This episode of 16 Minutes on the news from a16z is all about the recent coronavirus outbreak -- or rather, a new type of coronavirus called 2019-nCoV for 2019 novel coronavirus. Since it's an ongoing and fast-developing news cycle, we take a quick snapshot for where we are, what we know, and what we don't know, and discuss the vantage point of where tech comes in. Topics covered include:

• definition of a virus, categories of coronaviruses
• origins and spread
• how this stacks up so far against SARS and MERS
• speed of sequencing, implications of genomic info
• speed of information sharing
• R0 ("r-naught"/"nought") and what it measures
• different ways to think about how bad a given epidemic is
• current moves and treatments

Our a16z guest is Judy Savitskaya on the bio team, in conversation with Sonal Chokshi.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) + types
• World Health Organization (in the United Nations) -- situation report #6, January 26

• "Scientists are moving at record speed to create new coronavirus vaccines--but they may come too late", Jon Cohen, Science (AAAS), January 27
• "Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China", The Lancet, January 24
• "Discovery of a novel coronavirus associated with the recent pneumonia outbreak in humans and its potential bat origin", bioRxiv, January 2 *note - preprint, NOT peer reviewed*
• "The deceptively simple number sparking coronavirus fears", Ed Yong, The Atlantic, January 28 *this appeared AFTER this episode was recorded, so sharing here as additional reading only*

This episode of our news show teases apart what was just a concept, what's near from the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2020). Board partner Steven Sinofsky (in conversation with Sonal Chokshi) takes us on a quick tour of the based on his annual field trip report from the floor.

Topics covered include:

• folding screens and 8K displays
• 5G, wi-fi 6, new millimeter wave 5G
• transportation: cars, voice, micromobility
• smart home automation and security
• batteries and USB-C

Articles/ headlines in this episode:

• CES 2020: The Primordial Soup of Innovation by Steven Sinofsky, Learning by Shipping
• Eight big takeways from CES 2020 by Dieter Bohn, The Verge

In this 19th episode of our news show, where we cover recent headlines from our vantage point in tech, we cover the following news items (in conversation with Sonal Chokshi):

• recent moves to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) software including the White House's recent guidance (and op-ed from the U.S. CTO) on AI in general, as well as limits to exports of specific AI software that went into effect this week -- with operating partner Frank Chen (whose talk was cited in an earlier White House report);
• recent activity on the topic of negative interest rates as well as quantitative easing, given recent remarks (and paper) from former chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke -- with general partner Alex Rampell, who covers all things fintech.

For our first episode of 2020 -- #18 of our show 16 Minutes, where we cover recent headlines, the a16z way, from our vantage point in tech, and especially what's hype/ what's real -- we do one of our special deep-dive episodes on a single topic: personal genomics.

It’s a turn of the decade — and January-appropriate! — look backward/ look forward given recent and past retrospective and prospective pieces in the media on the promise, and perils, of the ability to sequence one’s DNA and what it means for personalized medicine, criminal investigations, privacy, and so on.

Our a16z expert for this episode is general partner Jorge Conde, who has a long history in the space, in conversation with host Sonal Chokshi. They cover everything from where genealogy databases and large datasets come in to fetal testing, multi-omics, and much more spanning past, present, and future.

On this show, we cover recent headlines, the a16z Podcast way -- what’s hype, what’s real; why they matter from our vantage point in tech -- and this week, we cover the following news (in conversation with Sonal Chokshi):

1. Star War trailer premieres in... Fortnite? What's the significance of the latest Star Wars trailer debuting inside a video game over a movie theater or TV or even YouTube and Facebook? It has to do with the bigger picture of games, social networks, and virtual worlds; so what are the implications for marketers, game developers, and how we will live/work/play? -- with Jonathan Lai, consumer team
2. Congress warns tech companies to take action on encryption... or else! Concerned about protecting the most vulnerable Americans and devices "going dark" to law enforcement (especially given "several serious cases where we can't access the device in the time period where it is most important for us to access it"), Congress recently sent a warning to tech companies to get their "act together" on encryption... or else "we will impose our will on you", by this time next year. But what if we're having the wrong conversation to break the deadlock, and what conversation could we be having? -- with Martin Casado, general partner, and operating partner for security Joel de la Garza

• on gaming 
  • State of play: Six trends revolutionizing gaming by Jonathan Lai and Andrew Chen
  • New business models for gaming [podcast] with Kevin Chou, Chris Dixon, and Sonal Chokshi
  • Come for the games, stay for the party [podcast] with Andrew Chen, Jonathan Lai, and Lauren Murrow
  • Tech trends changing gaming [podcast] with Tim Shafer, Justin Bailey, Herman Narula, and Sonal Chokshi
• on security
  • 16 steps to securing your data (and life) by Joel de la Garza

This is the 16th episode of 16 Minutes, our news show where we cover the top headlines, the a16z Podcast way: what’s real / what’s hype; why they matter from our vantage point in tech.

This week, we cover the following news (in conversation with Sonal Chokshi):

1. NYSE & SEC back and forth over direct listings -- The NYSE recently proposed allowing companies to raise capital during direct listings (currently, they're different than IPOs in that there is no offering); the SEC rejected it; and they just filed a new proposal... but beyond this news and these artifacts, what's the bigger picture when it comes to other structural factors involved here? -- with Scott Kupor.
2. vaping apps & Apple; FDA & CBD-- two recent moves: Apple banning 181 vaping apps from its app store, FDA issuing warning letters against 15 companies with products that have CBD in them; what's our quick take on the blurring lines between these two seemingly different bits of news? -- with Vijay Pande.

• IPOs, direct listings, more:
  • beyond the opening bell: what do (and don't) IPOs tell us about companies? by Scott Kupor
  • direct listings, the myths and the facts [podcast] with Stacey Cunningham, Barry McCarthy, and Sonal Chokshi
  • all about direct listings with Jamie McGurk
  • the curious case (and the behind-the-scenes story of) the OpenTable IPO [podcast] with Jeff Jordan, J.D. Moriarty, and Sonal Chokshi
  • on capital formation, smaller companies, and IPOs [testimony] by Scott Kupor

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The views expressed here are those of the individual AH Capital Management, L.L.C. (“a16z”) personnel quoted and are not the views of a16z or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources, including from portfolio companies of funds managed by a16z. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, a16z has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.

This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investors or prospective investors, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by a16z. (An offering to invest in an a16z fund will be made only by the private placement memorandum, subscription agreement, and other relevant documentation of any such fund and should be read in their entirety.) Any investments or portfolio companies mentioned, referred to, or described are not representative of all investments in vehicles managed by a16z, and there can be no assurance that the investments will be profitable or that other investments made in the future will have similar characteristics or results. A list of investments made by funds managed by Andreessen Horowitz (excluding investments for which the issuer has not provided permission for a16z to disclose publicly as well as unannounced investments in publicly traded digital assets) is available at https://a16z.com/investments/.

Charts and graphs provided within are for informational purposes solely and should not be relied upon when making any investment decision. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The content speaks only as of the date indicated. Any projections, estimates, forecasts, targets, prospects, and/or opinions expressed in these materials are subject to change without notice and may differ or be contrary to opinions expressed by others. Please see https://a16z.com/disclosures for additional important information.

This is the 15th episode of 16 Minutes, our news show where we cover the top headlines, the a16z Podcast way: what’s real / what’s hype; what's interesting from our vantage point in tech. This week (after a brief hiatus for our annual innovation event and November holidays), we cover the following news... in conversation with Sonal Chokshi:

1. use of alternative data in credit underwriting -- Five federal regulatory agencies (the Federal Reserve Board, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of the Controller of the Currency, and the National Credit Union Administration) recently issued a joint statement on the use of alternative data in credit underwriting; what does this news really indicate, and what are the implications for both consumers and companies? -- with Seema Amble and Rex Salisbury;
2. big annual shopping days and retail trends -- From Black Friday to Cyber Monday to Singles' Day and Prime Day and seemingly unprecedented sales, where are we in the shift from offline to online commerce, on the so-called "death of retail", and on other tech (chatbots, logistics) changing shopping? -- with Jeff Jordan and Connie Chan.

• credit, banking, data:
  • use of cash-flow data in underwriting credit: empirical findings via FinRegLab
  • a brief history of credit cards (or, what actually happens when you swipe) [animated video] with Alex Rampell
  • on managing risk and uncertainty with Angela Strange
  • on non-bank financial firms (aka fintech is eating the world) by Angela Strange
  • on money, risk, and software [podcast] with Alex Rampell
• retail, logistics, etc.:
  • the golden era of productivity, retail, supply chains [podcast] with Marc Levinson, Hanne Tidnam, and Sonal Chokshi
  • where's my stuff, the lowdown on logistics and ops [podcast] with Jeff Jordan
  • online to offline 2.0 - experiments and examples from China with Connie Chan
  • online to offline (O2O) commerce by Alex Rampell 
  • the tipping point (e-commerce version) by Jeff Jordan
  • so you want to compete with Amazon? by Jeff Jordan

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The views expressed here are those of the individual AH Capital Management, L.L.C. (“a16z”) personnel quoted and are not the views of a16z or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources, including from portfolio companies of funds managed by a16z. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, a16z has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.

This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investors or prospective investors, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by a16z. (An offering to invest in an a16z fund will be made only by the private placement memorandum, subscription agreement, and other relevant documentation of any such fund and should be read in their entirety.) Any investments or portfolio companies mentioned, referred to, or described are not representative of all investments in vehicles managed by a16z, and there can be no assurance that the investments will be profitable or that other investments made in the future will have similar characteristics or results. A list of investments made by funds managed by Andreessen Horowitz (excluding investments for which the issuer has not provided permission for a16z to disclose publicly as well as unannounced investments in publicly traded digital assets) is available at https://a16z.com/investments/.

Charts and graphs provided within are for informational purposes solely and should not be relied upon when making any investment decision. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The content speaks only as of the date indicated. Any projections, estimates, forecasts, targets, prospects, and/or opinions expressed in these materials are subject to change without notice and may differ or be contrary to opinions expressed by others. Please see https://a16z.com/disclosures for additional important information.

This is the 14th episode of 16 Minutes, our weekly-ish news show where we quickly cover the top headlines of the week, the a16z Podcast way: what’s real, what’s hype from our vantage point in tech. This week, we cover the following news -- with a16z experts general partner Julie Yoo and market dev partner Venkat Mocherla from the bio team, and former CSO/ a16z security operating partner Joel de la Garza -- in conversation with Sonal Chokshi:

1. UPS drones deliver prescriptions -- For the first time ever, drones delivered prescription medication directly to residential homes and retirement homes in North Carolina this month; but why don't we already get drugs by delivery? And what's the significance of pharma as a node in the healthcare system?
2. Apple opens health records to vets -- Apple and the Department of Veterans Affairs announced recently that veterans can now access their health information on their iPhones; why is (or isn't) this significant, and wherefore the promise of EHRs (electronic health records)?!
3. hackers can use lasers to command voice devices -- Security researchers were able to send laser-powered “light commands” to smart assistants (including products like Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, Facebook’s Portal, and Google Assistant) to take full control over them at specific distances; how worried should we be, and how does this affect the future of a voice-enabled world?

• on healthcare delivery and the pharma industry:
  • software eats care delivery by Julie Yoo
  • science, business, and innovation in pharma with Vas Narasimhan, Jorge Conde, Vijay Pande, and Sonal Chokshi
• on hacks of all kinds:
  • https://a16z.com/tag/hacked/

This is the 13th episode of 16 Minutes, our weekly-ish news show where we quickly cover the top headlines of the week, the a16z Podcast way: what’s real, what’s hype from our vantage point in tech. This week, we cover the following news -- with a16z experts general partner Connie Chan and D'arcy Coolican from the consumer team, and former CSO/ a16z security operating partner Joel de la Garza -- in conversation with Sonal Chokshi:

1. OK Boomer meme and meaning -- What makes this meme news, given current and coming tech trends around meme-to-merchandise, ecommerce, video, app design, the future of social... and the overall zeitgeist between generations and cultural transitions?
2. fraud in gaming microtransactions/ trading -- Is money laundering really happening through gaming microtransactions? What to make of Valve's recent restriction that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive container keys cannot be traded or sold on the Steam marketplace because they are now "believed to be fraud-sourced" by worldwide fraud networks?

• on Ok Boomer:
  • on ecommerce as video's killer app by Connie Chan & Avery Segal
  • on short-form video and the rise of AI-based consumer apps by Connie Chan
  • on when advertising isn't enough, and the shift from "eyeballs" to "wallets" by Connie Chan
  • on design by livestream (as well as other trends from China) by Connie Chan
  • on memes and livestreaming in China with Connie Chan, Christina Xu, and Sonal Chokshi
  • on the rise of the super app by Connie Chan
• on gaming economies:
  • on crypto and new business models for gaming with Kevin Chou, Chris Dixon, and Sonal Chokshi

credits: @linzrinzz on TikTok

This is the 11th episode of 16 Minutes, our weekly news show where we quickly cover the top headlines of the week, the a16z Podcast way: what’s real, what’s hype from our vantage point in tech. This week, we cover the following news -- with a16z experts managing partner Scott Kupor and general partner in fintech Angela Strange, respectively, in conversation with Sonal Chokshi:

1. crypto & regulation/policy updates from the SEC and IRS -- including the SEC releasing an announcement that it settled charges for an unregistered ICO, and the IRS' issuing guidance (in the form of a revenue ruling and answers to FAQs) on tax treatment for hard forks and air drops;
2. ATM fees at record highs -- where it was reported that it now costs ~$4.72 (vs. $1.97 in 1998, as tracked by Bankrate.com) to withdraw money from ATMs not owned by one's bank, which disproportionately falls on low-income people in neighborhoods banks tend to avoid

• on crypto & regulation:
  • "Kik and the SEC: What's Going on and What Does It Mean for Crypto?" by Katie Haun
  • "Analogies, the Big Picture, and Considerations for Regulating Crypto" by Scott Kupor & Sonal Chokshi
• on ATM fees and "banking the unbanked":
  • "The Next 3 Billion in Financial Services" by Angela Strange

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The views expressed here are those of the individual AH Capital Management, L.L.C. (“a16z”) personnel quoted and are not the views of a16z or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources, including from portfolio companies of funds managed by a16z. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, a16z has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.

This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investors or prospective investors, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by a16z. (An offering to invest in an a16z fund will be made only by the private placement memorandum, subscription agreement, and other relevant documentation of any such fund and should be read in their entirety.) Any investments or portfolio companies mentioned, referred to, or described are not representative of all investments in vehicles managed by a16z, and there can be no assurance that the investments will be profitable or that other investments made in the future will have similar characteristics or results. A list of investments made by funds managed by Andreessen Horowitz (excluding investments for which the issuer has not provided permission for a16z to disclose publicly as well as unannounced investments in publicly traded digital assets) is available at https://a16z.com/investments/.

Charts and graphs provided within are for informational purposes solely and should not be relied upon when making any investment decision. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The content speaks only as of the date indicated. Any projections, estimates, forecasts, targets, prospects, and/or opinions expressed in these materials are subject to change without notice and may differ or be contrary to opinions expressed by others. Please see https://a16z.com/disclosures for additional important information.