Buying $110B of your own stock is legal, but isn't a good look.

It's earnings season and Apple showed less-than-stellar performance over the second quarter of 2024, but had a solution.Was it to invest in the next must-have tech gadget? Maybe build its own AI model or search engine so that it doesn't have to rely on Google's technology in those areas? No, it was to spend $110 billion on its own shares - the largest share buyback in American history and a movie that the markets loved.But - as we discuss in the Kettle you can watch below -stock buybacks (a practice that used to be illegal until the 1980s) are a bit of a red flag.

When tech companies stop investing in development and start slashing the cash on buy their own shares - we're looking at you IBM, Intel, Google, Boeing etc…

• Companies are increasing prices in the technology industry to drive profits, even when there is no significant cost pressure.
• The AI and GPU market may be heading towards a bubble, with companies financing themselves through loans using depreciating assets as collateral.
• Customers face challenges in managing costs and navigating vendor pricing, especially when migrating to the cloud.
• Open source solutions may offer an alternative to control costs, but there are challenges in maintaining and securing these solutions.

Joining the show this week is Thomas Claburn, who covered the original story, The Register's security editor Jessica Lyons, as well as editor in chief (and open source coder) Chris Williams with the host Iain Thomson.This episode was produced by Brandon Vigliarolo.

• AI is playing a significant role in the financial success of big tech companies, particularly in the advertising sector.
• Google's use of AI to improve advertising campaigns for small businesses highlights the importance of AI in its future business.
• AMD's AI accelerator is expected to contribute significantly to its bottom line and position the company as a strong competitor in the AI market.
• Intel faces challenges in the AI market, including manufacturing issues and competition from Qualcomm.
• The adoption of AI in business processes requires careful consideration of risks and the need for trust and scrutiny in AI models.

00:00 Boeing's Troubles

03:57 Tesla Cybertruck Issues

05:34 Microsoft Copilot

08:05 Concerns about AI in Software Development

13:18 Tesla's Disappointing Numbers

Get yourself a cup of your favorite brew and enjoy about 18 minutes of El Reg hacks with more than 100 years of technology experience between them going through the highs and lows of yesteryear systems.

This week, the incredible scandal that is the UK's Post Office Horizon computer system, that ruined people's lives, finally exploded into the mainstream. This week we discuss how and why public-sector IT projects go off the rails, and what could be done to prevent it.