Techmeme
April 17, 2020, 1:30 AM

Top News

Julia Carrie Wong / The Guardian:
Facebook to notify users who liked, commented, or reacted to COVID-19 misinfo and guide them to WHO resources, as report finds debunked claims on the platform  —  Users who have liked, shared or commented on posts with false claims will be directed to WHO's ‘myth busters’ page
Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Sources: at virtual all-hands, Tim Cook reiterated Apple's strong financials when asked about job cuts, said he doesn't know when staff will return to offices  —  - Tim Cook: Apple to make ‘really significant’ R&D investments  — Company's retail staff begin preparing for store re-openings
Queenie Wong / CNET:
Facebook is no longer planning to host local events in place of its F8 developer conference and cancels physical events with 50 or more people through June 2021  —  Facebook said Thursday that it's no longer planning to host local events in place of its F8 developer conference …
Jason Snell / Six Colors:
Apple says macOS 10.15.5 will include a battery management tool for MacBooks with Thunderbolt 3 that manages battery life by analyzing the battery's temperature  —  The way MacBook batteries charge is about to change.  Apple has released a new developer preview of macOS Catalina 10.15.5 …
New York Times:
Libra scales back ambitions of launching a global currency and will now focus on creating a traditional payment network with coins tied to local currencies  —  After months of criticism, the cryptocurrency is moving ahead with significant revisions.  —  OAKLAND, Calif. …
Paresh Dave / Reuters:
Google says Gmail business and education users can now directly take video calls on Meet, with a new Zoom-like layout, noise filtering, and more coming later  —  OAKLAND, California (Reuters) - Google will allow business and education users on Gmail.com to directly take calls …
Kyle Wiggers / VentureBeat:
Amazon introduces a long-form speaking style for news and music within third-party Alexa skills, making speech sound natural by inserting conversational pauses  —  Amazon today announced a long-form speaking style for news and music content within third-party Alexa skills (i.e., voice apps).
Sarah Krouse / Wall Street Journal:
Verizon says it will buy videoconferencing company Blue Jeans Network, source says for less than $500M  —  Acquisition comes as the coronavirus spurs unprecedented work-from-home arrangements  —  Verizon Communications Inc. has agreed to buy videoconferencing company Blue Jeans Network Inc. …
Kevin Roose / New York Times:
Analysis of Joe Biden's YouTube, which has just 32,000 subscribers, shows his weakness against Trump's online presence, especially as campaigning goes virtual  —  The coronavirus has forced the Democrats' presumptive presidential nominee into an all-digital campaign, and he's struggling to break through.
Alex Hern / The Guardian:
Natalia Drozdiak / Bloomberg:
John Gruber / Daring Fireball:
The quadrennial iPhone SEs break from the annual upgrade cycle, arriving 2.5 years after their lookalikes as final versions of popular form factors  —  The answer: Leap years, the summer Olympics, U.S. presidential elections.  —  The question: What are things that occur every fourth year?
More: Forbes and TechaerisTweets: @reneritchie
Jordan Novet / CNBC:
NBA to use Microsoft's Azure cloud to add new features to its website and apps, like showing games in fans' native languages and letting them chat during games  —  - The NBA will tap Microsoft's Azure public cloud and use its Surface devices.  — The league envisions delivering highlight reels …
Sebastiaan de With / Halide:
An in-depth analysis of the 2020 iPad Pro's cameras and the mechanism behind its lidar sensor, aided by a proof of concept app to show the sensor's potential  —  Two weeks ago, Apple dropped a new iPad Pro into our lives via their website.  One of its headline features?  A brand new camera array.
More: The VergeTweets: @codinghorror
Bloomberg:
Sources: Sony plans to limit its initial PlayStation 5 production run in its first year partly because it expects lower demand due to a higher launch price  —  - Console still on track for year-end launch despite Covid-19  — Biggest impact from virus so far seen on unveiling timeline
Jacob Kastrenakes / The Verge:
TikTok lets parents set restrictions on their kids' accounts like limiting screen time, disabling DMs, and restricting content, and disables DMs for under-16s  —  They can set screen time limits, disable DMs, and restrict content  —  TikTok is amping up its parental controls today …
Matt Day / Bloomberg:
In his annual letter to shareholders, Jeff Bezos outlined the steps Amazon is taking to curb the coronavirus, including regular testing for all staff globally  —  Amazon.com Inc. Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos said the online retail giant is developing Covid-19 testing capabilities …
Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple is developing at least two over-ear wireless headphone variants, with swappable magnetic ear cups and headbands, to augment its AirPods business  —  - Over-ear headphones customizable via magnetic attachments  — Entering a category led by own Beats brand, Bose and Sony
Kirsten Korosec / TechCrunch:
Instacart launches a prescription delivery service from nearly 200 Costco locations in states including CA and NY, driven by demand during the pandemic  —  Online grocery delivery company Instacart is launching a prescription delivery service through a partnership with Costco as demand …
More: Engadget

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