This week, we discuss Zenoss finally getting acquired, Databricks buying Neon, and the debut of WizOS. Plus, updates on OpenAI, Google, Apple—and hot takes on Marmite, Vegemite, and Emacs.
Watch the YouTube Live Recording of Episode (https://www.youtube.com/live/gtm8WopIaOM?si=NsjyGL8As3sTLg7P) 519 (https://www.youtube.com/live/gtm8WopIaOM?si=NsjyGL8As3sTLg7P)
Runner-up Titles
Vegemite is still bad
You’re probably eating it
It’s a bold statement
This episode’s all about us
Pendantic is my jam
They tell you they’re making “calculated bets”
Rupert
SlackGPT
No one knows anything, do everything
Rundown
Marmite Rice Cakes (https://groceries.morrisons.com/products/marmite-rice-cakes/109658607)
M&A
Virtana Acquires Zenoss to Deliver the Industry’s Deepest and Broadest Observability Platform (https://www.virtana.com/press-release/virtana-acquires-zenoss-to-deliver-the-industrys-deepest-and-broadest-observability-platform/)
Databricks Agrees to Acquire Neon to Deliver Serverless Postgres for Developers + AI Agents - Databricks (https://www.databricks.com/company/newsroom/press-releases/databricks-agrees-acquire-neon-help-developers-deliver-ai-systems)
Introducing WizOS: Securing Wiz from the ground up with hardened, near-zero-CVE container base images. (https://www.wiz.io/blog/introducing-wizos-hardened-near-zero-cve-base-images)
Checking on OpenAI
Evolving OpenAI’s structure (https://openai.com/index/evolving-our-structure/)
OpenAI caves to pressure, keeps nonprofit in charge (https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/05/openai_keep_nonprofit_in_charge/)
OpenAI Hires Instacart C.E.O. to Run Business and Operations (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/08/technology/openai-fidji-simo.html)
OpenAI Reaches Agreement to Buy Startup Windsurf for $3 Billion (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-06/openai-reaches-agreement-to-buy-startup-windsurf-for-3-billion)
Anysphere, which makes Cursor, has reportedly raised $900M at $9B valuation (https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/04/cursor-is-reportedly-raising-funds-at-9-billion-valuation-from-thrive-a16z-and-accel/)
Checking in on Google
Google Search traffic decline is inevitable, execs say (https://searchengineland.com/google-search-traffic-decline-inevitable-455345)
Google tests replacing 'I'm Feeling Lucky' with 'AI Mode' (https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/13/google-tests-replacing-im-feeling-lucky-with-ai-mode/)
Checking on Apple
Apple To Appeal Judge’s Scathing New Ruling In Epic Games Antitrust Case, Says CEO Tim Cook (https://deadline.com/2025/05/apple-to-appeal-ruling-in-epic-games-fortnite-antitrust-case-1236383340/)
Eddy Cue is fighting to save Apple’s $20 billion paycheck from Google (https://www.theverge.com/policy/662974/google-search-remedies-trial-eddy-cue-apple-deal-ai)
PayPal Brings Contactless Payments to German iPhones Under New EU Rule (https://www.macrumors.com/2025/05/13/paypal-contactless-payments-germany/)
emacs — Matt Gemmell (https://mattgemmell.scot/emacs/)
Relevant to your Interests
New Netflix UI (https://about.netflix.com/en/news/unveiling-our-innovative-new-tv-experience)
VMware perpetual license holders receive cease-and-desist letters from Broadcom (https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/05/broadcom-sends-cease-and-desist-letters-to-subscription-less-vmware-users/)
The EC2 Pricing Form is 284 MB JSON File? (https://pricing.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/offers/v1.0/aws/AmazonEC2/current/ap-southeast-2/index.json)
Has DOGE missed its opportunity? (https://www.nextgov.com/ideas/2025/05/has-doge-missed-its-opportunity/405125/)
Thanks to DOGE, Gumroad’s founder has a second job with the VA (https://www.fastcompany.com/91330297/doge-sahil-lavignia-gumroad)
Microsoft employees are banned from using DeepSeek app, president says (https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/08/microsoft-employees-are-banned-from-using-deepseek-app-president-says/)
AI Is Like a Crappy Consultant (https://lukekanies.com/writing/ai-is-like-a-crappy-consultant/)
You can now submit your claims for Apple’s $95 million Siri spying settlement (https://www.theverge.com/news/663166/apple-siri-audio-recording-lawsuit-payout-applications)
Microsoft laying off about 6,000 people, or 3% of its workforce (https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/13/microsoft-is-cutting-3percent-of-workers-across-the-software-company.html)
The Case for Open AI Tooling: Why Developers Need Sovereignty in the AI Era (https://thenewstack.io/the-case-for-open-ai-tooling-why-developers-need-sovereignty-in-the-ai-era/)
DeepSeek’s ‘Tech Madman’ Founder Is Threatening US Dominance in AI Race (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-05-13/deepseek-races-after-chatgpt-as-china-s-ai-industry-soars)
Microsoft laying off about 6,000 people, or 3% of its workforce (https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/13/microsoft-is-cutting-3percent-of-workers-across-the-software-company.html)
GM unveils new 'groundbreaking' EV battery tech, aims to be first to market (https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/13/gm-new-ev-battery-tech.html)
Exclusive: Slate Auto has already racked up more than 100,000 refundable reservations (https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/12/slate-auto-crosses-100000-refundable-reservations-in-two-weeks)
Nonsense
Meet Vulcan, the first Amazon robot with a sense of touch (https://www.cnbc.com/video/2025/05/07/meet-vulcan-the-first-amazon-robot-with-a-sense-of-touch.html)
Fyre Festival's embattled founder is selling the brand: 'It's time to pass the torch' (https://www.npr.org/2025/04/24/nx-s1-5374909/fyre-festival-for-salrl-billy-mcfarland)
Conferences
NDC Oslo (https://ndcoslo.com/), May 21st-23th, Coté speaking.
POST/CON 25 (https://postcon.postman.com/2025/), June 3-4, Los Angeles, CA, Brandon representing SDT.
Register here for free pass (https://fnf.dev/43irTu1) using code BRANDON (https://fnf.dev/43irTu1) (limited to first 20 People)
Contract-Driven Development: Unite Your Teams and Accelerate Delivery (https://postcon.postman.com/2025/session/3022520/contract-driven-development-unite-your-teams-and-accelerate-delivery%20%20%20%20%20%208:33) by Chris Chandler
SREDay Cologne, June 12th, 2025 (https://sreday.com/2025-cologne-q2/#tickets) - Coté speaking, discount: CLG10, 10% off.
SDT News & Community
Join our Slack community (https://softwaredefinedtalk.slack.com/join/shared_invite/zt-1hn55iv5d-UTfN7mVX1D9D5ExRt3ZJYQ#/shared-invite/email)
Email the show:
[email protected] (mailto:
[email protected])
Free stickers: Email your address to
[email protected] (mailto:
[email protected])
Follow us on social media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/softwaredeftalk), Threads (https://www.threads.net/@softwaredefinedtalk), Mastodon (https://hachyderm.io/@softwaredefinedtalk), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/software-defined-talk/), BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/softwaredefinedtalk.com)
Watch us on: Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/sdtpodcast), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi3OJPV6h9tp-hbsGBLGsDQ/featured), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/softwaredefinedtalk/), TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@softwaredefinedtalk)
Book offer: Use code SDT for $20 off "Digital WTF" by Coté (https://leanpub.com/digitalwtf/c/sdt)
Sponsor the show (https://www.softwaredefinedtalk.com/ads):
[email protected] (mailto:
[email protected])
Recommendations
Brandon: Sinners (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sinners_2025)
Matt: Devs (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8134186/) — first recommended by Brandon on episode 223 (https://www.softwaredefinedtalk.com/223)
Photo Credits
Header (https://unsplash.com/s/photos/Vegemite?license=free&orientation=landscape)
Ireland