Tech Brew Ride Home I’m Calling It: The Metaverse Is Over
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Jan 16, 2026 The podcast discusses significant upheaval at Thinking Machines, highlighting staff departures and ongoing AI drama. There's a bold declaration: the Metaverse may be finished for Meta. The shift in focus towards mobile tech and smart glasses signals a major pivot. YouTube also makes waves by easing monetization for sensitive content. Exciting innovations include PLAUD, a device that summarizes meetings, and Replit's new app builder using natural language prompts. Lastly, weekend longreads explore timely tech topics and industry insights.
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Talent Drives The AI Industry's Fate
- The AI industry is mired in recurring public drama that exhausts researchers and observers.
- High-profile departures and internal upheavals reveal talent is often the core asset driving frontier AI firms.
Strategy Gaps Sink High-Valuation Startups
- Startups without clear product or business strategy struggle to retain founders and raise follow-on funding.
- Thinking Machines' focus gaps and lofty valuation targets prompted key co-founder departures and recruitment by larger labs.
Meta Retracts Its VR Business Bet
- Meta is winding down many VR business initiatives, signaling a redefinition of its metaverse ambitions.
- The company is cutting Workrooms, commercial Quest sales, and Reality Labs staff while shifting focus toward mobile and smart glasses.