Tech Brew Ride Home

Amazon launches Amazon Pharmacy. Twitter launches Fleets, but the real news is they’re testing a Clubhouse clone with audio rooms. Airbnb finally files to go public. And running through the flood of reviews for the new Macs with Apple Silicon, I’m starting to become a believer. Apple might be able to revolutionize—and run away with—mobile computing with these chips. Sponsors: Amazon.com/ridehome N...

Continued problems with Big Sur have some people wondering if this is Apple’s version of Windows Vista. But actual benchmarks continue to show Apple Silicon is probably a big win. All the details of the Galaxy S21 lineup have leaked. A monster new GPU for supercomputers. And a PC monitor that can actually double as a modern smart tv. Sponsors: MasterWorks.io: code RIDE to skip the waitlist BuyRayc...

DoorDash files its S-1, and has a surprisingly good business, it looks like. The US backs down on TikTok. Is the whole Ant IPO thing, not business but personal? Why you should probably wait to download macOS Big Sur. How much Disney+ continues to kill it. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Calm.com/techmeme TinyCapital.com Links: DoorDash files to go public (TechCrunch) U....

Why Google sunsetting the free version of its Photos service has so many people riled up. Apple’s TestFlight update should make beta testing apps easier. Amazon’s Alexa Care Hub should make caring for elderly relatives easier. A “bank on rails” is an interesting raise. And is the HomePod mini worth buying? Sponsors: TinyCapital.com VistaPrint.com/techmeme Links: Google Photos will end its free unl...

So wait, is TikTok facing shutdown again, as soon as tomorrow or… what? Some analysis on how well those M1 chips might actually perform. Ring doorbells are catching fire. The Hyperloop takes its first passengers for a ride. And does China now ALSO think that big tech has gotten too big? Sponsors: VistaPrint.com/techmeme TinyCapital.com Links: TikTok hasn’t heard from the Trump administration in we...

Apple’s One More Thing Mac Event. The EU sues Amazon for antitrust. The Slingbox is no more. And, apparently, the MagSafe Duo charger is no good. Sponsors: TinyCapital.com Wipers123.com, promocode: ride Links: EU accuses Amazon of breaching antitrust rules (FT) Slingbox discontinued, services sunsetting (SlashGear) Walmart and Cruise launch pilot to deliver orders via self-driving cars (Venture Be...

Apple is not happy with a key parts supplier. If you’re running an old version of android, you might be shut out of some important websites soon. Is SoftBank’s Vision Fund, back, baby? Is the Raspberry Pi 400 any good to use? And what can Silicon Valley expect from a Biden administration. Sponsors: KiwiCo.com promocode: "ride" for 50% your first month TinyCapital.com Links: Apple Freezes New Busin...

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Is it too soon to start talking about the iPhone 13? It’s review day. Reviews of the iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and the PlayStation 5. Why I think the DOJ suing to block the Plaid acquisition is such a big deal. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Masterworks.io, promocode ride Metalab.co Links: Kuo: iPhone 13 to Come in Same Four Model Sizes As iPhone 12, Pro Model...

WhatsApp gets disappearing messages ten years after Snapchat! A new entry-level, ultra-lightweight drone from DJI. Productivity laptops are getting interesting designs, ala gaming laptops. Ethereum 2.0 is coming. How and why Jack Ma pissed off the Chinese government. The Xbox Series X reviews are in. And Justice Department just sued to block Visa from buying Plaid. But that just broke, so I’m tell...

Californians pass Proposition 22, and voters in Massachusetts strike a blow for the right to repair. You no longer need a phone to listen to Spotify on your watch. And why Walmart might partner with Comcast to make TVs, countries might force Netflix to produce content inside their own borders, and Hollywood is losing visual effects talent to Silicon Valley. Sponsors: Canva.me/ride  Metalab.co Link...

So, that November 10th Apple event might see a full slate of Mac laptops with Apple Silicon inside. Why has Ant Group’s IPOs been called off? Why has Walmart called off plans to allow robots to roam its store aisles? And someone explain to me why Spotify’s proposed new algorithm changes aren’t a modern form of Payola? Sponsors: Cava.me/ride CuriosityStream.com/ride promocode: ride Links: Apple to...

Raspberry Pi launches the Raspberry Pi 400. All the big platforms’ plans for election day and beyond. Huawei is gonna make its own chips because it has to. Gaming continues to lead the way into the future in so many ways. And the Kafkaesque nightmare of Google locking you out of all your accounts. Sponsors: MintMobile.com/ride Metalab.co Links: The Raspberry Pi 400 is a compact keyboard with a bui...

Netflix raises prices. Because they can—and maybe because they should. Google wants to give you a free VPN. Samsung helps you find your galaxy of Galaxy things. A rundown of yesterday’s big day of tech earnings. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Monday.com/ride Mailmanhq.com Links: Netflix is raising the price of its most popular plan to $14 today, premium tier increasin...

Major warnings about a rash of ransomware attacks on US hospitals. The new AMD chips. MOAAR consolidation in the chip industry. Can I introduce you to Quantum Computing as a Service? And a reminder that as Hollywood moves to streaming first, you don’t own anything. Seriously. You’re just renting. Sponsors: GetRoman.com/techmeme MailmanHQ.com Links: Building wave of ransomware attacks strike U.S. h...

Does the iPhone 12 have secret reverse wireless charging just waiting to be turned on? More signs Apple might be building its own search engine. The headlines from today’s Section 230 Senate hearing. Is the DOJ gonna prevent Visa from acquiring Plaid? And how much would you pay Elon Musk to beam you internet from Space? Sponsors: Calm.com/techmeme MailmanHQ.com Links: Apple’s iPhone 12 seems to ha...

AMD does indeed buy Xilinx for $35 billion dollars. The UK bans locked phones. Tinder rolls out video dating. Zoom finally rolls out encryption. A major breakthrough in OLED technology has major implications for VR and for porn. And why the no-code movement might actually usher in the true computing revolution we were promised all along.  Sponsors: MailmanHQ.com Monday.com/ride Links: AMD Acquirin...

New AirPods and AirPods pro coming as soon as the spring? Facebook launches streaming gaming everywhere but guess where? Ant is the biggest IPO in history. SAP seems to be having Covid issues. And are you still working from home? Well, maybe keep an eye on your ISP’s data caps. Sponsors: MailmanHQ.com Metalab.co Links: Apple Developing Smaller AirPods Pro, Revamped Entry-Level Model (Bloomberg) Fa...

Joshua Schachter is mostly known these days as a prominent angel investor, but his claim to fame is as the founder of del.icio.us, one of THE sites and startups that convinced me and a lot of other people that the internet space wasn’t dead, in the wake of the dotcom bubble. So, consider this in the spirt of the longreads. A profile of a key startup and entrepreneur, that got the web and the world...

Is PayPal making moves to become a major player in Crypto? A look at the two big ballot initiatives in California that Silicon Valley cares about and which the rest of the country might be affected by. Why YouTube is this election’s go-to place for campaigns to run ads, and of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Masterworks.io  Promocode: ride Monday.com/ride Links: PayPal in Talk...

Quibi’s dead baby. Quibi’s dead. Jony Ive is going to design stuff for… Airbnb? The Mate 40 Pro is the best flagship smartphone you’ll probably never want to buy. What if Snapchat conquers India? The Bahamas launches the first official cryptocurrency for an entire country. And look out cause Tesla is turning on the self-driving beta starting now… Sponsors: Monday.com/ride NewYorker.com/techmeme Li...

Big news for crypto as PayPal adopts it, both for users to buy, but also, crucially, for them to spend. Facebook is testing a Nextdoor killer. Update on the Quibi deathwatch. Tech earnings snuck up on me and Evan Spiegel had a good night. And let’s end today with another review roundup. This time of the new iPad Air. Sponsors: KiwiCo.com/ride Monday.com/ride Links: PayPal to allow cryptocurrency b...

The Feds have finally thrown the book at Google. But the DOJ has also targeted the infamous Sandworm hackers. Intel sells its NAND memory unit as consolidation in chips continues. Microsoft partners with Elon Musk to take its battle with AWS to space. What product is Google abandoning today? And the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro reviews are here. Which one should you get? NewYorker.com/techmeme Monday.com/...

Apple wants to you to want your A-MTV. iMTV? I dunno. Apple has launched a music videos channel. The new Samsung Galaxies might be coming sooner than ever. The company bringing AR to car windshields. And why Japan saying it’s getting on the regulate tech bandwagon might be the tipping point for the entire sector. Sponsors: ExtraHop.com/techmeme Monday.com/ride Links: Apple Launches ‘Apple Music TV...

I don’t think I’ve made any bones about the fact that I blow hot and cold on crypto. Sometimes I grow frustrated that it always seems to be a lot of sound and fury, ultimately signifying nothing. Or at least, not amounting to much that touches normal people’s lives. I dunno if that’s a fair way to look at crypto or not. But at the same time, there is no single corner of tech that has more activity...