Setting up a connected home can be difficult because many smart devices require their own apps or only connect to certain hubs like Amazon Alexa or Apple HomeKit. But a new standard for connecting smart devices will roll out later this year and, notably, the big tech firms that make many smart devices have agreed to use it. WSJ Personal Tech News Editor Shara Tibken joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss why this new standard and big tech’s buy-in will be a game changer for the smart home market. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WSJ Tech News Briefing

Big Tech Agrees to Make Smart Home Devices More Compatible

Last September, El Salvador adopted bitcoin as legal tender. The news got a lot of attention, but a few months in, the cryptocurrency has yet to catch on with the cash-loving Salvadorans. WSJ Deputy Editor for Latin America Santiago Pérez joins host Zoe Thomas to bring us the latest on El Salvador’s big bet on bitcoin, and the steps its president is taking to try and ensure its success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Comes Next in El Salvador’s Bitcoin Experiment?

Google said it plans to change the way users are tracked across apps on its Android operating system. It marks the latest shakeup for the mobile ad industry, which is under growing pressure from privacy advocates and regulators. WSJ reporter Tripp Mickle joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss Google’s plans and how they could affect the online ad market. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google Follows Apple in Plan to Limit Tracking on Smartphones

In the food-delivery industry, where time is money, DoorDash has come up with a new way to charge McDonald’s restaurants if they move too slowly. WSJ reporter Preetika Rana joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss what the new strategy says about how DoorDash is approaching cost cuts amid increased competition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DoorDash Shows Need for Speed With New McDonald’s Fees

The NFT marketplace OpenSea has seen huge growth over the past year, but it is struggling with how to protect users from buying fake versions of the digital collectibles. WSJ reporter Justin Scheck joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss what the company is doing as it finds itself caught between artists and crypto enthusiasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NFT Fakes Challenge Crypto-Goods Marketplace OpenSea

To prepare for the impacts of climate change, policy makers are looking for more accurate and precise climate models. But scientists are running up against the limits of computer modeling and facing challenges posed by natural phenomena like clouds. Science writer Robert Lee Hotz joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss how climate modelers are working to overcome those limitations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Predicting Climate Change Pushes Limits of Computer Models

The U.S. government said it recovered roughly $3.6 billion in stolen bitcoin this week and arrested two people it said were laundering it. But tracking crypto through a web of digital transactions to identify bad actors is no simple feat. WSJ crypto reporter Paul Vigna joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss how the feds tracked the bitcoin and what it means for future crypto-related crimes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How the Government Traced Billions in Stolen Bitcoin

Some celebrities and investors are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on Yats, unique strings of emojis that can be used as URLs. Some say Yats will be the next big digital collectible after NFTs. But what are they? WSJ consumer trends reporter Rachel Wolfe joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss why some people see value in them and others remain skeptical. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Would You Pay for a String of Emojis? If So, Yats Are for You.

Japanese investor SoftBank and semiconductor manufacturer Nvidia have scrapped their planned $40 billion deal for the chip design specialist Arm. WSJ Heard on the Street Tech columnist Dan Gallagher joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss why the deal was called off and what it could mean for other players in the industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Nvidia and SoftBank’s Major Chip Deal Fell Through, What’s Next?

Supporters of the metaverse say it will change how we shop, hang out with friends and even how we work. So how would being employed in the metaverse change how we do our jobs? And what are the potential downsides? Tech reporter Sarah Needleman joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Will Working in the Metaverse Be Like?

The Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna were the first products using mRNA tech to get approved for use. Now scientists and researchers are looking at other uses for that tech, such as more effective flu vaccines or creating the first effective HIV vaccine. Health reporter Jared S. Hopkins joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss where this health tech could be headed next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Covid-19 Vaccines, What Else Can mRNA Tech Do?

Facebook’s parent company Meta wants to reposition itself for the metaverse, and it’s spending heavily to do so. But for the moment it’s still a social-media company, one that reported one million fewer daily active users last quarter and a slowdown in advertising sales. Tech reporter Meghan Bobrowsky joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss how investors are reacting and what it means for the wider tech landscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Facebook’s Metaverse Growing Pains Give Investors a Reality Check

Startups aiming to deliver groceries in a matter of minutes are losing lots of money, and fast. Yet venture capitalists keep the investment dollars pouring in. The WSJ’s startups and venture capital reporter Eliot Brown joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss how this battle is playing out in New York City and why investors think now is the moment to make the “instant delivery” industry a reality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grocery Delivery Startups Rack Up Losses in Bid for Dominance

A lawsuit between the Securities and Exchange Commission and crypto startup Ripple Labs will test just how far regulators can go in enforcing old finance and trading rules with cryptocurrencies. WSJ reporter Dave Michaels, who covers financial enforcement, joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss the closely watched case and how players in crypto think they can use the verdict to their advantage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Crypto Trial Could Reshape How the Industry Is Regulated

For Generation X moms, social media used to be the place they could turn to find support. But since the pandemic, they’ve been reporting that it’s adding to their sense of isolation and fear of missing out. On today’s show, a Gen X mom shares her personal experience and Wall Street Journal Family and Tech Columnist Julie Jargon talks with host Zoe Thomas about how middle age moms can overcome this problem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Social Media Is Making Connected Moms Feel More Lonely

Get the latest in technology news for your weekday commute. The Wall Street Journal's reporters and editors highlight leading companies, new gadgets, consumer trends and cyber issues. From San Francisco to New York to the hottest conferences, our journalists help you stay plugged in..

hubhopper

WSJ Tech News Briefing

hubhopper