Wed. 01/22 – The Galaxy S25 Lineup - Tech Brew Ride Home

Summary

Techmeme Ride Home – Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Host: Brian McCullough

Samsung Unveils the Galaxy S25 Lineup

Samsung held its highly anticipated Unpacked event today, unveiling the much-awaited Galaxy S25 lineup. Leading the charge is the flagship Galaxy S25 Ultra, which boasts several notable upgrades and features.

Design and Display: The S25 Ultra features a revamped design with rounded corners juxtaposed against flat edges, a design choice that has drawn comparisons to the aesthetics of the Cybertruck. According to The Verge, "The shift from curved edges to flat sides makes the S25 Ultra look hefty and photos like if the Cybertruck were a phone." Despite its robust appearance, the device is slightly smaller and lighter than last year's model, thanks to slimmer bezels around its expansive 6.9-inch display.

Performance and Specifications: Equipped with Qualcomm's top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite processor—tuned specifically for Galaxy devices—the S25 Ultra ensures unparalleled performance. This processor is consistent across all S25 series phones globally, marking a return to uniform high-end specifications. The device also promises longevity with seven years of OS updates and security patches.

Camera Enhancements: While the camera hardware remains largely consistent with its predecessor, the S25 Ultra introduces a new 50-megapixel ultra-wide camera, replacing the previous 12-megapixel module. TechCrunch highlights, "The handset supports a 6.9-inch display and a quartet of rear-facing cameras, including a 50 megapixel ultra wide and a 200 megapixel wide lens." Samsung has also enhanced its image processing algorithms, improving detail in zoomed images and adding features like the Galaxy Log profile for advanced video recording.

Additional Features: Notably, Bixby is no longer the default virtual assistant. Instead, Samsung is leveraging Google Gemini for AI functionalities, accessible via a long press of the wake button. The S Pen has seen reduced functionality, dropping Bluetooth support and gesture controls, simplifying it to a basic stylus.

Beyond the Ultra, Samsung introduced the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus, priced at $799.99 and $999.99 respectively. Pre-orders are currently open, with shipping slated for February 7th.

Trump Pardons Ross Ulbricht, Impacting the Crypto Community

In a surprising move, President Donald Trump granted a pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the mastermind behind the infamous Silk Road marketplace. Ulbricht, who was serving a life sentence since 2015 on charges related to money laundering and drug distribution, has been a controversial figure celebrated by many in the cryptocurrency community.

Silk Road Legacy: Silk Road operated on the dark web, facilitating over 1.5 million transactions and generating upwards of $200 million in revenue through the sale of various narcotics. Prosecutors had alleged that Ulbricht also solicited murders, although no evidence of actual killings surfaced.

Crypto Community Reaction: Ulbricht remains a populist hero among crypto enthusiasts, lauded for pioneering the use of Bitcoin in illicit transactions. Pete Rizzo, an editor at Bitcoin Magazine, stated, "It's hard to argue that Ross Ulbricht wasn't the most successful and influential entrepreneur of the early bitcoin era," highlighting the industry's collective stance to "reclaim our own."

This pardon fulfills Trump's campaign promise and underscores the significant influence the crypto industry wields, having contributed over $100 million towards shaping the election's outcome.

Formation of Stargate Project: A $500 Billion AI Data Center Venture

OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle have announced the creation of the Stargate Project, a groundbreaking joint venture aimed at revolutionizing AI infrastructure in the United States. This ambitious project pledges an initial investment of $100 billion, with potential expansion up to $500 billion over the next four years.

Project Details: Unveiled during a White House press conference attended by President Trump, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Sohn, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, Stargate is poised to establish a formidable presence in AI data centers. TechCrunch reported, "The data centers could house chips designed by OpenAI someday, with projections for AI-specific chip development by 2026."

Partnerships and Collaborations: Key partners include Microsoft, ARM, Nvidia, and the Middle East AI fund MGX. SoftBank and OpenAI lead the financial and operational aspects, respectively, with Son chairing the project. The consortium plans to collaborate closely in building and managing this extensive computing infrastructure.

Skepticism and Criticism: Not everyone is optimistic about the venture's financial feasibility. Elon Musk criticized the initiative via Twitter, claiming, "They don't actually have the money. SoftBank has well under $10 billion secured," while M.G. Siegler from TechCrunch pointed out, "Neither seemingly has enough capital on hand to equal a $100 billion commit, let alone $500 billion."

Despite these concerns, the project's scale suggests a strong commitment to advancing AI technology, overshadowing fears of an impending AI bubble.

Potential Acquisition of TikTok: Bidders and Proposals

President Trump has expressed openness to major tech figures like Elon Musk or Larry Ellison purchasing TikTok's U.S. operations. The proposed arrangement would involve a 50% ownership stake by the U.S. government, contingent upon obtaining the necessary permits.

Trump's Proposal: "They have an asset that has no value or has a trillion-dollar value, it all depends on whether or not the United States gives the permit," Trump stated during an event with Ellison at the White House, as reported by Bloomberg.

Alternative Bidders: A competitive landscape is emerging with several high-profile contenders stepping in:

Kevin O'Leary and his group, including Mr. Beast and Frank McCourt, have submitted a formal bid of $20 billion. O'Leary emphasized the feasibility of the deal: "I think we could close it in 90 days."
Jesse Tinsley has also assembled a consortium of American investors eager to acquire TikTok without its proprietary content algorithm, addressing concerns over potential Chinese spyware.

Market Implications: These bids reflect the high value placed on TikTok's substantial user base and influence, notwithstanding ByteDance's restrictions on selling its core algorithms.

Meta Advancements in Smart Glasses and Augmented Reality

Meta, formerly Facebook, is making significant strides in the smart glasses market, aiming to launch a series of advanced eyewear products by 2027. The company's efforts are centered around integrating augmented reality (AR) capabilities into everyday wearables.

Product Lineup:

Supernova Series: Expanding beyond the current Ray-Ban glasses, Meta is collaborating with Oakley to produce the Supernova 2, tailored for athletes with a centralized camera for cycling and other sports.
Hypernova Model: This high-end variant features a display embedded in the right lens, projecting information directly into the user's field of view. Expected to retail around $1,000, Hypernova aims to deliver a more immersive AR experience, allowing users to run applications, view notifications, and access photos seamlessly.

Control Mechanisms: Meta is experimenting with a wrist strap controller, akin to the one used in their unreleased Orion prototype, to facilitate user interaction with the glasses. Alternatively, standard touch controls on the frame's temple ensure functionality even if the wrist accessory is not adopted.

Integration and Features: In addition to hardware advancements, Meta is enhancing software integration across its platforms. Users will soon be able to link WhatsApp with Instagram and Facebook, enabling cross-posting of statuses as stories and streamlined login processes via single sign-on. Importantly, Meta assures that WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption remains intact when accounts are connected through the Account Center.

Netflix Reports Robust Q4 Earnings Amid Price Increases

Netflix announced a strong performance for Q4, with revenues climbing 16% year-over-year to reach $10.2 billion and global subscriptions surging by 18.9 million to a total of 301.6 million. This exceeded Wall Street expectations and propelled the company's stock by over 14%.

Subscriber Growth and Content Performance: The impressive subscriber growth is attributed to Netflix's strategic content offerings, including hit originals like Richard Curtis's "That Christmas," Tyler Perry's "The Six Triple Eight," and Sony Pictures' "It Ends With Us." Co-CEO Greg Peters emphasized, "No single title drives our acquisition or engagement. It's really the whole service that's working."

Live Programming and Strategic Shifts: Netflix's foray into live programming, particularly NFL games, has significantly boosted viewership, capturing 8.4 million of all U.S. streaming hours in December—the highest share since July 2023. Despite this success, the company remains cautious about acquiring large sports packages, with Ted Sarandos, the other co-CEO, noting the challenges involved.

Price Adjustments: In response to growing revenue streams, Netflix has implemented price hikes in the U.S., Canada, Portugal, and Argentina. The standard U.S. plan now costs $17.99 (up from $15.49), while the standard plan with ads rises to $7.99 per month. These adjustments aim to bolster the company's financial standing amidst expanding service offerings.

Future Priorities: Looking ahead, Netflix is prioritizing the increase of ad revenue and the development of more live programming, signaling a strategic pivot to diversify content and revenue streams. Ross Bennis from eMarketer observes, "Two of Netflix's official 2025 priorities are increasing ad revenue and developing more live programming."

This summary captures the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from today's episode of Techmeme Ride Home. For a deeper dive, tuning into the full episode is recommended.

Transcript

Brian McCullough (0:04)

Welcome to the TechMe Bright Home for Wednesday, January 22, 2025. I'm Brian McCullough. Today, all the headlines from today's Samsung event, including the S25 lineup. The Silk Road creator gets a pardon a huge joint venture for a new AI data center effort. Will Elon take half of TikTok in the US the other half? And guess what? Netflix is raising prices again. Here's what you missed today in the world of tech. Samsung held its unpacked event today where, as expected, they unveiled the Galaxy S25 lineup. Let's focus on the flagship device, the S25 Ultra. The design has been upgraded with rounded corners but flat edges that suggest the look of the S series. It's got Qualcomm's top of the line chip, a new ultra wide camera, and the price is staying the same. It starts at $1,299 and ships February 7th. Quoting the Verge, Something about the shift from curved edges to flat sides makes the S25 Ultra look hefty and photos like if the Cybertruck were a phone. But it's actually slightly smaller and lighter than last year's device, even with a bigger 6.9-inch screen, thanks to slimmer bezels. It's equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor tuned for Galaxy devices. That's true for all S25 series phones sold in all regions, which hasn't been the case recently. And it still comes with one more strong spec 7 years of OS updates and security patches. Camera hardware is largely unchanged from the previous model, except for a new 50 megapixel ultra wide replacing a 12 megapixel module. Samsung claims that an upgrade to the S25 algorithmic image processing has improved detail in zoomed images. On the video side, Samsung now offers a Galaxy Log profile along with a custom loot. End quote Bixby is no longer the default virtual assistant. Samsung is leaning on Google Gemini Long press the wake button to summon the AI. The S Pen no longer supports Bluetooth, so those G Wiz gesture controls are gone. Basically, the S Pen is a very basic stylus. Quoting TechCrunch. The handset supports a 6.9-inch display and a quartet of rear facing cameras, a 50 megapixel ultra wide 200 megapixel wide, and a pair of telephoto lenses with 3x and 5x optical zoom, respectively. The S25 Ultra and S25 plus have access to Pro Scaler. The AI image sharpening feature apparently requires their QHD display resolution to function properly. Gaming graphics enhancements, meanwhile, arrive by the way of of the snapdragons on device, Vulcan engine and ray tracing features. Device cooling is accomplished by way of a 40% larger vapor chamber. End quote that was mostly about the Ultra, but as mentioned there are a basic S25 and S25 plus as well. The S25 starts at $799.99 and the plus model comes in at $999.99 with pre orders open now ahead of the February 7th ship. President Trump yesterday granted a pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the Silk Road creator and a crypto cult hero serving a life sentence since 2015 on money laundering charges and drug charges, quoting the New York Times. In doing so, Mr. Trump fulfilled a promise that he made repeatedly on the campaign trail as he courted political contributions from the crypto industry, which spent more than $100 million to influence the outcome of the election. A Bitcoin pioneer, Mr. Ulbricht Fordy, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 2015 after he was convicted on charges that included distributing narcotics on the Internet. In its nearly three years of existence, Silk Road, which operated in a shady corner of the Internet known as the Dark Web, became an international drug marketplace, facilitating more than 1.5 million transactions, including sales of heroin, cocaine and other illicit substances. The site generated over $200 million in revenue, according to authorities. In court, Prosecutors claimed that Mr. Ulbricht had also solicited the murders, of whom he considered threats, but acknowledged that there was no evidence that the killings took place. Despite his crimes, Mr. Ulbricht has remained popular with crypto enthusiasts because Silk Road was one of the first venues where people used bitcoin to buy and sell goods. For years. His supporters have argued that his sentence was overly punitive and adopted the slogan Free Ross online and at industry gatherings. It's hard to argue that Ross Ulbricht wasn't the most successful and influential entrepreneur of the early bitcoin era, said Pete Rizzo, an editor at the news publication Bitcoin Magazine. This is the industry banding together and saying we're going to reclaim our own end quote. OpenAI SoftBank and Oracle have announced a $500 billion AI data center company. It's called the Stargate Project, a joint venture to invest in US AI infrastructure, committing $100 billion now and then up to that $500 billion number in the next four years. Again, for all the fears of an AI bubble popping, as long as you see the big money to this sort of scale. You've got to figure they don't see this mania ending anytime soon, although more on that in a second, quoting TechCrunch. The companies made the announcement during a press conference at the White House on Tuesday, where President Donald Trump spoke about plans for investment in US infrastructure. SoftBank chief Masayoshi Sohn, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Oracle co founder Larry Ellison were in attendance. Microsoft is also involved in Stargate as a tech partner. So are ARM and Nvidia Middle East AI fund MGX will join SoftBank in its investment MGX's first public deal was an investment in OpenAI. SoftBank, OpenAI and Oracle are also listed as initial equity investors in Stargate. SoftBank and OpenAI are the lead partners for Stargate, with SoftBank having financial responsibility and OpenAI having operational responsibility, the statement continued. Masayoshi Sohn will be the chairman of Stargate. As part of Stargate, Oracle, Nvidia and OpenAI will closely collaborate to build and operate this computing system, end quote. The data centers could house chips designed by OpenAI someday. The company is said to be aggressively building out a team of chip designers and engineers and working with semiconductor firms Broadcom and TSMC to create an AI chip for running models that could arrive as soon as 2026. SoftBank is already an investor in OpenAI, having reportedly committed $500 million toward the AI startup's last funding round and an additional 1.5 billion to allow OpenAI staff to sell shares in a tender offer. Oracle, meanwhile, has an ongoing deal with OpenAI to supply AI computing res. SoftBank also earlier pledged to invest $100 billion in the US over the next four years. Son and Trump have had a close working relationship since 2016, during Trump's first term, when Son announced that SoftBank would invest $50 billion in US startups to create 50,000 jobs, end quote. Now, having said what I said at the top of this worth mentioning that Elon Musk tweeted and I quote, they don't actually have the money. SoftBank has well under $10 billion secured. I have that on good authority, end quote. Also, allow me to quote this from M.G. siegler. Neither seemingly has enough capital on hand to equal a $100 billion commit, let alone $500 billion. SoftBank has about $30 billion in cash. MGX started last year as a $100 billion fund, but they've already made several commitments, notably to OpenAI itself. But they also apparently can mobilize more capital as needed, which seems key here, especially since Oracle only has about $11 billion in cash and OpenAI is a cash burning machine at the moment, end quote. Speaking of the president and of Elon Musk and Oracle and joint ventures, potential ones anyway. Trump also said yesterday he would be open to Elon Musk or Larry Ellison purchasing TikTok US as part of a joint venture that would give the US government 50% ownership, quoting Bloomberg. I have the right to make a deal, trump said at an event alongside Ellison at the White House on Tuesday. So what I'm thinking about saying to somebody is buy it and give half to the United States of America, half and we'll give you the permit and they'll have a great partner. You have an asset that has no value or has a trillion dollar value, trump said. It all depends on whether or not the United States gives the permit, end quote. Other potential bidders are already lining up as well. A group of American investors assembled by tech entrepreneur Jesse Tinsley that included Mr. Beast, the Internet's most followed and highest earning content creator, announced a bid earlier Tuesday. Billionaire Frank McCourt, former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Shark Tank investor Kevin O'Leary, made a formal offer to buy TikTok earlier this month. O'Leary has already met with Trump at Mar a Lago to discuss the bid, and McCourt has made clear he'd be happy to buy TikTok without the service's coveted content algorithm, which ByteDance and China's government have said is not for sale. We're not conflicted in any way and we have the cash, o'leary told Bloomberg News in an interview. His bid of $20 billion is derived from a rough calculation based on TikTok's US operations as a share of ByteDance's overall value, he said. Dispensing with the algorithm also makes it a much cleaner propos, satisfying people concerned about Chinese spyware embedded within, he added. Unlike Musk, who may face antitrust concerns as he already owns X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter, O'Leary's group has no complications that could slow or prevent a deal. I think we could close it in 90 days, the shark Tank star said. End quote. Want to feel stronger in your workouts? Want to recover quickly from working out? This supplement can help because it supports your health at foundation by encouraging cellular renewal. Mitopure is a precise dose of the rare postbiotic Urolithin A. It works by promoting an essential cellular cleanup process that clears out dysfunctional mitochondria, AKA your cell's battery packs. Mitopure is the only urolithin a supplement on the market clinically proven to target the effects of age related cellular disease. With regular use you'll see and feel the difference in the form of improved energy levels, better workouts, faster recovery, more endurance and more. All of which will help you achieve your New Year's goals. 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A representative for Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, declined to comment on the company's plans. The flurry of products is part of a bid to reposition Meta as an AI innovator with a focus on hardware that can usher in the next era of computing. Meta currently sells Ray Ban glasses that are embedded with cameras, microphones and other technologies, though they stop short of device one that superimposes data and images on real world views. The spectacles can take pictures, analyze the surrounding environment, play music and handle calls. That product line, internally codenamed Supernova, will be expanded in three major ways. First, the company is planning to introduce its current Ray Ban glasses to new markets. Second, Meta is broadening its smart glasses technology to other fashion brands owned by partner Luxottica Group SA that includes a new version dubbed Supernova 2 that is based on Oakley's Saphira glasses. This model, which shifts the camera to the center of the glasses frame, will be aimed at cyclists and other athletes. The biggest upgrade this year will be a new higher end offering that uses a design that's closer to the current Ray Ban glasses. Codenamed Hypernova, this model will include a display on the bottom portion of the right lens that projects information into a user's field of view. People would be able to run simple software apps, view notifications and see photos taken by the device, capabilities that get a bit closer to the long promised AR experience. The device would carry a higher price tag. Some employees involved in the project expect the Hypernova glasses to cost around $1,000, compared with a $299 starting price for the current Meta Ray Bans. Meta is testing an approach that lets users rely on a wrist strap dubbed series to control the glasses. The Menlo Park, California based company has discussed offering this accessory in the same box as the hypernova Spectacles, which will also have touch controls on the frame's temple. The temple approach would be the standard input method if the wrist accessory doesn't pass muster. The strap controller would be similar to one used by Meta's Orion prototype AR glasses, an unreleased product that the company showed off last year. The hypernova product also may work with a smartwatch, but Meta doesn't yet offer such a device. Meta will soon let users link WhatsApp accounts with Instagram and Facebook, allowing cross posts of WhatsApp statuses as stores stories on Instagram and Facebook quoting TechCrunch. With this integration, users will be able to cross post their WhatsApp status as stories on Instagram and Facebook, getting rid of the need to post multiple times. It will also allow users to log into multiple apps with the same account through the single sign on feature, which is an authentication option that allows you to do things like use your Facebook account information to log into Instagram. Adding your WhatsApp account to account center is optional and off by default. Meta notes that your WhatsApp messages and calls will remain end to end, encrypted if you choose to connect your WhatsApp account to the Hub end quote. As mentioned, you can find this in Account center, which is a settings section inside Meta Apps that was first introduced in 2020 to do exactly this manage your activity and content across their family of apps. So additional features like managing avatars and Meta AI stickers is coming to Account center too soon. Meta also cautioned that even though this is rolling out globally, it might take months for every user to see it. If you have it now, you'll see it inside your WhatsApp settings. Finally today, earnings season is back, let off as always by Netflix, which reported Q4 revenue up 16% year on year to $10.2 billion and 301.6 million global subscriptions, adding 18.9 million subscribers in the quarter alone, amazingly, which was more than double Wall street estimates. Netflix's stock jumped more than 14% on the news, according to Nielsen. Netflix captured 8.4 million of all U.S. streaming viewership in December, its highest share since July 2023, in part due to those live NFL games they ran. YouTube, by the way, still leads in streaming hours with 11.1% of total viewership. But probably the most pertinent news for you and I Netflix raised prices again in the U.S. canada, Portugal and Argentina. The standard U.S. plan rises from $15.49 to $17.99 and standard with ads jumps a do to $7.99 a month. Quoting the Times. Netflix's subscribers watch seven films a month on average, the company said. In addition to Carry on, original films that performed well on the service included Richard Curtis's that Christmas and Tyler Perry's the six Triple eight. It Ends With Us, a film from Sony Pictures that generated many headlines because of conflicts between the film's two stars, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, also generated big audiences for the service. No single title drives our acquisition or engagement, co chief executive Greg Peters said on a call with investors on Tuesday. It's really the whole service that's working that delivered the upside that we saw this quarter, end quote. Though its recent entry into live programming has yielded some of its largest subscriber numbers, the company reiterated that it was not focusing on acquiring rights to larger season sports packages. Ted Sarandos, the company's other co chief executive, called full season sports acquisitions extremely challenging during the call with investors. The company has a history, though, of abruptly changing its strategy. QUOTE Two of Netflix's official 2025 priorities are increasing ad revenue and developing more live programming, said Ross Bennis, senior analyst with emarketer. What was recently anathema is now among the company's top priorities. Expect the company to continue adapting by embracing strategies it said it wouldn't end. Qu? Nothing more for you today. I'm on my way into the city for a doctor's appointment. Talk to you tomorrow.