The Best One Yet: 👁️ “eyePhone” — Zuck’s screen-in-lens glasses. Kodak’s renaissance moment. Quarterly Earnings psych. +Treadmill trends.

Hosts: Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell
Date: September 17, 2025
Podcast: The Best One Yet (Nick & Jack Studios)

Episode Overview

On today’s twenty-minute pop-biz news episode, Nick and Jack tackle three eclectic and timely business stories:

1. Meta’s imminent reveal of smart glasses with a screen in the lens — the so-called “eyePhone.”
2. The unexpected move to gut quarterly earnings reporting, and what that means for investor psychology and corporate strategy.
3. Kodak’s stunning comeback, as the photography icon leans into fashion and retro trends — plus how Labubu dolls inspired their latest hit product.

The duo mixes practical takeaways and sharp wit in a whirlwind episode perfect for your morning oatmeal and treadmill session.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Treadmills: The Fad-Proof Fitness Trend

[01:14 - 03:25]

• Nick and Jack open the show by riffing on the “three F’s of fads”: Food, Fashion, and Fitness, declaring fitness, particularly treadmills, to be especially prone to fleeting trends.
• Treadmills, though, have proven rock-solid:
  • 57 million Americans use treadmills, unchanged over the past six years ([02:13]).
  • Other fitness routines surged or plummeted during the pandemic; treadmills stayed consistent ([02:25]).
  • Still the #1 bestselling fitness product, with $1 billion a year in sales ([02:30]).
  • “The only fitness activity more popular than treadmills is walking. And guess what? You can walk on a treadmill.” — Nick ([02:35])
• Fun Fact: The treadmill originated as a 19th-century British torture device ([02:54 - 03:04]).

“Jack, fitness — that is the fattiest of the three Fs of fads.”
— Nick ([01:39])

2. Meta’s "eyePhone": Smart Glasses with a Screen-in-Lens

[05:32 - 10:44]

Product Reveal

• Meta to announce “Meta Ray Ban Display” smart glasses at Meta Connect tonight, per a leaked video ([06:09], [07:07]):
  • $800 price point.
  • Features a display on one lens for navigation, translations, text, or AI assistant feedback ([06:35], [07:02], [08:26]).
  • Can be controlled by voice or a new wristband — described as a “mouse-less mouse” for micro-gestures ([08:31], [08:45], [08:51]).
• Aims to address “neck friction” — the physical toll of always looking down at smartphones:
  • “Smartphones have literally, literally changed the shape of the human body... in one or two generations we’re gonna have an L-shaped spine.” — Jack ([07:57])

Why It Matters

• These are NOT full AR (augmented reality) glasses, but a vital first move toward replacing smartphones and solving the “neck problem” ([09:10], [09:15]).

Business Takeaway

• “Hardware gets all the attention, but software gets all the profits.” ([09:36])
  • Windows, Roku/Fire Stick, and Android made the real money by owning the OS/app layers, not the headline-grabbing hardware ([09:48 - 10:26]).
  • Zuck has resented paying Apple/Google “app taxes”—this is his play to own the platform ([10:26]).

“Since iPhones were invented, half our lives have been looking down.”
— Nick ([07:41])

3. Killing Quarterly Earnings Reports: Toward Long-Term Thinking

[10:44 - 15:42]

The News

• President Trump proposes halving the frequency of mandatory financial reports: from quarterly to twice a year ([10:53], [12:00]).
  • “It’s an inefficient use of resources.” — President Trump ([11:54])
• The current regimen (since 1970) was meant for transparency, but creates compliance burdens ([12:26], [13:12]).
• Transparency is good! But too much can become “costly red tape with unintended consequences.” ([13:34], [13:43])

Key Insights

• Quarterly reporting is like “going on a first date all the time.” ([12:00])
• Shift may entice more companies to go public, as excessive reporting currently discourages IPOs ([15:04]).
• Europe already reports twice a year ([15:24]).

Notable Quotes

“If you are sitting in the shade today, it’s because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”
— Warren Buffett, cited by Jack ([14:12], [15:42])

• Warren Buffett and Jamie Dimon wrote the 2018 op-ed, “Short Termism is Harming the Economy,” criticizing the “quarterly treadmill.” ([14:18], [14:26])
• Elon Musk keeps SpaceX private, and has threatened to take Tesla private, due to the burdens of public reporting. ([14:45])

Takeaway

• Nick & Jack favor this change: “Being freed from quarterly reporting, CEOs will build for the long term.” ([15:29])

4. Kodak’s Renaissance: From Cameras to “Neutro” Brand Power

[18:05 - 23:20]

Kodak’s Comeback

• Iconic photography company nearly collapsed after inventing but failing to commercialize the digital camera ([19:26], [19:38]).
• Kodak is now flourishing via brand licensing: 44 contracts for everything from luggage to solar panels and apparel ([20:07], [20:18]).
  • “In South Korea, Kodak’s brand is particularly cool... they’ve opened 123 brick-and-mortar locations.” — Jack ([20:29], [20:36])
• New product: the “Charmer” retro camera, sold in “blind boxes” (inspired by Labubu dolls) — instantly sold out ([21:14], [21:28], [21:33]).
  • Digital camera with old-school filters for $30 ([21:06], [21:14])

Notable Quotes

“Kodak not again! Let us buy it.”
— Nick ([21:46])

• “Kodak’s not retro-ing. They’re neutro-ing.” (Nostalgic + new) — Jack ([21:53])
• “It’s a nostalgic brand, but adapted and reformatted for contemporary styles.” ([22:15])

Takeaway

• Kodak typifies the “neutro” trend: remixed vintage brands and tech, updated for 2025 life.
  • “This isn’t retro, it’s neutro. And Kodak… is crushing neutro.” ([22:37])

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “The treadmill technology is just so simple. It’s simply undisruptible. It’s like the email of workouts.” — Nick ([02:42], [02:46])
• “Mark Zuckerberg has hated the last 15 years of having to pay app taxes to Google and Apple. But now Zuck’s hoping… his software makes all the money.” — Jack ([10:26], [10:38], [10:41])
• “Ringing the bell on the New York Stock Exchange is glorious. But then the CEO’s gotta jump on that earnings treadmill in 10 minutes.” — Nick ([15:16])
• “There’s nothing trendier for Gen Z than to grab a Yahoo.com email address.” — Jack ([22:02])

Important Segment Timestamps

• Treadmill segment and fad-proof fitness: [01:14 – 03:25]
• Meta’s eyePhone (smart glasses) leak & tech breakdown: [05:32 – 10:44]
• Quarterly earnings change & philosophy of long-termism: [10:44 – 15:42]
• Kodak’s renaissance, retro product launch, and fashion play: [18:05 – 23:20]

Additional Quick Hits

• Fed Watch: Announcement on potential interest rate cut, schools should be closed for the occasion — tongue-in-cheek ([23:28 – 23:45]).
• TikTok Deal: Beijing to license TikTok’s “algorithm” to the U.S., leaving data/security risks unresolved ([24:02 – 24:19]).
• Costco PSA: Kirkland-brand Prosecco bottles may spontaneously explode; wrap in a blanket for safety ([24:26 – 25:00]).
• Best Fact Yet: Goodwill debuts as a runway brand at New York Fashion Week — “One man’s trash is another man’s couture.” ([25:11 – 25:35])

Tone & Language

The hosts’ trademark mix of quick banter, playful jabs (“Jack, can you please gather your W2s?”), pop culture, and pop-biz insight give the episode a witty, conversational energy. They tie every story back to practical, memorable business lessons without feeling heavy-handed.

Wrap-Up: The Three Big Takeaways

1. Meta’s new smart glasses are about posture, not just gadgets — but the real value is in the software layer.
2. Shifting from quarterly to semiannual earnings could free up companies for real long-term thinking, at the cost of frequent transparency.
3. Kodak’s revival rests on “neutro” — nostalgia products modernized for new lifestyles and markets.

“If you are sitting in the shade today, it’s because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”

— Jack (quoting Warren Buffett, [14:12], [15:42])

Use these insights to sound smarter at your next breakfast — and maybe skip that third pint of hot fudge ice cream.