Fri. 01/22 – Alphabet Sends Loon To The Deadpool

What does it mean for Alphabet if it’s starting to cut bait on its “moonshots?” Is Google going to cut bait entirely, on the entire country of Australia? More signs that Apple is atoning for their laptop design sins. Looks like we were right, Plaid is very much, no Visa, no cry. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions.

Sponsors:

• Tovala.com/ride
• Metalab.com

Links:

• Alphabet Pops Loon’s Balloons—but Won't Call It a Failure (Wired)
• Google threatens to shut down search in Australia if digital news code goes ahead (The Guardian)
• Apple Plans Thinner MacBook Air With Magnetic Charger in Mac Lineup Reboot (Bloomberg)
• Plaid Shareholders Field Offers at $15 Billion After Merger Collapse (The Information)

Weekend Longreads Suggestions:

• Biden picks Jessica Rosenworcel as acting FCC chief (NBC News)
• The Inside Story of How the Lowly PDF Played the Longest Game in Tech (Marker)
• The Moderation War Is Coming to Spotify, Substack, and Clubhouse (OneZero)
• SAMSUNG GALAXY S21 ULTRA REVIEW: THE REAL DEAL (The Verge)
• Samsung Galaxy S21 review: The best Android phone for the money (Engadget)