Techmeme
February 8, 2016, 12:15 PM

Top News

Casey Newton / The Verge:
Twitter's algorithmic timeline is like expanded version of “while you were away” feature, according to users testing it; opt-out is available  —  Here's how Twitter's new algorithmic timeline is going to work  —  Twitter went into an uproar Friday after a BuzzFeed report …
Jack Dorsey / @jack:
Jack Dorsey responds to #RIPTwitter, links Twitter's identity with real-time, doesn't deny an algorithmic feed but says there was no plan to launch next week  —  Hello Twitter! Regarding #RIPTwitter: I want you all to know we're always listening. We never planned to reorder timelines next week.
Tim Bradshaw / Financial Times:
Sources: Google to release Gear VR-like headset this year compatible with a broad range of smartphones, embed VR technology into Android OS  —  Google pushes further into world of virtual reality  —  Google is developing a new virtual-reality headset for smartphones, and adding extra support …
James Vincent / The Verge:
India bans zero-rated internet services, including Facebook's Free Basics, for infringing on the principles of net neutrality  —  Facebook's Free Basics service has been banned in India  —  Facebook's free-but-restricted internet service, Free Basics, has been banned in India …
Danny Sullivan / Marketing Land:
Hashtags included in 45% of Super Bowl ads; Facebook or Twitter mentioned in only 5% of ads  —  Hashtags In Super Bowl Ads Dropped Slightly To 45% In 2016  —  As with last year, social networks were rarely mentioned, with Twitter and Facebook tied in our count.
Glyn Moody / Ars Technica UK:
GCHQ's data-mining techniques revealed in new Snowden leak  —  Shhh!  Top Secret—don't pass it on...  (credit: GCHQ)  —  A “Data Mining Research Problem Book” marked “top secret strap 1” has been leaked that details some of the key techniques used by GCHQ to sift through the huge volumes …
Andrea Peterson / Washington Post:
Amazon nearly doubled its lobbying expenditures in 2015, focused on issues like sales tax, drones, and cloud services  —  Why Amazon is doubling down on lobbying  —  Amazon nearly doubled its lobbying expenditures in 2015 versus the previous year, spending $9.4 million dollars trying to sway Congress and executive agencies.
Dieter Bohn / The Verge:
Amazon and other retailers should stop selling cheap USB-C cables with faulty wiring that can damage laptops, and instead demand certification for these cables  —  USB-C cables are playing Russian Roulette with your laptop  —  Over the past year or so, one of the biggest tech stories …

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Earlier Picks

Emil Protalinski / VentureBeat: