Techmeme
November 19, 2018, 5:55 PM

Top News

Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Apple reduced production orders for all new iPhone models in recent weeks; iPhone XR production was slashed by up to one third of the initial 70M  —  In recent weeks, Apple slashed production orders for all three iPhone models that it unveiled in September
Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
Instagram says it will use machine learning to find and remove inauthentic likes, follows, and comments from accounts using third-party apps to boost popularity  —  Instagram is fighting back against automated apps people use to leave spammy comments or follow then unfollow others in hopes of growing their audience.
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
Zuckerberg should give up his dual role as Facebook CEO and chairman, stepping down as chairman and appointing an independent director to oversee the board  —  Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg once set out a bit of digital-world wisdom that became his company's informal motto: “Move fast and break things.”
Natasha Lomas / TechCrunch:
Eight parliaments are now demanding Zuckerberg answer questions about fake news and more, as Brazil, Latvia, and Singapore join a UK-led grand committee  —  Facebook's founder is facing pressure to accept an invite from eight international parliaments, with lawmakers wanting to question …
Deepa Seetharaman / Wall Street Journal:
Tom Dotan / The Information:
Sources: Evan Spiegel spends most board meetings looking at his phone and messaging on Snapchat, seemingly dismissive of some members' “short term” concerns  —  Until a few months ago, Snap's board meetings could be tense affairs.  Benchmark partner Mitch Lasky …
Tom Warren / The Verge:
Microsoft says it is bringing Skype calling to Alexa-enabled devices this week, including SkypeOut which lets users call mobile and landline phones  —  Microsoft and Amazon's partnership continues  —  Microsoft is bringing its Skype calling service to Amazon's Alexa-enabled devices this week.
Ina Fried / Axios:
Tim Cook says some government regulation of Silicon Valley is inevitable, defends deal to make Google Apple's default search engine despite privacy concerns  —  If Apple is so big on users' privacy, why does the company take billions of dollars from Google in exchange for letting the search giant …
Khari Johnson / VentureBeat:
Google says Chromecasts can now sync audio with Google Home speakers and similar integrations are planned for Google Home Hub and LG Xboom WK9 in coming weeks  —  Google Home speakers and Chromecasts can now be included in a Home audio group for music, podcasts, or audiobooks, a company spokesperson told VentureBeat in an email.
Julie Bort / Business Insider:
Inside Uber before its self-driving car killed a pedestrian: sources describe infighting, “perverse” incentives, and questionable decisions  —  Samantha Lee/Business Insider; Natalie Behring/REUTERS  — On March 18 one of Uber's self-driving cars killed a pedestrian …

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:
From content collaboration to content intelligence: Zoho WorkDrive's 2025 journey  —  As 2025 draws to a close, we're reflecting on a year marked by meaningful progress, purposeful innovation, and continuous learning at Zoho WorkDrive.
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

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.
Big Technology Podcast:
Sam Altman: How OpenAI Wins, AI Buildout Logic, IPO in 2026?
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.
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.
Lenny's Podcast:
The new AI growth playbook for 2026: How Lovable hit $200M ARR in one year | Elena Verna (Head of Growth)
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.
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 5:55 PM ET, November 19, 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

Edmund Lee / New York Times:

Earlier Picks

Aaron van Wirdum / Bitcoin Magazine:
Andrew Liptak / The Verge: