Techmeme
August 18, 2017, 3:00 PM

Top News

Electronic Frontier Foundation:
When internet intermediaries like GoDaddy, Google, and CloudFlare bar neo-Nazis, dangerous precedent is set for silencing legitimate voices  —  In the wake of Charlottesville, both GoDaddy and Google have refused to manage the domain registration for the Daily Stormer, a neo-Nazi website that …
Kerry Flynn / Mashable:
Anousha Sakoui / Bloomberg:
Sources: movie studios, including Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures, in talks with Apple, Comcast to offer movie rentals mere weeks after theatrical releases  —  Studios are said focused on project despite exhibitor pushback  —  Theater chains are said to seek 10 years of revenue split
Dieter Bohn / The Verge:
Essential Phone review: edge-to-edge screen is great, good performance and battery life, but has a mediocre camera, an unproven module system, and no 3.5mm jack  —  An arcane artifact from an unrealized future  —  Even though it was announced less than three months ago at the Code Conference …
Ryan Mac / BuzzFeed:
Travis Kalanick files reply to fraud lawsuit, says Benchmark ambushed him in a public and personal attack, and that the case should be privately arbitrated  —  The former Uber CEO filed court documents late Thursday that say the investors behind the lawsuit ambushed him, and that the case should be privately arbitrated.
Ryne Hager / Android Police:
Google will livestream official Android O launch on August 21st; teaser file name suggests it will be called Oreo  —  Today it has been revealed that Android O, the next major version of Google's operating system, will be “touching down” (and likely shown off) on August 21st at 2:40 PM ET via a livestreamed event from New York City.
Jordan Fabian / The Hill:
Donald Trump authorizes elevation of US Cyber Command to the status of Unified Combatant Command, triggering a review of whether it should be separated from NSA  —  President Trump announced Friday he is boosting U.S. Cyber Command to a full combatant command, triggering a review of whether …
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 …
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Sources: in less than a month, over 29M unique viewers have watched Stay Tuned, NBC News' daily Snapchat Discover show  —  In less than a month, over 29 million unique viewers have already watched “Stay Tuned,” NBC News' daily Snapchat Discover show, Axios has learned.  —  Why it matters:
Aloysius Low / CNET:
Asus launches six ZenFone 4 dual-camera phones with the flagship ZenFone 4 Pro, Selfie and Selfie Pro for selfie enthusiasts, and budget-range Max and Max Pro  —  Do you like dual cameras on your phones?  If so, Asus has six pieces of good news for you — in the form of six newly announced ZenFone 4 phones …
Federico Maggi / TrendLabs Security Intelligence Blog:
Researchers find indefensible vulnerability in CAN protocol that controls airbags and sensors including antilock brakes in all modern vehicles  —  In many instances, researchers and engineers have found ways to hack into modern, internet-capable cars, as has been documented and reported several times.
Instagram:
Instagram can now automatically turn photos you're replying to in direct messages into a sticker, adds split-screen reply option by tapping on the sticker  —  Today we're introducing new ways to reply with photos and videos that help you have fun, visual conversations with your friends.

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:
Zoho People in 2025: A year in review  —  As we wrap up 2025, we're taking a moment to look back on a year filled with progress and transformation at Zoho People.  Our team has been constantly pushing boundaries …
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

Lenny's Podcast:
The coming AI security crisis (and what to do about it) | Sander Schulhoff
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:
OpenAI's Potential, Google's Speedy Model, Copilot Hits Turbulence
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.
Hard Fork:
Why Roomba Died + Tech Predictions for 2026 + A Hard Forkin' Xmas Song
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.
Access:
Betting on reality with Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour
A show about the tech industry's inside conversation, hosted by tech reporter Alex Heath and founder whisperer Ellis Hamburger.
Subscribe to Access.
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.
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 3:00 PM ET, August 18, 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

Janko Roettgers / Variety: