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As of right now, you can no longer buy an iPhone in Russia. Big recall from Fitbit because their smartwatches might burn you. Meta tries to be transparent in a very Meta way, by redacting a key detail from a transparency report. And could poker be the killer app the Metaverse has been waiting for? Sponsors: Workable.com Links: Apple Halts All Sales From Online Store in Russia [Updated] (MacRumors) How the Russian Invasion of Ukraine Is Playing Out on English, Ukrainian, and Russian Wikipedia (Slate) Prominent tech companies that originated from Ukraine (Analytics India) Fitbit recall confirms its Ionic smartwatch could overheat and burn you (Engadget) New UCIe Chiplet Standard Supported by Intel, AMD, and Arm (Tom's Hardware) Meta Releases New 'Widely Viewed Content' Report for Facebook, Which Continues to be a Baffling Overview (SocialMediaToday) Netflix to buy mobile game developer Next Games to strengthen its games business (Money Control) The Metaverse Finally Has a Killer App: Poker (Bloo

Crypto exchanges stick to their crypto ethos over the Ukraine War situation. A new, super crazy alleged Chinese backdoor hack. Uber adds new ways to buy concert tickets and book restaurants in its app. Amazon launches its Luna game streaming service in the US. An a review of the Galaxy S22 and S22+ Sponsors: do.co/ridehome2022 Traceroute Podcast (more info at Origins.dev) Links: Netflix Won’t Add Russian Broadcasters to Service, Defying New Regulation (WSJ) Crypto Exchanges Refuse to Freeze All Russian Accounts (Motherboard) Chinese cyberspies target govts with their ‘most advanced’ backdoor (BleepingComputer) Uber adds new ways to buy concert tickets and book restaurants in its app (The Verge) Amazon Luna launches for anyone in the US, adds free games for Prime members and Twitch integration (The Verge) BitConnect’s Indicted Founder Kumbhani Vanished, SEC Says (Bloomberg) SAMSUNG’S GALAXY S22 AND S22 PLUS ARE THE DEFAULT ANDROID PHONES TO BUY (The Verge) Learn more about your ad

I’ll try to run down everything I can about the tech world and the Ukraine situation. There is a ton to talk about. Qualcomm’s new 5G modem. TikTok’s new 10 minute videos. Lenovo’s new laptops. And should Apple release a $200 iPhone? Sponsors: Priceline.com Links: Customers of banks targeted by Russia sanctions are unable to use Apple Pay or Google Pay (Insider) Google blocks RT, other Russian channels from earning ad dollars (Reuters) Meta to bar Russian state media from running ads, monetizing on platform (Reuters) Facebook, Twitter remove disinformation accounts targeting Ukrainians (NBCNews) Russia demands Google restore access to its media YouTube channels in Ukraine (Reuters) Crypto Donations to Ukraine Jump to $20M (CoinDesk) Computer chip industry begins halting deliveries to Russia in response to U.S. sanctions (Washington Post) Airbnb to Provide Housing for 100,000 Ukrainian Refugees (Bloomberg) Google Maps temporarily disables live traffic data in Ukraine (Axios) Facebook, Appl

We check in with Rob Maurer who hosts the Tesla Daily podcast. All things Tesla and Elon on this episode! Check out the Tesla Daily podcast Check out the Tesla Daily YouTube Channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ukraine is seeking to raise its own hacker army. New export controls affect tech products. Why mobile subscriptions being a growth industry is more bad news for the App Store status quo. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Masterworks.io/ride Links: Social media platforms on the defensive as Russian-based disinformation about Ukraine spreads (Politico) Google Faces Sanctions Dilemma With Pro-Russia YouTube Channels (Bloomberg) Ukraine war flashes neon warning lights for chips (Reuters) Biden hits Russia with tough export curbs, slashing access to global tech (Reuters) Top subscription app revenue grew 41% in 2021 to reach $18.3 billion (TechCrunch) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: A moment of clarity (Noapinion Substack) Web3 Developers Have Found a Functioning Metaverse. It’s ‘Minecraft’. (Vice) CAN THE LAW KEEP UP WITH CRYPTO? (The Verge) Crypto Scammers’ New Target: Dating Apps (NYTimes) Amazon’s sprawling grocery business has become an ‘expensive hobby’ with a

There actually IS a tech angle to what is going on in Ukraine, though for all of our sakes, let’s just hope there’s not TOO much of one. Stablecoins are where it’s at in crypto at the moment. Not one, but two new flagship phones to tell you about. And the interesting AI details behind Zuck’s latest Metaverse presentation. Sponsors: NewRelic.com/techmeme Links: Ukrainian gov't sites disrupted by DDoS, wiper malware discovered (ZDNet) Stablecoins Soar in Value as Everything Else in Crypto Shrinks (Bloomberg) Oppo’s Find X5 Pro flagship is finally official (The Verge) The Motorola Edge Plus aims for full flagship status — with a price to match (The Verge) A Meta prototype lets you build virtual worlds by describing them (The Verge) Mark Zuckerberg wants to build a voice assistant that blows Alexa and Siri away (Recode) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former President Trump’s new social network is number one on the app store, but has had a bunch of issues too. The politics leading to a surge in searches for DuckDuckGo. What ever happened to Amazon’s home robot? And Waymo successfully sues to keeps its failures secret. Sponsors: Napjitsu.com/techmeme Linkedin.com/ride Links: Trump’s Truth Social’s disastrous launch raises doubts about its long-term viability (Washington Post) Fed Up With Google, Conspiracy Theorists Turn to DuckDuckGo (NYTimes) OpenSea NFT Heist Likely Triggers Drop in Activity (Bloomberg) Amazon sues two companies that allegedly help fill the site with fake reviews (CNBC) Amazon’s Astro Home Robot Remains Elusive Six Months After Debut (Bloomberg) Waymo to keep robotaxi safety details secret, court rules (TechCrunch) Gaming Company Backbone Reveals Series A Funding Backed by Ashton Kutcher, The Weeknd, Kevin Hart, Post Malone and More (The Hollywood Reporter) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/a

Has the mystery of the original The DAO controversy been solved? We finally have Sony’s new PlayStation VR2 design. Crypto exchange FTX makes a big move into gaming. Datapoints suggesting remote work is here to stay. And a review of the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Sponsors: do.co/ridehome2022 IPVanish.com/techmeme and promocode techmeme for 70% savings Links: Exclusive: Austrian Programmer And Ex Crypto CEO Likely Stole $11 Billion Of Ether (Forbes) Sony finally reveals the PlayStation VR2’s design (The Verge) FTX Enters Gaming as Backlash Grows Against Crypto’s Incursion (Bloomberg) Over 40% of West Coast Tech Job Listings Are Outside West Coast (Bloomberg) Spotify's Car Thing Is About to Face the Music (CNET) SAMSUNG GALAXY S22 ULTRA REVIEW: NOTABLY UNIQUE (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OpenSea says 32 users had NFTs stolen when they were scammed into signing malicious smart contracts. Mark Gurman tells us every Mac he expects to be released this year. Is a new crackdown coming for Chinese tech? And Ford is revving up its attempts to unseat Tesla at the top of the EV mountain. Sponsors: Smith.ai promocode techmeme for $100 off signup Links: OpenSea Investigating ‘Exploit Rumors’ as Users Complain of Missing NFTs (CoinDesk) $1.7 million in NFTs stolen in apparent phishing attack on OpenSea users (The Verge) Apple Readies New MacBooks and iMacs for Part Three of Overhaul (Bloomberg) The Apple M2 could launch alongside up to seven new Mac models this year (TechRadar) Gurman: Apple to Launch New Macs Next Month, With More to Come Around May or June (MacRumors) Tencent Leads China Tech Selloff Amid Fears of Further Crackdown (Bloomberg) PrimaryBid raises $190M to double down on making it easier for ordinary people to invest in IPOs and follow-on fundraises (TechCrunch) Ford Mus

Check out Grupa.io and look for their launch on Product Hunt this Monday! Upvote! And subscribe to the Ride Home Fund at RideHomeFund.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Windows 11 now requires a Microsoft account just to load. Intel’s roadmap comes into view. Is Meta’s metaverse play already getting traction? Next week might be the biggest regulatory week for Crypto ever. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Sponsors: WealthFront.com/techmeme Links: You’ll need a Microsoft account to set up future versions of Windows 11 Pro (ArsTechnica) Intel Discloses Multi-Generation Xeon Scalable Roadmap (AnandTech) Meta’s social VR platform Horizon hits 300,000 users (The Verge) Biden seen issuing crypto oversight exec order next week (Yahoo!Finance) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: The World Needs What Intel Makes. Can It Make a Comeback? (NYTimes) Free your mind: Meditation could be VR's next killer app (Protocol) No one cares about your redesign (Garbage Day) If Russia Invades Ukraine, TikTok Will See It Up Close (Wired) Francis Ford Coppola’s $100 Million Bet (GQ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why a dumb agent string bug may break some big named websites soon. Is Circle about to become the biggest pure play crypto company to hit public markets? Spotify buys basically the only remaining pieces of the podcast puzzle missing from their toolbelt. And the interesting raise from a company buying up YouTube back catalogs. Sponsors: RealVision.com/techmeme Links: Mozilla warns Chrome, Firefox ‘100’ user agents may break sites (BleepingComputer) Meta’s Clegg Promoted as Zuckerberg Steps Back From Policy (Bloomberg) Circle valued at $9 billion under revamped SPAC deal terms (The Block) Spotify is acquiring two major podcast tech platforms (The Verge) Sequoia Capital launches crypto token fund (Axios) Sequoia Capital is launching a $500-600 million crypto fund to invest in tokens (The Block) Spotter raises $200M to invest $1 billion into YouTubers’ back catalogs (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forget how’s my driving, Uber lets you know how you’re riding. Meta workers are now formally known as Metamates. Is Paramount quietly doing better in the streaming wars than we thought? So much so, as to warrant a name change too? And what happens when your bionic eye implants are no longer supported by the manufacturer? Sponsors: shop.SiempreTequila.com Promo Code RIDE Links: Uber will now let you see how many one-star ratings you got from drivers (The Verge) Move fast, rename things: Facebook tries to boost morale with new slogans (Washington Post) Facebook rebrands News Feed after more than 15 years (The Verge) ViacomCBS rebrands to Paramount in focus on streaming (The Verge) Coalition of US crypto firms unveils travel rule compliance platform, TRUST (The Block) Google Plans Privacy Changes, but Promises to Not Be Disruptive (NYTimes) THEIR BIONIC EYES ARE NOW OBSOLETE AND UNSUPPORTED (IEEE Spectrum) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the great Returning To The Office beginning with the Tech Industry? Really cool new way to use your Android apps on your Windows or Chromebook devices. Instagram lets you send private likes. The tech cold war between India and China claims another victim. And what did the NYTimes do to Wordle this morning? Sponsors: do.co/ridehome2022 Links: Microsoft and Expedia announce next phases in office reopenings, finally emerging from pandemic (GeekWire) Exclusive: Pixel will be able to stream Android apps to your Chromebook/PC, here’s how it works [Video] (9to5Google) Intel to Buy Israel’s Tower Semiconductor for $5.4 Billion (Bloomberg) Instagram now lets you send private Story likes (Engadget) Sea’s $16 Billion Crash Signals Trouble Beyond India Shutout (Bloomberg) Texas Sues Meta Over Facebook’s Facial-Recognition Practices (WSJ) Google Messages, with RCS in tow, is now Samsung’s default messaging app in the US (9to5Google) The New York Times has changed Wordle’s solutions (The Verge)

Turns out Super Bowl ads really do move the needle. Another day, another crypto bug, this one could have let you create unlimited ether from thin air. See what I did there? Could we see a digital Euro by the end of next year? A couple of super interesting raises. And the curious case of the missing Nvidia graphics card. Sponsors: MagicMind.co/ride and code ride at checkout for 20% off OurCrowd.com/ride Links: Crypto apps soar in popularity after Super Bowl splurge (The Block) iOS jailbreak dev wins $2M bounty for finding critical Optimism bug (CoinTelegraph) HMRC seizes NFT for first time in £1.4m fraud case (BBCNews) Digital euro bill due early 2023 (Politico) Viam closes $30 Million Series A funding round (The Robot Report) Jio Platforms invests $200 million in Google-backed Glance (TechCrunch) Nvidia’s RTX 3090 Ti is still missing, and the company refuses to say what’s going on (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is a DAO? How do they function? What is the history of this idea? Why have DAO's become so popular all of the sudden, and what are some examples of successful DAOs? The great Brady Dale from @DefiantNews joins Chris and Brian to explain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Allegations of a new, widespread bulk surveillance program being run on American citizens by the CIA. Apple is planning AirTag updates to curb their use for stalking people. The first Android 13 developer preview is out. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Masterworks.io RocketLawyer.com/workconfidently Links: Secret CIA Bulk Surveillance Program Includes Some Americans’ Records, Senators Say (WSJ) Apple Announces AirTag Updates to Address Unwanted Tracking (MacRumors) The first developer preview of Android 13 has arrived (TechCrunch) Weekend Longreads Suggestions Flexport Is Silicon Valley’s Solution To The Supply Chain Mess—Why Do Insiders Hope It Sinks? (Forbes) How Telegram Became the Anti-Facebook (Wired) Sony's AI Drives a Race Car Like a Champ (Wired) Russia’s drone army contains heaps of Western electronics. Can the U.S. cut them off? (Washington Post) The Little Streaming Comedy Platform That Couldn’t (Vulture) Amazon’s Lord of the Rings Series Rises: I

Not just rumors of an Apple AR headset, but actual code mentions of a “realityOS” are showing up now. Microsoft hopes to head off the regulators with some app store rules. Now Flash storage chips might be in for a supply crunch. And why static video memes are all over Instagram all of the sudden. Sponsors: Workable.com Links: Is ‘realityOS’ Apple’s newest operating system? (The Verge) In a bid to appease regulators, Microsoft announces new app store principles (The Washington Post) Western Digital, Kioxia Lose 'At Least' 6.5 Exabytes of 3D NAND Due to Contamination (Updated) (Tom's Hardware) Why Static Video Memes Are All Over Instagram (The Information) Gopuff stocks its warehouses with items purchased from Instacart, spending tens of thousands per month on the service (Insider) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All the headlines from the Samsung event, including the new S22 lineup and some massive new tablets. Can Meta’s stock crash so much that it would become immune to antitrust liability? And, look, the alleged Bonnie and Clyde for our times, the whole saga of that husband and wife arrested here in NYC yesterday, allegedly related to the big Bitfinex hack. Sponsors: IPVanish.com/techmeme and promocode: techmeme for 70% savings Smith.ai promocode techmeme for $100 off signup Links: SAMSUNG’S GALAXY S22 AND S22 PLUS PUT IMPROVED CAMERAS AND PERFORMANCE IN A SAMEY DESIGN (The Verge) SAMSUNG’S GALAXY S22 ULTRA IS A NOTE BY ANOTHER NAME (The Verge) Samsung’s new tablets go bigger than ever (The Verge) Facebook market cap falls below $600 billion — which could actually help it dodge new antitrust scrutiny (CNBC) Justice Department Says It Seized $3.6 Billion Worth of Bitcoin Stolen in 2016 Hack (WSJ) Woman Who Allegedly Laundered $1B in Bitcoin Was Cringe YouTube Rapper (Motherboard) Learn

It’s a day of retrenchment. Nvidia and Arm are off. Peter Thiel is leaving the Meta board. Peloton loses its CEO ahead of what is likely to be disastrous earnings. The IRS backs down from the whole facial recognition thing. And Tinder stops charging you more if you’re old. Sponsors: Do.co/trh Links: SoftBank’s $66bn sale of chip group Arm to Nvidia collapses (THE (?) Financial Times) Peter Thiel to Exit Meta’s Board to Support Trump-Aligned Candidates (NYTimes) Peloton CEO John Foley to Step Down, Firm to Cut 2,800 Jobs (WSJ) I.R.S. to End Use of Facial Recognition for Identity Verification (NYTimes) Apple Buys Startup That Makes Music With Artificial Intelligence (Bloomberg) Apple announces new Tap to Pay feature that turns iPhones into contactless payment terminals (9to5Mac) Signal now allows you to keep messages and groups after changing phone numbers (ZDNet) Tinder will stop charging older users more for premium features (Engadget) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphon