Meta Just Beat Apple at Its Own Game & McDonald’s Is Upgrading Restaurants

What you'll learn

• 1 (00:31) **Show Open & Qantas' Ultra-Long-Haul Flights** - The hosts introduce the episode's topics, then detail Qantas' new nonstop Sydney-New York flight (2028) and Sydney-London flight (2022), including the special Airbus modifications and onboard "well-being zone."
• 2 (03:01) **Meta's Connect Conference: Smart Glasses, VR, and the "One More Thing"** - Meta regains momentum with a series of hardware announcements, starting with camera-less Ray-Ban smart glasses ($349) that address privacy concerns.
• 3 (04:22) **Meta's Hardware Strategy: From Metaverse to AI Lead** - Neil argues Meta's billions spent on the metaverse have inadvertently given it a lead in building hardware for the AI age, with reviews comparing the rollout to classic Apple events.
• 4 (06:14) **The Silicon Valley vs. Main Street Split on Meta** - A divide emerges: Silicon Valley applauds Meta's visionary hardware, while the broader public remains skeptical due to privacy concerns, with the camera glasses earning the "pervert glasses" moniker.
• 5 (08:26) **Diesel Export Ban: Trump's High-Wire Act** - The White House considers banning diesel exports for 90 days to lower record-high prices ($6.52/gallon), but faces fierce opposition from its own cabinet and the oil industry.
• 6 (12:49) **Unintended Consequences of a Diesel Ban** - A ban would create a two-tiered market, spiking prices in Europe and damaging geopolitical alliances, while also scaring off future investment in US refinery capacity.
• 7 (13:32) **McDonald's $8.5 Billion "Next" Plan** - McDonald's unveils a comprehensive turnaround plan to modernize stores, triple down on chicken, and introduce an AI drive-through system called "Archie" powered by Google.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app