Techmeme
April 18, 2020, 1:55 AM

Top News

Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
Sources: Google is working on a “Google card”, a debit card co-branded with banks including Citi, to set itself apart from rival payment services  —  Would you pay with a “Google Card?”  TechCrunch has attained imagery that shows Google is developing its own physical and virtual debit cards.
Eric Slivka / MacRumors:
Apple Music on the web exits beta and is available to all subscribers worldwide  —  Last September, Apple launched a web-based Apple Music experience, offering users a similar experience to the Mac version of the Music app with “For You,” “Browse,” and “Radio” sections, along with playlists, recommendations and more.
David Carnoy / CNET:
Apple Music head Oliver Schusser will take over Beats, replacing its president, Luke Wood, who's leaving the company on April 30  —  Apple Music head Oliver Schusser will be taking the top post at Beats, replacing Luke Wood, who's leaving the company on April 30.  —  Enlarge Image
Jessica Guynn / USA Today:
Facebook to add two new “Care Reactions”: an emoji hugging a heart on the main Facebook app and a pulsating heart on Messenger  —  Need a reassuring hug during the COVID-19 pandemic?  Facebook has a new feel-good reaction for that.  —  When even the smallest physical gesture …
David Shepardson / Reuters:
In a setback to Amazon, a federal judge put its JEDI cloud contract lawsuit on hold, following a DOD report failing to establish White House interference  —  A U.S. judge on Friday put on hold a suit by Amazon.com Inc challenging the Pentagon's decision to award a $10 billion contract to Microsoft Corp.
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Netflix is releasing ten documentary films and series on YouTube for free for use by teachers, accompanied by study guides and Q&As with creators  —  Netflix has unlocked a selection of educational documentary films and series — available now for free on YouTube — saying it's a way to help teachers during the COVID-19 quarantine.
Jeran Wittenstein / Bloomberg:
Shopify CTO says the platform is “now handling Black Friday level traffic every day”; Shopify stock gained 50% in the last 7 days, adding $23B in market value  —  Shopify Inc. shares are on track for a record high after an executive said the e-commerce company was experiencing traffic similar …
Bloomberg:
Source: AWS is restructuring large contracts but is not flexible with small startups; report: Microsoft, Google gave some customers more time to pay cloud bills  —  - Startup requests Google pass along cloud ‘pandemic credits’  — Big customers may get a break from Big 3 utilities of the web
The Atlantic:
Trump's campaign is poised to replicate its 2016 success on Facebook, exploiting how FB's AI ad tools automatically distribute ad spend and target audiences  —  Look at a thousand of the millions of Facebook ads Donald Trump has run, and it's hard to believe that they represent a winning strategy.
Yogita Khatri / The Block:
Binance launches a white paper for Binance Smart Chain, an Ethereum-compatible proof-of-stake blockchain for smart contracts with BNB as a native token  —  Crypto exchange Binance is launching a new Ethereum-compatible blockchain, with BNB as a native token.
Financial Times:
UK's competition watchdog provisionally approves Amazon's investment in Deliveroo, after concluding the startup risked collapse absent new funds  —  CMA says delivery group was at risk of failing without fresh funding  —  The UK's competition regulator has granted provisional approval …
Sam Mehmet / Intelligent Transport:
Lime to reactivate small fleets of scooters in some US and European cities and offer free 30-minute rides for health workers and law enforcement officers  —  The pandemic has had a notable impact on transportation, and Lime aims to offer its scooters in select cities as an easy way for people to travel while social distancing.

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Kyle Wiggers / VentureBeat:

Earlier Picks

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Kyle Wiggers / VentureBeat:
Jordan Novet / CNBC:
Jason Snell / Six Colors:
Paresh Dave / Reuters:
Natalia Drozdiak / Bloomberg:
New York Times: