Techmeme
January 25, 2021, 10:15 AM

Top News

Clubhouse:
Clubhouse raises Series B led by a16z, says it has 180+ investors, and will test options for paying creators and begin work on an Android app soon  —  Clubhouse is moving quickly today, but in some ways it feels like the journey started a long time ago.  The two of us met back in 2011 through …
Steve Dent / Engadget:
Google pledges $150M in grants to promote COVID-19 vaccine distribution and converts some of its facilities into vaccination sites  —  Google will convert some of its facilities into COVID-19 vaccination sites starting in New York City, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Kirkland, Washington.
Chance Miller / 9to5Mac:
Apple launches Time to Walk for Apple Watch and Fitness+, offering 25 to 40 minute episodes of original audio from influential people, available today  —  Apple has officially unveiled its new Time to Walk feature for Apple Watch and Apple Fitness+ subscribers.
Zoe Schiffer / The Verge:
Google workers across the world announce Alpha Global, an international union alliance comprising 13 unions representing workers in 10 countries  —  Alpha Global includes workers from 10 countries, including the United States and Germany  —  Google workers across the world are coming together to form a global union alliance.
Joe Rossignol / MacRumors:
Apple warns magnets in iPhone 12 models and MagSafe devices may affect pacemakers and should be kept at least 6" away from medical devices or 12" while charging  —  Since the launch of iPhone 12 models in October, Apple has acknowledged that the devices may cause electromagnetic interference …
Reuters:
Sources: Huawei is in early stage talks to sell its premium smartphone brands P and Mate to a Chinese consortium led by state-backed investment firms  —  (Reuters) - China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd is in early-stage talks to sell its premium smartphone brands P and Mate …
Timothy B. Lee / Ars Technica:
In an interview, Waymo CEO dismissed Tesla as a competitor and argued that Tesla's current strategy, without lidar, wouldn't produce a fully self-driving system  —  Elon Musk and John Krafcik have very different theories about driverless tech.  —  Many Tesla fans view the electric carmaker …
Wall Street Journal:
Research shows that hundreds of SPACs are looking to acquire tech companies in the coming months, heating up competition for startups and inflating deal values  —  ‘Blank check’ firms known as SPACs are in pursuit of America's hottest startups.  Is the invasion a sign of a market euphoria that can't last?

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Featured Podcasts

Hard Fork:
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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.
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The Talk Show With John Gruber:
'A Naughty Citizen', With Quinn Nelson
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Big Technology Podcast:
2025 In Review, 2026 Predictions — With Reed Albergotti
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
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Channels with Peter Kafka:
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More News

Steve O'Hear / TechCrunch:
Sara Fischer / Axios:

Earlier Picks

Nikkei Asia:
Dave Gershgorn / OneZero :
Christopher Mims / Wall Street Journal:
Microsoft On the Issues: