Fri. 07/28 – Is The Clock Ticking For Threads?

The whole Threads saga has been a whirlwind. At the beginning of the month I asked if Threads had already won. At the end of the month, I’m wondering if the clock is ticking in terms of their chances of survival. Generative AI but for robots. Again. Real robots. Are VCs pulling back from the crypto space? And, of course, the Weekend Longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Nutrafol.com/men code ridehome Crashplan.com code techmeme Links: Meta plans retention 'hooks' for Threads as more than half of users leave app (Reuters) Aided by A.I. Language Models, Google’s Robots Are Getting Smart (NYTimes) App Store to require developers to describe why their apps use certain APIs (9to5Mac) Sequoia Capital Slashes Crypto Fund as It Downsizes Amid Startup Crunch (WSJ) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Large language models, explained with a minimum of math and jargon (UnderstandingAI.org) The making of ‘Acquired,’ the No. 1 tech podcast sensation (Fast Company) Internet cafes introduced Uganda to the internet (Rest of World)