Tech Brew Ride Home: “M5 Chips Are Here”

Date: October 15, 2025
Host: Brian McCullough

Episode Overview

In this episode, Brian McCullough recaps a big day in tech with news on Apple’s M5 chip debut and product upgrades, major updates coming for ChatGPT’s AI personality and content, Waymo’s robotaxi push in London, Spotify and Netflix’s fresh podcasting alliance, and Microsoft’s official end of Windows 10 support. He rounds out the news with YouTube’s new video player and strategic ambitions from OpenAI. The episode is newsy, brisk, and peppered with McCullough’s tech-savvy, slightly wry tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Apple M5 Chip Launches Across Devices [00:05]

• Devices Updated: The new M5 chip now powers the 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro.

  • MacBook Pro: Starts at $1599, ships October 20th. Offers “up to 3.5x more performance for AI workflows” and faster storage.
  • iPad Pro: 11-inch starts at $999, 13-inch starts at $1299, ships October 22nd. Now includes the M5, plus a new C1X cellular modem and N1 chip.
  • Vision Pro: Gets an M5 chip too, “can render 10% more pixels,” and a new dual-knit, more comfortable band.
  • New accessories announced for Vision Pro, including PlayStation VR 2 Sense controllers ($250, Nov 11) and a Logitech Muse digital pen ($130, Oct 22).

• Performance Stats (via The Verge):

  • M5 is “3.5 times faster at AI tasks than the M4 chip thanks to a next gen 10 core GPU, a neural accelerator in each core.”
  • “1.6x faster graphics performance,” “20% higher multithreaded performance,” and 153GB/s memory bandwidth (was 120GB/s on the M4).
  • Storage options up to 4TB SSD (previously required the Pro variant of the M4).
  • “Just about everything else about the new 14-inch MacBook Pro matches the previous model… not even a new color.” [02:10]

• Host’s Take:

  • “That’s not such a bad thing as last year’s Base Pro laptop saw a very nice revision when it went to the M4 chip, gaining a third USB C Thunderbolt 4 port and the option for an anti glare display. It proved a big quality of life improvement over the M3 generation before it and became one of my personal favorites for students and content creation.” [02:50]

ChatGPT’s Content & Personality Expansion [03:20]

• OpenAI Policy Shift:

  • OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reveals a new direction: “Now that we have been able to mitigate these serious mental health issues and have new tools, we are going to be able to safely relax the restrictions in most cases… as part of our treat adult users like adults principle, we will allow even more like erotica for verified adults.” [04:00]
  • Future update will allow ChatGPT to take on more human-like personalities and tone, support more expressiveness (emoji, friend-like manner), and interact more freely, especially for verified adults.

• Industry Context:

  • OpenAI will let developers create “mature ChatGPT apps” once age controls are set.
  • OpenAI follows competitors (e.g., Elon Musk’s Xai launching flirty AI companions, hobbyist LLMs).

• Host’s Perspective:

  • “While it seems like grown up mode is finally here, it’s not technically a mode, but a new universal policy that potentially gives ChatGPT users more flexibility in interacting with the AI assistant.” [05:20]

Waymo’s London Robotaxi Launch Plans [06:00]

• Overview:

  • Waymo targets a fully driverless robotaxi service in London for 2026—its first European market.
  • Human supervised cars will collect data “in the next few weeks.”
  • Full rollout follows UK’s Automated Vehicles Act of 2024, taking full effect in late 2027.
  • Move, the vehicle services company, will manage Waymo fleets in London, Phoenix, Austin, Miami.

• Competitive Landscape:

  • Other players: Uber partners with UK’s Wave on similar trials, with Wave perhaps having a “leg up given its homegrown status.” [08:00]

• Host’s Quip:

  • “But will it call you governor when you get in?… Cabbies in London are genuinely one of the treats of visiting that city and I say that as a New Yorker where we’ve got some pretty fun cabbies of our own.” [08:20]

Spotify and Netflix Podcast Collaboration [08:40]

• Details:

  • Spotify partners with Netflix to distribute 16 video podcasts from Spotify Studios and The Ringer in the US in early 2026.
  • No Netflix ad breaks for these shows, though Spotify-sold integrated ads will remain.
  • Selected shows include popular titles: “Conspiracy Theories,” “Serial Killers,” “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” “Rewatchables,” and more.

• Strategic Background:

  • Reflects Spotify’s shift toward video podcasts, which now number over 430,000 and grow 20x faster than audio-only.
  • As of Q2 2025: “more than 350 million Spotify users have also streamed a video on its platform, up 65% year over year.” [09:50]
  • Spotify’s earlier massive audio podcast investments didn’t deliver profits, prompting new strategies.

• Host’s Recap:

  • “Video, which is heavily consumed by Gen Z users in particular, offers more opportunities for ad products and monetization, the company now believes.” [10:00]

YouTube Video Player Update [13:00]

• New Design Features:
  • Cleaner, more immersive player rolls out this week for mobile, web, and TV.
  • “Rounded on-screen buttons with a little bit of translucency… new look,” less content is obscured.
  • Updates to controls, dynamic like button animations, and a new system for structured comment replies.

OpenAI’s $1 Trillion 5-Year Plan [14:00]

• Financial Ambition:

  • OpenAI seeks to meet its $1 trillion spending pledge via “new revenue lines, debt partnerships and further fundraising.”
  • Plans include: deals with governments/businesses, AI agents, Sora video creation, consumer hardware (with Jony Ive), data center initiative (Stargate).

• Key Stats:

  • $13 billion in annual recurring revenue, of which 70% comes from ChatGPT (with only 5% of the 800M user base as paying subscribers). OpenAI wants to double that conversion.
  • Cheaper access rolling out in India, soon in the Philippines, Brazil, and other markets.

• Insider Quote:

  • “It might look and feel that way, but this is actually a strategy backed up by technology products, business plans and visibility into what is happening.” [15:20]

Microsoft Officially Ends Windows 10 Support [16:10]

• What’s Happening:

  • Windows 10 has reached official end of support—no more regular security patches, no technical support.
  • Still runs on approximately 40% of the world’s Windows PCs.
  • Extended support (ESU) is available for certain users: one year for home users, up to three years for businesses.

• Host’s Key Advice:

  • “Obviously, Microsoft’s preferred upgrade path would be either an upgrade to Windows 11 for PCs that meet the requirements, or an upgrade to a new PC that does support Windows 11.” [17:10]
  • Still possible, with caveats, to run Windows 11 on unsupported PCs, though major updates may be “a bit of a pain.” [17:30]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Apple M5 Chip:
  “Apple claims the M5 chip is 3.5 times faster at AI tasks than the M4 chip thanks to a next gen 10 core GPU, a neural accelerator in each core.” — Brian McCullough quoting The Verge [01:25]

• OpenAI Adult Content Direction:
  “Now that we have been able to mitigate these serious mental health issues and have new tools, we are going to be able to safely relax the restrictions in most cases… as part of our ‘treat adult users like adults’ principle, we will allow even more like erotica for verified adults.” — Sam Altman, quoted by Brian McCullough [04:00]

• Waymo London Expansion:
  “Cabbies in London are genuinely one of the treats of visiting that city and I say that as a New Yorker where we’ve got some pretty fun cabbies of our own.” — Brian McCullough [08:20]

• Spotify/Netflix Partnership:
  “Video, which is heavily consumed by Gen Z users in particular, offers more opportunities for ad products and monetization, the company now believes.” — Brian McCullough [10:00]

• OpenAI’s Ambition:
  “It might look and feel that way, but this is actually a strategy backed up by technology products, business plans and visibility into what is happening.” — Anonymous source, quoted by Brian McCullough [15:20]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Apple M5 Chip News: 00:05–03:20
• ChatGPT “Grown Up” Policy: 03:20–06:00
• Waymo London Launch: 06:00–08:40
• Spotify + Netflix Podcasts: 08:40–10:16
• YouTube Player Redesign: 13:00–14:00
• OpenAI’s $1T Plan: 14:00–16:10
• Windows 10 End of Support: 16:10–end

This episode captures a fast-moving day in tech with succinct updates and well-selected industry context. McCullough’s delivery keeps things lively, balancing credible reporting with the casual “water cooler” spirit the show’s regulars expect.