Techmeme
January 10, 2020, 10:15 PM

Top News

Jillian D'Onfro / Forbes:
Alphabet's Chief Legal Officer David Drummond is leaving on January 31; company says he will not be receiving an exit package  —  Alphabet's controversial chief legal officer, David Drummond, is leaving the company, effective January 31.  —  Drummond, an employee of nearly 20 years …
Alex Hern / The Guardian:
Ranjan Roy / Margins:
Facebook's corporate comms have felt combative and sloppy since late 2018, and now even rank and file employees are facing public vilification  —  Becoming the villain.  —  5 hr  —  Ranjan here, writing about how Facebook's communication operations feel completely broken and wondering whether …
The Information:
Sources: Quibi's projections from 2019 show the upcoming streaming service is expected to spend ~$1.5B in its first year; Quibi has raised $1.4B so far  —  If there's one thing to be said for Quibi, the short-form streaming service coming from Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman this spring …
Juli Clover / MacRumors:
Apple launches replacement program for Smart Battery Cases for iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR manufactured between January 2019 and October 2019  —  Apple today launched a battery case replacement program for Smart Battery Cases designed for the iPhone XS, XS Max, and iPhone XR.
Bloomberg:
Sources: SoftBank-backed Oyo has let go of 1,800 staff: 5% of its 12K employees in China and 12% of its 10K staff in India, plans to cut 1,200 more in India  —  - Oyo's ructions present yet another headache for SoftBank  —  Oyo Hotels is firing thousands of staff across China and India …
Emily A. Vogels / Pew Research Center:
Pew survey of 4,272 US adults: ~21% use a smart watch or fitness tracker, with women more likely than men to say they regularly use these devices (25% vs 18%)  —  As 2020 begins - and health-related New Year's resolutions take effect - roughly one-in-five U.S. adults (21%) …
Isobel Cockerell / Coda Story:
Instagram is removing posts and suspending accounts that voice support for slain Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani, says it is complying with US sanctions  —  News agencies, human rights activists and influencers have had their accounts deactivated.  —  After a U.S. drone strike killed …
DJ Pangburn / Fast Company:
No known arrests or prosecutions stemmed from San Diego's 7-year facial recognition program, which compiled 65K face scans; the program ended Dec. 31, 2019  —  Since 2012, the city's law enforcement agencies have compiled over 65,000 face scans and tried to match them against a massive mugshot database.
Manish Singh / TechCrunch:
PayU to acquire India-based PaySense at a valuation of $185M and will merge it with its credit business LazyPay; the combined entity will be valued at $300M  —  PayU is acquiring a controlling stake in fintech startup PaySense at a valuation of $185 million and plans to merge …
Anya van Wagtendonk / Washington Post:
A look at problems actors in video games face, including a lack of standard contracts, as the profession falls in a legal gray area between technology and art  —  In early November, Jessica Jefferies gathered in a room with representatives from Equity UK, the actors union, Spotlight …

Sponsor Posts

ElevenLabs:
ElevenAgents by ElevenLabs  —  You know us for voice.  Now meet ElevenAgents — featuring Expressive Mode, our most human-sounding AI voice technology in 70+ languages with ultra-low latency.  Hear it for yourself.
Niantic Spatial:
World models need real-world data  —  Scaniverse is the gateway to spatial services — self-serve and built for AI and robotics.  Large-area 3D reconstruction from 360° cameras and precise localization, anywhere machines operate.
Zoho:
ETL tool evaluation checklist: 6 things to look for before you choose  —  Your data is only as valuable as your ability to move, prepare, and access it efficiently.  Choosing the wrong ETL tool can lead to months of rework …
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:
How Anthropic's product team moves faster than anyone else | Cat Wu (Head of Product, Claude Code)
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.
Access:
Silicon Valley finally has its "Succession"
A show about the tech industry's inside conversation, hosted by tech reporter Alex Heath and founder whisperer Ellis Hamburger.
Subscribe to Access.
The Nick, Dick and Paul Show:
The Me, Me, Me Generation w/ Joel Stein
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.
Invest Like the Best:
Dylan Patel - The Infinite Demand for Tokens, Claude Mythos, and Supply Constraints
The leading destination to learn about business and investing. We do this by showcasing exceptional talent and ideas.
Subscribe to Invest Like the Best.
Big Technology Podcast:
Are We Too Obsessed With AI Predictions? — With Carissa Véliz
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.
Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith:
Ryan Roslansky: Turning AI Anxiety into Skills for the Future of Work
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 10:15 PM ET, January 10, 2020.

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

Lauren Feiner / CNBC:
Lauren Goode / Wired:

Earlier Picks

Monica Nickelsburg / GeekWire:
Thomas Brewster / Forbes:
Kia Kokalitcheva / Axios:
Emma Williams / Microsoft 365 Blog:
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Mike Isaac / New York Times: