rotten Tomatoes (Vulture) What OpenAI Really Wants (Wired) How artificial intelligence could help us talk to animals (ScienceNewsExplores) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc

Chrome is getting a new coat of paint. China is increasingly banning iPhones. Are drones about to have a breakthrough moment just like self-driving cars? Apple is increasingly serious about AI. And in a way, are we seeing the first major musical artist of the AI era emerging? Sponsors: Netsuite.com/ride Links: Chrome is about to look a bit different (The Verge) China Seeks to Broaden iPhone Ban to State Firms, Agencies (Bloomberg) FAA Clears Drones for Longer Flights, Opening Door to Deliveries (Bloomberg) Apple Boosts Spending to Develop Conversational AI (The Information) Vitalik Buterin co-authors paper on regulation-friendly Tornado Cash alternative (The Block) OpenAI to Host First Developer Conference in San Francisco (Bloomberg) Ghostwriter Returns With an A.I. Travis Scott Song, and Industry Allies (NYTimes) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The EU has listed 22 services falling under its Digital Markets Act. Britain pulls back from an encryption law. And if that’s not enough, the Google antitrust trial begins next week so the modern antitrust era is officially here. Which cars are spying on us? Maybe all of them. Who has all the money in crypto? And the new law here in NYC that could change Airbnb forever. Sponsors: Hatch.co/ride Links: EU Challenges Apple, Microsoft in New Push to Rein in Big Tech Dominance (Bloomberg) UK pulls back from clash with Big Tech over private messaging (Financial Times) In Its First Monopoly Trial of Modern Internet Era, U.S. Sets Sights on Google (NYTimes) There are just six bitcoin billionaires in the world, new crypto super-rich report says (CNBC) If You’ve Got a New Car, It’s a Data Privacy Nightmare (Gizmodo) The End of Airbnb in New York (Wired) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some more controversies surrounding Elon Musk and X. China looks like it is managing its chip situation better than the US might have hoped. Is Spotify’s podcasting bet officially a failure? Is Apple’s Lionel Messi bet already a winner? And will getting rid of Books 3 only help the AI incumbents? Sponsors: DraftKings.com code techmeme Kolide.com/ride Links: Elon Musk to sue ADL for accusing him, X of antisemitism (TechCrunch) Huawei Teardown Shows Chip Breakthrough in Blow to US Sanctions (Bloomberg) Meta Reportedly Partnering With LG For 2025 Quest Pro Successor (UploadVR) Exclusive: Arm signs up big tech firms for IPO at $50 billion-$55 billion valuation (Reuters) Spotify’s $1 Billion Podcast Bet Turns Into a Serial Drama (WSJ) Messi Drives Jump in Apple TV+ and MLS Subscriptions (WSJ) The Battle Over Books3 Could Change AI Forever (Wired) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Microsoft unbundles Teams to stay ahead of EU antitrust action. But is that actually good for European consumers? Elon wants to collect your biometric data. Can AI police online smack talking in games? Lessons from the grocery delivery bubble. And, surprise, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Links: Microsoft Fends Off EU Antitrust Probe With Teams Deal (Bloomberg) Microsoft is unbundling Teams from Office in Europe to address regulator concerns (The Verge) X Plans to Collect Biometric Data, Job and School History (Bloomberg) Call of Duty enlists AI to eavesdrop on voice chat and help ban toxic players starting today (PCGamer) Bonfire of the groceries (FT) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Despite Cheating Fears, Schools Repeal ChatGPT Bans (NYTimes) A Startup in the New Jersey Suburbs Is Battling the Giants of Silicon Valley (WSJ) Where do fonts come from? This one business, mostly (The Hustle) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The FBI took down a huge botnet. OpenAI is apparently ahead of schedule in terms of making a ton of revenue. Why Samsung wants to apply AI to your refrigerator. Why OnStar is doubling down on AI. And we officially have the deets on the iPhone event scheduled for next month. Links: Qakbot botnet dismantled after infecting over 700,000 computers (BleepingComputer) UAE launches Arabic large language model in Gulf push into generative AI (FT) OpenAI Passes $1 Billion Revenue Pace as Big Companies Boost AI Spending (The Information) Samsung debuts its own 'AI-powered' smart recipe app (Engadget) GM is using Google’s AI chatbot to handle simple OnStar calls (The Verge) Apple Announces 'Wonderlust' Event Expected to Feature iPhone 15, Apple Watch Series 9 and More (MacRumors) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google’s Cloud Next conference drops a ton of AI announces. OpenAI releases a business-oriented version of ChatGPT. The regulators have come for NFTs and now the question is, are all NFTs securities, or just the ones they just fined? And let me introduce you to Twitch’s big new competitor. But are they really eating their lunch or just a front for gambling related streaming? Sponsors: Notion.com/ride Links: Google to Add AI Models from Meta, Anthropic to Its Cloud Platform (Bloomberg) The new Google Chat borrows from Slack, Teams, Discord, and even ChatGPT (The Verge) Google Meet’s new AI will be able to go to meetings for you (The Verge) OpenAI launches a ChatGPT plan for enterprise customers (TechCrunch) Musk, tech CEOs to attend Schumer’s AI Senate forum (The Hill) SEC takes first action against an NFT project as an unregistered security (The Verge) Twitch competitor Kick is dividing the internet's top streamers (NBCNews) Robotaxis hit the accelerator in growing list of cities nationwide (

Apple looks to refresh the iPad to reinvigorate sales. Huge network crash is grounding planes in the UK. Some tentative sign that the Tech IPO window might be creaking open. Do you need a 100 year domain renewal? And the Silicon Valley bigwigs who are investing big money to build a new Bay Area city from scratch. Links: Apple Bets on Revamped iPad Pro to Reignite Sluggish Tablet Sales (Bloomberg) China’s BYD to Pay $2.2B to Expand Business With Apple (The Information) UK air traffic control hit by network-wide failure (The Guardian) Klaviyo files to go public in latest sign of life for IPO market (CNBC) WordPress Announces 100-Year Domain Name Registrations (Search Engine Journal) The Silicon Valley Elite Who Want to Build a City From Scratch (NYTimes) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amazon has apparently held talks with Disney about maybe teaming up for a streaming ESPN partnership. Dropbox ends its unlimited storage option. Shein takes over Forever21. A product release so star-crossed, it’s being recalled after just 3 months. And, of course, The Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Links: Amazon in Talks With Disney About ESPN Streaming Partnership (The Information) Dropbox Ends Unlimited Cloud Storage Following Google Change (Bloomberg) Shein Strikes Deal With Forever 21 (WSJ) Citizen Is Suspending Sales of Its New Wear OS Smartwatch (Wired) Threads on the web widely rolling out (9to5Google) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: What Happened to Wirecutter? (The Atlantic) Michael Mann Fulfills a 30-Year Journey Directing the Operatic, Thrilling ‘Ferrari’ — And Teases ‘Heat 2’: ‘I Don’t Think About Mortality. I’m Busy’ (Variety) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nvidia gives new meaning to the words “earnings beat.” Meta announces Code Llama. TikTok might start banning links to Amazon. SpaceX wants Starlink to be viable in cities too. And turning thoughts into speech via an AI interface becomes real. Links: Nvidia tops estimates and says sales will jump 170% this quarter, driven by demand for AI chips (CNBC) Meta launches own AI code-writing tool: Code Llama (The Verge) TikTok Shop on Track to Lose More Than $500 Million in U.S. This Year (The Information) Epic offers devs 100 percent of net revenue for six months of EGS exclusivity (Engadget) SpaceX Working with Cloudflare to Speed Up Starlink Service (The Information) Brain implants give a voice to people who cannot speak (FT) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sony announces the PlayStation Portal handheld device. IBM announces an AI model to translate code from one type to another. OpenAI lets anyone fine tune. Is LinkedIn the big winner in social media right now? And what happens when you 3d printer comes alive like a zombie in the middle of the night. 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 Links: Sony’s portable PlayStation Portal launches later this year for $199.99 (The Verge) PlayStation Portal: Hands On With Sony's New Remote Play Handheld (IGN) IBM taps AI to translate COBOL code to Java (TechCrunch) OpenAI brings fine-tuning to GPT-3.5 Turbo (TechCrunch) Sorry, But LinkedIn Is Cool Now (Bloomberg) Salesforce Leads Financing of AI Startup at More Than $4 Billion Valu

Microsoft tries to appease His Majesty’s Regulators. The Arm IPO is a go. Why Nvidia continues to be huge even in China. A new AI translation model from Meta. I continue to wonder if Elon is tanking things on purpose. And a new social media platform built on top of X? Links: Microsoft to sell off Activision cloud gaming rights to Ubisoft in bid for UK approval (The Verge) Arm files for Nasdaq listing, as SoftBank aims to sell shares in chip designer it bought for $32 billion (CNBC) Why China remains hungry for AI chips despite US restrictions (FT) Meta releases an AI model that can transcribe and translate close to 100 languages (TechCrunch) X is planning to hide headlines from news links for ‘improved aesthetics’ (TechCrunch) Social Platform Friend.tech Gains 100K Users in Days Even in Depths of a Bear Market (CoinDesk) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices