Blackouts Take Waymo Out

Dec 22, 2025 22m

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Episode Description

Turns out when the lights go out, Waymo’s don’t handle that well. Larry Ellison actually puts his money on the line. Somebody is pirating music like it’s 1999. And two deep-dive looks at whether or not Google’s TPU’s really are a threat to Nvidia and OpenAI. Waymo resumes robotaxi service in San Francisco after blackout chaos — Musk says Tesla car service unaffected (CNBC) Paramount guarantees Larry Ellison backing in amended WBD bid (CNBC) Instacart Scraps All Price Tests After Customer Pushback (WSJ) Spotify Music Library Scraped by Pirate Activist Group (Billboard) ChatGPT will now let you pick how nice it is (The Verge) TPU Mania (The Chip Letter) Why Nvidia maintains its moat and Gemini won’t kill OpenAI (SiliconANGLE) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI-Generated Summary

Waymo's Robotaxi Challenges Amid Blackouts

Waymo resumed its Robotaxi service in San Francisco after a significant power blackout caused dual traffic issues, with several vehicles stalled in the city. Waymo's spokesperson indicated that the company is working on improving their technology to better manage such outages, ensuring a smoother operation under similar circumstances in the future.

Larry Ellison's Major Financial Backing for Paramount

Larry Ellison has provided an irrevocable personal guarantee of $40.4 billion for Paramount's bid for Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), addressing board concerns over the validity of his financial commitment. This strategic move plays a crucial role amidst competing bids and aims to solidify Paramount's acquisition efforts.

Instacart's Response to Customer Feedback

Instacart announced the end of all item price tests after public backlash regarding price discrepancies displayed to customers. The decision came in the wake of an FTC ruling against the company for deceptive practices and highlights a commitment to transparency in pricing during a time when many are budget-conscious.

Piracy Returns with a Bang: Spotify Music Scraped

A group named Anna's Archive has scraped extensive amounts of music data from Spotify, releasing it as torrent files, igniting a discussion about copyright laws versus digital archiving. This bold move mimics practices from the late 90s, raising questions about music accessibility and the industry's response to piracy.

ChatGPT's New Personalization Features

OpenAI has rolled out an update for ChatGPT, allowing users to customize the AI's personality traits and conversation styles. This enhancement includes options for warmth, enthusiasm, and varied content formats, reflecting a drive towards personalized user experiences in AI interactions.

TPUs vs. GPUs: The Ongoing Debate

Two insightful pieces discuss Google's TPUs as potential contenders against NVIDIA's GPUs in AI workloads. One perspective argues that while TPUs are gaining traction, NVIDIA's existing ecosystem and infrastructure give it a sustainable competitive edge. The discussion surfaces different narratives about the future of AI processing architecture.