> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://spyglass.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Showtime! 📧 - URL: https://spyglass.org/showtime/ - Published: 2024-07-12T18:35:44.000Z - Updated: 2024-07-12T18:37:13.000Z - Description: Week of July 8, 2024 - Author: M.G. Siegler - Tags: from afar [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/af/ca/afcaa655-46e2-45b8-889a-2881de5cce69/content/images/2024/07/FAsgRECT-1.png)](https://spyglass.org/tag/from-afar/) Are we sure the ["AI Supercycle" for the PC market is going to be a thing?](https://spyglass.org/redmond-we-have-a-problem/) *IDC* seems to think otherwise, at least for the rest of 2024\. And given [the early reviews of the first "Copilot+ PCs"](https://spyglass.org/copilot-plus-pcs-macbook/), I think I have to agree. [These are not the "MacBook killers"](https://spyglass.org/microsoft-macbook-error/) they were made out to be, but instead simply competent ARM-based PCs. Which, to be clear, is *a good thing* for the Windows market. But it seems to have basically nothing to do with all the AI features that were trumpeted to no end. Certainly it doesn't help that the star of that show, [Recall, was yes, recalled](https://spyglass.org/total-recall-microsoft/). Apple, meanwhile, seems stuck in some weird cat-and-mouse game with Epic ([and Spotify](https://spyglass.org/spotify-dares-apple/)) in the EU – [perhaps being baited into it](https://spyglass.org/epic-apple-spotify-eu/). While Ferrari is making the car that perhaps Apple should have made. Okay, probably not, but [Eddy Cue and Jony Ive can dream](https://spyglass.org/ferrari-apple-car/)... Instead, we'll have to settle for what looks to be a killer Apple car *movie*. [Will *F1* be Apple's first big cinematic hit?](https://spyglass.org/f1-apple/) I mean, I'm in. We should find out [around the time](https://spyglass.org/springtime-2025-siri/) we know if Apple's new Siri implementation is actually any good. [I remain skeptical](https://spyglass.org/this-is-the-year-of-siri/), but at least they're really not rushing it. Both will be out around the time that [Skydance is closing their deal with Paramount](https://spyglass.org/skydance-paramount-2/) – well, unless it gets blown up again in the next few weeks, which is very much entirely possible. I know many are skeptical of such a deal, for all sorts of good and historical reasons, but I do think [there's a path to do something interesting here](https://spyglass.org/skydance-paramount-scale/). Namely, launching a beefed-up streaming service which should be called 'Showtime' because *of course it should*. Oh, and if they want to buy up movie theaters [like Sony is doing](https://spyglass.org/sony-dont-fuck-this-up/), they should talk to Hugh Grant. He's upset about the closing of a local London cinema, [but really he should be upset](https://spyglass.org/four-weddings-and-a-funeral-for-fulham-picture-house/) that a chain let it be run into mediocrity. Simply keeping such a place open will not fix [the issues that lay beneath](https://spyglass.org/movie-theaters-are-dying/). Great facade though. [Pop quiz, hotshot:](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug2hLQv6WeY&ab%5Fchannel=thepointgod&ref=spyglass.org) what numbers are worse, [the growth of Xitter](https://spyglass.org/is-xitter-dying/) or [the sales of Vision Pro](https://spyglass.org/anemic-vision-pro-sales/)? I feel like the latter obviously [needs to focus more on content](https://spyglass.org/apple-television-pro/). It so obvious that [people predicted it in 1987](https://spyglass.org/inventing-the-future-vs-extrapolating-it/). You know whose numbers are not bad? NVIDIA. You know how I know? Well, beyond [their own reported growth](https://spyglass.org/ai-divine-nvidia/), we currently have every tech company tripping over themselves to [secure and sell their chips to *other* tech companies](https://spyglass.org/follow-the-nvidia-chips/). I don't know what to make of that weird dynamic. But I know [the EU will try to regulate it out of existence – alongside itself](https://spyglass.org/the-eu-clown-town/). Speaking of regulation, Microsoft and Apple would like all the various governments around the world to know that [there's nothing to see here with OpenAI](https://spyglass.org/openai-board-apple-microsoft/). And thus, nothing to further look into. Nothing at all! 🍺 ****Enjoying a** [****Wild Beer Co. Everstone Hazy NZ IPA**](https://www.wildbeerco.com/products/everstone?variant=41693854367895&ref=spyglass.org) 🌍 ****Sent from London, England** --- *As you can see below, I'm trying out a slightly tweaked format for the newsletter this week. With much of the internal links now shifted above, below will be more about other outside articles and sites to link to. I'm trying to break it into:* - **Remains of the Week:* things I wanted to weigh in on but didn't get a chance* - **The Quick & the Read:* things I think worth calling attention to* *Any and all feedback welcome as always!* --- ### Remains of the Week [**OpenAI Has a New AI Scale**](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-11/openai-sets-levels-to-track-progress-toward-superintelligent-ai?ref=spyglass.org) – Much as with self-driving cars, OpenAI has implemented a 5-level system to determine where the technology stands. Right now, we're still apparently at Level 1, though perhaps on the verge of Level 2 with some of the [advancements](https://spyglass.org/its-all-about-the-o/) soon to come. Interestingly, this isn't framed [around AGI](https://spyglass.org/agi-is-here-and-will-never-be-here/), but instead Level 5 will be AI systems that can "do the work of an organization". Hard to tell what to make of this. Is it marketing? Useful? Or yet another thing [everyone will disagree upon](https://spyglass.org/agi-definition/) with [regard to the technology](https://spyglass.org/ai-hype/)? Yes. **'**[**Inside Out 2' is Now Pixar's Biggest Movie Ever**](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/11/movies/inside-out-2-pixar-box-office.html?ref=spyglass.org) – Look, [it's impressive](https://spyglass.org/inside-out-2-box-office/). But I'm going to bring this up every single time the numbers are framed in such a way: until we count tickets sold, this is like touting that the price of milk is the highest it has ever been. Speaking of marketing, this is just full-on buying into Hollywood's spin machine. In 50 years, we're going to read about how *Bad Boys 18* just passed *Gone with the Wind* in all-time box office in its opening weekend. Then again, [movie theaters aren't going to be around in 50 years without some major changes](https://spyglass.org/movie-theaters-are-dying/)... [**A Bunch of 'Max Originals' Are Moving To HBO**](https://deadline.com/2024/07/the-penguin-dune-prophecy-hbo-1236006935/?ref=spyglass.org) – *The Penguin* and *Dune: Prophecy* were supposed to be 'Max Originals', now they'll be under the banner of HBO. Which is fine, but further confuses all the various branding Warner Bros. Discovery is trying to do here. This basically says 'HBO' is still the good stuff, that content can "graduate" to – 'Max Originals' is the stuff held back a year. I'm still holding out hope the ['New Paramount'](https://spyglass.org/skydance-paramount-2/) can [step in here and salvage this situation](https://spyglass.org/skydance-paramount-scale/)... [**NBA Finalizes TV deals with ESPN, NBC, Amazon**](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5629508/2024/07/10/nba-tv-deal-espn-nbc-amazon-tnt/?ref=spyglass.org) – Speaking of WBD, they're now officially on the clock to match the offers for the NBA's TV rights, and specifically, Amazon's offer. It seems like it will be too expensive for their taste, but they *really* need [those sports rights](https://spyglass.org/venu/) for a [whole host of reasons](https://spyglass.org/disney-subleases-a-sports-loft-to-warner/) – and it doesn't seem like [they'll be getting](https://spyglass.org/checkers-chess-and-paramount/) the NFL through CBS now... [David Zaslav sure seems more excited than ever](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-09/warner-bros-ceo-says-paramount-takeover-good-for-the-industry?ref=spyglass.org) about consolidation, can't imagine why... [**Apple Still Searching for the Vision Pro "Killer App"**](https://www.ft.com/content/d43cdae5-7d8c-4acf-b398-edfc8063a096?ref=spyglass.org) – As the device launches in many more countries today, the *FT* looks at the current state of the next big thing™. And finds it [left wanting](https://spyglass.org/anemic-vision-pro-sales/), mainly because developer support just hasn't come as it has with previous Apple devices (aside from perhaps the Apple Watch, [which also messed up the launch](https://spyglass.org/vision-pro-launch-disaster/), IMO). But at least [Tim Cook is a DAU](https://www.the-sun.com/tech/11893606/apple-vision-pro-tim-cook-interview/?ref=spyglass.org). The rest of us? [Not so much.](https://spyglass.org/vision-pro-start-up/) (Though I did update mine to visionOS 2 yesterday and it's a nice improvement – to access the menus, if nothing else.) --- ### ⭕️ The Inner Ring ⭕️ This week's *Spyglass* columns sent to members of *The Inner Ring*. [Sign up here](https://spyglass.org/the-inner-ring/#/portal/signup) for full access and for future emails... [How to Scale ParamountCan Skydance finally, actually bridge Silicon Valley and Hollywood?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/af/ca/afcaa655-46e2-45b8-889a-2881de5cce69/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/Spyglass-Rings---Multi.png)SpyglassM.G. Siegler![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/af/ca/afcaa655-46e2-45b8-889a-2881de5cce69/content/images/2024/07/mgs22_a_man_scaling_the_paramount_logo_18900cfa-a6b8-4cb4-afc3-d37bbd2ac4c2_1-3.png)](https://spyglass.org/skydance-paramount-scale/) I think there's a path for Skydance-owned Paramount to become a real player by bulking up... [Inventing the Future vs. Extrapolating ItWe predict obvious and silly things, but look right past the big ones…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/af/ca/afcaa655-46e2-45b8-889a-2881de5cce69/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/Spyglass-Rings---Multi.png)SpyglassM.G. Siegler![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/af/ca/afcaa655-46e2-45b8-889a-2881de5cce69/content/images/size/w1200/2024/07/Screenshot-2024-07-08-at-7.32.27-PM.png)](https://spyglass.org/inventing-the-future-vs-extrapolating-it/) What 1987 thought the 21st century would look like is not entirely wrong... [Love Cinemas, ActuallySaving movie theaters needs to be about more than nostalgia…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/af/ca/afcaa655-46e2-45b8-889a-2881de5cce69/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/Spyglass-Rings---Multi.png)SpyglassM.G. Siegler![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/af/ca/afcaa655-46e2-45b8-889a-2881de5cce69/content/images/2024/07/Hugh-Grant-Picturehouse-1.webp)](https://spyglass.org/four-weddings-and-a-funeral-for-fulham-picture-house/) We need a viable plan go-forward plan for movie theaters... [Nothing Boring About OpenAI’s BoardApple’s role rescinded, Microsoft’s role renounced…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/af/ca/afcaa655-46e2-45b8-889a-2881de5cce69/content/images/size/w256h256/2024/07/Spyglass-Rings---Multi.png)SpyglassM.G. Siegler![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/af/ca/afcaa655-46e2-45b8-889a-2881de5cce69/content/images/2024/07/Board-Room-People-Shadows.png)](https://spyglass.org/openai-board-apple-microsoft/) Apple joining OpenAI board meetings was wild, now them **not* joining is wild... [Enter The Inner Ring](#/portal/signup) --- ### Potent Quotables > "Losing to A.I., in a sense, meant my entire world was collapsing." \-- **Lee Saedol**, the former Go champion, who lost DeepMind's AlphaGo – checks date – *eight years ago*. [Really interesting profile](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/10/world/asia/lee-saedol-go-ai.html?ref=spyglass.org) revealing the current mindset of someone who actually had their job taken by AI. --- ### The Quick & the Read - Speaking of box office, given how Kevin Costner's first *Horizon* film (of *four*!) has fared thus far – not good, [ovations aside](https://spyglass.org/ovation-inflation-at-cannes/) – the sequel, which is already completed, [has been postponed and perhaps won't even make it to theaters](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/kevin-costner-horizon-2-removed-from-theatrical-calendar-1235937513/?ref=spyglass.org), which feels like an actually healthy market dynamic for the cinema business. - Listen all y'all, The Beastie Boys [are suing Chili's](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/11/business/beastie-boys-chilis-lawsuit.html?ref=spyglass.org) – yes, the restaurant chain – for infringing on the copyright of their 1994 hit "Sabotage". [Personally](https://www.threads.net/@mgsiegler/post/C9UDP-6Imnu?ref=spyglass.org), I just love that Mike D and Ad-Rock apparently posed for a picture for the story about the suit. You know they planned it. - Microsoft [orders all employees in China to use iPhones](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-08/microsoft-orders-china-staff-to-switch-from-android-phones-to-iphones-for-work?ref=spyglass.org). We're a far cry from the days of [Steve Ballmer pretending to smash an iPhone on stage](https://www.cultofmac.com/501138/apple-history-steve-ballmer-iphone-freakout/?ref=spyglass.org)... - On one hand, I can't believe 'Hallmark+' hasn't existed already (it sort of did with 'Hallmark Movies Now' but I digress....) on the other, [yet another goddamn streaming service](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/11/business/media/hallmark-plus-streaming.html?ref=spyglass.org)? This one at least has a very specific niche. The problem is that the niche is good for what, 2-3 months a year? Luckily, this will launch just in time for the holidays. - It's pretty clear [from these profiles](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/jon-landau-dead-titanic-avatar-1235940341/?ref=spyglass.org) that without Jon Landau, we don't have *Titanic* or *Avatar* (or a whole host of other epic movies). RIP. - Grok, X's AI thing that is not xAI, [is about to get more integrated into Xitter](https://techcrunch.com/2024/07/05/x-plans-to-more-deeply-integrate-groks-ai-app-researcher-finds/?ref=spyglass.org), it seems. Serious question: is anyone using Grok? If so, for what? - In other Elon Musk news, Tesla's market share of the [US EV market is below 50% for the first time](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/09/business/tesla-electric-vehicles-market-share.html?ref=spyglass.org). [Unlike in China](https://autovista24.autovistagroup.com/news/byd-took-control-of-the-2023-chinese-ev-market/?ref=spyglass.org), it's not one other player that's eating into it – [no, not Rivian (yet?)](https://spyglass.org/vw-rivian/) – but seemingly *everyone*. - As with all the OG Apple blogs, I have a soft spot for The Unofficial Apple Weblog. And so while I'm not as pissed off as Christina Warren about the site [being reborn as an AI spam lair](https://www.404media.co/a-beloved-tech-blog-tuaw-is-now-publishing-ai-articles-under-the-names-of-its-old-human-staff/?ref=spyglass.org), I'm annoyed by what is going to be the first of many such newfangled spam sites. At the same time, I'm happy someone else made [the "Hawk TUAW" joke](https://x.com/jasonschreier/status/1810822728120746086?ref=spyglass.org) so I didn't have to... - Apple isn't willing to go to war with the EU over everything, [they settled](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/11/business/apple-european-union-antitrust.html?ref=spyglass.org) the NFC payments complaint (which makes sense, an easy thing to "give up"). - Oh look, [investors are already getting worried/annoyed](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/goldman-strategists-big-tech-ai-085521628.html?guccounter=1&guce%5Freferrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93ZWIuZ2V0bWF0dGVyLmNvbS8&guce%5Freferrer%5Fsig=AQAAAMMwJ0OXGhrIUAc2iWPiQIBwWiuCD1Mko0PUFnVgOArtseGAYsm907pl-YUT2wsbb70JmDr8d%5F9mW-74zGKl-X6SJL8h3vS-rxIkah1O0ZSLghyevDalEwxI0xpNpMwPMNnTAJWlm2PBmj7P5lEskTDcdm9aKT-XIhjYW9Y9flxs&ref=spyglass.org) about the AI spending by Big Tech (beyond Meta, which got hit early). [No surprise there](https://spyglass.org/is-ai-spend-the-new-streaming-spend/). Coming rate cuts should keep all this buoyed a bit, but 2025 is going to be... [interesting](https://spyglass.org/ai-investment-crash/). --- ### One Proud Thing I'm not sure this guy needs to be Prime Minister (after all, the UK just [schooled the US](https://www.threads.net/@mgsiegler/post/C9N2NF%5FIyY5?ref=spyglass.org) in how to execute a calm, orderly, and even classy transition of power), but he absolutely should be the new "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Weeknd" [meme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V%5FcnK8Cd6Ag&ref=spyglass.org). > The British should make this guy their prime minister [pic.twitter.com/npu32QPCqE](https://t.co/npu32QPCqE?ref=spyglass.org) > > — Joseph 🕊️ (@CaudilloXIV) [July 4, 2024](https://twitter.com/CaudilloXIV/status/1808911720079053280?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=spyglass.org)