Techmeme Ride Home: Mon. 11/18 – More Smartglasses On The Horizon

Host: Brian McCullough
Release Date: November 18, 2024

FCC Chair Nomination

In today’s political tech landscape, President-elect Donald Trump has nominated FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr to serve as the next FCC Chair. According to Bloomberg, Carr has been a stalwart at the FCC since 2012, serving as an advisor to former Chair Ajit Pai and acting as the agency's general counsel. Trump lauded Carr as "a warrior for free speech" who has "fought against the regulatory laws that have stifled Americans' freedoms and held back our economy" (00:30).

Carr's nomination is part of Trump’s broader strategy to influence policy in his second term. He has advocated for limiting Section 230 of the Communications Act to address what conservatives view as big tech's content moderation abuses. Additionally, Carr has publicly aligned himself with tech magnate Elon Musk, attending SpaceX rocket launches and promoting technology-neutral broadband funding. In a December 2023 interview with This Week in Startups, Carr proposed subsidizing the cost of Musk's Starlink to expand internet access, suggesting, "You just cut everybody a coupon for $600, which is effectively the price of a Starlink dish. Mail that coupon to everybody and call it a day" (02:15).

Carr has also taken a strong stance against TikTok, advocating for its ban in the U.S., although Trump has since signaled opposition to such a ban despite previous executive orders aimed at banning the platform.

Samsung’s New Smart Glasses

The smart glasses market is heating up, with Samsung poised to release its latest XR glasses in Q3 2025. According to 9to5Google, powered by Qualcomm's AR1 chipset and leveraging Google's Gemini for AI tasks, these glasses are expected to launch with an initial production run of 500,000 units (05:20).

Detailed by Ukan Lozrev from Maill Business Newspaper, Samsung’s smart glasses are set to feature a 12-megapixel camera and a 155mAh battery, mirroring the specifications of Ray-Ban Meta’s smart glasses. Weighing in at 5 grams, these glasses will likely forgo a display to maintain weight and battery efficiency, focusing instead on AI-driven functionalities such as payment support, QR code recognition, gesture, and human recognition. Carribbean noted, "It's clear that simply adding a display would significantly increase the weight and power requirements, so Samsung is focusing on enhancing AI capabilities without compromising user comfort" (07:45).

These advancements suggest that Samsung aims to deliver a more capable product compared to existing offerings, potentially setting a new standard in the smart glasses market. Industry watchers anticipate further teasers ahead of the full launch, coinciding with the expected Galaxy S25 event in January.

Netflix’s Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson Fight and Streaming Challenges

Netflix made headlines with its live streaming of the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match, which reportedly drew 60 million households globally, peaking at 65 million concurrent streams. This feat likely makes it the most-watched television event of the year, surpassing even the Super Bowl domestically (10:10).

However, the event was marred by significant technical issues. More than 100,000 users reported network problems on Down Detector during the live stream, citing slow buffering and audio loss. Boxer Evander Holyfield experienced difficulties hearing the show’s host, highlighting the challenges Netflix faces in scaling live event streaming.

Peter Yared, formerly of CBS, commented on Twitter, “The core issue for Netflix is that they operate their own CDN content delivery network which is not built for live. They don’t have the operating capacity and vendor relationships to do large-scale live streaming” (11:30). Srini Rajagopal countered, suggesting that the problems stem from forecasting and that Netflix could potentially manage larger loads with proper anticipation of traffic volumes. Yared responded by emphasizing the constraints of Netflix’s CDN infrastructure, noting, “They have to ensure it can handle peak live load for upstream and downstream and for transcoding” (13:50).

This exchange underscores the growing pains Netflix is experiencing as it endeavors to establish itself in the live event streaming arena, especially after previous missteps like the "Love Is Blind" reunion stream.

YouTube Dominates Podcast Platform

A recent survey revealed that 31% of US weekly podcast listeners prefer YouTube as their primary platform for podcasts, surpassing Spotify at 27% and Apple Podcasts at 15%. This shift marks YouTube's ascendancy as the leading platform for podcasts, a trend highlighted by the Journal. Daniel Ek, CEO of Spotify, acknowledged this shift, stating, "It's becoming all about video" (16:00).

YouTube’s dominance is further reflected in its recent achievement of surpassing Netflix as the top streamer for TV viewership in America, according to Nielsen. With 150 million US users watching YouTube on their TVs monthly, the platform has entrenched itself in the living rooms of nearly half the country. Tim Katz, YouTube's Vice President of Partnerships, attributed this growth to the pandemic-driven surge in video podcasts, where podcasters began recording Zoom conversations to cater to listeners’ desire for visual interaction.

YouTube has invested heavily in podcast-specific tools, enhancing discoverability for users and monetization options for creators. By offering a share of advertising revenue, YouTube encourages podcasters to produce video content, transforming the traditional audio-centric landscape into a visually driven medium.

Nvidia’s Blackwell GPUs and AI Hardware Challenges

Nvidia is encountering significant hurdles with its Blackwell GPU production. Suppliers have been repeatedly asked to redesign server racks to combat overheating issues, delaying the production and delivery of Blackwell GPUs by at least a quarter. This setback is particularly concerning given the high demand for AI hardware, integral to the ongoing AI boom (20:15).

The new server racks, which incorporate 72 Nvidia AI chips, are designed to facilitate faster training of larger AI models. Initial excitement from major customers like Microsoft, Meta Platforms, and Elon Musk’s Xai has been tempered by these production delays. Dell CEO Michael Dell recently announced the shipment of a limited number of 70-chip racks to Coreweave, an Nvidia-backed cloud provider, indicating some progress despite the overarching challenges.

Customers and suppliers have expressed concerns that these last-minute design changes could disrupt the timeline for deploying GPU clusters in the upcoming year. Testing and resolving the overheating issues is proving to be more complex than anticipated, raising questions about Nvidia’s ability to meet its original schedule without further delays.

Wall Street’s Investment in AI Infrastructure

Wall Street is ramping up its investments to capitalize on the AI surge, with Bloomberg reporting that at least $1 trillion is projected to be spent on data centers, electricity suppliers, and communication networks vital to AI's growth. This influx of capital from major financial institutions marks a significant shift from the traditional venture capital-led tech financing model (23:40).

Banks like JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank have established dedicated infrastructure teams to manage the surge in data center deals. BlackRock's CEO, Larry Fink, revealed plans to raise up to $120 billion in debt tied to data centers, collaborating with Microsoft to finance development projects. However, there are cautionary notes; Barclays' Benjamin Fernandez highlighted the risks associated with long-term capital projects in an ever-evolving tech landscape. He emphasized that while the optimism is palpable, the absence of a "killer app" for AI remains a potential risk factor.

Despite these challenges, many on Wall Street remain optimistic. The sustained demand from tech giants for cloud storage and related services provides a stable foundation for these massive investments. However, the dynamic nature of AI technology means that financial backers must remain agile to mitigate potential risks associated with rapid innovation and shifting market demands.

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