Techmeme
October 4, 2018, 8:00 PM

Top News

Bloomberg:
Sources: Chinese spies inserted tiny chips onto products from US-based motherboard giant Supermicro to infiltrate ~30 US companies including Amazon and Apple  —  In 2015, Amazon.com Inc. began quietly evaluating a startup called Elemental Technologies, a potential acquisition to help …
Bloomberg:
Amazon, Apple, Supermicro, and the Chinese government issue statements disputing the allegations of Bloomberg Businessweek's hacking story  —  Complete text.  —  In emailed statements, Amazon, Apple, and Supermicro disputed summaries of Bloomberg Businessweek's reporting.
Fred Sainz / Apple:
Apple says it has never found malicious chips in its servers, calls Bloomberg reporters' claims unsubstantiated and untrue, says it is not under a gag order  —  The October 8, 2018 issue of Bloomberg Businessweek incorrectly reports that Apple found “malicious chips” in servers on its network in 2015.
Mike Isaac / New York Times:
Sources describe the internal turmoil at Facebook following Joel Kaplan's appearance in support of Brett Kavanaugh during his testimony to Congress last week  —  SAN FRANCISCO — “I want to apologize,” the Facebook executive wrote last Friday in a note to staff.
Jon Porter / The Verge:
Instagram begins rolling out Nametag, which displays usernames in a format that can easily be scanned by others  —  It's also testing School Community bios at some US universities  —  Instagram is rolling out a new way to quickly follow people you've met in real life.
BBC:
US DOJ indicts seven GRU officers with charges relating to cyberattacks on the global chemical weapons watchdog, anti-doping agencies, and a US nuclear company  —  Russian spies have been accused of involvement in a series of cyber-plots across the globe, leading the US to level charges against seven agents.
Chris Welch / The Verge:
Google says Assistant users can now compare ride-hailing prices and book a ride from Uber, Lyft, Ola, Grab, Go-Jek, and more  —  But you still need your phone to complete the request  —  After announcing some updates to the Google Assistant user experience yesterday, today Google is rolling …
Takashi Mochizuki / Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Nintendo plans to release a new version of Switch in the latter half of 2019, perhaps as soon as summer  —  Updated console isn't expected to adopt the OLED panels used in Apple's iPhone X series  —  TOKYO— Nintendo Co. NTDOY -1.78% plans to release a new version …
Megan Rose Dickey / TechCrunch:
Bird announces Bird Delivery, which brings scooters to users' homes or offices in six cities, and unveils Bird Zero, a rugged scooter with a digital screen  —  Bird, the electric scooter sharing startup worth $2 billion, is further differentiating itself from the rest of the pack with the launch of custom, rugged electric scooters.
More: The Verge
Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
Screenshots suggest Instagram is testing a Location History feature that would share users' location with Facebook for targeted ads and content recommendations  —  This is sure to exacerbate fears that Facebook will further exploit Instagram now that its founders have resigned.
Paul Sawers / VentureBeat:
DevOps platform JFrog raises $165M Series D led by Insight Venture Partners, at a valuation “way north” of $1B, says CEO  —  DevOps platform JFrog has raised $165 million in a series D round of funding led by Insight Venture Partners, with participation from Battery Ventures …

Sponsor Posts

Okara:
Meet Okara, the AI platform that doesn't train on your data  —  Chat with 30+ open-source models (Llama, Kimi, Qwen, DeepSeek) through encrypted infrastructure.  Used by teams handling proprietary code and strategy.
Soxton:
AI-powered law for startups  —  Soxton automates startup legal so founders can move faster and sleep better.  We handle incorporation, advisor, employment and commercial contracts.  Join the waitlist for early access!
Zoho:
Pro tips: 5 ways to simplify invoicing and payments in Zoho Books  —  Many businesses still rely on manual processes to collect payments and reconcile invoices.  This often results in delayed payments …
IDrive:
Protecting your Cloud Applications Data  —  Backing up Office 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox & Salesforce data is critical to preventing data loss or corruption, complying with laws and avoiding critical downtime in case of a disaster.

Featured Podcasts

Invest Like the Best:
Gokul Rajaram - Lessons from Investing in 700 Companies
The leading destination to learn about business and investing. We do this by showcasing exceptional talent and ideas.
Subscribe to Invest Like the Best.
Lenny's Podcast:
Marc Andreessen: The real AI boom hasn't even started yet
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.
The Nick, Dick and Paul Show:
The Wellness Industry Pt. 1
Nick Bilton, Dick Costolo, and Paul Kedrosky pull back the curtain on AI, startups, and the future rushing toward us, all with healthy dose of irreverence.
Subscribe to The Nick, Dick and Paul Show.
Big Technology Podcast:
Is AI Killing Software? — With Bret Taylor
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:
Running a Newsroom in Minneapolis + How to Make a Game of Thrones For Less
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:
Special Edition: Key findings from the Microsoft AI Diffusion Report
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 8:00 PM ET, October 4, 2018.

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