Techmeme
March 23, 2016, 10:25 PM

Top News

Frederic Lardinois / TechCrunch:
Google debuts Cloud Machine Learning Platform to assist in developing pre-trained machine learning models and building new models from scratch  —  Google launches new machine learning platform  —  Google today announced a new machine learning platform for developers at its NEXT Google Cloud Platform user conference in San Francisco.
Steve Kovach / Tech Insider:
Pebble lays off 40 employees, about 25% of staff, blames tough fundraising climate, has raised $26M over last 8 months on top of $20M Kickstarter campaign  —  Smartwatch company Pebble is laying off 25% of its staff  —  Pebble, the buzzy startup credited for being one of the first companies …
Jason Del Rey / Re/code:
Sources: Apple Pay coming to mobile websites, will be available to Safari users on iPad and iPhone with Touch ID this year  —  Apple Pay Coming to Mobile Websites Before Holiday Shopping Season  —  Apple Pay is finally ready to move beyond apps.  —  Apple has been telling potential partners …
Kwame Opam / The Verge:
Pornhub launches new channel devoted to VR porn, offers free 180-degree, 360-degree content  —  Pornhub launches a new channel devoted to VR porn  —  Pornhub, one of the largest porn sites online, has just launched a new section devoted to VR porn.  The company is partnering …
Alex Kantrowitz / BuzzFeed:
Microsoft introduces Tay, an AI chatbot that's learned how to behave from young adults' online conversations and is debuting on Kik, GroupMe, and Twitter  —  Microsoft's New AI-Powered Chatbot Mimics A 19-Year-Old American Girl  —  Microsoft's new AI-powered chatbot, Tay …
Itika Sharma Punit / Quartz:
Uber sues India competitor Ola, alleges it booked over 400K fake rides from 90K spam accounts, seeks $7.4M in damages  —  Uber sues Ola for allegedly using the same dirty tricks Uber was accused of using on Lyft and Gett  —  The race in the Indian taxi app business may have entered a second—and more intense—lap.
Joseph Cox / Motherboard:
US Government Charges Three Suspected Members of Infamous Syrian Electronic Army  —  On Tuesday, the Department of Justice (DoJ) unsealed myriad computer hacking charges against three men for their alleged links to the hacking group Syrian Electronic Army (SEA).
Yoree Koh / Wall Street Journal:
Source: Pinterest, which projected $3B in 2018 revenues, made about $100M in US ad revenue in 2015, expects non-US users to become majority of audience in 2016  —  Pinterest Works to Pin Down Path to Wider International Audience  —  In an effort to grow, the company is trying to make the image-discovery site less U.S.-centric
Joe Pompeo / Politico:
Blendle launches pay-per-story app in the US with articles from The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Economist, and Financial Times, starting at $.09 each  —  Paid journalism startup Blendle launches in the U.S.  —  Blendle, the Dutch journalism start-up developing an iTunes-style payment method …
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Nielsen to Break Out Metrics for Apple TV, Roku, Other Connected-TV Devices  —  Nielsen promises to give clients a look next month at usage metrics for connected-TV devices — including Roku and Apple TV set-tops — segmented by individual brand and device type.
Abner Li / 9to5Google:
Google Photos will automatically suggest new albums, curate what it thinks are the best shots, tag location, and add maps in new update  —  Albums in Google Photos get smarter, now let you add maps, locations, and captions  —  Google Photos launched last year with numerous smart features …

Sponsor Posts

Google:
Try Gemini 3 Pro  —  Google's newest and most intelligent AI model that helps you bring any idea to life
Shopify:
Shopify's new AI commerce stack  —  Their VP of Product digs into just-launched products to help entrepreneurs and developers build with the latest AI and tech.
Zoho:
Email fatigue is real: Here's how smart email tools help you regain control  —  Picture this: It's Monday morning.  You walk into the office feeling energized and ready to take on the week.
IDrive:
Protecting your Cloud Applications Data  —  Backing up Office 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox & Box data is critical to preventing data loss or corruption, complying with laws and avoiding critical downtime in case of a disaster.

Featured Podcasts

Channels with Peter Kafka:
"Neither Side Is Used to Losing." Lucas Shaw on What's Next for Netflix and Paramount in the Battle for Warner Bros.
Media and tech aren't just intersecting - they're fully intertwined. To understand how those worlds work, Peter Kafka talks to industry leaders, upstarts and observers.
Subscribe to Channels with Peter Kafka.
Uncapped with Jack Altman:
Saam Motamedi from Greylock Partners
Conversations with people I admire about things I'm genuinely interested in.
Subscribe to Uncapped with Jack Altman.
Invest Like the Best:
Henry Ellenbogen - Man Versus Machine
The leading destination to learn about business and investing. We do this by showcasing exceptional talent and ideas.
Subscribe to Invest Like the Best.
Grit:
How Evan Spiegel Is Building the Future of Computing
Grit explores what it takes to create, build and scale world-class organizations.
Subscribe to Grit.
Acquired:
10 Years of Acquired (with Michael Lewis)
Learn the playbooks that built the world's greatest companies - and how you can apply them as a founder, operator, or investor.
Subscribe to Acquired.
Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith:
Ted Sarandos: Netflix and how tech changed storytelling
Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith speaks with leaders in government, business, and culture to explore the most critical challenges at the intersection of technology and society.
Subscribe to Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith.
 

About This Page

This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 10:25 PM ET, March 23, 2016.

The most current version of the site as always is available at our home page. To view an earlier snapshot click here and then modify the date indicated.

More News

New York Times:
Kurt Wagner / Re/code:

Earlier Picks

Ian Cutress / AnandTech:
Chris Williams / The Register:
Stuart Dredge / Music Ally: