Techmeme Ride Home

Rogangate rolls on. Why a controversy in the Ethereum Name Service community might be even more interesting, because of what it might teach us about the viability of DAOs. Twitter is, oddly, testing ways to make it easier for folks to DM you. And rumors of a new entry level MacBook Pro. Sponsors: Workable.com Grammarly.com/techmeme Links: Spotify CEO Addresses Joe Rogan’s N-Word Use, Doubles Down on Keeping Podcaster on Platform (The Hollywood Reporter) Spotify CEO defends Joe Rogan deal in tense company town hall (The Verge) Ethereum Name Service Removes Core Team Member Brantly Millegan Over 2016 Tweet (CoinDesk) Twitter’s direct DM test is a terrible idea (The Verge) Gurman: New entry-level MacBook Pro with M2 chip coming this year, but no ProMotion (9to5Mac) Gurman: Apple Event on March 8, At Least Four M2 Macs to Launch Later This Year (MacRumors) Mapping the celebrity NFT complex (Read Max) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

That crack you felt in your spine was just the whiplash from the craziest 24 hours in tech earnings I’ve ever seen. Amazon has created a bigger advertising business than the entire newspaper industry. Apple once again shows it can adjust the App Store vig when it has to. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: TodayInDigital.com Links: Snap shares rocket as much as 62% on first-ever quarterly net profit (CNBC) Amazon Flexes Its Pricing Muscles (WSJ) Amazon Profit Shows Resilience Even as Labor, Supply Crunch Weigh on Results (WSJ) Apple will charge 27% commission for app purchases made using alternative payment systems in the Netherlands (9to5Mac) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: HOW ONE COMPANY TOOK OVER THE NFT TRADE (The Verge) The Unnerving Rise of Video Games that Spy on You (Wired) North Korea Hacked Him. So He Took Down Its Internet (Wired) Startup Investors Cut Valuations Amid Tech Stock Rout, Dismal IPOs (WSJ) How IBM’s Watson Went From the Future of Health Care

Meta really steps in it with earnings that send the stock down fully 25%. The plague of hacks hitting crypto startups. The ransomware attack causing a snacks crisis in Britain. Bored Apes Yacht Club is an interesting raise. And why we might not see a HoloLens 3. Sponsors: TodayInDigital.com Priceline.com Smith.ai promocode techmeme for $100 off signup Links: Meta estimates Apple's iOS changes will cost it $10B in 2022 (ZDNet) Facebook and Google’s Ad Addiction Can’t Last Forever (Bloomberg Opinion) Cryptocurrency platform Wormhole hacked for an estimated $322 million (The Record) KP Snacks giant hit by Conti ransomware, deliveries disrupted (BleepingComputer) Bored Ape start-up in investment talks with Andreessen Horowitz (FT) Inside Microsoft's mixed reality mess, where confusion, rivalries, and canceled projects have roiled the company's metaverse strategy (Insider) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alphabet gives a new meaning to the term blowout quarter. Cruise is getting ready to launch its robotaxi business in San Francisco. A GDPR issue that might have huge implications. Starlink has a new premium tier. And what happens if someone buys your house, your IRL house, but in the metaverse? I’m not kidding. Sponsors: TodayInDigital.com Napjitsu.com/techmeme Devry.edu/future Links: Google parent Alphabet announces 20-for-1 stock split (CNBC) Cruise, loaded with another $1.35B from SoftBank, opens up driverless ride-hailing to the public (TechCrunch) SpaceX’s new Starlink Premium tier promises up to 500Mbps for $500 a month (The Verge) European Ad Group Hit With Sanctions Over Privacy Lapses (Bloomberg) Who owns your address in AR? Probably not you. (Protocol) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The year of gaming consolidation is upon us, with Sony snapping up Bungie. Not EXACTLY related, but the NYTimes has acquired Wordle. Did the CEO of Bolt’s tweets lose him the top job at the company he founded? You can no longer roll through stop signs in your Tesla. And the best use of augmented reality I’ve heard in a while. Sponsors: Do.co/trh TodayInDigital.com Links: Sony buying Bungie for $3.6 billion (GamesIndustry.biz) SONY’S BUNGIE ACQUISITION IS ALL ABOUT FORTNITE (The Verge) Microsoft Deal for Activision to Be Reviewed by FTC in U.S. (Bloomberg) Pinterest Adds Augmented Reality Feature for Home Decor (WSJ) Wordle has been bought by The New York Times, will ‘initially’ remain free for everyone to play (The Verge) Following his fiery Twitter tirades, Bolt founder Ryan Breslow is no longer CEO — and he says it’s his choice (TechCrunch) Tesla recall: ‘Full Self-Driving’ software runs stop signs (AP) Pinterest Adds Augmented Reality Feature for Home Decor (WSJ) World Cup of Entrepre

Summing up the whole Joe Rogan brouhaha from over the weekend. Meta joins a crypto legal alliance and takes a page out of Alphabets book by planning to break out reporting of its metaverse business. And the dotcom bubble called and wants its headlines back: wash trading might be rampant on NFT marketplaces, and a look at the six startups trying to succeed, where Kozmo.com failed. Sponsors: Devry.edu/future Links: Spotify finally responds to Joe Rogan controversy with a plan to label podcasts that discuss COVID-19 (The Verge) Joe Rogan defends podcast and apologizes to Spotify for backlash (The Verge) Spotify’s big Rogan mistake (Protocol) Facebook parent Meta joins crypto group promoting open patents (The Block) Facebook's metaverse efforts are already generating close to $3 billion a year in revenue, analysts estimate. (Insider) LooksRare Has Reportedly Generated $8B in Ethereum NFT Wash Trading (Decrypt) Losses Mount for Startups Racing to Deliver Groceries Fast and Cheap (WSJ) Learn

The great Katie Roof, Natasha Mascarenhas and Christine Hall come on to talk more about the craziness in the stock market and what it might mean for tech startups. Then Chris and I debate The Great Debate surrounding Web3. Shoutout to @randras_ for giving us context, even in the podcast space! Sponsors: Wix.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ho hum. Apple reports its most revenue and profit in history. You’ll soon be able to unlock your iPhone while masked, even without the Apple Watch. The White House is readying a huge executive order on Crypto. The new version of GPT-3 is less error-prone, and less prone to say bad stuff. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: EditorX.com Wealthfront.com/techmeme Links: Apple CEO: ‘We Don’t Make Purely Financial Decisions’ About Apple TV Plus Content (Variety) iOS 15.4 Beta Lets You Use Face ID With a Mask On (MacRumors) White House reportedly preparing executive order on crypto (CoinTelegraph) The new version of GPT-3 is much better behaved (and should be less toxic) (Technology Review) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Line Goes Up – The Problem With NFTs (Folding Ideas on YouTube) Three things web3 should fix in 2022 (Platformer) The NFT Art World Wouldn’t Be the Same Without This Woman’s ‘Wide-Awake Hallucinations’ (RollingStone) Nothing Sacred: These Apps Reserve Th

Apple is coming for Block’s Square dongle with a new ability to accept payments just using your iPhone. The dilemma that is the Spotify/Neil Young situation. OpenAI is an interesting raise. Fireblocks is an interesting raise. And why has the r/antiwork subreddit suddenly gone private? Sponsors: Smith.ai promocode techmeme for $100 off signup Linkedin.com/ride Links: Apple to Rival Square by Turning iPhones Into Payment Terminals (Bloomberg) Spotify Takes Down Neil Young’s Music After His Joe Rogan Ultimatum (WSJ) Facebook’s Cryptocurrency Venture to Wind Down, Sell Assets (WSJ) OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman ridicules start-up fundraising process (CNBC) Fireblocks raises $550 million in Series E funding, now valued at $8 billion (The Block) Anti-Work Subreddit Suddenly Goes Private to Clean Up After ‘Brigading’ (Bloomberg) Anti-work subreddit implodes after rough Fox News interview (Mashable) Valve will start selling the Steam Deck on February 25th (The Verge) Learn more about you

Is Mark Zuckerberg abandoning his crypto dreams and looking to sell off Diem? The IMF is subtly suggesting El Salvador abandon bitcoin. Microsoft is gonna play nice with Activision exclusives. For now. Mark your calendars for the next Samsung event. And has YouTube figured out how to beat TikTok at its own game? Sponsors: Masterworks.io/ride EditorX.com Links: Mark Zuckerberg’s Stablecoin Ambitions Unravel With Diem Sale Talks (Bloomberg) Ditch Bitcoin: IMF Urges El Salvador to Rethink Crypto (Bloomberg) Activision’s Next Three Call of Duty Games Will Be on PlayStation and Xbox (Bloomberg) Samsung's first Unpacked of 2022 will take place February 9th (Engadget) Log4Shell: No Mass Abuse, But No Respite, What Happened? (Sophos News) YouTube Shorts Tops 5 Trillion Views to Date, Platform to Test Shopping and Branded Content for TikTok-Style Videos (Variety) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

That already fraught tie-up between Nvidia and Arm increasingly looks like it’s running out of time. Google kills its cookie-killer. Twitter is developing a close friends feature. Meta’s new Machine Learning supercomputer. And why the situation in Ukraine might be a black swan event that is nigh. Sponsors: Do.co/trh Wix.com Links: Nvidia Quietly Prepares to Abandon $40 Billion Arm Bid (Bloomberg) Google kills off FLoC, replaces it with Topics (TechCrunch) Twitter's new Flock feature takes aim at Instagram Close Friends (Input) Meta has built an AI supercomputer it says will be world’s fastest by end of 2022 (The Verge) Hactivists say they hacked Belarus rail system to stop Russian military buildup (ArsTechnica) DHS warns of Russian cyberattack on US if it responds to Ukraine invasion (ABCNews) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

States sue Google for data shenanigans. Europe passes a landmark ad targeting and data law. Apple’s 2022 lineup according to Mark Gurman. A look at the state of the crypto crash, and to what degree it is affecting NFTs. And all this talk of metaverses led to record VC investment in AR and VR startups, but what some folks are starting to ask is, even if we build it, do we have the infrastructure that will even allow the people to come? Sponsors: OurCrowd.com/ride EditorX.com Links: Google deceived consumers about how it profits from their location data, attorneys general allege in lawsuits (Washington Post) MEPs adopt Digital Services Act with significant last-minute changes (Euractiv) European Parliament approves initial proposal to ban some targeted ads (The Verge) Apple Nears First Product Launch of 2022, With 5G iPhone SE and New iPad on Tap (Bloomberg) Solana Slides 17% to Lead Losses Amid Crypto Market Plunge (CoinDesk) Despite the Drop in Crypto Prices, Weekly NFT Sales Reach $4.7 Billio

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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