Alphabet earnings, Google’s Translation app takes over the world, potentially two new Xbox consoles, Verizon wants to deliver TV over 5G and the thin-and-light laptop revolution has gone too far! Links:Alphabet surges to all-time high as Wall Street says internet giant’s big bets are ‘paying off’ (CNBC)Alphabet’s experimental investments in the future continue to cost it a fortune (The Verge)Google CEO Sundar Pichai revealed a jaw-dropping fact about its translation app that shows how much money...
Jul 24, 2018•18 min
Susan Fowler Rigetti gets a high profile new job, a Lyft and Uber driver was live-streaming without consent, Samsung takes a big step toward a 5G world, and why is Google Translate spitting out religious prophecies? Links:St. Louis Uber driver has put video of hundreds of passengers online. Most have no idea. (St. Louis Dispatch)$20K in Crypto: The First Bets on Prediction Market Augur Just Paid Out (CoinDesk)Qualcomm's new chips fix a major problem for 5G phones (CNET)Why Is Google Translate Sp...
Jul 23, 2018•19 min
WhatsApp limits forwards, Microsoft announces earnings, emergency alerts on Netflix, grocery chain Kroger throws shade at Amazon Prime Day, and the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Links:WhatsApp will drastically limit forwarding across the globe to stop the spread of fake news, following violence in India and Myanmar (Recode)https://techcrunch.com/2018/07/18/senate-wants-emergency-alerts-to-go-out-through-netflix-spotify-etc/ (TechCrunch)First Test Drive of the Tesla Model 3 Performance: A Thrill...
Jul 20, 2018•18 min
Facebook and Zuckerberg address misinformation and censorship, Reddit rolls out live chatrooms, will Fuchsia replace Android, and who is online journalism’s newest savior? Links:Facebook says it will begin removing misinformation that leads to violence (The Verge)Full transcript: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Recode Decode (Recode)Mark Zuckerberg clarifies: ‘I personally find Holocaust denial deeply offensive, and I absolutely didn’t intend to defend the intent of people who deny that.’ (Recod...
Jul 19, 2018•16 min
Google faces a record European fine, Nest gets a major reshuffle inside Google, Walmart guns for Netflix, Venmo transactions can be public, and can cool camera tech destined for smartphones actually improve autonomous vehicles? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 18, 2018•18 min
Netflix’s subscriber miss, Amazon’s troubled Prime Day, Walmart and Microsoft team up against Amazon, some big problems with voting machines and the big autonomous vehicle startup you’ve probably never heard of. Links:What Netflix's big miss means for the new tech economy (Axios)STRIKES, BOYCOTTS, AND OUTAGES MAR AMAZON PRIME DAY (Wired)Amazon warehouse workers are striking across Europe on Prime Day (The Verge)Andreessen Horowitz Names Connie Chan A General Partner, Ending VC Firm's No-Promotio...
Jul 17, 2018•19 min
A Roku wireless speaker, better Uber pickups, Instapaper goes solo, what to expect from the Galaxy S10 and it’s Amazon Prime Day everybody! Links:Wave Uber’s new Spotlight or send canned chats to find your driver (TechCrunch)Airbnb is grappling with how to treat people with criminal convictions (Quartz)A German court ruled you can inherit Facebook content like a letter or a diary (Quartz)Here's what to expect from the Samsung Galaxy S10, including a new feature you won't find on iPhones (Busines...
Jul 16, 2018•16 min
Full Photoshop is coming to iPads, PC sales are growing again, what now for the AT&T/Time Warner merger, what does an unlimited data plan really mean, and the weekend longreads suggestions. Stories from: @imkialikethecar, @ballmatthew Tweets: @renato_mariotti Links:Top of the Morning (Axios)AT&T’s no-good week shows why it may regret its Google envy (Fast Company)Uber begins monitoring U.S. driver background checks continuously (Axios)Unlimited data plans are a mess: here’s how to pick t...
Jul 13, 2018•21 min
Surprise MacBook Pro updates, Broadcom goes for Plan B, the fate of Gawker and The Onion, who will be the first to a trillion dollars, and who wants to be the Pixar of VR. Links:APPLE’S NEW MACBOOK PROS HAVE THE LATEST INTEL PROCESSORS AND QUIETER KEYBOARDS (The Verge)Broadcom reaches deal to acquire CA Technologies for $18.9 billion in cash (CNBC)The Race to a Trillion (Above Avalon) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Jul 12, 2018•18 min
Facebook faces its first fine from the Cambridge Analytica scandal, a look at what Article 13 might do to the web, a juicy new Apple rumor, more hints from Magic Leap, and a look at Alphabet’s “Moonshot” factory. Stories from: @AlecMuffett, @adavies47 Tweets: @joshelman Links:Facebook is slapped with first fine for Cambridge Analytica scandal (Washington Post)Thread by @AlecMuffett: "Regards Article13, I wrote up a little command-line false-positive emulator; it tests 10 million events with a te...
Jul 11, 2018•17 min
Microsoft unveils a new Surface tablet, police can probably still break into iPhones, YouTube fights fake news, the new silicon gold rush, and Netflix makes binging even easier. Links:Microsoft’s $399 Surface Go aims to stand out from iPads or Chromebooks (The Verge)Microsoft's $399 Surface Go is here to nuke Apple's iPad (Mashable)The AI revolution has spawned a new chips arms race (Ars Technica)Netflix Binge-Watching Just Got Even Easier: Now It Automatically Downloads New Episodes To Watch Of...
Jul 10, 2018•17 min
Xiaomi’s IPO disappoints, Apple Music gains on Spotify, Amazon’s ad business could be a contender, and why half the members of a popular subreddit are getting banned. Stories from: @mikelaris, @noamscheiber Tweets: @danprimack Links:Shares of Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi stumble on their debut, slipping as much as 6% (CNBC)Xiaomi's weak debut signals trouble for upcoming Hong Kong tech listings (Reuters)Apple slices into Spotify’s lead in the US music market (CNBC)High-Skilled White-Collar Wo...
Jul 09, 2018•17 min
Sonos files for an IPO, Netflix sunsets movie reviews, the iPhone is getting new colors, the memes are safe for now, and the weekend longreads suggestions. Links:MEPs vote to reopen copyright debate over 'censorship' controversy (TechCrunch)Kuo: New 2018 iPhone models to come in gold, grey, white, blue, red and orange colors (9to5Mac)Amazon Takes a Page From Toys ‘R’ Us With a Holiday Catalog (Bloomberg)Reddit — one of the world's most popular websites — is trying to cash in through advertising ...
Jul 06, 2018•21 min
A big problem with Samsung Messages, Dell comes back to the public markets, more machinations in the transportation shuffle, more NSA shenanigans, and the 10th anniversary of the App Store. Links:Dell to Return to Public Markets With Tracking Stock (NYTimes)Alphabet adds to transport bets with scooter deal (FT)N.S.A. Purges Hundreds of Millions of Call and Text Records (NYTimes)IPO Market Posts Blistering First Half (WSJ)In Q2 2018, Global VC Scales Tipped In Favor Of Chinese Startups Over North...
Jul 03, 2018•16 min
Xiaomi’s IPO disappoints, Apple is rebuilding Maps from the ground up, the state of the ICO market, the weekend long reads suggestions, and the NES is back, baby! Stories from: @panzer, @tomwarren Tweets: @elonmusk Links:Apple is rebuilding Maps from the ground up (TechCrunch)Microsoft details secret ‘pocketable’ Surface device in leaked email (The Verge)Digital currency sales hit $13.7 billion in first five months of 2018: report (Reuters)The NES Classic is back: here’s where you can pick one u...
Jun 29, 2018•20 min
Amazon makes a ton of news including buying into pharmaceutical commerce and creating its own mini-package delivery army, Apple considers one subscription to rule them all, and the long Apple/Samsung war is over. Stories from: @angelicalavito, @jacknicas Tweets: @eugenegu Links:Amazon shakes up drugstore business with deal to buy online pharmacy PillPack (CNBC)Amazon’s new blue crew: Tech giant enlists entrepreneurs to own the ‘last mile,’ delivering packages in Prime vans and uniforms (GeekWire...
Jun 28, 2018•17 min
Google rebrands AdWords and demos Duplex for reporters, Twitter takes steps to fight spam and make your account more secure, Facebook wants to help you avoid spoilers and is Blackberry back with the Key2? Links:Google is retiring the AdWords & DoubleClick brands in a major rebranding aimed at simplification (Search Engine Land)Google opens its human-sounding Duplex AI to public testing (CNET)Google Duplex really works and testing begins this summer (The Verge)Facebook tests 30-day keyword sn...
Jun 27, 2018•17 min
Uber gets legal in London, a16z raises a crypto fund, Apple opts for human editors, Fortnite makes bank, and a check-in on the space race. Links:Uber wins the right to keep operating in London (TheVerge)Wi-Fi security is starting to get its biggest upgrade in over a decade (TheVerge)Fortnite is generating more revenue than any other free game ever (ReCode)Intel and the Danger of Integration (Ben Thompson/Stratechery)Steven Sinofsky Tweet Thread on the Above Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...
Jun 26, 2018•17 min
New noise cancelling AirPods might be coming, AT&T buys AppNexus, more Trump and Chinese tech rumblings, and what is the future of Benchmark Capital? Links:Apple to Unveil High-End AirPods, Over-Ear Headphones For 2019 (Bloomberg)The US now officially has the world's fastest supercomputer, knocking China off the top spot (TechSport)Is there a next act for one of Silicon Valley’s top investors after Uber? Benchmark and Bill Gurley are about to find out. (ReCode)Here’s How That Tablet On The T...
Jun 25, 2018•16 min
The Supreme Court rules on cell phone tracking, YouTube gets channel memberships, Twitter literally smites Smyte, the Elon Musk sabotage saga gets weirder and the weekend longreads suggestions. Stories from: @sarahintampa, @drewharwell Tweets: @mathewi Links:Supreme Court says police can't use your cellphone to track you without a court order (NBC News)Twitter ‘smytes’ customers (TechCrunch)Elon Musk Has Always Been At War With The Media (BuzzFeed) Weekend Longreads:How Twitter Made The Tech Wor...
Jun 22, 2018•18 min
Intel’s CEO steps down, an update on Apple’s AirPower wireless charger, a Supreme Court ruling will have a big impact on e-commerce, and Amazon Fire TV Cube reviews. Stories from: @jessiwrites, @chrisvelazco Tweets: @kevinctofel Links: Why Apple’s AirPower Wireless Charger Is Taking So Long to Make (Bloomberg)AMAZON FIRE TV CUBE REVIEW: A SMARTER STREAMING BOX (The Verge)Google turns on ‘Continued Conversation’ in the Google Assistant (Search Engine Land)WHY LYFT IS TRYING TO BECOME THE NEXT SUB...
Jun 21, 2018•21 min
The immigration controversy comes to Silicon Valley, Instagram debuts IGTV, Disney ups its bid for Fox, and a new phone finds a new way around “the notch.” Links:Facebook launches gameshows platform with interactive video (TechCrunch)Oppo’s Find X ditches the notch for pop-up cameras (The Verge)Crypto Exchange Bithumb Halts Withdrawals After $31 Million Hack (CoinDesk) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 20, 2018•15 min
Verizon and AT&T stop selling your location data, Google roles out a couple of cool new things, Alexa is coming to your hotel, Elon Musk is worried about sabotage, and how Europe might kill meme culture. Stories from: @jacknicas Tweets: @coryweinberg, @danprimack Links:In China Trade War, Apple Worries It Will Be Collateral Damage (NYTimes)One Year in, Bird Founder Sells Some Shares (The Information)The EU's bizarre war on memes is totally unwinnable (Wired UK) Learn more about your ad choic...
Jun 19, 2018•16 min
Apple upgrades 911 calls—and is taking a case to the Supreme Court—Google invests big time in China, gaming addiction is officially a disorder, and how an Australian telecom company is screwing up the World Cup. Stories from: @stevelevine, @tiffkhsu Tweets: @mhbergen Links:In China, a picture of how warehouse jobs can vanish (Axios)Video Game Addiction Tries to Move From Basement to Doctor’s Office (NYTimes)Google Is Training Machines to Predict When a Patient Will Die (Bloomberg)SBS to screen W...
Jun 18, 2018•16 min
Oprah signs with Apple, but OLEDs aren’t working out for Apple, Netflix has a hidden source for teen comedy hits, the weekend longreads suggestions, and, if you can believe it, William Shatner’s new gig. Stories from: @mochi_wsj, @McLauchlin Links:APPLE’S ORIGINAL CONTENT IS FURTHER ALONG THAN YOU THINK (LoupVentures)Netflix’s latest hit ‘The Kissing Booth’ is a Wattpad success story (TechCrunch)How Batteries Went From Primitive Power to Global Domination (Bloomberg)William Shatner's new enterpr...
Jun 15, 2018•21 min
Apple tries to lock down it’s phones again, Google makes ad targeting more transparent, Microsoft works to replace cashiers with robots… but the robots have already come for middle managers at Amazon, and a plea to help save Metafilter. Stories from: @spencersoper, @viticci, @CamiRusso Links:Shortcuts: A New Vision for Siri and iOS Automation (MacStories)Amazon’s Clever Machines Are Moving From the Warehouse to Headquarters (Bloomberg)Making a Killing in Virtual Real Estate (Bloomberg)The Millio...
Jun 14, 2018•19 min
Today was major revamp day. Twitter’s ringing in big changes. Microsoft is putting a new polish on Office. Also: Intel jumps into the GPU game, Bitcoin might have been manipulated, and Fortnite comes to the Nintendo Switch. Stories from: @nathanielpopper, @PatcohenNYT, @ryanshrout Tweets: @hrtbps Links:Intel makes it a three-way race with AMD and Nvidia on graphics chips (Marketwatch)Bitcoin’s Price Was Artificially Inflated Last Year, Researchers Say (NYTimes)E-Commerce Might Help Solve the Mys...
Jun 13, 2018•19 min
E-scooter valuations explode, Facebook turns in its homework, Microsoft’s next Xbox is coming in 2020, how Netflix is winning, and a dreaded 51% attack explained. Here’s what you missed today in the world of tech. Tweets: @annehelen, @arielbogle Stories: @danprimack, @bdsams Links:Scooter startup Bird is seeking a $2 billion valuation (Axios)Microsoft’s Next-Gen Xbox Will Arrive in 2020 (Thurrott.com)The Guy Tapping His Head Meme Explained (NYMag)Inside the Binge Factory (NYMag)Blockchain's Once...
Jun 12, 2018•19 min
Snapchat Clear Chats and Facebook’s Memories come at social media from different philosophical viewpoints, headlines from the ramp up to E3, new Apple Watch rumors, the scooter economy, and do on-screen fingerprint scanners work well? Stories from: @thesullivan, @345triangle Links:The Apple Watch will get touch-sensitive, solid-state buttons (Fast Company)The Scooter Economy (Stratechery)How to understand the financial levers in your business (TechCrunch)AT&T-Time Warner Ruling Has Dealmaker...
Jun 11, 2018•16 min
Google’s lays out ethical principles for AI development, Facebook has another privacy issue (again), why the next generation of gaming consoles might be the last, Yahoo Messenger logs off, and the weekend long-reads suggestions. Stories from: @sundarpichai, @terrortola Links:AI at Google: our principles (Google)Can Google keep its promises on building ethical AI? (Engadget)Airbnb says forced to cancel bookings under new Japan law (Asia One)Ubisoft Believes Next Gen Is the Last for Consoles as Mi...
Jun 08, 2018•18 min
