Down Round

Latest Episodes:

One Big Gold Nugget, Please (PREVIEW) Jan 16, 2025

Show notes

The number one social media app in the Apple App Store is currently Xiaohongshu, AKA The Little Red Book, the Chinese social shopping app reminiscent of TikTok but with more shopping.

We take a squiz at that, before assessing the latest announcements from Nvidia and what it all means.

Strap in, the boys are back for 2025.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Based Mark Zuckerberg (ft. Mike Isaac) Jan 14, 2025

Show notes

Over the last couple of weeks, Mark Zuckerberg and Meta have signalled a shift in the way the company is run — eliminating factcheckers, rolling back internal DEI policies and bringing politics content back to company platforms. On the one hand, you can read it as an obvious sop to the incoming Trump administration. But there's definitely a cultural change in the air when it comes to online platforms and politics, and Zuck is right at the coalface.

Joining us for this episode is Mike Isaac, tech correspondent and Meta whisperer at The New York Times. He helped us untangle some of the forces driving Meta's change of heart.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Xmas Spectacular Pt 5: The Accountability Episode Jan 07, 2025

Show notes

On Down Round, we make many predictions. Almost all of them are correct. For this episode, we have used the power of AI to forensically audit a representative sample of episodes over the last year, with the goal of answering the question: just how right were we?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Xmas Spectacular Pt 3: Shark Tank (ft. Becky Lucas & Joyride) Jan 01, 2025

Show notes

Just like we did last year, we're continuing the silly season with another entry of DOWN ROUND SHARK TANK. On social media and in our Discord, you submitted your startup pitches, and now we're going to decide if we will invest.

Joining us on the panel are friends of the pod Becky Lucas and Joyride, who will assist us in the mammoth task of evaluating your very serious startup ideas.

This is the first part of the episode. To get part two, sign up at downround.net

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Xmas Spectacular Pt 2: Q&A Continued (PREVIEW) Dec 26, 2024

Show notes

This is part two of our annual Xmas spectacular, and we continue to answer your questions.

To hear the rest, sign up to premium: downround.net

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Xmas Spectacular Pt 1: Q&A Dec 26, 2024

Show notes

This is part one of our annual Xmas spectacular, and we are answering your burning questions.

Is AI a bust? Why is a company called AppLovin worth more than 100 billion dollars? Has Raph watched any movies in 2024? An insane prank.

Subscribe for part 2, which is out now: downround.net

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple Intelligence: The OFFICIAL Down Round Review Dec 18, 2024

Show notes

Apple has been hyping up its late-ish foray into the world of LLMs and artificial intelligence since June. But now a decent range of Apple Intelligence features are available — as long as you have the right device —like writing tools, image generation, notification summaries and so on.

In this ep we talk about it, Apple's strategy, and why it all feels a bit weak.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unpacking The Social Media Ban (ft. Cam Wilson) Dec 10, 2024

Show notes

Australia passed legislation banning social media for kids under 16, as we've discussed in previous eps. But in today's episode, we're getting into the nitty gritty.

We're joined by Crikey reporter Cam Wilson to tease out some of the specifics of the legislation and how it might be enforced. We also force him to debate the greatest question of our time: should we save Australian children from the evils of social media? Or should we let the megacorps continue to poison the innocent minds of the youth?
You be the judge.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Back Of The Smart Guy Queue (PREVIEW) Dec 05, 2024

Show notes

This is a free preview of a premium episode. To subscribe to Down Round Premium and get access, head here.

Crypto is back. The industry is excited by the forthcoming Trump presidency and what it means for their little online coins. Bitcoin just hit $100,000.

But the mood is a little different this time. There's less pontification on the future of money and finance, less attempts at making art and culture, and a whole lot more brazen bag-pumping and sweaty gambling.

In this ep, we talk about the current crypto surge, and what it means for you and your family.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Failed Kickstarter Club Dec 03, 2024

Show notes

Kickstarter. A gadget head's paradise... and hell.

The boys revisit the glory days of crowdfunding, what was the vibe that made it prolific, and the pitfalls that befell it. And, most importantly: what does it tell us about love?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected