Techmeme
May 11, 2020, 9:40 AM

Top News

Andy Greenberg / Wired:
Researcher: PCs with Thunderbolt ports have an unpatchable flaw letting hackers with physical access circumvent data safeguards; some new PCs are not affected  —  The so-called Thunderspy attack takes less than five minutes to pull off with physical access to a device, and affects any PC manufactured before 2019.
Travis M. Andrews / Washington Post:
Facebook, YouTube, and Vimeo say they are removing a viral 26-minute trailer for “Plandemic”, a conspiracy film that features well-known anti-vaxxers  —  Social media companies including YouTube, Vimeo and Facebook are removing a viral conspiracy theory video because of its claims regarding the coronavirus pandemic.
Jon Fingas / Engadget:
Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon 768G processor with faster graphics performance and global 5G support  —  Qualcomm isn't wasting any time following up last year's Snapdragon 765G gaming chip with a more powerful model.  It's unveiling the Snapdragon 768G, a follow-up that appears to address what many gamers want the most: raw performance.
Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge:
Premium email app Newton Mail says it has been bought by new owners and will still charge $50 per year  —  The $50-per-year email service has been bought again by new owners  —  Newton Mail is returning to life once again under new ownership, marking the unexpected third life for the premium email app.
Jon Fingas / Engadget:
Report: the White House is in talks with Intel and TSMC about building chip factories in the US to strengthen domestic supply chains  —  The Trump administration hasn't been shy about wanting to reduce its dependence on Asia for technology, and that might soon include the processors inside PCs and phones.
Benedict Evans:
A look at what could be holding back VR, as a breakthrough moment seems unlikely to materialize despite ripe conditions and nearly a decade of big bets on VR  —  We tried VR in the 1980s, and it didn't work.  The idea may have been great, but the technology of the day was nowhere close to delivering it …
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: online used-car seller Vroom files confidentially for IPO, setting sights on a June offering after its December 2019 funding round valued it at $1.5B  —  Firm sets sights on a June offering after rich funding round  —  Online used-car seller Vroom Inc. has filed confidentially …
Ben Smith / New York Times:
As Australian and French regulators plan to make tech companies pay publishers for news content, leaders from Ireland to Malaysia say they are paying attention  —  News organizations have long hoped that tech platforms would pay them for news.  Now regulators abroad are moving to make that happen.
Siva Vaidhyanathan / Wired:
In its quasi-judiciary role, Facebook Oversight Board is neutered from the start since it can not mandate codes of conduct or effectively help minimize harm  —  The company's new review board is designed to move slowly and keep things intact.  —  My late colleague, Neil Postman …
Tae Kim / Bloomberg:
The pandemic is creating opportunities for Amazon rivals, from upstart Shopify to retailers such as Target and Costco  —  Business turmoil sparked by the Covid-19 pandemic is creating opportunities for rivals from upstart Shopify to retailers such as Target and Costco.  —  The e-commerce rebels are making their advance.
Manish Singh / TechCrunch:
India-based Shiprocket, which works with multiple courier companies on behalf of direct-to-consumer sellers, raises $13M Series C led by Tribe Capital  —  Shiprocket, a New Delhi-based logistics aggregator that works with direct-to-consumer sellers including several social media influencers …

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:
Introducing the sandbox environment: Safely test and optimize e-signature workflows  —  Changes are an inevitable part of any workflow.  The average agreement workflow involves recipients across organizations …
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

Access:
OpenClaw for normies is here
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:
When AI Kills
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.
Big Technology Podcast:
OpenAI vs. Anthropic's Direct Faceoff + Future of Agents — With Aaron Levie
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.
Great Chat:
OpenAI's new media M&A and old media exposé
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.
Invest Like the Best:
Alan Waxman - Private Credit and the Modern Financial System
The leading destination to learn about business and investing. We do this by showcasing exceptional talent and ideas.
Subscribe to Invest Like the Best.
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 9:40 AM ET, May 11, 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

New York Times:

Earlier Picks

Jeremy White / WIRED UK:
Catalin Cimpanu / ZDNet: