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(TWTR SPC) The Top 10 Tech Stories Of 2021 (And The Spatial Pivot) Dec 23, 2021

Show notes

First we talk to the Spatial folks about pivoting in Web3. Then, the top tech stories of the year, as picked by you.

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Wed. 12/22 – We Still Doing CES? Dec 22, 2021

Show notes

Some big names pull out of CES at the last minute. TikTok is now the most popular destination in all the Internet. Justin Kan’s new NFT platform got hacked before even launching. Why my beloved Arsenal is in trouble for offering tokens. And Elon Musk comes out swinging against Web3 and the Metaverse.

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Amazon, Meta Scrap CES Plans in Las Vegas After Covid Surge (Bloomberg)
In 2021, the Internet went for TikTok, space and beyond (CloudFlare Blog)
Americans widely distrust Facebook, TikTok and Instagram with their data, poll finds (Washington Post)
Justin Kan’s NFT platform suffers rocky debut as scammer makes off with $150K in user funds (TechCrunch)
Arsenal fan token posts broke advertising rules, says watchdog (BBCNews)
Elon Musk: metaverse isn’t ‘compelling’ and Web3 ‘more marketing than reality’ (The Verge)

Tue. 12/21 - @Jack And The Tech (Cold) Civil War Over Web3 Dec 21, 2021

Show notes

I do my best to give you all the angles on the cold tech civil war concerning Web3 that has been bubbling under the surface for a while now but burst out in the open overnight. Interesting raises in the crypto space and interesting data on investment in the space. An interesting CEO departure and a CEO who maybe never really stepped down. And a look at satellite internet speeds.

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Links:

Jack Dorsey Stirs Uproar by Dismissing Web3 as a Venture Capitalists’ Plaything (Bloomberg)
The New Get-Rich-Faster Job in Silicon Valley: Crypto Start-Ups (NYTimes)
OnlyFans Names Marketing Chief Ami Gan as CEO; Founder Steps Down (Bloomberg)
Zhang Yiming Still Oversees ByteDance, Despite Stepping Back (The Information)
Starlink Expands but Q3 2021 Performance Flattens in Some Areas (SpeedTest.net)

The article featuring Chris and I talking about the Twitter Spaces:

How the Copycats Came for Clubhouse (NYTimes)

Mon. 12/20 – 5G To Ground Airlines? Dec 20, 2021

Show notes

Could a new 5G system lead the FCC to ground flights around some major metropolitan areas? Chipmakers are busting a gut to try to build out capacity. To what degree is Siri holding back Apple? A longtime Metaverse startup you should maybe have your eyes on. And is Microsoft best positioned to realize the Metaverse?

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Links:

Airlines Brace for Flight Restrictions in 5G Standoff (WSJ)
Semi CapEx to Hit $152 Billion in 2021 (AnandTech)
Apple Should Make a Giant iPad as Its Smart Home Portal (Bloomberg)
Rec Room raises $145M at a $3.5B valuation for its user-generated, immersive gaming platform (TechCrunch)
Why Xbox's Phil Spencer thinks Minecraft is a blueprint for the metaverse (Protocol)

Fri. 12/17 – Apple Really Is Going To Do The Whole Widget, Aren’t They? Dec 17, 2021

Show notes

Apple really is going to try to make all its gadget components itself, isn’t it? The deeper reason why the Biden administration doesn’t want you investing in Chinese tech. More on the brewing war between the gamers and the NFTers. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions.

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Links:

Apple Builds New Team in Southern California to Bring More Wireless Chips In-House (Bloomberg)
Biden administration concerned about U.S. investments in Chinese tech companies with military or surveillance ties (Washington Post)
FTC Slows Meta Platforms’ Metaverse Strategy By Extending Antitrust Probe of VR Deal (The Information)
Players invest $54M in Molyneux’s NFT game Legacy in hopes of earning even more (ArsTechnica)
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 will no longer have NFTs after fan outcry (The Verge)

Weekend Longreads Suggestions:

THE METAVERSE IS ALREADY HERE — AND IT’S FULL OF POKEMON, SAYS NIANTIC CEO JOHN HANKE (The Verge)
The ‘To the Moon’ Crash Is Coming (Motherboard)
Strange, horny game ads are flooding social media. I accidentally became obsessed (The Guardian)
MATTER’S PLAN TO SAVE THE SMART HOME (The Verge)
Computers Revolutionized Chess. Magnus Carlsen Wins by Being Human (WSJ)

Thu. 12/16 – Reddit Files For An IPO Dec 16, 2021

Show notes

Reddit finally files to go public. Is Apple once again the canary in the coal mine, this time for Omicron? HR Block sues Square cause Square is now Block. Get it? The biggest investing star of Web3 is starting her own fund. And a look at the battery technology breakthrough the could transform all our lives.

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Links:

Reddit Files Confidentially for IPO (WSJ)
Apple Scraps Office-Return Deadline Without Setting New Date (Bloomberg)
H&R Block Sues Block, Formerly Square, for Trademark Infringement (WSJ)
Adidas Originals launches NFTs and buys a plot in the Sandbox metaverse (VentureBeat)
Scoop: Crypto investor Katie Haun leaving Andreessen Horowitz (Axios)
Solid-State Batteries Are Here and They're Going to Change How We Live (Popular Mechanics)

Wed. 12/15 – Google To Adopt Vaccine Mandate? Dec 15, 2021

Show notes

Is Google the first Silicon Valley company to adopt a vaccine mandate? A new foldable phone from Oppo. Why the US might ban you from investing in DJI. Twitter gets auto captions. And a look at the up and coming Chinese ecommerce giant that you might have already heard of, but definitely need to be aware of going forward.

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Links:

Google tells employees they’ll lose pay and will eventually be fired if they don’t follow vaccination rules (CNBC)
Oppo’s Find N is an impressive first folding phone (The Verge)
Twitter adds auto captions feature to make videos more accessible (TechCrunch)
Apple and Google's mobile duopoly likely to face UK antitrust action (TechCrunch)
US to blacklist eight more Chinese companies including dronemaker DJI (Financial Times)
How Shein beat Amazon at its own game — and reinvented fast fashion (Rest of World)

Submit top stories of the year to us! https://chrismessina.me/topstories

Tue. 12/14 – Is Log4j The Worst Bug Of All Time? Dec 14, 2021

Show notes

More fallout from what is now being called potentially the worst bug of all time. Apple helps Android users discover if they’re being tracked by AirTags. A new entrant into the AR and VR product category that I guess we’re going to be covering going forward. Amazon is coming for DoorDash and Instacart. And how much did Meta have to pay to become Meta?

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Links:

CISA warns 'most serious' Log4j vulnerability likely to affect hundreds of millions of devices (CyberScoop)
The numbers behind a cyber pandemic – detailed dive (Check Point)
Apple launches AirTags and Find My detector app for Android, in effort to boost privacy (CNET)
Oppo announces Air Glass ‘assisted reality’ device (The Verge)
Amazon Ramps Up Plans for Instacart-Like Service in U.S., Europe (The Information)
Nike acquires NFT collectibles studio RTFKT (TechCrunch)
Facebook Owner Is Involved in $60M Deal Over Meta Trademark Assets (Coinspeaker)

Send us your nomination for the top tech stories of the year: chrismessina.me/topstories

Mon. 12/13 – Why the Log4j Bug Is Such A Big Deal Dec 13, 2021

Show notes

A huge bug in Apache servers is causing chaos around the Internet. What to expect, and what we’re still waiting on from iOS 15.2. Why did Instagram steal the @metaverse handle from a woman in Australia, and the story of the fat finger fire sale of a Board Ape Yacht Club NFT.

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Links:

Zero-day in ubiquitous Log4j tool poses a grave threat to the Internet (ArsTechnica)
The Internet’s biggest players are all affected by critical Log4Shell 0-day (ArsTechnica)
PROFESSIONAL MAINTAINERS: A WAKE-UP CALL (Filippo.io)
Apple Set to Release Nudity Detection in Texting, But Other Features Remain on Hold (Bloomberg)
Her Instagram Handle Was ‘Metaverse.’ Last Month, It Vanished. (NYTimes)
Bored Ape Yacht Club: Someone accidentally sold a $300,000 NFT for $3,000 (CNET)

(Bonus) a16z's Andrew Chen On The Cold Start Problem Dec 11, 2021

Show notes

The great Andrew Chen of a16z joins us to discuss his new book: The Cold Start Problem: How to Start and Scale Network Effects. This an indispensable guide to get that "rocket-ship" action going for whatever product or company you're working with.

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