Techmeme: Twitter launches its biggest effort yet to encourage US citizens to vote, with a prompt in the timeline, push alert in notifications, promoted trends, and more (Jessica Guynn/USA Today)

Top News

Frederic Lardinois / TechCrunch:

Microsoft launches Azure Communication Services, letting developers add voice and video calling, chat, text messages, and more to apps, challenging Twilio — Microsoft today announced the launch of Azure Communication Services, a new set of features in its cloud that enable developers …

More: SiliconANGLE, CNBC, The Register, InfoWorld, VentureBeat, MSPoweruser, and Cloud Computing Services

Kyle Wiggers / VentureBeat:

Microsoft says it will exclusively license OpenAI's GPT-3 language model, which will continue to be offered via the Azure-hosted API launched in June — Microsoft today announced that it will exclusively license GPT-3, one of the most powerful language understanding models in the world, from San Francisco-based AI startup OpenAI.

More: The Official Microsoft Blog, The Verge, VICE, Neowin, and New.blicio.us

Tweets: @ediggs, @kevin_scott, @jjvincent, and @amandaksilver

Kyle Wiggers / VentureBeat:

Microsoft unveils updates across Azure Machine Learning and Azure Cognitive Services, launches Metrics Advisor, Bot Framework Composer, Automated ML UI, more — During its Ignite 2020 conference, which kicked off virtually this morning, Microsoft announced updates to Azure Cognitive Services …

More: The Verge, Windows Central, and Cosmic Log

Alan Boyle / GeekWire:

Microsoft unveils Azure Orbital, a cloud-based “ground station as a service” for satellite data processing, competing with AWS' Ground Station

More: TechCrunch, SiliconANGLE, Observer, ZDNet, and Cloud Computing Services. Tweets: @quinnypig. Thanks:@toddbishop

Frederic Lardinois / TechCrunch:

Microsoft debuts Premonition, a robotics and sensor platform for monitoring disease carriers like mosquitos alongside cloud-based software for analyzing samples

More: GeekWire, VentureBeat, Microsoft, and MSPoweruser. Tweets: @quinnypig

Emil Protalinski / VentureBeat:

Microsoft debuts new Teams features, including virtual commute, Headspace integration, breakout rooms, and virtual coffee shops for meetings — Microsoft today announced a slew of Teams features available now, coming later this year, and even arriving in 2021.

More: TechCrunch, TECHCOMMUNITY.MICROSOFT.COM, TechCrunch, SiliconANGLE, Computerworld, Business Wire, ZDNet, ZDNet, Bloomberg, PCWorld, The Verge, and TECHCOMMUNITY.MICROSOFT.COM

Tweets: @caseynewton, @manan, and @mcwm

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:

Google debuts Tables, a work-tracking tool to rival Airtable that can set task-based email reminders, send messages when forms are submitted, manage tasks, more — Google's in-house incubator Area 120 is today introducing a new work-tracking tool, Tables, which aims to make tracking projects more efficient by investing in automation.

More: The Keyword, SiliconANGLE, and VentureBeat

Tweets: @prlambert, @rseroter, and @levynews

Kif Leswing / CNBC:

iPhone users are customizing their home screen with new icons, photos, and entire color schemes using iOS 14 widgets, with some designs going viral — - iPhone users are using the latest iOS update to customize their home screen with new icons, photos, and even entire color schemes.

More: MacStories, CNET, The Verge, TechCrunch, Android Central, MacStories, Vox, MacRumors, Lifehacker, TechCrunch, 9to5Mac, Business Insider, Digital Trends, and 9to5Google

Tweets: @_davidsmith, @kevinctofel, @austinpostey, @_davidsmith, @okpng, @iordies, @viticci, @daviddtd_, @kaylasfro, @chuubug, and @artshl3y

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:

Apptopia and SensorTower data shows Pinterest recently broke its daily download record as users sought inspiration for iOS 14 homescreen customization ideas

Ben Schoon / 9to5Google:

Google says it will pull the plug on paid Chrome extensions over the next year, after temporarily banning them due to fraudulent transactions — Earlier this year, Google announced some changes to the Chrome Web Store in an effort to curb malicious extensions.

More: developer.chrome.com, ZDNet, The Verge, Android Police, Neowin, TechSpot, XDA Developers, Android Headlines, and Engadget

Tweets: @arvidkahl, @geerlingguy, and @xeenon

Hannah Murphy / Financial Times:

Nick Clegg says Facebook will take aggressive measures to “restrict the circulation of content” if the presidential election descends into chaos or civil unrest — Social media platform's head of global affairs Nick Clegg says it could take exceptional measures to restrict content circulation

More: Business Insider, Engadget, CNET, The Verge, Reuters, NBC News, and MakeUseOf

Tweets: @mshannahmurphy, @robsandia, @zackwhittaker, @carlquintanilla, @frazaffarano, @jacksondame, @azeem, @3r1ng, @ingridlunden, @evelyndouek, @alex__1789, @jason_kint, @judyshapiro, and @timkarr

Danny Palmer / ZDNet:

Authorities from the US, UK, Germany, Europol, and others arrest 179 during Operation DisrupTor, targeting the sale of illicit goods on the dark web — ‘Operation Disruptor’ involved agencies from nine countries and the seizure of over $6.5m in cash and cryptocurrencies as criminals warned law enforcement will track them down.

More: Europol, Wired, Decrypt, DataBreaches.net, CyberScoop, The Daily Dot, infosecurity-magazine.com, The Hill, Federal Bureau …, Hackensack Daily Voice, and SecurityWeek

Tweets: @johnkoetsier, @brbarrett, @howelloneill, and @europol

Wall Street Journal:

Large rival companies say Amazon restricts how competing products, like smart speakers and video doorbells, can be advertised, giving Amazon's devices an edge — Some makers of smart speakers, video doorbells and other hardware hit roadblocks buying key ads in search results; gadgets made by e-commerce giant get edge

More: Input, CNBC, Slashdot, and New.blicio.us

Tweets: @elanazak, @alex, @patiencehaggin, @danamattioli, @elanazak, @kantrowitz, and @nickstatt

Tom Warren / The Verge:

Microsoft says its 85-inch Surface Hub 2S, originally unveiled in April 2019, will be available in January 2021 for $21,999.99 — There's also a new software update for the Surface Hub 2S — Microsoft is starting to take preorders for its 85-inch Surface Hub 2S today.

More: Windows Blog, Engadget, VentureBeat, PCWorld, Windows Central, and OnMSFT.com

Tweets: @surface and @panos_panay

Jessica Guynn / USA Today:

Twitter launches its biggest effort yet to encourage US citizens to vote, with a prompt in the timeline, push alert in notifications, promoted trends, and more — Twitter is rolling out its biggest push yet to encourage more Americans to cast their ballots in the November election …

More: Twitter, Social Media Today, USA Today, Engadget, and Neowin. Tweets: @twittergov

Kayleigh Barber / Digiday:

Q&A with NYT's SVP of ad innovation Allison Murphy about the paper's plans to stop using third-party cookies, its contextual ad targeting strategy, and more — When The New York Times pivoted to prioritizing its subscriptions a few years ago, eventually growing to 6.5 million paid subscribers …

Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:

TikTok says it removed 104.5M videos in H1 2020 for violating community guidelines and proposes coalition of social apps to protect against harmful content — As the future of ByteDance's TikTok ownership continues to get hammered out between tech leviathans, investors and government officials …

More: Business Insider, ZDNet, Financial Times, PingWest, iMore, Social Media Today, dexerto.com, Engadget, Digital Trends, and Reuters

Tweets: @rasmus_kleis, @davidclinchnews, @markscott82, and @seamushughes. Thanks:@ingridlunden

Julia Alexander / The Verge:

YouTube says it will use AI-powered moderation to automatically age-restrict certain content — AI moderation measures will be used to automatically age-restrict certain content — YouTube is rolling out more artificial intelligence-powered technology to catch more videos …

More: 9to5Google, blog.youtube, Axios, and Tubefilter

Katie Roof / Bloomberg:

Paris-based Mirakl, which develops tools for e-commerce platforms, raises $300M led by Permira at a $1.5B valuation — - U.S. CEO says company could pursue IPO in the next few years — Private equity firm Pemira to lead Mirakl's funding round — Paris-based Mirakl has raised $300 million …

More: TechCrunch

Max Seddon / Financial Times:

Russian online services company Yandex says it has agreed to a $5.5B deal to buy Tinkoff, the country's top online bank — Tech group's swoop for Tinkoff presents challenge to state lender Sberbank — Russian tech giant Yandex has agreed a $5.5bn deal to buy Tinkoff, the country's top online bank, the companies said on Tuesday.

Tweets: @erhanerdogan

Sophia Kunthara / Crunchbase News:

Beyond Limits, an industrial AI startup focused on energy, utility, and power sectors, raises $133M Series C led by Group 42 and BP Ventures — Artificial intelligence company Beyond Limits has landed $133 million in its Series C round. — The round was led by new investor Group 42 and existing investor BP Ventures.

More: ZDNet, beyond.ai, and socalTECH.com

Sophia Kunthara / Crunchbase News:

Austin-based SigmaSense raises $22M Series A led by Foxconn Technology Group for its touchscreen tech that can sense hovering touchless gestures and more — Austin-based SigmaSense has raised $22 million to bring its touch-screen technology to the broader market. — Subscribe to the Crunchbase Daily

Christine Hall / Crunchbase News:

Social calendar and event discovery startup IRL raises $16M Series B, says it's seeing ~1M hours/day in its Time Together tool and is adding a Groups feature — With many events capped at a certain attendance number to allow for social distancing, it's more difficult to celebrate and connect.

More: TechCrunch and PYMNTS.com. Tweets: @crunchbasenews

Tony Romm / Washington Post:

Sources: DOJ to brief state AGs on Wednesday about its plans to file an antitrust lawsuit against Google; a case could be filed as early as next week — The Justice Department is expected to brief state attorneys general this week about its imminent plans to file an antitrust lawsuit against Google …

More: New York Times, Ars Technica, Input, AppleInsider, MacDailyNews, PYMNTS.com, Bloomberg, SiliconANGLE, The Hill, Politico, and Seeking Alpha

Tweets: @mmasnick, @karaswisher, @rasmus_kleis, @alxthomp, @lutherlowe, @mmasnick, and @jason_kint

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