Techmeme
April 11, 2019, 8:20 AM

Top News

Bloomberg:
Sources describe Amazon Alexa's AI-training process, where workers transcribing voice clips see customer account numbers and hear private conversations  —  Tens of millions of people use smart speakers and their voice software to play games, find music or trawl for trivia.
Shannon Liao / The Verge:
Google says any Android device running 7.0 or later can now be used as a security key for two-factor authentication  —  An advanced form of two-factor authentication  —  Google announced today that any phone running Android 7 or higher can now be used as a physical security key …
Tom Krazit / GeekWire:
Tom Krazit / GeekWire:
Wired:
Facebook rolls out multiple changes to combat the spread of disinformation: demoting untrustworthy sources in News Feed, changes to how Groups work, and more  —  FACEBOOK IS TRYING to redefine authoritativeness on the internet as part of its efforts to fight the spread of misinformation and abuse on its platforms.
Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
Instagram says it will demote posts that are “inappropriate” but do not go against its Community Guidelines by not showing them in Explore or hashtag pages  —  Instagram is home to plenty of scantily-clad models and edgy memes that may start to get fewer views starting today.
CNN:
MIT grad student Katie Bouman helped develop the imaging algorithm for the Event Horizon Telescope that captured the first picture of a black hole  —  (CNN)Imagine trying to take a photo of an orange that's on the moon with your smartphone.  It seems impossible.
Karen Weise / New York Times:
The Pentagon says Amazon and Microsoft are the final candidates for its $10B JEDI contract and that IBM and Oracle didn't meet the minimum requirements  —  The Pentagon said Wednesday that Amazon and Microsoft were the final candidates for a hotly contested $10 billion contract to bring modern cloud computing to the Defense Department.
Adi Robertson / The Verge:
Democratic senators propose the Algorithmic Accountability Act, which would require large companies to audit machine learning-powered systems for bias  —  US lawmakers have introduced a bill that would require large companies to audit machine learning-powered systems — like facial recognition or ad targeting algorithms — for bias.
Romain Dillet / TechCrunch:
Coinbase launches Coinbase Card, a Visa debit card for UK customers to spend cryptocurrencies in-store and online, will expand to other EU countries in months  —  When you buy cryptocurrencies on Coinbase, many users simply don't know what to do with them.  Customers in the U.K …
Emil Protalinski / VentureBeat:
Gartner and IDC estimate PC shipments of 58.5M in Q1 2019, with Gartner reporting shipments down 4.6% YoY, and IDC reporting them down 3% YoY  —  The PC market is still in decline, according to research firms Gartner and IDC.  That's nothing new for the duo to agree on, but coincidentally they also …
Chance Miller / 9to5Mac:
Apple Podcasts on the web gets an overhaul, with a new design, support for web playback, individual episode details, dedicated podcasts.apple.com URLs, and more  —  Apple this week has overhauled the web interface for Apple Podcasts.  The new design is much cleaner and easier to navigate …
Karen Weise / New York Times:
Over 4,200 Amazon employees publicly call on the company to give clear commitments on tackling climate change, the largest staff-driven movement thus far  —  SEATTLE — Employees at big tech companies have pushed back against their employers for working with the military and law enforcement offices …
Tony Romm / Washington Post:
During a hearing, Republicans led by Sen. Ted Cruz continue to say big tech companies are stifling conservative speech even as experts say no evidence exists  —  Republicans led by Sen. Ted Cruz on Wednesday pilloried Facebook, Google and Twitter over allegations they censor conservative users …

Sponsor Posts

Soxton:
Fast, affordable 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!
Equals:
Stop vibe coding analytics  —  Equals AI turns questions about your business into auditable spreadsheet models and dashboards.  Build once, iterate for years.
Zoho:
Zoho Mail MCP: Make your inbox work for you  —  Maya is the head of operations at a 500-person B2B software company.  She's sharp, she's busy, and she starts every morning the same way-with her coffee, laptop, inbox.Not to work.
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

Lenny's Podcast:
OpenAI Codex lead on the new shape of product work | Andrew Ambrosino
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:
Anthropic's Mythos is Back, OpenAI Releases GPT 5.6, Apple's Price Increases
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:
'The Daily' and 'The Opinions': How A.I. Is Changing Loneliness and Taste
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.
The Upstarts Podcast:
Writer's May Habib: Building AI Tools For Corporate 'Normal People' The Labs Leave Behind
Veteran tech reporter Alex Konrad sits down with breakout entrepreneurs taking on the status quo to shake up their fields in AI, design, nuclear energy, space, and more.
Subscribe to The Upstarts Podcast.
The Nick, Dick and Paul Show:
A Nick, Dick, and Paul Buffet!
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.
Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith:
AI's Mythos Moment: Rishi Sunak on preparing governments for AI
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 8:20 AM ET, April 11, 2019.

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

Pew Research Center:
Steve Blank:
Financial Times:
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Eugene Kim / CNBC: