Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson

Podcast host Ben Thompson shares his experience with a ChatGPT demo, discusses Meta's smart glasses and OpenAI's hardware project, and explores the concept of celebrity bundles. He also expresses annoyance at Taylor Swift's presence during sports broadcasts and chats about mooncakes and their qualities.

OpenAI and Spotify are the guests in this episode. They discuss new voice and image commands by OpenAI, Spotify's new translation software, and the impact of advertising on future generations. They also talk about the commoditization of car play software and the issues with Bluetooth in cars. Advice for budgeting time and money in early parenthood is given at the end.

Microsoft mistakenly reveals secret game plans in court case, including plans for refreshed Xbox console and unannounced video games. Discussion about the backlash on Twitter and the consequences of spreading misinformation.

Google's history as a predictor, Disney's challenges in a shifting landscape, considerations for consumers and content makers in the new era, missed exit opportunities, antitrust digressions, and an iPhone 15 grievance.

Reactions to Tuesday’s iPhone event at Apple, the recent history of the development landscape in gaming, and an overview of the flaws in the plan Unity announced this week. At the end: Competing thoughts on the NFL and NBA, John Malone’s portfolio, and Taylor Swift in theaters. To email the show: email@sharptech.fm Apple’s iPhone Event; Innovation and Iteration; Pricing, Inflation, and Services — Stratechery Update Get Sharp Tech Premium, Sharp China, Stratechery Update, Stratechery Interviews, Greatest of All Talk and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $12/month.

Charter and Disney reached an agreement that benefits both parties, highlighting Charter's win and the potential of rebundling failed streaming services. The podcast also discusses ESPN's strategy of selling its service to internet TV providers and Charter's advancements in the broadband market. Additionally, it explores China's progress in chip technology and the geopolitical situation between the US and China, focusing on sanctions and chip development. The skewed incentive structure in systems without effective market feedback loops and the violation of US sanction rules by SMIC are also discussed.

John Kosner, an expert in the past and future of sports, discusses ESPN's transition to streaming, the ongoing dispute between ESPN and Charter Spectrum, and the risks faced by ESPN in negotiations with cable operators. The chapter also explores collaboration possibilities between cable companies and streaming services, the impact of ESPN's declining TV economics on sports leagues, and the potential landscape of sports broadcasting in the internet era.

Harley Finkelstein discusses Amazon and Shopify's surprising partnership. They also explore a more precise definition of disruption and the potential streaming nightmares for Warner/ESPN/Disney.

Nvidia's success and growth, timing and impact of AI on consumer behavior, divergent views on the future of Nvidia, potential use cases of the metaverse, Sony's success in various industries, challenges of customization, and discussions on nut management and naming infrastructure.

Chris Miller, Author of Chip War, discusses China's economic challenges, the power of demand aggregation, Microsoft's re-launch of Bing, and Spotify's algorithmic boost for white noise podcasts.