Tom Merritt's Blog

Nostalgia that pays off, a joke that goes too far, the introduction of a genuine character, and a joke that goes too far.

Next week: Taxi (403 – “Vienna Awaits”)

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A new policy from Plex now mandates monthly subscriptions, ChatGPT and Copilot are leaving WhatsApp, and Chinese tech companies are training their LLMS offshore to access NVIDIA GPUs.

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Show Notes

Major tech companies, including Dell and HP, are bracing for memory-chip supply shortages and significant price increases in the coming year, driven by the huge demand for chips used in AI infrastructure. Counterpoint Research forecasts a 50% jump in memory module prices through the second quarter of next year, which will raise manufacturing costs for electronics. Both Dell and HP are planning to increase product prices, with HP also considering reducing the amount of memory in some products and securing more suppliers to manage the rising costs, as memory makes up an estimated 15% to 18% of a typical PC’s cost.
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Plex is rolling out its new policy requiring a subscription for remote access to a personal media server, a change announced in March and effective April 29th. Previously, remote access to a server owner’s library was free, but now the server owner must have a Plex Pass (starting at $7/month) to grant remote access, or the remote user can purchase the more limited Remote Watch Pass (starting at $2/month). These changes are currently being phased in, starting this week with users accessing Plex remotely via the Plex Roku OS app.
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ChatGPT and Copilot are leaving WhatsApp by January 15, 2026, because Meta updated its WhatsApp Business Solution terms of service to prohibit using the app for distributing third-party AI chatbots where the AI is the primary product. This change, announced in October 2025, is seen as a way to prevent Meta’s AI competitors from using its platform and is expected to cause other AI chatbots, like Perplexity, to follow suit, leaving Meta AI as the only remaining option in the app. Businesses can still use the platform for customer service or support chatbots.
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To circumvent U.S. export restrictions on high-end Nvidia chips essential for AI development, major Chinese tech companies like Alibaba and ByteDance are increasingly training their advanced large language models in offshore data centers, primarily in Southeast Asia. This overseas shift, often involving leasing arrangements with non-Chinese operators, has become more pronounced since the U.S. restricted sales of the H20 chip in April. However, some firms, such as DeepSeek, are relying on existing domestic Nvidia chip stockpiles and collaborating with Huawei on domestic AI chip development.
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A study from MIT, using a labor simulation tool called the Iceberg Index, estimates that AI could already replace 11.7% of the U.S. labor market, representing $1.2 trillion in wages, predominantly in finance, healthcare, and professional services. The Iceberg Index, a “digital twin” of the labor market, maps workers by skills and location, showing that most AI-related wage exposure is in routine tasks across areas like HR, logistics, and office administration, not just in visible tech layoffs. States like Tennessee and Utah are already adopting this tool to inform their AI workforce action plans and guide reskilling investments.
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The FCC has warned of a recent string of cyber intrusions targeting U.S. radio transmission equipment, which hackers are using to broadcast fake emergency messages and inappropriate material. The breaches, attributed to improperly secured devices like those made by Barix, have affected radio streams in states such as Texas and Virginia. Attackers are reconfiguring the equipment to play their own audio, often including the official Emergency Alert System tone. The agency urges broadcasters to implement basic security measures, like changing default passwords and installing security updates.
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Taiwanese prosecutors escalated a trade secrets probe against Lo Wen-jen, a former Senior VP at TSMC, by searching his homes after the company sued him. TSMC alleges Lo, who held a key role in research and advanced chip production, leaked sensitive technology to his new employer, Intel Corp. The intense focus from TSMC and the Taiwanese government underscores the strategic importance of the company’s cutting-edge chip technology, which is vital to Taiwan’s global market and geopolitical influence. The case is also being monitored by national security agencies for potential violations of national security law due to the high value of TSMC’s data.
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Google is rolling out its AI model, Gemini, to Google Maps, initially on Android, Android Auto, and iOS, to replace the old voice command system and enhance the navigation experience. Gemini allows for more natural, multi-step queries, integrates with other Google services, and lets drivers report incidents. The AI will also improve guidance by using landmarks and proactively warn drivers about potential traffic congestion before they even start their trip, leading to a more intuitive and better commuting experience.
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Paramount, Netflix, and Comcast are now openly jockeying to buy all or parts of Warner Bros. Discovery. Meanwhile, TV renewals, franchise revivals, and holiday programming news made for one of the busiest weeks of the fall season.

This week on The FULL Experience: Taxi (203 – “Reverend Jim: A Space Odyssey”)

Next week: Taxi (403 – “Vienna Awaits”)

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Using DSLR or mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras or MILC is popular way for streamers and YouTubers to up the video quality of their content. Dan Campos shares his experience using Sony’s A6400 as a webcam and as a field video camera and shares some things you need to know before you buy one for yourself.

Starring Sarah Lane, Dan Campos

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Show Notes
To read the show notes in a separate page click here!

Highlights:

– 23.5 x 15.6 mm APS-C CMOS sensor
– Real-time eye auto focus, and real-time tracking.
– Sony E Lens Mount
– Sensor Resolution: 25 Megapixels (24.2 mpx effective, 6000×4000)
– No image stabilization
– Internal video recording in AVCHD and XAVC S up to UHD 4K (60 fps). Slow and Quick Mode allows recording in HD at speeds between 1-120 frames per second.
– 180 degrees tilting 3″ screen
– 1 Micro HDMI output
– 1 3.5 mm TRS stereo microphone input
– 1 Micro USB input (power and data)
– 1 NP-FW50 rechargeable Lithium-Ion, 7.2 VDC, 1080 mAH battery.
– Single slot for SD/SDHD/SDXC/ Memory Stick Duo Hybrid. No internal storage.

– Body only: $898 USD

Plus, peace in the AI music wars, and no, you holding onto your phone longer will not tank the economy.

Starring Tom Merritt and Sarah Lane.

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Show Notes

GPU prices are coming to earth just as RAM costs shoot into the stratosphere – Ars Technica

Explainer: This is why memory and storage is so expensive (of course it’s AI) and why PC gaming hardware prices are only going to keep rising, even probably for GPUs | PC Gamer

Uber and WeRide’s Abu Dhabi robotaxi service is now fully driverless

Plex’s crackdown on free remote streaming access starts this week – Ars Technica

Warner Music Group strikes ‘landmark’ deal with Suno; settles copyright lawsuit against AI music generator – Music Business Worldwide

How device hoarding by Americans is costing economy

ChatGPT’s voice mode is no longer a separate interface | TechCrunch

Character AI will offer interactive ‘Stories’ to kids instead of open-ended chat | TechCrunch

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 is a cut-down version of Qualcomm’s flagship Elite chipset

Around 100 iPhone Folds made after crease ‘breakthrough’

YouTube Music rolling out 2025 Recap with ‘Ask about your year’

Apple Set to Become World’s Top Phone Maker, Overtaking Samsung – Bloomberg

China leapfrogs US in global market for ‘open’ AI models

China bars ByteDance from Nvidia AI chips in data centers, OpenAI pushes back on teen lawsuit, Uber and WeRide launch driverless robotaxis in Abu Dhabi.

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Show Notes

Nvidia says its GPUs remain “a generation ahead” despite reports Meta may use Google’s chips in its data centers. The company points to superior flexibility and performance versus ASICs like TPUs and still controls more than 90% of the AI chip market, though Google’s TPUs have drawn attention following Gemini 3’s launch. Nvidia notes that Gemini itself runs on its hardware.

Source: CNBC

China has barred ByteDance from using Nvidia AI chips in new data centers, despite the company buying more than any other Chinese firm in 2025. The move supports China’s push to reduce reliance on U.S. technology and promote domestic AI chips. ByteDance had planned a $7 billion investment for AI projects, including its Doubao chatbot.

Source: TipRanks

New research from Counterpoint suggests iPhone 17 demand could push Apple past Samsung as the world’s top smartphone maker for the first time since 2011. Apple is projected to reach 19.4% market share, helped by the rumored foldable iPhone and budget 17e. Last quarter, Samsung led with 19%, Apple at 18%.

Source: PCMag

OpenAI pushed back on a lawsuit over a teen’s suicide, arguing ChatGPT wasn’t liable. In court filings, the company said the teen bypassed safety rules, violated age limits, and ignored crisis prompts. OpenAI cited proper testing, Section 230 protections, and additional safeguards implemented after the incident.

Source: NBC News

The European Commission is scrutinizing Shein after a French watchdog found illegal items, including “child-like” adult items and Category A weapons. France has launched a criminal investigation and seeks a three-month suspension. The EC warns of a broader “systemic risk” under the Digital Services Act.

Source: Euractiv

EU member states agreed on a softer version of online child-protection rules, dropping mandatory detection and removal of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Platforms must assess and mitigate risks, while enforcement and penalties are left to individual countries. Voluntary scanning remains an option, and an EU Centre on Child Sexual Abuse would be created.

Source: Reuters

Uber and WeRide have launched fully driverless robotaxis on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The service covers UberX and Uber Comfort rides using WeRide GXR vans with 20+ sensors and seating for five. Uber manages operations; WeRide handles testing and calibration. The companies plan expansion to 15 additional cities, including European locations, over five years.

Source: The Verge

Food bloggers report AI-generated recipes and images are overtaking search results and social feeds, reducing clicks to original content. Google AI Overviews, Pinterest recommendations, and Facebook content farms are distributing “impossible” recipes that mislead home cooks. Some creators have seen their work copied, altered by AI, and reposted elsewhere.

Source: Bloomberg

Google is about to rent its Tensor Processing Units to Meta, and the White House launched its AI-focused Genesis Mission to tackle energy needs.

Starring Jason Howell, Tom Merritt and Mishaal Rahman.

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Show Notes

Anthropic has launched Opus 4.5, the PC memory shortage has led to market-based pricing for RAM, and Singaporean police have ordered Apple and Google to implement anti-spoofing measures on iMessage and Google Messages.

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Show Notes

Google Plans “Aluminium OS” to Replace ChromeOS
Google is planning to merge Android and ChromeOS into a new operating system called “Aluminium OS” (ALOS), which will be Android-based and have Artificial Intelligence at its core. A recent job posting reveals that ALOS will target various devices and form factors, including laptops, tablets, and boxes. The strategy suggests an eventual transition away from and phase-out of ChromeOS, replacing it with the new Android-based ALOS, aligning with previous reports about combining the two platforms.
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Anthropic Releases Opus 4.5
Anthropic has launched Opus 4.5, the final model in its 4.5 series, which achieves state-of-the-art performance, including being the first model to score over 80% on the SWE-Bench verified coding benchmark. Highlighting its advanced coding and problem-solving skills, Opus 4.5 is released alongside the wider availability of the Claude for Chrome extension and Claude for Excel, showcasing its computer and spreadsheet capabilities.
Read More

RAM Prices Spike Amid Critical Memory Shortage
The critical PC memory shortage has led to market-based pricing for RAM, with some high-capacity kit costs more than tripling. This is expected to drive up computer component costs and affect products like game consoles (potentially raising Xbox prices) and smartphones, possibly delaying products like the Steam Machine. The issue is worsened by high-end DRAM diversion to AI data centers, suggesting a multi-year recovery for high-end gaming and threatening to increase GPU prices due to rising VRAM costs.
Read More

Singapore Orders Apple & Google to Prevent Government Spoofing
Singaporean police have ordered Apple and Google to implement anti-spoofing measures on iMessage and Google Messages to combat the recent rise in scams impersonating government agencies like SingPost. This mandate was issued under the Online Criminal Harms Act, following a prior threat to fine Meta Platforms over similar impersonation scams on Facebook. The government’s existing safeguard, which secures the “gov.sg” sender name for traditional SMS through a local registry, does not currently extend to these two major internet-based messaging services.
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CISA Warns of Spyware Targeting Secure Messaging Apps
CISA has issued an alert warning that state-sponsored actors and cyber-mercenaries are actively misusing commercial spyware to breach “high-value” users on secure messaging apps like Signal and WhatsApp. These attackers are using sophisticated techniques, including phishing, malicious QR codes, app impersonations, and zero-click exploits, to hijack devices and access private data. The targets are increasingly senior officials and civil society groups in the US, the Middle East, and Europe, with initial spyware deployment often used as a first step to deliver deeper malicious payloads.
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HPE Lands $931M U.S. Government Cloud Contract
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) was awarded a $931 million contract by a U.S. Department of War support agency to provide cloud services for its data centers, which reflects the federal government’s confidence in HPE’s offerings as it boosts investment in AI and infrastructure modernization. This contract is part of a larger trend, as Amazon.com (AMZN.O) is also investing up to $50 billion to enhance AI and supercomputing for its Amazon Web Services government clients, demonstrating major industry support for government technology upgrades.
Read More

Apple Lays Off Part of Its Sales Team
Apple has laid off dozens of sales team employees as part of an effort to streamline the organization and eliminate redundant roles, according to a Bloomberg report. The company confirmed that “a small number of roles” were affected by organizational changes, giving laid-off employees until January 20 to apply for other sales positions or take a severance package. While Apple cited streamlining, some affected workers believe the layoffs, which included long-tenured managers and staff, were mainly due to a strategic shift to rely more on third-party resellers to lower costs.
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Klarna Launches U.S. Dollar-Backed Stablecoin
Swedish fintech company Klarna is entering the digital assets space with the launch of a U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin called KlarnaUSD, set for mainnet availability in 2026 after initial testing. Operating on the Tempo blockchain, Klarna aims to utilize this stablecoin for faster, cheaper everyday and cross-border payments, following the lead of competitors like PayPal and Stripe. This move positions Klarna to capitalize on the growing sector amid tightening regulatory oversight in the U.S. and Europe, despite previous skepticism from its CEO, Sebastian Siemiatkowski.
Read More

TikTok Shop Pivots to Luxury Retail
TikTok is pivoting its TikTok Shop marketplace from a virtual dollar store to a high-end luxury retail destination by featuring expensive, secondhand items such as $11,000 handbags from Hermes and Chanel, limited-edition sneakers, and timepieces from brands like Rolex and Cartier, with many resellers using artificial intelligence to verify the authenticity of the goods to leverage the platform’s massive global reach for new buyers, just in time for Black Friday.
Read More

Lenovo stockpiled 50% more component inventory to stay ahead of supply crunch for parts due to AI demand, Windows Notepad adds table support, and Valve confirms the Steam Machine will be priced like a PC and not a console.

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Show Notes

To read the show notes in a separate page click here.

Preparan computo cuántico, Roku lanza suscripciones y Gemini te ayuda a detectar contenido sintético

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Temas
Llegan las suscripciones a Roku
AppleCare+ ya te protege de robos y pérdidas de celular
Preparan el internet cuántico
Google confirma robo de datos de Salesforce
Gemini detectará contenido sintético

Análisis: Viviendo una realidad digital sintética

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Muchas gracias a Dan Lueders por la música.

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Show Notes
Para leer las notas del episodio en una ventana aparte, ¡haz click aquí!