Techmeme
August 17, 2017, 7:30 PM

Top News

Skype Blogs:
Microsoft launches preview of redesigned Skype desktop client, adds new features including @mentions, message reactions, media gallery, and enhanced group calls  —  Starting today, the next generation of Skype is available in preview on desktop computers.  It's not yet complete and we need your feedback.
Charlie Warzel / BuzzFeed:
Tim Cook says Apple will make two separate $1M donations, to Southern Poverty Law Center and Anti-Defamation League, in an email to staff about Charlottesville  —  On Wednesday evening Apple CEO Tim Cook sent an email to all global employees condemning racism and bigotry as well as President Trump's response …
Ryan Mac / BuzzFeed:
Thuy Ong / The Verge:
Facebook will limit the spread of stories in News Feed that feature either fake video play buttons or videos of only a static image  —  Like ones that have a fake play button on videos of still images … Facebook has announced two new updates that will limit video clickbait posts from appearing in the News Feed.
Tom Warren / The Verge:
Apple adds new setting in iOS 11 beta that temporarily disables Touch ID, brings up option to call 911 when iPhone users tap power button five times quickly  —  Apple is adding an easy way to quickly disable Touch ID in iOS 11.  A new setting, designed to automate emergency services calls …
Maxwell Tani / Business Insider:
Internal memo: Mic is laying off 25 staffers, primarily from its news and editorial departments, as it shifts focus to video and visual journalism  —  Mic.com laid off staffers on Thursday in what is part of a larger pivot to video that it will begin later this month.
Robert Hackett / Fortune:
Bitcoin wallet provider Blockchain and exchange Bitstamp add support for Ethereum  —  Ethereum, a cryptocurrency network and rival to Bitcoin, continues to gain steam in the virtual money world.  —  Two of the longest-operating cryptocurrency businesses said Thursday they will customers to start buying …
Stephanie Condon / ZDNet:
Box announces Google Cloud Vision API integration, available today in private beta  —  The integration is one of Box's first moves to bring machine learning capabilities to its cloud content management platform.  —  In one of its first moves to bring machine learning capabilities …
Jacob Kastrenakes / The Verge:
Sprint opens Essential Phone pre-orders with a $260 discount, only offers black versions, and says units will ship by August 28  —  Sprint is now taking preorders for the Essential Phone, and it's offering subscribers a pretty good perk to jump on it early: a discount of about $260.
Justin Duino / 9to5Google:
Alleged renderings of LG V30 show off handset from multiple angles  —  We're less than a week away from the official announcement of the V30, but that hasn't stopped leaked images of the handset from emerging.  The latest to surface is a press render of the device that shows off the phone from almost every angle...

Sponsor Posts

Google:
Try Gemini 3 Pro  —  Google's newest and most intelligent AI model that helps you bring any idea to life
Shopify:
Transform ML Experimentation with Tangle  —  Save months of compute time with Tangle, built by Shopify.  Try this open-source platform to simplify ML workflows, ensure reproducibility, and seamlessly share with collaborators.
Zoho:
Top shortcuts to work your way through Zoho Cliq  —  The debate between mouse and keyboard users has been around for years.  Whether it's about efficiency, speed, or productivity, there's always this question …
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

Grit:
The Pull to Build: Joubin Mirzadegan on Grit and Starting Roadrunner
Grit explores what it takes to create, build and scale world-class organizations.
Subscribe to Grit.
Lenny's Podcast:
The 100-person AI lab that became Anthropic and Google's secret weapon | Edwin Chen (Surge AI)
Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover actionable advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.
Subscribe to Lenny's Podcast.
Big Technology Podcast:
AI Device Wars Heat Up, RIP Metaverse?, Netflix Acquires Warner Brothers
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Channels with Peter Kafka:
"Hollywood is Truly Freaked Out." Inside the Netflix/WBD Deal with Lucas Shaw
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.
Hard Fork:
OpenAI Calls a 'Code Red' + Which Model Should I Use? + The Hard Fork Review of Slop
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
 

About This Page

This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 7:30 PM ET, August 17, 2017.

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

Earlier Picks