Tech Brew Ride Home — "The iOS Walls Are Crumbling In The Garden"

Date: November 21, 2025
Host: Brian McCullough

Episode Overview

This episode of Tech Brew Ride Home dives into boundary-breaking tech developments, including Google’s surprising move to integrate file-sharing across iOS and Android, rising competition in AI between Google and OpenAI, massive growth in prediction markets, US social media usage trends, the promise of a quantum internet, and host Brian McCullough’s hands-on reflection about AI tools in content creation. The overarching theme: once-closed ecosystems are opening up, and tech innovation continues to push at old walls—sometimes with unexpected results.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Google Breaks into Apple’s AirDrop: Cross-Platform Sharing Unlocked

[02:21–06:25]

• News: Google updated “Quick Share” to enable file transfers from Android (Pixel 10) to iOS devices via AirDrop—without Apple’s involvement.
• The feature works peer-to-peer, doesn’t send files through servers, and reportedly maintains privacy and security.
• Rollout is initially limited to the Pixel 10, but Google plans broader expansion.
• Apple did not collaborate or respond to this development; Google independently engineered the feature and conducted both internal and third-party security assessments.
• User experience: To share, both devices must be set to discoverable (for a short time window).
• Significance: “Seamless sharing between Apple devices with AirDrop is one of those extremely helpful features that’s been kept inside the walled garden—until now.” [05:53]
• With RCS messaging already bridging iOS/Android communication, this marks another major crack in Apple's ecosystem walls.

2. The AI Horse Race: Google Surges, OpenAI Reacts

[06:26–13:55]

• Breaking news: Internal memos reveal Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, acknowledged to employees that Google has gained ground in AI, possibly outpacing OpenAI temporarily.
  • Google’s Gemini 3 AI model reportedly excels in automating website and product design tasks, especially in code generation—a critical capability for AI firms.
  • Altman says: “We know we have some work to do, but we are catching up fast. Still, I expect the vibes out there to be rough for a bit.” [07:45]
• Competitive landscape: OpenAI’s $500B valuation is under scrutiny because of huge projected cash burn and declining lead over Google and Anthropic.
  • Anthropic, founded by ex-OpenAI employees, may outpace OpenAI in developer/business AI revenue this year.
• Google’s financial muscle: With $70B free cash flow in the last four quarters alone, Google can outspend OpenAI, which faces raising vast new rounds for compute.
• Technical details:
  • Google’s success in LLM “pre-training” surprised many—historically a challenge for both Google and OpenAI.
  • OpenAI's focus has shifted to "reasoning" models for now; “pre-training” issues with large models remain a catch-up point.
  • New OpenAI LLM (codename: Shallot Pete) aims to fix these gaps.
• Long-term vision: Altman discusses using AI to generate new training data (“automating AI research itself”), reinforcing a bet on rapid, self-improving breakthroughs.
• Takeaway: The traditional “OpenAI leads, others follow” dynamic is over—the race is on, and Google could pull ahead thanks to resources and technical advances.

3. Prediction Markets Explode in Value and Usage

[13:56–16:33]

• Kalshi raised $1B (led by Sequoia and Capital G), doubling valuation to $11B just two months after a $5B round. Polymarket is raising even more at up to $15B valuation.
• Growth stats: "In mid October, [Kalshi] reached $50B in annualized trading volume, a thousandfold increase from $300M posted last year" [15:11]
• Election betting: Surge in popularity after accurate predictions for NYC mayoral race—helped by high-profile advertising like live odds in subway cars.
• Legal landscape: Kalshi operates after a successful legal challenge to U.S. regulators, but still faces state-by-state disputes over gambling laws.
• Prediction markets are now indisputably mainstream—and big money.

4. U.S. Social Media Platform Usage

[16:34–19:16]

• Source: Pew Research survey (Feb–June 2025, 5,022 adults)
• Key numbers:
  • YouTube remains king (84% usage), followed by Facebook (71%). Instagram is at 50%.
  • TikTok up to 37% (was 21% in 2021), WhatsApp at 33% (up from 23% in 2021).
  • Reddit now at 26% (up from 18% four years ago). Snapchat and X (formerly Twitter) trailing.
  • Threads, BlueSky, Truth Social each at 10% or less.
• Host reaction: Surprised TikTok isn’t higher, given its strong cultural impact (“but maybe not among the olds yet. I guess.” [19:08])
• Observation: WhatsApp’s growth in the US is strong, matching anecdotal experience.

5. The Quantum Internet: IBM and Cisco’s Ambitious Plans

[21:53–27:02]

• IBM and Cisco plan to connect quantum computers over long distances, aiming for viable demonstration by 2030.
• The challenge: Quantum information (stationary "qubits") must be turned into "flying" qubits (microwave signals), then converted to optical signals to travel across networks.
• Tech hurdles: Developing a "microwave optical transducer" is key. Most required tech doesn’t yet exist—collaboration with universities and US labs is vital.
• Potential: A quantum internet could allow for trillions of quantum gates, solving optimization, materials science, and healthcare problems at scale.
  • Ultra-secure communications and environmental monitoring are among the potential applications by the late 2030s.
• Host’s insight: “I’ve been anticipating quantum computing, but it never occurred to me we could also get a quantum Internet.” [21:53]

6. Host’s Experiments with AI in Content Creation

[28:15–end]

Brian McCullough shares a deep, personal update on using AI to write and produce new episodes of his “Rad History” show. He contrasts mindless “AI slop” with attentive, “AI curation”—and how he’s using AI not as a substitute for creativity, but as a force multiplier.

• Breakthroughs:
  • Training ChatGPT on his own writing style for authentic voice (“The output I’m getting now… is much, much more like what I want it to sound like.” [29:27])
  • Discovered that recording and editing episodes himself (rather than using AI voice synthesis) is more efficient and emotionally authentic (“I know the pronunciations will be right, the emphasis… the emotion will be right.” [30:28])
  • Advanced prompting: “One of the biggest things TL;DR is: don’t just ask for things you want it to do, also put in things you don’t want it to do.” [31:43]
• Three examples of the process:
  • Bo Jackson episode: Used AI for script, but added/elaborated on personal knowledge and stories not captured by the model.
  • Phil Hartman episode: Used AI draft as a base, but corrected mistakes/hallucinations (“No, Phil Hartman didn’t do the George H.W. Bush impression on SNL. That was Dana Carvey.” [34:19])
  • Memphis Group episode: AI-provided new tidbits, sparking further personal research and learning—host learns alongside the audience.
• Macro view:
  • Critically distinguishes "AI curation" (human-guided, collaborative use of AI) from "AI slop" (blind, unedited automation).
  • “Photography didn’t kill art. It just changed how you curated the aesthetic of a representation of reality in an image.” [38:25]
  • Argues that “AI curation” can occupy a creative middle ground between human-only and AI-only content.
• Personal fulfillment: AI lets him rapidly pursue creative ideas once hindered by time (“AI is allowing me to scratch my creative itch, be creatively fulfilled in a way I haven’t been for years.” [39:17])
• Closing thought: This new workflow provides more joy and creative engagement than even his book research days—and AI is fundamentally a tool, not a replacement for creativity.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Google’s AirDrop breakthrough:
  “Seamless sharing between Apple devices with AirDrop is one of those extremely helpful features that’s been kept inside the walled garden—until now.” [05:53]
• On OpenAI’s position in the AI competition:
  “We know we have some work to do, but we are catching up fast… I expect the vibes out there to be rough for a bit.” — Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO [07:45]
• On advances in AI-assisted content creation:
  “The output I’m getting now for podcast scripts is much, much more like what I want it to sound like—how I would write it.” [29:27]
• On the human role in the AI era:
  “Photography didn’t kill art. It just changed how you curated the aesthetic of a representation of reality in an image.” [38:25]
• On AI as an enabler (not replacer) of creativity:
  “AI is allowing me to scratch my creative itch, be creatively fulfilled in a way I haven’t been for years.” [39:17]

Key Timestamps

| Time | Segment Description | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:21 | Google’s Quick Share now works with AirDrop—cross-platform file sharing details | | 06:26 | OpenAI-Altman memo: Google’s AI surge, Gemini 3, Anthropic, and the competitive landscape| | 13:56 | Kalshi & Polymarket: Prediction markets explode in value and volume | | 16:34 | Pew Research: US adult platform usage numbers, TikTok, WhatsApp, Reddit, etc. | | 21:53 | IBM and Cisco: Quantum Internet plans and technical roadblocks | | 28:15 | Brian McCullough’s “Rad History” AI workflow—creative reflections and process | | 31:43 | Advanced prompting tips and why “AI curation” trumps “AI slop” | | 34:19 | Specific AI hallucination example (“Phil Hartman” episode correction) | | 38:25 | Analogy: Photography, art, and the role of human curation in an AI world | | 39:17 | AI as a creative liberator—personal fulfillment discussion |

Summary Takeaway

This episode captures major shifts: Apple’s walled garden is breaking down; Google’s AI ambitions gain ground; prediction markets step into the daylight; Americans are steadily shifting social platform habits; quantum networks beckon from the future; and the host demonstrates that, handled with care, AI supercharges creativity—not replaces it. Brian McCullough’s reflections on AI curation drive home the episode’s closing message: tech is a tool, but human discernment makes the difference.