Tech Brew Ride Home

Latest Episodes:

Thu. 05/11 – Twitter Encrypts DMs? (Corrected) May 11, 2023

Show notes

Twitter finally rolled out encrypted DMs… or did they? More drips and drabs from yesterday’s Google event including an AI music generating tool that sounds pretty wild. Even the crypto miners are pivoting to AI. And why tech has warmed up to the concept of nearshoring.

Sponsors:

Links:

Twitter's encrypted DMs are here — but only for verified users (Engadget)
Join the waitlist for Google's generative AI tools, including search, Project Tailwind, & MusicLM (XDA Developers)
Google makes its text-to-music AI public (TechCrunch)
Google Cloud announces new A3 supercomputer VMs built to power LLMs (TechCrunch)
AI Needs Specialized Processors. Crypto Miners Say They Have Them (Bloomberg)
‘Nearshoring’ Push Is Fueling Tech Job Demand in Latin America (Bloomberg)

Wed. 05/10 – Google I/O May 10, 2023

Show notes

I’m writing this this morning before Google’s I/O, so I’m assuming that’s going to be the entirety of this episode. But who knows. Maybe I’ll be able to squeeze something non-Google stuff at the end. Join me in the time machine, won’t you, and find out. In the meantime, here’s what Sundar had to share with us today.

Sponsors:

Links:

Google Photos to gain a new ‘Magic Editor’ feature powered by generative AI (TechCrunch)
Google launches PaLM 2, its next-gen large language model (TechCrunch)
Google rebrands AI tools for Docs and Gmail as Duet AI — its answer to Microsoft’s Copilot (The Verge)
The AI takeover of Google Search starts now (The Verge)
Review: Pixel 7a affordably delivers on every promise of the Pixel series (9to5Google)
Pixel Tablet Hands-On: Google's Return of the Tablet and More (CNET)
Google Pixel Fold hands-on: Finally, a real rival for Samsung’s foldables (Engadget)

Tue. 05/09 – AI Comes To The Drive Through Window May 09, 2023

Show notes

More roiling questions about crypto and regulator enforcement. Nintendo’s Switch is getting long in the tooth. AI’s are coming to the Wendy’s drive through lane. An AI startup to protect against AI. And more of what we can expect from Google’s big day tomorrow.

Sponsors:

Links:

Mon. 05/08 – The Big Discord Username Shift May 08, 2023

Show notes

What to expect from Google IO. The big discord username switch. Sam Altman’s side hustle is launching a thing. But also a look at the regulatory issues his OpenAI is facing in Europe. And what if I told you an Ikea chair can short out your monitor. It’s weird, but it can.

Sponsors:

Links:

Google Plans to Make Search More ‘Personal’ with AI Chat and Video Clips (WSJ)
Discord’s username change is causing discord (The Verge)
Sam Altman’s Worldcoin rolls out app as token launch looms (The Block)
OpenAI’s regulatory troubles are only just beginning (The Verge)
Popular IKEA Chair Turns Computer Monitor Off, Baffling Everyone (Motherboard)

(Bonus) Brian On Big Technology Podcast May 07, 2023

Show notes

This is the crossover episode of when I went on the Big Technology podcast on Friday. We ask where the moat is in AI? And we celebrate Ed Sheeran if you can believe it.

(Bonus) @semaforben On The Golden Age Of Digital Media And His AMAZING New Book About It May 06, 2023

Show notes

This is the book I've been dying for someone to write! This is how digital media happened for 20 years! Traffic: Genius, Rivalry, and Delusion in the Billion-Dollar Race to Go Viral. Yay to finally having Ben Smith on the pod!

Fri. 05/05 – Can Open Source Win Out Over Open AI? (Corrected) May 05, 2023

Show notes

Apple earnings recap. A new, free code generating AI tool. Which, actually, lots of people are starting to ask the question: will open source AI actually come out on top in the AI revolution? And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions.

Sponsors:

Mindbloom.com/techmeme and promocode techmeme
OregonState.edu/believe-it

Links:

Apple CEO Tim Cook says AI is "huge," but care is needed (Axios)
Hugging Face and ServiceNow release a free code-generating model (TechCrunch)
Google Is Falling Behind in AI Arms Race, Senior Engineer Warns (Bloomberg)
OpenAI’s Losses Doubled to $540 Million as It Developed ChatGPT (The Information)

Weekend Longreads Suggestions

AI Singers Are Unnervingly Good and Already Ubiquitous (Vulture)
Is the Federal Government Trying to Kill Off Crypto? (Intelligencer/NYMag)
Why Chatbots Are Not the Future (Amelia Wattenberger)
ESPN’s Jimmy Pitaro Will Decide the Fate of Cable Television (Bloomberg)

Thu. 05/04 – The Regulators Come For AI May 04, 2023

Show notes

The regulators have not been sleeping on the AI revolution. Everybody wants to get in on the blue checkmark game. But this time, with actual utility. Airbnb now offers to rent out single rooms. Can ChatGPT out invest professional money managers? And the return of the flip phone. No, not a foldable phone. The flip phone from your youth.

Sponsors:

Links:

“We must regulate AI,” FTC Chair Khan says (ArsTechnica)
UK competition watchdog launches review of AI market (Financial Times)
Microsoft’s Bing chatbot gets smarter with restaurant bookings, image results, and more (The Verge)
Gmail is adding a blue checkmark to better verify senders (9to5Google)
Airbnb Revamps Site to Ease Tensions Between Guests, Hosts (Bloomberg)
ChatGPT ‘portfolio’ outperforms leading UK funds (Financial Times)
Gen Zers Are Snapping Up Flip Phones. They Might Be Onto Something. (WSJ)

Wed. 05/03 – How A Pixies Song Broke Google Assistant May 03, 2023

Show notes

Google releases a new feature to put another nail in the password coffin. Malware merchants are using generative AI. A deep dive into what Bluesky is like right now. The best explainer of quantum computing I’ve ever seen. And how a Pixies song is breaking Google assistant and making people miss their wakeup alarms in the morning.

Sponsors:

Nutrafol.com/men promocode ride
OregonState.edu

Links:

You no longer need a password to sign in to your Google account (The Verge)
Twitter restores free API access for emergency, weather and transportation alerts (Engadget)
TSMC Plans for First German Chip Fab With Cost Up to €10 Billion (Bloomberg)
Meta Is Trying to Push Attackers to the Brink (Wired)
Bluesky showed everyone’s ass (The Verge)
Quantum computing could break the internet. This is how (Financial Times)
You can blame this Pixies song for Assistant canceling your alarm (AndroidPolice)

Tue. 05/02 – The Writer’s Strike Inspired By AI May 02, 2023

Show notes

Looks like that Hollywood strike inspired by AI fears is a go. Apple and Google want to set a new standard to prevent modern digital stalking. Pornhub is boycotting Utah. Mastodon is trying to make it less confusing to give them a try. And what is one of the biggest reasons companies are wary of giving generative AI a try?

Sponsors:

Links:

Hollywood Writers Strike Over Pay Disputes with Streaming Giants and AI Concerns (Gizmodo)
Apple and Google team up to stop unwanted AirTag tracking (CNBC)
Apple uses iOS and macOS Rapid Security Response feature for the first time (ArsTechnica)
Pornhub Blocks All of Utah From Its Site (Motherboard)
It’s getting easier to make an account on Mastodon (The Verge)
WordPress drops Twitter social sharing due to API price hike (Mashable)
BeReal's latest feature is a curated timeline of high-profile users (Engadget)
Scared of Leaking Data to ChatGPT? Microsoft Tests a Private Alternative (The Information)

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected