ZTE makes a deal with Uncle Sam, but Google might be in trouble because of Huawei, the new Amazon Fire TV Cube is announced, a new Blackberry phone, a redesigned Lyft app and more Instagram video rumors. Stories from: @stuwoo, @meganrosedickey LinksAfter Scrutinizing Facebook, Congress Turns to Google Deal With Huawei (WSJ)Lyft redesigns rider app to encourage shared rides (TechCrunch)Instagram plans to launch Snapchat Discover-style video hub (TechCrunch)For BlackBerry Key2, privacy is (again) ...
Jun 07, 2018•16 min
A whole slew of product announcements. New Sonos speakers. A new Motorola smartphone. A new AMD chip. Instagram may soon allow you to post hour-long videos. Plus: why Microsoft sunk a data center off the Scottish coast and why startups keep naming themselves after… people. Stories from: @DMOberhaus, @janinewolfj9, @laforgia_ Links:Facebook Gave Data Access to Chinese Firm Flagged by U.S. Intelligence (NYTimes)Instagram Could Soon Allow Users to Post Long-Form Video (WSJ)Microsoft Just Put a Data...
Jun 06, 2018•17 min
Intel releases some anniversary chips, why WhatsApp and Facebook had a falling out, followups from WWDC and analysis of that GitHub acquisition, and some scientists purposely created a psychopathic AI. Stories from: @jameskobielus, @janewakefield Tweets: @pkafka Links:Microsoft’s GitHub takeover sends shockwaves through the open-source developer ecosystem (SiliconAngle)Behind the Messy, Expensive Split Between Facebook and WhatsApp’s Founders (WSJ)Are you scared yet? Meet Norman, the psychopathi...
Jun 05, 2018•17 min
Today, it’s all about developers, everything from Apple’s WWDC Keynote, Microsoft buys GitHub in order to court developers. Oh. And a new Facebook data brouhaha. Tweet commentary: @ericlbarnes, @HenrikJoreteg Links:Microsoft confirms it’s acquiring GitHub for $7.5 billion (The Verge)Facebook Gave Device Makers Deep Access to Data on Users and Friends (NYTimes) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 04, 2018•16 min
The end of an era in venture capital, the end of Facebook’s trending news feature, what to expect from WWDC next week, some new ARM chips and the weekend longreads suggestions. Stories from: @joshuarothman, @deborahgage, @meliarobin Links:New Arm Cortex-A76 and Mali-G76 target laptop-class performance (Android Authority)Angry Facebook shareholders challenge Zuckerberg over 'corporate dictatorship' (The Guardian)Apple Is Set to Unveil AR Upgrade, Software to Manage iPhone Use (Bloomberg)Apple’s W...
Jun 01, 2018•20 min
A bunch of self driving car news, a bunch of headline making quotes from the Code Conference, a couple new flagship smartphones, and a new Atari gaming console that nobody is quite sure the purpose of. Stories: @Charlie_L_Hall, @richardlai Tweets: @ChengmingAlpert, @dcseifert Links:Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says he’s trying to convince Alphabet to put Waymo self-driving cars on the company’s network (Recode)Xiaomi's transparent Mi 8 also does 3D face unlock (Engadget)Atari is crowdfunding a new...
May 31, 2018•17 min
The Code Conference brings us Mary Meeker’s Internet Trends Report and juicy quotes from Evan Spiegel, web publishers find life after Facebook, a new gaming laptop from HP, and how ambulance chasing lawyers can target ads to people in the hospital. Tweets: @simonowens, @agolis Links:Snapchat preps Snapkit platform to bring camera, login to other apps (TechCrunch)Mobile Direct Traffic Eclipses Facebook (Chartbeat)Mary Meeker’s 2018 internet trends report: All the slides, plus analysis (Recode)Dig...
May 30, 2018•20 min
Uber adds a panic button, Apple updates HomePod, the Chinese trade war is back on, Facebook gets a month-long timeout, another EU privacy regulation, and less-desirable dogs get better PR. Tweets from from @lcmoser, @heldavidson, @jimwaterson Links:Uber adds a panic button in its app (The Verge)Uber’s Exit From Southeast Asia Upsets Regulators and Drivers (New York Times)Apple’s HomePod Speaker Finally Gets Multi-Room Audio And Stereo Mode (Buzzfeed)Papua New Guinea To Shutdown Facebook (Post Co...
May 29, 2018•15 min
European Union privacy restrictions kick in, Tesla settles a suit, Alexa is listening, Essential becomes a misnomer, and San Francisco brakes scooters. Tweets: @bxchen, @ktbenner, @geoffreyfowler, @zeynep, @cathyyoung63, @mccanner Links:Publications block EU readers (New York Times)Google late to update advertisers and ad-tech networks on GDPR changes (Digiday)Tesla settles on auto-pilot (Reuters)Alexa forwards private conversation by couple (KIRO)Amazon’s statement on Alexa recording and forwar...
May 25, 2018•18 min
Facebook and Twitter label political ads, Apple’s self-driving car efforts fizzle, the DOJ is looking at cryptocurrency manipulation, there’s a PornHub VPN, and StumbleUpon is no more. Stories from: @jacknicas, @mat Links:Apple, Spurned by Others, Signs Deal With Volkswagen for Driverless Cars (NYTimes)Google Buys 20,000 SUVs, Apple Gets Two Dozen VW Vans (Bloomberg)The Techie Town Of San Francisco Gets A New Tower As Houses Remain Scarce (BuzzFeed) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techme...
May 24, 2018•18 min
Facebook helps you find a plumber, Apple lets you download your data, Comcast wants to buy 21st Century Fox, why would Amazon ban you, and Bill Gates’ summer reading recommendations. Stories from: @kottke, @LauraStevensWSJ Links:Next Generation iPhone Chips Go Into Production (Bloomberg)HTC Announces U12 Plus With Pressure-Sensitive Buttons and Sides (The Verge)Banned From Amazon: The Shoppers Who Make Too Many Returns (WSJ) Bill Gates' Summer Reading List Recommendations:Origin Story: A Big His...
May 23, 2018•15 min
Another chip flaw found, privacy activists turn their attention to Amazon, ZTE might be saved by the Trump Administration, Zuckerberg’s European sojourn is a damp squib, and now you can mute annoying people on Instagram. Stories from: @katienotopoulos, @sarafischer Links:The Privacy Scandal That Should Be Bigger Than Cambridge Analytica (Slate)Impatient, distracted consumers upend the media landscape (Axios)Overall Q1 US Smartphone Sales Dip 11% YoY, Apple Grows a Record 16% YoY (Counterpoint)In...
May 22, 2018•15 min
Is the government coming after Big Tech, Microsoft doubles down on voice AI, Lyft joins the e-scooter scramble, the Obamas officially join Netflix, and which smartphone is most likely to shatter? Stories from: @TaylorLorenz, @coryweinberg Tweets: @tanayj, @ibogost Links:Lyft Explores Launching Scooter Service in San Francisco (The Information)Electric Scooter Charger Culture Is Out of Control (The Atlantic)We Dropped $18,000 Worth of Phones, and These Are the Toughest (and Weakest) (Tomsguide.co...
May 21, 2018•16 min
Today more leakage of your phone’s location data, Fortnite comes to Android, dataplans for seniors’ smartphones, robotic insects, drone sailboats, and the weekend long reads suggestions. Stories from: @briankrebs, @valleyhack Links: Tracking Firm LocationSmart Leaked Location Data for Customers of All Major U.S. Mobile Carriers Without Consent in Real Time Via Its Web Site (KrebsonSecurity)The first wireless flying robotic insect takes off (University of Washington)This Armada of Saildrones Coul...
May 18, 2018•17 min
YouTube Music launches next week, Apple too is looking for a major new campus, Mobileye signs a big deal for autonomous car tech and the SEC creates honeypot to teach investors about scammy ICOs. Stories from: @JessConditt, @josephfcox Links:Hacker Breaches Securus, the Company That Helps Cops Track Phones Across the US (Motherboard)Xbox Adaptive Controller first look: A new, necessary gamepad (Engadget)The Autonomous-Car Company That’s Selling Safety First (Bloomberg)Buyer Beware: Hundreds of B...
May 17, 2018•16 min
Zuckerberg to testify in Europe, Prime members to get discounts at Whole Foods, low-end tablets possibly coming from Microsoft, a blockchain phone, a connected toothbrush, and all you need to know about the Yanny or Laurel controversy. Stories from: @markgurman, @chrissyfarr Tweets: @backlon, @anindac92 Links:Amazon cuts Whole Foods prices for Prime members in new grocery showdown (Reuters)Microsoft Plans Low-Cost Tablet Line to Rival iPad (Bloomberg)This start-up made connected toothbrushes -- ...
May 16, 2018•16 min
Everyone says they’re cleaning up their act: Twitter, Facebook, Uber. The Crypto kids crash New York while Coinbase cozies up to Wall Street. The Surface Hub 2 looks pretty sweet, and we might soon be shooting Wikipedia pages to the moon. Stories from: @lorengrush Tweets: @AaronKlein, @marcoarment, @ballmatthew Links:At NYC’s Big Crypto Conference, the Lamborghinis Are Rented and Protests Are Staged (Bloomberg)Microsoft’s Surface Hub 2 is designed for an office of the future (The Verge)Tweetstor...
May 15, 2018•17 min
Email encryption might be broken, Facebook suspends suspicious apps, why Google employees are resigning in protest, Silicon Valley could benefit from a gambling gold rush, and how Masayoshi Son is disrupting the entire technology world. Stories from: @Danny_Heifetz, @kateconger Tweets from: @F_Kaltheuner, @dcurtis Links:Google Employees Resign in Protest Against Pentagon Contract (Gizmodo)New HP all-in-one houses Alexa, provides power with wireless charging base (Ars Technica)The Supreme Court S...
May 14, 2018•17 min
Is a Facebook cryptocurrency really possible? Can Snapchat redesign its way back into users' hearts? What's going on at Symantec? Klout strikes out. And the Weekend Longreads. Stories from: @alexeheath, @mekosoff Tweets: @om, @manjusrii, @sfiegerman Links:"It Was Cataclysmic": Can Snapchat Survive Its Redesign? (Vanity Fair)IAB says online advertising grew to $88B last year — more spending than TV (TechCrunch) Longreads:Don't Skype Me: How Microsoft Turned Consumers Against a Beloved Brand (Bloo...
May 11, 2018•18 min
The suspected Russian Facebook ads are released, a new Apple credit card, why Roku is a quiet powerhouse, Robinhood raises a ton of money, and how your digital assistant might be susceptible to subliminal commands. Stories from: @jank0, @mattlynley Tweets: @ByronTau, @anildash Links:Link to the Russian Facebook ads (House.gov)Goldman Sachs, Apple Team Up on New Credit Card (WSJ)Roku Earnings Beat Expectations as Ads, Services Surpass Hardware Revenue (Variety)Free stock trading app Robinhood roc...
May 10, 2018•16 min
A major Facebook executive shakeup, Walmart beats Amazon to Flipkart, Glassdoor gets acquired, one more chance to fight for net neutrality, and a deeper look at how Google’s Duplex technology works. Stories from: @brianstelter Tweets: @pt, @poniewozik Links:Tweet thread about using crypto for social networking (Parker Thompson @pt)Red Alert For Net Neutrality Email Your Senator Form (Do it!)Google Duplex: An AI System for Accomplishing Real World Tasks Over the Phone (Google AI Blog)FX and New Y...
May 09, 2018•18 min
The highlights from Google I/O, Microsoft gives developers 95%, possible encrypted Twitter DMs, the NYSE wants to trade bitcoin, and Uber unveils its flying car. Stories from: @nathanielpopper, @tonyromm Tweets: @puiwingtam, @bzamayo Links:Link to the video of the full I/O keynoteBest video I could find (in a rush) of the Duplex DemoTwitter has an unlaunched ‘Secret’ encrypted messages feature (TechCrunch)Bitcoin Sees Wall Street Warm to Trading Virtual Currency (NYTimes)Uber shows its flying ca...
May 08, 2018•18 min
Highlights from Microsoft's Build conference, a preview of Google's I/O conference, you might soon be able to add music to your Instagram Stories, who's ahead in the autonomous car race, and the iMac at twenty. Stories from: @backlon, @nickstatt Links:Nadella's Microsoft (The Verge)Eight things to expect at Google I/O 2018 (The Verge)Who’s Winning the Self-Driving Car Race? (Bloomberg)Why 'Stories' Took Over Your Smartphone (The Atlantic) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme editors ...
May 07, 2018•17 min
Would you pay for a Facebook subscription? Would you pay for Facebook satellite internet? Instagram adds native payments, Warren Buffett doubles down on Apple, the weekend longreads suggestions and plenty more. Stories from: @NellieBowles, @beckyquick Jokes from: @behindyourback Links:Facebook Weighs Ad-Free Subscription Option (Bloomberg)Facebook May Have Secret Plans to Build a Satellite-Based Internet (ieee spectrum)Instagram quietly launches payments for commerce (TechCrunch)Buffett's Berksh...
May 04, 2018•18 min
Xiaomi files for a monster IPO, Cambridge Analytica might not be dead after all, a whole bunch of news in the digital assistant space, NPR buys a podcast app, and how Stories have eaten social networking. Stories from: @oneunderscore__ , @JoshConstine Tweets: @rycrist Links:How Xiaomi Went From Has-Been to World's Biggest IPO in Years (Bloomberg)Stories are about to surpass feed sharing. Now what? (TechCrunch) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme editors Music by @jpschwinghamer Lear...
May 03, 2018•19 min
Facebook’s AI announcements from F8, LG announces G7 ThinQ, Apple earnings analysis, Snap earnings analysis, the Pentagon blocks the sale of Chinese phones, and can AI predict the next Avengers: Infinity War? Stories from: @ashleyrcarman, @DanielEran Tweets from: @BenedictEvans, @lexnfx Links:Cambridge Analytica Closing Operations Following Facebook Data Controversy (WSJ)Telegram Messaging App Scraps Plans for Public Coin Offering (WSJ)LG’s G7 ThinQ preserves the headphone jack and introduces a ...
May 02, 2018•18 min
Apple's earnings numbers, all of the announcements from Facebook's F8 conference, a WhatsApp co-founder leaves, publishers criticize Google over GDPR, and will Comcast only give you faster internet speeds if you subscribe to cable TV? Stories from: @lizzadwoskin Tweets: @anildash, @johnbattelle, @jason_kint Links:Mark Zuckerberg Says it Will Take 3 Years to Fix Facebook (Wired)WhatsApp founder plans to leave after broad clashes with parent Facebook (Washington Post)Comcast won’t give new speed b...
May 01, 2018•17 min
The T-Mobile/Sprint merger, Fitbit wants to share health data with doctors, Oculus wants virtual reality theater, Galaxy S9s get a storage boost, and did Jeff Bezos become a billionaire simply because he wanted to live in space? Links:As controversy swirls, Facebook dials down the swagger on its developer conference (The Verge)Oculus wants to make immersive virtual theater a reality (CNET)Jeff Bezos reveals what it’s like to build an empire and become the richest man in the world — and why he's ...
Apr 30, 2018•18 min
The Price of Amazon Prime is going up, Apple's AirPort is going away, Square buys Weebly, A DNA site might have cracked the Golden State Killer case, will T-Mobile and Sprint finally tie the knot, is Apple working on an AR/VR headset, and the weekend longreads. Stories: @matthew_d_green, @reneritchie Tweets: @jrichlive, @mattmcgee Links:RIP AirPort Base Stations: Why Apple is exiting the Wi-Fi router business (iMore)Apple’s working on a powerful, wireless headset for both AR, VR (CNET)GEDmatch, ...
Apr 27, 2018•20 min
It’s an earnings bonanza! Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook… and what might Samsung’s earnings mean for Apple’s? Also, new Snapchat Spectacles, a look behind the scenes at Nintendo, a possible Sonos IPO and Digg finds a new home. Stories from: @maureenmfarrell, @CaseyNewton Tweets: @lexnfx Links:Snap’s second-generation Spectacles are more grown up — and more expensive (The Verge)Inside Nintendo's secretive creative process (The Guardian)Sonos Prepares for IPO as Soon as June (WSJ) Credits: Produced b...
Apr 26, 2018•18 min
