Techmeme
January 25, 2021, 9:50 AM

Top News

Clubhouse:
Clubhouse raises a new round of funding led by a16z, says it has 180+ investors, will test options for paying creators and soon begin work on an Android app  —  Clubhouse is moving quickly today, but in some ways it feels like the journey started a long time ago.
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.
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 …
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.
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 …
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Content recommendation company Taboola says it has agreed to go public via a SPAC, valuing the company at $2.6B and raising $545M  —  Taboola, the content recommendation company known best for the chum box ads at the bottom of publishers' websites, has agreed to merge with special purpose …
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

Training Data:
Waymo's Dmitri Dolgov: 20 Million Rides and the Road to Full Autonomy
Sequoia Capital partners host conversations with leading AI builders and researchers to develop a deeper understanding of the evolving technologies and their implications.
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Grit:
How AIG Is Reinventing Insurance With AI | Peter Zaffino
Grit explores what it takes to create, build and scale world-class organizations.
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Lenny's Podcast:
Why cultivating agency matters more than cultivating skills in the AI era | Max Schoening (Head of Product, Notion)
Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover actionable advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.
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Big Technology Podcast:
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The Upstarts Podcast:
Runway's Cris Valenzuela: Building The Hollywood-Friendly Video AI That OpenAI Couldn't
Veteran tech reporter Alex Konrad sits down with breakout entrepreneurs taking on the status quo to shake up their fields in AI, design, nuclear energy, space, and more.
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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.
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More News

Steve O'Hear / TechCrunch:
Nikkei Asia:

Earlier Picks

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