Techmeme River
Techmeme River
Sunday, September 26, 2021
9:50 PM
Phone Repair Guru report finds that third-party repair centers will struggle to replace iPhone 13's screen without losing access to Face ID
9to5Mac
9:35 PM
A look at the frantic dealmaking behind Europe's instant grocery startups like Gorillas and Flink, as investors see a classic land grab for the top position
Financial Times
7:43 PM
Facebook disputes the WSJ's framing of Instagram's harm to teen girls, saying internal research found using Instagram largely made difficult situations easier
About Facebook
6:45 PM
To limit the power of Big Tech, regulators should look to mandate interoperability, which will empower users and could spark more competition
Communications of the ACM
4:40 PM
Extremism researchers say the Epik hack is the “mother of all data lodes”, and will let them map the ecosystem of extremist websites and organizations
Washington Post
1:45 PM
Cryptocurrency exchanges Huobi and Binance have stopped letting traders use mainland China mobile numbers to register new accounts
Bloomberg
12:05 PM
Apple says it will fix a bug preventing some iPhone 13 users from using the Unlock with Apple Watch feature, in an upcoming software update
MacRumors
10:55 AM
Source: Google Cloud Platform to slash its revenue share from 20% to 3% for third-party software on its cloud marketplace, matching Microsoft's cut
CNBC
7:05 AM
Survey of ~5,000 gig workers across 15 countries: over 60% say they are financially satisfied but most want out of the job within a year
Rest of World
2:00 AM
The social media industry needs its own version of journalism's firewall to shield safety, moderation, and enforcement decisions from execs focused on growth
Wired
1:00 AM
GoodRx debuts GoodRx Health site for providing answers to the most googled health questions, as it looks to become more than a price comparison tool for pills
Fast Company
12:30 AM
Meru Health, a provider of online mental health services, raises $30M Series B in equity and $8M in debt, and claims it saw about 700% revenue growth in 2020
TechCrunch
Saturday, September 25, 2021
9:55 PM
Nomad Health, an online health care jobs marketplace, raises $63M in equity and debt led by Adams Street Partners, source says at a $260M valuation
Bloomberg
2:55 PM
How Toast, founded in Boston with a $500K investment from Endeca's Steve Papa after VCs shunned it, became a $30B business, in part by avoiding the Bay Area
CNBC
12:55 PM
Shenzen-based Pudu Robotics, which makes commercial service robots for use in airports, restaurants, supermarkets, and hospitals, raises $155M Series C
FinSMEs
11:35 AM
Facebook's history of comparing itself to older, widely accepted tools like chairs and cars shows how its leaders deploy analogies to downplay criticism
Washington Post
9:50 AM
A look at episodic story services like Amazon's Kindle Vella; Apptopia says combined IAP revenue of top 7 services grew 50% YoY to $12M/month in May and July
GeekWire
6:55 AM
How TikTok's auto-generation tools helped popularize subtitles in the app, as creators compete for the estimated 75% of users who leave their phones on mute
Los Angeles Times
2:00 AM
A viral TikTok video from July caused many young women to use Prolific, a survey website for scientists, skewing the demographic data for thousands of studies
The Verge
1:35 AM
Stairwell, which scans companies' data to detect if they are currently compromised or were in the past, raises $20M Series A led by Sequoia and Accel
TechCrunch
Friday, September 24, 2021
11:35 PM
Analysis: with 26 exits so far, 2021 could be Kleiner Perkins' best year for number of exits in at least a decade
Crunchbase News
11:05 PM
Seoul-based 3i, an immersive experience startup focusing on metaverse tech, AI, and AR/VR, raises ~$24M Series A led by SV Investment
FinSMEs
9:47 PM
Production crew union says Apple claimed less than 20M TV+ subscribers in the US and Canada as of July 1, allowing Apple to pay workers lower rates
CNBC
9:05 PM
Financial software maker Clearwater Analytics closed up 41% in its NYSE debut, giving it a market cap of $5.9B, after raising $540M in an IPO
Bloomberg
7:30 PM
Documents show Clearview AI subpoenaed internal docs and correspondence from advocacy groups and civil society coalitions that first exposed its activities
Politico
6:40 PM
Twitter is seeking feedback for two potential new features, “Filter” and “Limit”, both of which will hide offensive or harmful replies
The Verge
6:10 PM
Whole Foods will charge a $9.95 grocery delivery fee across the US beginning October 25, rolling back an Amazon Prime perk
Bloomberg
6:00 PM
Apple says it is working to fix an issue that is preventing iPhone 13 Pro from running animations in third-party apps at 120Hz and limiting them to 60Hz
9to5Mac
4:10 PM
As the pandemic and chip shortages delay equipment upgrades, some worry emergency alert services may stop working if AT&T phases out 3G in Feb. 2022 as planned
New York Times
2:35 PM
Jeremy Liew, Bijan Sabet, and Roger Ehrenberg stepping back from active roles at their firms reflects a broader generational shift in the VC industry
Fortune
2:15 PM
Source: online course provider Udemy is preparing to file for an IPO as soon as October, targeting a valuation of between $6B and $8B
The Information
1:20 PM
Roblox introduces music listening parties, starting with a new album from Poppy, the project of multimedia artist Moriah Pereira
Billboard
12:55 PM
How Facebook is using its metaverse push to rehabilitate its reputation with policymakers and reposition itself to shape regulation of future technologies
Washington Post
12:10 PM
US Commerce Sec says US is considering using a Cold War-era national security law to force semiconductor companies to provide information on inventory and sales
Bloomberg
11:30 AM
EU formally accuses Russian government and its state hackers for Ghostwriter, a hack-and-leak operation active in some EU states since 2017
The Record
11:10 AM
US DOJ allows Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou to return to China in a deferred prosecution agreement as part of which Wanzhou admitted to some wrongdoing
Wall Street Journal
10:25 AM
Sources: Google is in talks with ByteDance and Facebook to index and rank TikTok and Instagram videos
The Information
9:50 AM
Cambodia's prime minister Zoombombs opposition meetings; the country plans to create a “national internet gateway” with a state-appointed operator in February
Rest of World
8:50 AM
UK study of the last mile gig sector: job allocation is a major issue and carriers should coordinate so drivers can move between delivering meals and parcels
Wired UK
8:15 AM
Researcher discloses three iOS zero-days, says they were reported to Apple before May 4 and are still exploitable in iOS 15 after Apple failed to fix them
Habr
7:40 AM
Sources: Amazon is working on a larger Echo with a wall-mountable 15" screen, a TV sound bar, wearables for seniors, new speakers, and more
Bloomberg
7:25 AM
Amazon launches Prime Video Channels in India, offering eight streaming services in one hub at discounted prices for one year
TechCrunch
7:10 AM
China's central bank says all cryptocurrency-related activities are prohibited and overseas crypto exchanges providing services in mainland China are illegal
CNBC
6:30 AM
Interview with DeSnake, the self-proclaimed co-founder of dark web market AlphaBay taken down by the DOJ in 2017, on relaunching, security, and more
Wired
4:30 AM
Hayden AI, an AI-powered autonomous traffic management service, raises $20M Series A led by TYH Ventures
FinSMEs
2:10 AM
EU's proposal forces companies to make fast-charging standards interoperable and “unbundles” charger sales; if adopted, companies will have 24 months to comply
The Verge
1:35 AM
OY! Indonesia, an offline and online payments service, raises $30M Series A led by SoftBank Ventures Asia at a $100M valuation
Crowdfund Insider
Thursday, September 23, 2021
10:45 PM
Opentrons, whose robots help life scientists automate experiments and processes, raises $200M Series C led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2 at a $1.8B valuation
Bloomberg
9:55 PM
Livestream shopping platform NTWRK raises $50M led by Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Kering, bringing its total raised to $60M
Axios
8:30 PM
Interview with Maryana Iskander, Wikimedia Foundation's next CEO, on the org's transparency, handling misinformation on Wikipedia pages, and more
New York Times
7:00 PM
A look at the opposition by South African indigenous groups to Amazon's planned $350M Cape Town HQ, which some say is being built on sacred land
Wall Street Journal
5:30 PM
Facebook says its global head of safety, Antigone Davis, will testify before the Senate Commerce subcommittee on consumer protection on September 30
CNBC
4:55 PM
New York City passes bills establishing minimum pay and worker protections for app-based couriers, including those working for Grubhub, Uber, and DoorDash
Bloomberg
4:10 PM
Advance Intelligence, the Singapore-based owner of buy now, pay later service Atome, raises $400M Series D led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2 at a $2B valuation
The Business Times
3:30 PM
Apple releases iOS 12.5.5 and a macOS Catalina security update to fix zero-day vulnerabilities in CoreGraphics, WebKit, and XNU
BleepingComputer
3:02 PM
Sources: German grocery delivery startup Gorillas raised $950M Series C led by delivery company Delivery Hero, at a valuation of $3B
The Information
1:40 PM
In a memo, Lina Khan encourages FTC staff to prioritize addressing “dominant intermediaries”, unfair contracts, and mergers that are “illegal on their face”
CNBC
1:11 PM
Twitter integrates Strike's wallet to let users receive tips in bitcoin, rolls out Tips globally on iOS, and will explore support for NFT authentication
TechCrunch
12:35 PM
Syng, founded by an ex-Apple designer to build “triphonic” audio hardware with spatial audio, raises $48.75M Series A led by Eclipse Ventures
TechCrunch
12:25 PM
Google announces a range of features for Android, Google TV, Assistant, and Gboard, including some that were previously Pixel exclusives
Gizmodo
12:20 PM
Google details several accessibility features coming to Android 12, including facial gesture controls, handwriting recognition, and an app for low-vision users
The Verge
12:15 PM
Google expands its Google TV app beyond the US to 14 countries, including the UK and Germany, and adds an in-app Android TV remote
9to5Google
11:45 AM
Poll of 2,016 US voters: 80% say the government should do “everything it can” to curb tech giants; 84% are “very nervous” about impact of social media on kids
Wall Street Journal
11:35 AM
Blue White Robotics, which “retrofits” existing farming infrastructure with autonomous systems, raises $37M Series B, bringing its total raised to $60M
CTech
10:45 AM
Tel Aviv-based Panorays, which offers security risk management software, raises $42M Series B led by Greenfield Partners, bringing its total raised to $62M
VentureBeat
10:25 AM
Memo ahead of Sept. 29 trade meeting shows the US and EU plan to unify around regulating Big Tech, in hate speech, algorithmic amplification, and data access
Reuters
9:45 AM
New York-based Ocrolus, which offers automated tools for businesses to process documents, raises $80M Series C at a $500M+ valuation led by Fin VC
TechCrunch
9:37 AM
Sen. Marsha Blackburn says WSJ's Facebook Files whistleblower has turned over documents and plans to reveal their identity “at some point down the line”
Washington Post
9:20 AM
IPC, which represents Foxconn, Intel, and others, says a survey found ~80% of manufacturers are struggling to find workers, compounding chip shortage issues
Reuters
9:10 AM
London-based Vyne, which works with merchants to build open banking payment services, raises $15.5M seed from Hearst and others
TechCrunch
9:00 AM
WSJ's Facebook Files, which uses Facebook's own data and research to highlight its impact on users, is Facebook's biggest crisis since Cambridge Analytica
Platformer
8:45 AM
Researchers: as social networks clamp down on disinformation, Russia has begun spreading propaganda in comments sections on news outlets, such as Daily Mail
Financial Times
8:20 AM
Chinese autonomous driving startup Momenta raises $300M from GM, following $500M Series C in March; Momenta has a license for detailed geographic data in China
Silicon Republic
7:50 AM
Spotnana, which offers SaaS tools for the travel industry, emerges from stealth with $34M Series A and $7M seed funding
TechCrunch
7:45 AM
Researchers: despite Apple's ATT changes, at least three popular iOS apps are sending identifying info to third-parties even when users opt-out of tracking
Washington Post
7:28 AM
European Commission proposes legislation mandating USB-C charging for mobile devices, citing electronic waste; Apple is the main USB-C holdout
Associated Press
7:10 AM
London-based grocery delivery startup Jiffy raises $28M Series A led by Heartland, bringing total funding to $35M
TechCrunch
7:05 AM
Facebook details the types of posts that get demoted in News Feed, such as clickbait and spam, but stops short of saying exactly how a demotion works
The Verge
6:45 AM
Research: automakers globally will produce 7.7M fewer cars this year due to the chip shortage, costing them $210B in sales, as chip lead times slip to 21 weeks
Bloomberg
6:10 AM
Despite passing a tough online abuse law, researchers say social networks in Germany are full of hate speech and harassment ahead of a September 26 election
New York Times
5:45 AM
Apple releases StoreKit 2 with iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and watchOS 8, letting devs access a user's purchase history, letting users request a refund in-app, and more
The Verge
5:35 AM
Chinese AR glasses maker Nreal raises $100M, source says at a $700M valuation, to develop its Nreal Light glasses that connect with smartphones
CNBC
5:25 AM
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs a bill requiring Amazon and other employers to disclose the use of productivity quotas and more, starting January 1
Washington Post
5:10 AM
A look at efforts to close the digital divide in states like Arkansas, as a Microsoft study finds around 120M Americans don't have access to high-speed internet
Bloomberg
2:50 AM
LG is acquiring Israeli startup Cybellum, which detects and assesses vulnerabilities in connected vehicles, for around $240M
TechCrunch
2:30 AM
US federal judge orders Facebook to hand over records on posts removed for promoting violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar
Wall Street Journal
2:10 AM
Singapore-based Cobo, which provides crypto custody and financial services, raises $40M Series B co-led by DST Global, A&T Capital, and IMO Ventures
TechCrunch
1:25 AM
Seattle-based Remitly, which lets users send and receive money across borders, raises $300M+ in its IPO at a valuation of nearly $7B
GeekWire
12:30 AM
Analysis: Apple Silicon averaged 19% GPU gains YoY for the past five years, and A15 grew 52%; since iPhone 5s, performance has grown 133% every four years
Creative Strategies
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
10:40 PM
Iron Ox, an autonomous farming startup, raises $53M Series C led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, bringing its total raised to $98M
SiliconANGLE
9:50 PM
Spenmo, a Singapore-based provider of automated bill payments software and corporate cards for SMBs, raises $34M Series A led by Insight Partners
TechCrunch
9:00 PM
Twitter plans to stop tweets from disappearing when the timeline auto-refreshes, in a series of updates over the next two months
Engadget
8:05 PM
Sources: Biden plans to nominate Cornell law professor and cryptocurrency critic Saule Omarova to run the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Bloomberg
7:40 PM
Discord is testing Watch Together, a feature that lets members broadcast YouTube videos, after Google forced the shutdown of two popular music bots on Discord
The Verge
7:20 PM
Industry groups representing Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter sue Texas over a law that lets residents sue social networks that ban them for their political views
USA Today
6:40 PM
Researchers say an Exchange Autodiscover bug can be used to obtain Windows users' domain and app credentials; Microsoft is investigating
The Record
6:15 PM
Microsoft announces the Surface Adaptive Kit, with tactile labels for locating keycaps and ports, and device opener support, for laptop users with disabilities
TechRadar
5:20 PM
CRM software maker Freshworks closed up 32% at $47.55 per share in its debut, giving it a market cap of $15.3B after raising over $1B in its IPO
Wall Street Journal
4:55 PM
Toast shares closed up 56% at $62.51 in its NYSE debut, giving it a market cap of $31B+, after raising ~$870M in its IPO
CNBC
4:45 PM
Facebook CTO Mike Schroepfer says he will step down next year and shift into a part-time adviser role; Andrew Bosworth will become CTO
Bloomberg
4:00 PM
Leaked email: Tim Cook says recent leakers of info about Apple products and internal meetings “do not belong here” and the company is tracking them down
The Verge
3:40 PM
Read-later apps, pioneered by Instapaper and Pocket, are having a resurgence led by Matter, Upnext, and others, which improve discoverability and other features
Protocol
2:40 PM
A look at the strengths and weaknesses of US and Chinese tech industries, including China's supremacy in network equipment, commercial drones, and batteries
Washington Post
1:50 PM
YouTube is testing letting Premium subscribers download videos from its desktop site through October 19
Android Police
12:45 PM
Tim Sweeney says Apple told Epic that it will not consider reinstating Epic's developer account until all legal appeals have concluded, likely years from now
The Verge
12:40 PM
Microsoft announces $130 Surface Slim Pen 2 with a custom Microsoft G6 chip, haptic feedback, up to 15 hours battery life, and more, now available for preorder
The Verge
12:22 PM
Comcast unveils XiOne, its first streaming device, available to Sky Q customers in Italy and Germany and rolling out to Xfinity Flex customers in the US
Variety
12:17 PM
Hands-on with Microsoft Surface Duo 2: addresses obvious problems with the first model, adding modern specs and a far better camera system, but starts at $1,500
The Verge
12:12 PM
Hands-on with Surface Laptop Studio, which starts at $1,600: new hinge offers three modes, under-device pedestal is strange, and screen is very nice
The Verge
12:10 PM
Hands-on with Surface Pro 8: Thunderbolt is welcome, familiar design, new keyboard is great, but base model is underpowered; starts at $1,099 without a keyboard
The Verge
11:43 AM
Microsoft unveils Surface Laptop Studio, replacing Surface Book, with 14.4" 120Hz display that can slide into new positions, Thunderbolt 4, and haptic trackpad
The Verge
11:35 AM
Microsoft unveils Surface Duo 2 with 8.3" 90Hz dual displays, three 12MP rear cameras, Snapdragon 888, 5G, Android 11, curved screen for exterior notifications
The Verge
11:25 AM
Microsoft announces 10.5-inch Surface Go 3 with updated Intel CPUs for up to 60% better performance, Windows Hello, and more
The Verge
11:15 AM
Microsoft announces Surface Pro 8 with a 13-inch edge-to-edge 120Hz display, Thunderbolt 4, Surface Slim Pen 2, up to 32GB of RAM, and more
The Verge
10:58 AM
Livestream of Microsoft's Surface event
Microsoft
10:55 AM
Live blog of Microsoft's Surface event, where Surface Duo 2, Surface Book 4, Surface Go 3, refreshed Surface Pro X, and more are expected
The Verge
10:50 AM
Review of the Framework, a $999 modular 13.5" laptop that pulls off a relatively sleek design while also being easy to repair and upgrade
Cory Doctorow
10:35 AM
FLYR Labs, which uses machine learning to help airlines better predict ticket prices, raises $150M Series C led by WestCap
TechCrunch
10:30 AM
Teachers say many students, brought up with search features on their computers, are unfamiliar with directories and folders, forcing a rethink of lesson plans
The Verge
10:10 AM
The automatic tipping screen in Square's app disappeared for three hours on Saturday due to a bug, costing restaurant workers and others hundreds of dollars
Washington Post
9:55 AM
Investigation details how safeguards for Facebook's Marketplace, which has 1B MAUs, can fail to protect buyers and sellers from scams, fake accounts, and more
ProPublica
9:50 AM
Orca, a decentralized crypto exchange built on the Solana blockchain, raises $18M Series A led by Polychain, Placeholder, and Three Arrows Capital
Decrypt
9:45 AM
StreamElements, which builds production and analytics tools for streamers, raises $100M led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and says 1.1M people use its services
TechCrunch
9:40 AM
Apple iPad (2021) review: solid performance and battery life, True Tone, upgraded front camera, and a reasonable price, but the design now feels boring
Gizmodo
9:35 AM
Sunday, which offers tools for a faster restaurant checkout process, raises $100M Series A led by Coatue, following $24M seed in April
TechCrunch
9:30 AM
Dapper Labs, maker of NFT-focused NBA Top Shot, raises $250M led by Coatue Management and says it is partnering with Spain's LaLiga soccer league
Bloomberg
9:25 AM
Apple iPad mini (2021) review: A15, Pencil 2 support, better cameras, and USB-C, but no keyboard case support and the screen feels too small for some apps
CNET
9:15 AM
Facebook says Apple's ATT changes will continue to cause headwinds in Q3 and reveals it under-reported iOS web conversions by 15% on average; stock drops 3%+
Axios
9:10 AM
Robinhood says it will test crypto wallets with select users starting next month, letting investors trade, send, receive, and hold digital currencies
CNBC
8:50 AM
Microsoft uncovers a massive phishing operation offering “Phishing-as-a-Service” subscriptions or one-time tools based on over 120 templates for $80-$100
The Record
8:35 AM
Enterprise document management startup PandaDoc raises Series C at a $1B valuation but is not disclosing the amount raised due to Belarus' political situation
TechCrunch
8:15 AM
Ant Group's Huabei consumer lending service says user data will be made available to China's central bank credit reporting system
Wall Street Journal
7:55 AM
With 2B iPhones sold, Apple has avoided disruption by adding unexpectedly useful features and avoiding overshooting on performance
Asymco
7:35 AM
How FanDuel outpaced DraftKings to take an estimated 42% share of the US sports wagers market after its sale to Flutter
Bloomberg
7:05 AM
Rawalpindi-based TAG Innovation, which builds financial tools for Pakistan's 100M unbanked adults, raises $12M at a $100M valuation led by Liberty City
Bloomberg
6:15 AM
FCC says it is reviewing Zoom's proposed $15B acquisition of cloud-based call center software maker Five9, citing Zoom's ties to China
Wall Street Journal
5:25 AM
Shenzhen-based Hai Robotics, which develops autonomous hardware for warehouses, raises $200M across a Series C and Series D, following a $15M Series B+ in March
TechCrunch
5:20 AM
French online secondhand fashion marketplace Vestiaire Collective raises $209M at a $1.7B valuation led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2, after raising $216M in March
Bloomberg
4:55 AM
Netflix agrees to acquire the Roald Dahl Story Company, expanding on a three-year deal to make animated shows, with plans to create TV, movies, games, and more
Variety
2:30 AM
Kavak, a Mexico-based marketplace for used cars, raises $700M Series E led by General Catalyst, doubling its valuation from April to $8.7B
TechCrunch
2:20 AM
ZestMoney, an Indian buy now, pay later startup, raises $50M Series C from Australian buy now, pay later company Zip
Entrackr
1:50 AM
Overview of the market for NFTs, where the majority of assets sold on OpenSea in the past 90 days have not seen another deal
Bloomberg
1:05 AM
VMware urges customers to immediately patch a critical arbitrary file upload vulnerability in its flagship vCenter and vSphere products
The Register
12:50 AM
Freshworks boosts its IPO offering to $36 per share, after originally pricing it at $28-$32, to raise $1.03B at a $10B+ valuation; trading to begin September 22
Moneycontrol