Tech Brew Ride Home
Thu. 05/27 – Upgraded Nintendo Switch Imminent
· Summarized
Key takeaways
- An upgraded Nintendo Switch is expected to be announced soon, potentially launching later this year.
- Twitter Spaces has expanded to desktop, making it easier for users to join discussions.
- Amazon's acquisition of MGM aims to strengthen its position in the streaming market.
- Facebook is increasing its efforts to curb misinformation on its platform by limiting the reach of certain users' posts.
- PayPal is allowing users to send Bitcoin to third-party wallets, enhancing its cryptocurrency offerings.
- Snowflake is embracing a fully distributed office model, designating Bozeman, Montana as its main office.
- Clubhouse continues to innovate by hiring industry talent to improve its platform.
- A significant leadership change is taking place at Amazon as Andy Jassy steps into the role of CEO.
Summary
Nintendo Switch Upgrade on the Horizon
Recent sources suggest that Nintendo is on the verge of announcing an upgraded Switch console just ahead of the E3 conference set for June 12th, 2021. The new console is speculated to launch in late 2021, around September or October, and may see a price increase above the current $299 due to global supply chain issues. Despite challenges, suppliers are optimistic about meeting Nintendo's orders, although the ongoing semiconductor shortages may still impede timely production.
Twitter Spaces Expand to Desktop
Twitter has rolled out the feature for users to join Spaces via desktop browsers, marking a step forward in competing with other social audio platforms like Clubhouse. However, hosting capabilities on the web are not yet available. This move is part of Twitter's efforts to increase user engagement on its platform, amidst discussions surrounding social media trends and streaming services in recent Twitter Spaces.
Amazon's Acquisition of MGM and Its Implications
The New York Times reported that Amazon has acquired MGM for approximately $8.45 billion, a strategic move to enhance its Prime Video offerings amidst decreasing willingness from traditional studios to license their libraries. With MGM's catalogue containing significant titles, Amazon aims to reinvent and redevelop this content for modern audiences, highlighting the importance of such acquisitions in the competitive streaming landscape.
Facebook's New Policies on Misinformation
Facebook is expanding its efforts to combat misinformation by reducing the distribution of posts from personal accounts that repeatedly share false information. This initiative aims to make it harder for misleading content to be seen and to inform users about the reliability of pages they interact with.
PayPal's Crypto Integration Updates
PayPal is enhancing its crypto capabilities by allowing users to transfer Bitcoin to external wallets, thereby addressing earlier criticisms about the platform's limitations in the cryptocurrency space. This move signals a growing acceptance of cryptocurrency in mainstream financial services.
Relocation of Snowflake's Corporate Office
Snowflake, the cloud data platform company, has announced its move to designate Bozeman, Montana as its 'principal executive office' due to its distributed workforce model. This decision reflects broader trends in the tech industry towards decentralized operations, although Snowflake continues to maintain a sizable presence in Silicon Valley.
Clubhouse's New Hire Signals Continued Growth
Clubhouse, the social audio platform, has made a significant hire, bringing in Justin Uberti, a key figure behind many Google communications technologies, as its new head of streaming technology. This move underscores Clubhouse's commitment to enhancing user experience and improving its audio infrastructure.
Amazon's Leadership Transition
As Jeff Bezos prepares to step down, Andy Jassy, currently CEO of Amazon Web Services, will officially take over as CEO on July 5, 2021. This transition marks 27 years since Amazon was founded, with Bezos remaining engaged through several other initiatives.
Sponsors
- LinkedIn · Growing your small business in 2025 all comes down to hiring smarter with LinkedIn, which provides strong hiring data and insights.
- Robinhood · With Robinhood Gold, you can enjoy a 3% IRA match on retirement contributions and over 8x the national savings average interest rate.
Show notes
An upgraded Nintendo Switch is maybe days away from being announced. Twitter Spaces can now happen on the desktop. The behind the scenes details of the MGM buy. Snowflake has left Silicon Valley for… checks notes… Montana. And Clubhouse makes a high profile hire that shows they’re still full steam ahead.
Sponsors:
Skiff.org/ride
Cybereason.com
Links:
Nintendo Plans Upgraded Switch Replacement as Soon as September (Bloomberg)
You can join Twitter’s Clubhouse-like Spaces rooms from a browser starting Wednesday (The Verge)
James Bond, Meet Jeff Bezos: Amazon Makes $8.45 Billion Deal for MGM (New York Times)
Facebook to Limit Reach of Personal Accounts That Spread Misinformation (Bloomberg)
PayPal to Let Users Send Bitcoin Off PayPal (Decrypt)
App Store Scam App Required a Good Review to Function at All (Mac Rumors)
Snowflake relocates executive office from California to Bozeman, Montana, as company goes distributed (CNBC)
Stadia’s loss is Clubhouse’s gain: the social audio company has poached a longtime Google engineer (The Verge)
Andy Jassy will become Amazon’s CEO on July 5th (The Verge)
Follow this show on AudioBrevity and new episodes get summarized for you. Create a free account