Techmeme
October 29, 2019, 6:55 AM

Top News

Mike Isaac / New York Times:
Sources: over 250 Facebook employees have signed a letter visible on an internal forum that says letting politicians lie in ads is “a threat” to the company  —  In an open letter, the social network's employees said letting politicians post false claims in ads was “a threat” to the company.
Reuters:
Sources: Alphabet has made an offer to buy wearable device maker Fitbit; Fitbit's stock closes up 30% on the news  —  (Reuters) - Google owner Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) has made an offer to acquire U.S. wearable device maker Fitbit Inc (FIT.N), as it eyes a slice of the crowded market …
Catalin Cimpanu / ZDNet:
Microsoft says hackers from Strontium, also known as Fancy Bear/APT28, are targeting 16 global sporting and anti-doping organizations ahead of 2020 Olympics  —  Microsoft said APT28 targeted “at least 16 national and international sporting and anti-doping organizations.”
Apple:
Apple unveils AirPods Pro, with active noise cancellation, transparency mode, silicone ear tip design, and water resistance, coming October 30 for $249  —  All-New Design Features Active Noise Cancellation for Immersive Sound  —  Cupertino, California — Apple today announced AirPods Pro …
Alphabet:
Alphabet reports Q3 revenue of $40.5B, up 20% YoY, operating income of $9.2B, up from $8.6B YoY, and net income of $7.1B, down from $9.1B YoY  —  “I am extremely pleased with the progress we made across the board in the third quarter, from our recent advancements in search and quantum computing …
Wolfie Zhao / CoinDesk:
Following Xi Jinping's speech urging adoption of blockchain tech, the CPC releases a decentralized app for members to attest their loyalty on a blockchain  —  China's Communist Party (CPC) is taking its leader's support for blockchain to heart.  —  Following Xi Jinping's bombshell speech …
Zack Whittaker / TechCrunch:
FCC proposes rules requiring telcos remove Huawei and ZTE equipment, in two draft orders slated to be voted on at a meeting on November 19  —  The Federal Communications Commission said it will move ahead with proposals to ban telecommunications giants from using Huawei and ZTE networking equipment …
Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple is working on new smart home products with a new team headed by Andreas Gal, the former Mozilla CTO and co-founder of Apple-acquired Silk Labs  —  The iPhone maker's effort in smart-home devices trails rivals.  A new team wants to change that.
Judd Legum / Popular Information:
How Ben Shapiro's massively popular right-wing site The Daily Wire gets promoted in an inauthentic, coordinated manner by 14 Facebook pages followed by millions  —  The Daily Wire, the right-wing website founded by pundit Ben Shapiro, is a cesspool of misogyny, bigotry, and misinformation.
Hugh Son / CNBC:
Uber unveils Uber Money, a division for efforts like digital wallets and upgraded debit and credit cards, focusing at first on getting 4M drivers a bank account  —  - The ride company announces a new division called Uber Money, which includes a digital wallet and upgraded debit and credit cards.
Bloomberg:
China has created a $29B state-backed fund to invest in the semiconductor industry, from design to manufacturing, to reduce its dependency on US technology  —  - Second of its kind, the fund is mainly backed by state capital  — China wants to become self-reliant in chip-making and design
Tom Warren / The Verge:
Microsoft revives Xbox All Access for US gamers and expands it to the UK and Australia; prices start at $20 per month, with a Project Scarlett upgrade option  —  Xbox All Access bundles from as little as $19.99 per month  —  Microsoft is bringing its Xbox All Access bundle back, just in time for the holiday season.

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 Webinar: A look back at 2025  —  As 2025 comes to a close, it's the perfect time to look back at how Zoho Webinar has transformed the way businesses connect, engage, and grow.
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

The Talk Show With John Gruber:
'A Naughty Citizen', With Quinn Nelson
The director's commentary track for Daring Fireball. Long digressions on Apple, technology, design, movies, and more.
Subscribe to The Talk Show With John Gruber.
Big Technology Podcast:
2025 In Review, 2026 Predictions — With Reed Albergotti
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:
Podcast Pioneer PJ Vogt's Second Act: Less Budget, More Control
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.
BG2 Pod:
AI Enterprise - Databricks & Glean
Open-source podcast on all things tech, markets, investing, and capitalism, hosted by Brad Gerstner.
Subscribe to BG2 Pod.
Great Chat:
The stories we told ourselves in 2025
A podcast mostly about tech. Brought to you weekly by Angela Du, Sally Shin, Mac Bohannon, Helen Min, and Ashley Mayer.
Subscribe to Great Chat.
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 6:55 AM ET, October 29, 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

Matthew De Silva / Quartz:

Earlier Picks

Kurt Wagner / Bloomberg:
Angus Crawford / BBC: