Tech Brew Ride Home: "Never Got Flying Cars, But We Do Have An Instagram iPad App, Finally"

Date: September 4, 2025
Host: Brian McCullough

Overview

This episode dives into several major developments in tech, including Apple’s upcoming AI-powered search revamp for Siri, big moves in quantum computing (with some surprises about who’s leading the field), a notable acquisition in the browser market, Roblox's new age verification and safety features, Tencent’s advancements in 3D-generative AI, and the long-awaited release of an Instagram app for iPad. The tone is sharp, newsy, and a touch cheeky—delivering fast-paced insight for tech enthusiasts.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Apple’s Big Move: AI-Powered Search for Siri

• Apple is revamping Siri with AI search capabilities, under the name “World Knowledge Answers,” potentially launching as part of iOS 26.4 as early as March.
  • Built with large language models and a focus on summarization and accurate, fast answers.
  • Collaboration with Google: Apple has formally agreed to test a Google-developed AI model (Gemini) to power aspects of the new Siri—especially the summarizer and possibly the planner component.
  • Apple will keep key user data search tech in-house for privacy, but rely on third-party models, including Google Gemini and possibly Anthropic’s Claude, for web-related tasks.
  • Financial Terms: Anthropic was initially leading but lost out due to high pricing ("more than $1.5 billion a year"), so Apple turned to Google, which offered more favorable terms.
  • Staffing up: Apple’s new AKI (“Answers, Knowledge, and Information”) team is working on these features.
• Siri’s new internal architecture:
  • Planner: Decides how to respond to queries.
  • Search System: Scans the web and user data.
  • Summarizer: Synthesizes an answer.
  • Could pave the way for a standalone AI chatbot-style app.
• Key Quote:

  "Apple is considering powering the new Siri, at least in part, with third party AI models via a project that is called Glenwood. The current version of Siri runs entirely on Apple technology." – Brian McCullough [03:53]

2. Quantum Computing’s Surprise Titan: Honeywell

• Honeywell’s Quantinuum raises $600M at a $10B valuation, indicating rapid growth and investment in quantum tech.
  • Investors include: Nvidia (NVentures), JPMorgan Chase, Amgen, and QED investors.
  • Quantinuum’s Focus: Quantum computers for chemistry, machine learning, cybersecurity, finance, and drug discovery.
  • Nvidia’s Perspective: Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s CEO, highlights the accelerating progress and Nvidia’s repositioning to serve quantum as well as traditional computing.
  • Quantinuum aligns with Nvidia's quantum strategy (Quantum Research Center, Boston), combining quantum and GPU software stacks.
• Key Quote:

  “Quantum computing will be powerful enough in the coming years to help, quote, solve some interesting problems globally.” – Quoting Jensen Huang [06:14]

3. Browser Company Gets Acquired by Atlassian

• Atlassian acquiring the Browser Company (makers of Arc and DIA) for $610M.
  • The DIA browser: Focus on AI-powered tab management and productivity (in beta since June).
  • Product legacy: Arc was feature-rich but adopted mostly by power users, missing the broader consumer market.
  • Planned synergy: Bringing Arc’s advanced features, DIA’s AI, and Atlassian’s enterprise know-how together for the next evolution of browser-based productivity.
  • Potential Open Source/Future: Rumors around open sourcing and acquisition by others (OpenAI, Perplexity).
  • Key Quote:

    "Whatever it is that you're actually doing in your browser is not particularly well served by a browser that was built in the name to browse... It's not built to work, it's not built to act, it's not built to do." – Atlassian co-founder and CEO Mike Cannon-Brooks [08:35]

  • Funding and Investors: Included Atlassian Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, Figma’s Dylan Field, and LinkedIn’s Reid Hoffman.

4. Roblox Tightens Age & Safety Controls

• By end of 2025, Roblox will require age verification for all users of its communication tools, using facial recognition and more secure methods.
  • Details: New systems combine selfie scans, ID verification, and parental consent for accurate age detection.
  • Content Ratings: Moving to international standards (like ESRB in the US), helping parents judge the suitability of content.
  • Regulatory Context: Amid rising legislation and lawsuits around child safety online, particularly in the US (UK’s Online Safety Act, state-level laws).
  • Key Quote:

    “The company notes that it's also planning to launch systems that will further limit communications between adults and minors on its platform.” – Brian McCullough [12:06]

5. Tencent’s World Voyager: Next-Level AI-Generated 3D Worlds

• Tencent’s World Voyager: An open weights model that transforms a single image into 3D-flythrough videos, using a memory-efficient approach to maintain geometric consistency.
  • Tech details: Outputs short sequences (about 2 seconds/49 frames each), chaining them for longer flythroughs. Handles perspective, depth, and style consistency.
  • Benchmarks: Achieved the highest overall score on Stanford’s World Score benchmark, beating rivals for style, object control, and subjective quality.
  • Limitations: Errors can accumulate over longer, complex sequences; heavy compute requirements.
  • Broader Trend: Aligns with emerging tools from Google, Dynamic Labs, and others moving toward AI-generated 3D spaces.

6. Instagram Finally Comes to iPad

• Meta launches a dedicated Instagram app for iPad, after 15 years of requests.
  • Distinct Features: Opens directly to Reels (Meta’s TikTok competitor), leveraging TikTok’s regulatory troubles in the US.
  • UI Improvements: Bigger screens bring more efficient layouts—side-by-side comments on Reels, inbox alongside chats (Messenger style), and more visible content.
  • Implications: Demonstrates Instagram’s commitment to short-form video dominance and adaptation to shifts in user habits (increased tablet use among kids, TikTok’s uncertain future).
  • Quote on Motivation:

    “Perhaps the number of kids using tablets has changed the calculus? Or TikTok's regulatory vulnerability bumped this up on the to do list. One thing that's obvious from this is that Instagram is not letting up on reels.” – Brian McCullough [14:52]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:34] — Episode starts, main tech news headlines
• [01:00] — Apple’s Siri AI Search plans and partnerships outlined
• [05:40] — Quantum computing segment (Honeywell, Nvidia, Quantinuum)
• [07:32] — Atlassian’s acquisition of the Browser Company (Arc/DIA)
• [11:27] — Roblox’s new age checks and safety initiatives
• [12:35] — Tencent’s World Voyager 3D AI model explained
• [14:13] — The debut of Instagram’s long-awaited iPad app

Notable Quotes

• On Apple outsourcing AI for Siri:

  "Apple is considering powering the new Siri, at least in part, with third party AI models via a project that is called Glenwood. The current version of Siri runs entirely on Apple technology." – Brian McCullough [03:53]

• On quantum computing’s progress:

  "Quantum computing will be powerful enough in the coming years to help, quote, solve some interesting problems globally." – Jensen Huang (via Brian McCullough) [06:14]

• On what browsers should be:

  "Whatever it is that you're actually doing in your browser is not particularly well served by a browser that was built in the name to browse... It's not built to work, it's not built to act, it's not built to do." – Mike Cannon-Brooks [08:35]

• On why Instagram’s finally on iPad:

  "Perhaps the number of kids using tablets has changed the calculus? Or TikTok's regulatory vulnerability bumped this up on the to do list. One thing that's obvious from this is that Instagram is not letting up on reels." – Brian McCullough [14:52]

Conclusion

This episode packs a punch, covering the biggest moves in tech from Apple's Sirius AI ambitions to long-wanted product launches like Instagram for iPad. It provides context, industry strategy, and entertaining asides—making it a brisk, informative listen for anyone interested in how major tech platforms are jockeying for the future.