|
April 22, 2020, 1:00 PM
|
Mediagazer
memeorandum
WeSmirchTop News
| Manish Singh / TechCrunch: |
Facebook invests $5.7B in Jio for a 9.99% stake, making it the largest minority shareholder in the subsidiary of India's most valued firm, Reliance Industries — Facebook has enjoyed unparalleled reach in India for more than a decade. But as China's fast-growing ByteDance emerges …
More:
Business Insider, Wall Street Journal, South China Morning Post, The Economic Times, Associated Press, CNBC, Livemint, VentureBeat, Bloomberg, Financial Times, PYMNTS.com, coinspeaker.com, Financial Times, BGR India, MSPoweruser, BuzzFeed News, SiliconANGLE, Reuters, Android Central, Nikkei Asian Review, Quartz, Inc42 Media, and Firstpost
Tweets: @arjunkharpal, @varinder_bansal, @sub8u, @akm1410, @sarahfrier, @jonrussell, @nixxin, @chandrarsrikant, @raju, @rahulnischal, @tsuvik, @internetfreedom, @mytechmusings, @samidhas, @madhumachi, @r0h1n, @cvllr, @gautamghosh, @rameshsrivats, @sub8u, @eastdakota, @rohitdubey, @stevekopack, @kurtwagner8, @internetfreedom, and @internetfreedom
| Nikhil Pahwa / MediaNama: |
Facebook's deal with Jio is unlikely to make a dent in India's mobile payments market, where Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm have emerged as the big players — So it's confirmed: Facebook has bought 9.9% stake in Jio Platforms Limited, the parent company of Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, for $5.7 billion (Rs 43,574 crore).
More:
Reliance Industries Limited, Bloomberg, KrASIA, Forbes, Bloomberg, Reuters, Inc42 Media, Facebook, CNET, Yahoo Finance, Fortune, Social Media Today, XDA Developers, SiliconANGLE, The Hill, and The Verge
Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg. Tweets: @arjunkharpal, @mikeisaac, @kurtwagner8, @seyitaylor, @disruptivedean, @sushubh, @thekenyeung, @blitzkreigm, @sarthakgh, and @alexeheath
| New York Times: |
Facebook's Jio investment may pave the way for WhatsApp to connect with Indian businesses via JioMart, Jio's small-business marketplace, for mobile shopping — It was the largest bet by the social network on the developing market, where millions of people have gone online in recent years.
Tweets: @ceciliakang
| Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai / VICE: |
Researchers say they found two iPhone 0-days, exploited in the wild, including a remote zero-click flaw in the Mail app; Apple says an update will patch both — In the summer of 2016, researchers at a digital rights organization and a cybersecurity firm announced they had caught …
More:
ZecOps Blog, Wall Street Journal, ZDNet, TechCrunch, Forbes, Business Insider, 9to5Mac, AppleInsider, MacRumors, Reuters, MSPoweruser, iDownloadBlog.com, The Hacker News, Tom's Guide, Yahoo Finance, The Mac Observer, iMore, and Cult of Mac
Tweets: @lorenzofb, @ryanaraine, @wsj, @newley, and @ildannymoore
| Ed Hammond / Bloomberg: |
Sources: Magic Leap is laying off about half its employees, or around 1,000 people, as it winds down its consumer business; Magic Leap has raised over $2B — - About 1,000 employees are said to be affected by cuts — Magic Leap to wind down consumer business in retreat
More:
Magic Leap, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, The Information, Forbes, Business Insider, Axios, and MSPoweruser
Tweets: @joshconstine, @stevekovach, @ali_heston, and @josephflaherty
| Dieter Bohn / The Verge: |
iPhone SE 2020 review: good battery life but has a tired design and while the camera is good in bright light and great at video, it is noisy in low-light — A strong case against $1,000 phones — What do you look for in a new iPhone? The top of the list likely includes battery life and camera quality.
More:
Wired, Wall Street Journal, CNET, AppleInsider, MacRumors, Forbes, iMore, Engadget, 9to5Mac, Pocket-lint, Wccftech, TechRadar.com, MacDailyNews, CNBC, Yahoo Finance, Gizchina, iPhone Hacks, and Softpedia News
Tweets: @waltmossberg, @chillmage, @joannastern, and @backlon
| Tom Warren / The Verge: |
Zoom rolls out its 5.0 update, focused exclusively on security and privacy features, including easier call management and upgrading encryption — Zoom is moving quickly to address complaints — Zoom promised a 90-day feature freeze to fix privacy and security issues, and the company is delivering on some of those promises.
More:
Zoom Blog, ZDNet, Thurrott, Windows Central, Computerworld, BetaNews, 9to5Mac, MSPoweruser, Yahoo Finance, and Wccftech
Tweets: @jwangark and @profwoodward
| Scott Rosenberg / Axios: |
Zoom fatigue is now setting in, as it moves from being a social lifeline to a chore, used for all interactions while aggravating anxieties in an exhausting time — The rapid trajectory of videoconferencing service Zoom has entered a new phase: What started as a social lifeline during the pandemic …
More:
The Information, Fast Company, and BBC
| New York Times: |
US intelligence officials say Chinese operatives are amplifying COVID-19 disinformation in America using text messages and social media posts — American officials were alarmed by fake text messages and social media posts that said President Trump was locking down the country.| Todd Spangler / Variety: |
Netflix announces plans to offer $1B in junk bonds to fund operations and potential acquisitions; as of the end of March, Netflix reported $14.17B in debt — Netflix is going back to the debt markets yet again, announcing plans to offer $1 billion in junk bonds to fund operations and potential acquisitions.| Lauren Feiner / CNBC: |
More:
Netflix, Decrypt, Observer, PYMNTS.com, New York Times, Wccftech, The Next Web, Thurrott, coinspeaker.com, and Silicon Republic
| Megan Rose Dickey / TechCrunch: |
Patreon says it laid off 30 employees, 13% of its workforce, partly due to current economic uncertainty, despite seeing a surge in new creators last month — Creative platform Patreon has laid off 30 employees, which is 13% of its workforce, TechCrunch has learned.| Frederic Lardinois / TechCrunch: |
Vivaldi browser gets built-in options to block ads and tracking, with a blocklist powered by DuckDuckGo's Tracker Radar, and comes out of beta on Android — Vivaldi, the browser launched by former Opera CEO Jon von Tetzchner, has long positioned itself as a highly customizable alternative to Chrome and Firefox for power users.
More:
Vivaldi Browser, The Verge, Downloadcrew, 9to5Google, Thurrott, BetaNews, Engadget, OnMSFT.com, gHacks Technology News, CNET, Softpedia News, and Android Police. Tweets: @vivaldibrowser
| CNBC: |
US Small Business Administration notifies ~8,000 business owners seeking federal relief loans that their personal data may have been exposed to other applicants — - Some small business owners seeking help via the Small Business Administration's Economic Injury Disaster Loan program …
More:
Washington Post, Threatpost, PYMNTS.com, and SC Media
Tweets: @katerogers, @shaynacpa, @counternotions, @arielmtspeaks, @iansams, @zck, and @mattrosoff
| Bobby Allyn / NPR: |
Profile of Martin Pichinson, whose firm helps wind down financially troubled tech companies, as his work ramps up amid 21K lost startup jobs since early March — Toggle more options — Monikers have followed Martin Pichinson for his whole career, given his line of work.
Tweets: @npr and @wolfejosh
| About Facebook: |
Facebook rolls out Messenger Kids to 70+ new countries, adding features to make it easier for parents to connect kids with their friends — With schools closed and people physically distancing, parents are turning to technology more than ever to help their kids connect with friends and family.
More:
VentureBeat, XDA Developers, Mashable, MacRumors, CNET, Engadget, iDownloadBlog.com, Thurrott, The Verge, Yahoo Finance, MSPoweruser, iPhone in Canada Blog, PhoneArena, About Facebook, 9to5Mac, Adweek, Neowin, Android Central, and Social Media Today. Tweets: @martinsfp
| Sarah Perez / TechCrunch: |
Google launches a Watchlist feature for Search to help users keep track of TV shows and movies — Google is adding a new feature to Search that will help you keep track of all the TV shows and movies you want to watch during these long weeks at home. The company had already …
More:
AndroidGuys and Yahoo Finance
| Will Knight / Wired: |
MIT has terminated its five-year research collaboration with Chinese AI firm iFlytek, which is accused of supplying tech for surveilling Uighurs in China — Reports accuse iFlytek of selling technology to the government that's used to oppress ethnic Uighurs in China's northwest.
Tweets: @wired, @kenroth, and @tsimonite
| Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge: |
Hands-on with Motorola's new $999 Edge Plus, which has a 6.7-inch display, Snapdragon 865, 5G, 12GB of RAM, 3.5mm jack, and arrives on May 14 on Verizon — Hands-on with Motorola's most powerful phone in years — Motorola is making flagship phones again.
More:
TechCrunch, VentureBeat, Android Police, Gizmodo, and Bloomberg
| Tom Krazit / Protocol: |
Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian says that its open source tool for microservices management, Istio, will be donated to a foundation in the near future — Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian has ended years of confusion by telling Protocol that Google will eventually donate its open-source project Istio …
Tweets: @sogrady, @techjournalist, @chipchilders, @christianposta, and @tomkrazit
| Jason Schreier / New York Times: |
While gaming sales are breaking records, the coronavirus pandemic is impacting the gaming industry with delays, scope cuts, and serious production challenges — The coronavirus pandemic is offering mixed news and new challenges for gaming companies, both independent and corporate.
More:
GamingBolt and CCN.com
Tweets: @kojipro2015_en, @sexualjumanji, @nfritanga, @ohnoitsalexx, @glassbottommeg, @markmacd, @cam_rogers, @cynixy, @nalvaratv, @jorraptor, @bexsaltsman, and @emilyg
| Kate Cox / Ars Technica: |
Leaked screenshots of a Ring survey show Amazon is gauging interest in adding facial recognition and license plate detection tools — Amazon wouldn't be the first consumer company to do it, but it would be the biggest. — Amazon subsidiary Ring, which has partnerships …
Tweets: @bradmccarty and @angelsdiaz_
| The Daily Beast: |
Sources say Palantir's data suites are a primary contributor to HHS Protect Now, a US government tool to track the spread of coronavirus in use since April 10 — Palantir, a longtime partner of intelligence agencies, co-founded by major Trump backer Peter Thiel, is helping build “the single source for [coronavirus] testing data.”
More:
Gizmodo, The Verge, and FedScoop
Tweets: @hshaban, @hoofnagle, @erinbanco, @clarajeffery, @m_lynx_3000, @thedailybeast, @paullewis, @noahshachtman, @lukeobrien, and @minhtngo
| James Pearson / Reuters: |
Sources: Vietnamese state-telcos took Facebook's local servers offline, slowing traffic, until the company agreed to increase censorship of “anti-state” posts — HANOI (Reuters) - Facebook's local servers in Vietnam were taken offline early this year, slowing local traffic …
More:
TechCrunch and Gizmodo
Tweets: @jonrussell, @will_nguyen_, @tmclaughlin3, @tostevinm, @pinoytapsilog, @linhpnguyen, @pearswick, @dabeard, and @pearswick
| Lauren Feiner / CNBC: |
Q1 lobbying filings: Facebook's spend rose 19% QoQ to $5.3M, Apple rose by 18% QoQ to $2.2M, Amazon was up 3% QoQ to $4.3M, and Google dropped 34% QoQ to $1.8M — - Facebook and Amazon led the Big Tech companies in lobbying spend in the first quarter of 2020, according to documents filed with the federal government this week.| Lily Hay Newman / Wired: |
Google's Threat Analysis Group shares a report outlining efforts by over 12 state-sponsored hackers using COVID-19 as cover for espionage — More than 12 government-backed groups are using the pandemic as cover for digital reconnaissance and espionage, according to a new report.Sponsor Posts
Google:
Try Gemini 3 Pro — Google's newest and most intelligent AI model that helps you bring any idea to life
Try Gemini 3 Pro — Google's newest and most intelligent AI model that helps you bring any idea to life
Shopify:
Shopify: Revolutionizing Commerce with Winter Edition '26 — Over 150+ new features transform how merchants build, design, and grow—with technology that amplifies creative vision.
Shopify: Revolutionizing Commerce with Winter Edition '26 — Over 150+ new features transform how merchants build, design, and grow—with technology that amplifies creative vision.
Zoho:
Email fatigue is real: Here's how smart email tools help you regain control — Picture this: It's Monday morning. You walk into the office feeling energized and ready to take on the week.
Email fatigue is real: Here's how smart email tools help you regain control — Picture this: It's Monday morning. You walk into the office feeling energized and ready to take on the week.
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.
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
Big Technology Podcast:
OpenAI's 2026 Priority, Disney's AI Play, Datacenter Buildout Trouble
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:
Australia Kicks Kids Off Social Media + Is the A.I. Water Issue Fake? + Hard Fork Wrapped
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.
Access:
Why the next AI frontier is phone calls, with Beside CEO Maxime Germain
A show about the tech industry's inside conversation, hosted by tech reporter Alex Heath and founder whisperer Ellis Hamburger.
Subscribe to Access.
Great Chat:
So what happens after AGI?
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.
Channels with Peter Kafka:
Lachlan Cartwright Started in Tabloids. Now He's a Must-Read Media Gossip.
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.
About This Page
This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 1:00 PM ET, April 22, 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.
From Mediagazer
Benjamin Mullin / New York Times:Pamela McClintock / The Hollywood Reporter:
Trip Gabriel / New York Times:
Upcoming Tech Events
Earlier Picks
| Sean O'Kane / The Verge: |
More:
The Next Web and PYMNTS.com
Tweets: @lithiumpodcast, @sub8u, @jessedonoe, @bgurley, and @parismarx
| Snap: |
| Lucas Matney / TechCrunch: |
More:
Polygon, The Verge, Telegraph, PCWorld, Business Insider, Gamasutra, Protocol, Wccftech, XDA Developers, WRAL TechWire, and Neowin
Tweets: @onejarednewman, @dhh, @derekmross, @vtoubiana, @tocelot, @ericflo, @kifleswing, @ballmatthew, and @joshconstine
| Chance Miller / 9to5Mac: |