Tech Brew Ride Home

The Roomba Hits The Wall

Your Roomba is circling the drain with iRobot filing for bankruptcy. Remember credit default swaps? Turns out they’re not just for hedging housing anymore. Nano Banana looks so realistic because it’s mimicking your sub-par smartphone camera output. And why can’t everybody participate in early stage startup investing? * Roomba Maker iRobot Files for Bankruptcy and Will Go Private [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-12-15/robot-vacuum-roomba-maker-files-for-bankruptcy-after-35-years](Bloomberg) * How iRobot lost its way home [https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/14/how-irobot-lost-its-way-home/] (TechCrunch) * Investors seek protection from risk of AI debt bust [https://www.ft.com/content/c5f9380e-df86-42a9-a387-a0d5e04ad45f] (FT) * Kindle’s New AI Feature Can Answer Questions About Your Books (Whether Authors Want It or Not) [https://www.pcmag.com/news/kindles-new-ai-feature-can-answer-questions-about-your-books-whether-authors](PCMag) * AI image generators are getting better by getting worse [https://www.theverge.com/column/843883/ai-image-generators-better-worse] (The Verge) * Inside the Invitation-Only Stock Market for the Wealthy [https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/private-stock-market-growth-bb71bde1?st=QDBNby&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink] (WSJ) 🎧 The Ride Home - 2025 Wrapped [https://pberry.github.io/ridehome/2025-wrapped.html] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

GPT-5.2 As OpenAI’s Attempt To Change The Narrative

Ok, fine, says Sam, here’s a new GPT model so you’ll hopefully stop saying we’re behind. Broadcom as another AI bellwether. Now that Disney is in bed with OpenAI, they’re ceasing and desisting Google. And, of course, The Weekend Longreads Suggestions. * OpenAI Launches GPT-5.2 as It Navigates ‘Code Red’ [https://www.wired.com/story/openai-gpt-launch-gemini-code-red/] (Wired) * GPT-5.2 is OpenAI’s latest move in the agentic AI battle [https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/842529/openai-gpt-5-2-new-model-chatgpt] (The Verge) * Trump threatens funding for states over AI regulations [https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-says-he-will-sign-order-curbing-state-ai-laws-2025-12-11/] (Reuters) * Broadcom beats on earnings and revenue, says AI chip sales will double in current quarter [https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/11/broadcom-avgo-q4-earnings-2025.html] (CNBC) * Disney Accuses Google of Using AI to Engage in Copyright Infringement on ‘Massive Scale’ [https://variety.com/2025/digital/news/disney-google-ai-copyright-infringement-cease-and-desist-letter-1236606429/] (Variety) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: * Want This Hearing Aid? Well, Who Do You Know? [https://www.wired.com/story/hearing-aid-startup-ai-fortell/] (Wired) * Tech bros head to etiquette camp as Silicon Valley levels up its style [https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/12/07/tech-startup-founders-etiquette/] (The Washington Post) * Why AGI Will Not Happen [https://timdettmers.com/2025/12/10/why-agi-will-not-happen/] (Tim Dettmer) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Disney Invests In OpenAI

Disney signs a blockbuster deal to license characters to OpenAI AND invest $1 billion dollars in the company. Oracle as the new bellwether for thinking about OpenAI’s prospects. More on the whole Data Centers In Space phenomenon. And let me introduce you to the Model Context Protocol to make the web safe for AI agents. * Disney Inks Blockbuster OpenAI Deal to Bring More Than 200 Characters to Sora Video Platform, Will Invest $1 Billion in AI Company [https://variety.com/2025/digital/news/disney-openai-deal-200-characters-to-sora-video-invests-1-billion-1236606401/] (Variety) * Disney to Invest $1 Billion in OpenAI, License Suite of Characters for Sora in Landmark Deal [https://www.thewrap.com/disney-sora-openai-licensing-deal/] (The Wrap) * Oracle Can’t Escape OpenAI’s Shadow [https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/oracle-cant-escape-openais-shadow-ed90ae19] (WSJ) * Spotify tests more personalized, AI-powered ‘Prompted Playlists’ [https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/10/spotify-tests-more-personalized-ai-powered-prompted-playlists/](TechCrunch) * Bezos and Musk Race to Bring Data Centers to Space [https://www.wsj.com/tech/bezos-and-musk-race-to-bring-data-centers-to-space-faa486ee?st=fZ9i5V&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink] (WSJ) * MCP has already taken the industry by storm, and now Anthropic is giving it away. [https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/841156/ai-companies-aaif-anthropic-mcp-model-context-protocol] (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Algorithmic Pricing?

Instagram is giving you some control over your algorithm. Is Instacart using algorithmic pricing? SpaceX thinks it will be worth $1.5 trillion. Has DeepSeek been smuggling chips? And what if your startup’s side-hustle can plug into the AI CAPEX bonanza? * Instagram Will Start Letting You Pick What Shows Up in Your Reels [https://www.wired.com/story/instagram-lets-you-pick-what-shows-up-in-reels/] (Wired) * Same Product, Same Store, but on Instacart, Prices Might Differ [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/business/instacart-algorithmic-pricing.html?unlocked_article_code=1.7U8.D3oN.PK4SkK01idO0&smid=url-share](NYTimes) * SpaceX to Pursue 2026 IPO Raising Far Above $30 Billion [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-12-09/spacex-said-to-pursue-2026-ipo-raising-far-above-30-billion] (Bloomberg) * DeepSeek is Using Banned Nvidia Chips in Race to Build Next Model [https://www.theinformation.com/articles/deepseek-using-banned-nvidia-chips-race-build-next-model?rc=i9gkgs] (The Information) * Boom Supersonic raises $300M to build natural gas turbines for Crusoe data centers [https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/09/boom-supersonic-raises-300m-to-build-natural-gas-turbines-for-crusoe-data-centers/] (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Nvidia Back In China… Maybe

Trump says Nvidia and others can ship chips to China, but the question is, will China take delivery. OpenAI is ending the code red in about a month, after getting a new model out the door. Meta wants a new Llama model, maybe in a month. And a new smart ring that is pretty intriguing… * Trump greenlights Nvidia H200 AI chip sales to China if U.S. gets 25% cut, says Xi responded positively [https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/08/trump-nvidia-h200-sales-china.html] (CNBC) * China set to limit access to Nvidia’s H200 chips despite Trump export approval [https://www.ft.com/content/c4e81a67-cd5b-48b4-9749-92ecf116313d] (FT) * Sam Altman’s Sprint to Correct OpenAI’s Direction and Fend Off Google [https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/openai-sam-altman-google-code-red-c3a312ad?st=krzBaj&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink] (WSJ) * From Llamas to Avocados: Meta’s shifting AI strategy is causing internal confusion [https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/09/meta-avocado-ai-strategy-issues.html] (CNBC) * Pebble Is Making a $75 Smart Ring [https://www.wired.com/story/pebble-index-ring/] (Wired) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]