TechCheck

Google’s Moonshot Cuts 1/23/24

More layoffs at Google – this time within X, its innovation lab responsible for moonshot projects. Today – what’s inside Google’s moonshot factory; what might actually become a business; and why it’s important for Google and Wall Street.

Tech Bubble Redux? 1/22/24

One veteran Wall Street strategist is making a BULLISH comparison to 1999 – saying the market could be set for a tech-led party. Why there’s still room to run for some key valuation metrics if you’re making a direct contrast from to the bubble of the late 90s to today.

Bitcoin’s Rough Week, Plus Semis’ Spectacular Week 1/19/24

One week on from Bitcoin's momentous Wall Street moment, the results are underwhelming. The price of #Bitcoin has fallen to its lowest level since the SEC approval, underperformed gold, bonds and global equities this year, and inflows have also fallen short of estimates. Plus, semiconductor stocks help lead the Nasdaq 100 to an all-time high. But amid this tech optimism, tech firms are making cuts as they prioritize the shift to AI.

TechCheck+ How Bitcoin lost by winning 01/19/24

Bitcoin has officially arrived on Wall Street. The SEC’s approval of 11 spot bitcoin ETFs now gives the cryptocurrency legitimacy, accessibility, mainstream reach and Wall Street acceptance. But Bitcoin was supposed to be so much more – a revolution, bypassing the traditional financial system with a democratic, decentralized, peer-to-peer electronic cash system for unbanked populations. But Wall Street did what Wall Street does best. This week on TechCheck, how Bitcoin lost by winning.

CEO says more jobs cuts are needed in 2024 01/18/24

More layoffs at Google. CEO Sundar Pichai warns that more cuts are coming as the company gears up for its AI goals… Plus why some private companies are acting like public companies.

An AI phone. And is the Shein IPO in trouble?

One of the most anticipated IPOs of the year risks not happening at all… Plus what is an AI phone?

Apple, Google & “The Gatekeepers” 1/16/24

After a stumble to start 2024, there’s been a rotation to quality. The biggest tech stocks have continued their dominance… So what are the major roadblocks to that story this year? It comes back to Europe.

Can Nvidia run it back? 01/12/24

Can Nvidia run it back? The stock market darling is soaring this week after it already ran up 240% last year. Today – the debate around valuation, hype and reality.

TechCheck+ The AI dark horse: Why Apple could win the next evolution of the AI arms race 01/12/24

Apple’s loudest critics have said it’s playing catch up in the AI race, blaming its underperformance last year, at least compared to its megacap tech peers, on its lack of a clear AI strategy. But long-term, Apple could be the dark horse to watch for, especially in the next technological shift that experts say is coming to AI. Its vertical integration of hardware, software, silicon and services gives it an edge. This week on TechCheck, why Apple could be playing the long game better than any...

A different Google layoff story 01/11/24

The tech layoffs just keep coming. The latest: Google cutting hundreds of jobs in its engineering, product and hardware divisions. How the future of Google is making itself felt within Google.

SOFTWARE’S RE-RATING – IS IT PERMANENT? 01/10/24

What is the reality in the software sector? We're seeing a wave of layoffs to start 2024 at Unity and Twitch, along with some CEO changes at Twilio and Match. Is the sector recovering… or is this new lower growth era just the new normal?

Why is it always Europe? 01/09/24

Microsoft's multi-billion dollar investment into OpenAI and its all-out embrace of ChatGPT could now be the subject of a merger investigation in the EU. Why, and why Europe?

AiPhone? 01/08/24

Apple stock is off to its worst start of the year since 1982… But could the iPhone maker be an AI darkhorse in 2024.

CAN ANYONE DISRUPT GOOGLE SEARCH 01/05/24

The future of Google Search is one of the biggest questions in tech since ChatGPT exploded onto the scene… Does Google continue to dominate, or will it be disrupted by a generative AI upstart? This week Perplexity raised $74 million from the likes of Nvidia and Jeff Bezos to try to do just that.

EXIT COOKIE 01/04/24

The end of the cookie. Google starts to disable one of the most effective but infamous ad tracking devices for its chrome browser today – a major change. What it signals about the digital ad landscape and big tech in 2024.

IS THE VALLEY BACK? 01/03/24

Data shows new businesses are being created at a faster pace outside Silicon Valley… in places like Atlanta and New Orleans. But was that actually a bubble phenomenon, and is AI now bringing the action back to San Francisco and Northern California.

APPLE DOWNGRADE 01/02/24

Barclays warns of weakening demand for iPhones

Best of 2023: Beware the Blockbuster IPO 12/29/23

Beware the Blockbuster IPO…. 2023’s big listings highlighted some issues within capital markets… and why retail investors should proceed with caution.

Best Of 2023: Apple In China 12/28/23

Apple’s China problem & opportunity… how its longtime ticket to success has become a liability.

BEST OF 2023: TEMU’S THREAT TO AMAZON 12/27/23

How the Chinese shopping app Temu’s rapid growth here in the U.S. could crack Amazon’s dominance.

Apple Watch Import Ban, Intel’s Foundry Business, and OpenAI’s Valuation 12/26/23

A trio of topics for today’s podcast - Apple has now been banned from importing and selling the latest line of Apple Watches in the U.S., stemming from a patent dispute over the blood-oxygen sensors in the devices. Intel is getting several billion dollars to build a new chip factory. And OpenAI is reportedly in talks to raise a fresh round of funding at a valuation of $100 billion or more.   

BNLP Bloom 12/22/23

CNBC’s Kate Rooney on payments trends for 2024

Another Huge AI Raise 12/21/23

OpenAI competitor Anthropic is looking to raise another monster funding round — this time led by Menlo Ventures. Why it’s still open season. 

Alibaba's Executive Shuffle 12/20/23

Alibaba reshuffles its executive team as rivals gain steam

GOOGLE SETTLES 12/19/23

Today -- Google’s new $700M antitrust settlement & changes coming to the Android ecosystem

A Figma Of Adobe’s Imagination 12/18/23

Major news today out of Silicon Valley – Adobe terminating its $20 billion merger with the design software maker Figma. Today: rethinking the environment for major deals in tech.

TechCheck+ Apple vs. Green Bubbles: the cracks beginning to show in its walled garden 12/15/23

The stigma is real. Blue bubbles for iPhone users, green bubbles for those shut out of Apple's walled garden. iMessage has been a way of locking users into the Apple ecosystem for more than a decade. But the exclusionary nature of the battle has since come under fire, and Apple has begun to bend to the green bubble evangelists – just one in a growing number of concessions it's making to appease regulators.

Ai For Dummies 12/15/23

AI warnings… this time the risk to U.S. financial stability. The downside of relying on just one model, and one startup that is building on several models.

A Warning For 2024 & Posting Cringe 12/14/23

A dovish fed… a soft landing… tech stocks are off to the races. But wrapped up in one earnings report last night — everything tech investors fear in 2024. What Adobe is warning.

The Berkshire of Tech? Really? 12/13/23

A surprising stock move flying under the radar this year: Broadcom is now one of the biggest tech companies in the world. Today, the story behind the CEO, the strategy and the “Berkshire Hathaway of tech.”

Google, Apple & An Epic Win 12/12/23

A big blow to Google and the power of its app store. A federal jury found that Google turned its "Play Store" and billing service into illegal monopolies. What comes next for Google…. and Apple.

Blue Texts are Big Business 12/11/23

Green vs blue text bubble. You know it. You probably hate it. How one startup solved the iMessage Android problem… and found itself in the middle of the fight between two tech behemoths.

The Wrinkliest Story in Tech 12/8/23

Microsoft’s OpenAI deal is coming under regulatory scrutiny -- why an innovative partnership may now get a second look.

TechCheck+ The Great Rebundling: How streaming platforms are recreating what they tried to replace 12/8/23

Content overload, rising prices, and commercials. If you thought we’ve moved on from the cable bundle, think again. Streaming platforms are now recreating the very thing they tried to replace. This week on Tech Check, how media companies, tech giants, retailers, and even longtime rivals are teaming up to bring back the dreaded bundle.  

Google Gemini& Taylor Swift 12/7/23

Finally… the stock reacts. A delayed market reaction to Google’s launch of their AI model "Gemini." Today, the AI halo effect takes effect. Plus – Taylor Swift, TIME person of the year.

Reading Google's Sign 12/6/23

Google shooting for the stars today, announcing new details around its long-awaited generative AI system "Gemini.” Sundar Pichai and hitting back in the AI arms race.

Shein’s secret sauce: How the retailer has exploded in the U.S. using a key trade loophole 12/1/23

Shein has taken America by storm. Soon, it could take Wall Street too, as it files for an IPO. Its presence in the U.S. has exploded, as it partners with some of the hottest American retailers and tries to put labor worries to rest. This week on Tech Check, we dig into Shein’s secret sauce, as it eyes Wall Street next. 

The Generative AI Debate: Effective Altruism or Effective Acceleration? 11/30/23

More developments unfolding overnight over OpenAI’s board, with Sam Altman officially back as CEO and Microsoft now securing a non-voting board seat. We spoke to General Mike Rogers, the former NSA director, on the AI debate around pursuing effective altruism or effective acceleration, his thoughts on the 2024 election, and more. 

Can Jensen Huang get more popular? 11/29/23

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is the most in-demand, most popular figure in tech this year. Can he continue his reign into 2024?

Temu VS. Shein – Winner Take All? 11/28/23

The owner of e-commerce site Temu, Pinduoduo, posted some very strong quarterly numbers, just as its rival Shein, the Chinese fast fashion company, filed to go public. Today – investing in the future of online shopping, and which winner may take all.

Where every day is black Friday 11/24/23

Every day is Black Friday at Temu, Shien and TikTok. The rise of Chinese e-commerce players and why investors and retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target should ignore these platforms at their own peril.

Openai open questions 11/22/23

OpenAI’S Profit VS. OpenAI’s Non-Profit 11/21/23

OpenAI’s governance structure: a non-profit board with a mission to benefit humanity, overseeing a for-profit arm backed by Microsoft. Why that’s actually typical Silicon Valley… and how it caused the mess in Silicon Valley.

OpenAI Shockwaves 11/20/23

One of the most dramatic stories in technology in years: Sam Altman pushed out as CEO of OpenAI… putting this seismic shift into perspective, for Microsoft, for AI, for all of corporate America.  

Elon Musk – Over The Line? 11/17/23

Elon Musk -- under fire after endorsing an antisemitic post on X. The fallout, or lack of it, for one of the richest and most powerful men in the world.

TechCheck+ Megacaps’ Mega Deals: How big tech could be using AI investments to bankroll themselves 11/17/23

Big tech names like Microsoft, Google and Amazon have poured billions into the biggest names in the AI startup world, effectively replacing what used to be the role of high-profile, highly capitalized tech investors like Tiger Global and Softbank. And in some cases, through exclusive cloud contracts, those investments in startups come right back in the form of cloud revenue. This week on TechCheck, we dig into the megacaps’ mega deals, and how big tech could be using AI investments to bankro...

Alibaba Cancels Cloud Spin 11/16/23

Alibaba has scrapped plans to spin off its cloud unit, blaming the U.S. restrictions on chip exports, on a week where all eyes are on China U.S. relations. What’s the real story for $BABA, for chip supply and how it impacts valuations right now.

AI: How Much Should it be Regulated 11/15/23

Today, an opportunity for San Francisco to flex its roots and future as a tech capital. The debate over AI, how it grows, and who should control that process. And Microsoft is developing its own AI chips – why in-house silicon is a trend to watch.

Inside An Ai Acquisition 11/14/23

Airbnb has made a rare acquisition, its first as a public company and only its third ever, valued at close to $200 million… Why the battle for AI talent has just begun.

The XI meeting & the companies with the most at stake 11/13/23

President Biden set to meet face-to-face with China's President Xi Wednesday. Today on TechCheck, why both sides are hoping to stabilize tensions amid a downward spiral in relations… and why business and tech in particular are the areas to watch.