Techmeme
February 16, 2021, 6:30 PM

Top News

Ben Schoon / 9to5Google:
LastPass Free users must choose between mobile or computers for unlimited device access starting March 16; email support limited to paid plans starting May 17  —  One of the most attractive features of the popular password manager LastPass is that, if you choose to, you can use it pretty effectively without paying a dime.
Sean Endicott / Windows Central:
Microsoft begins testing a Kids Mode for Edge, with Bing SafeSearch on and tracking prevention set to strict by default, plus other safety features  —  Kids Mode helps parents provide a more child-friendly browsing experience on Edge.  —  What you need to know
David Meyer / Fortune:
TikTok has been hit with a volley of complaints from Europe's consumer protection watchdogs over “misleading” privacy practices and “ambiguous” terms  —  Our mission to make business better is fueled by readers like you.  To enjoy unlimited access to our journalism, subscribe today.
Kif Leswing / CNBC:
North Dakota state Senate blocks bill that would have required app stores to allow devs to use their own payment systems; Epic lobbied in favor of the bill  —  - The North Dakota state senate voted 36-11 on Tuesday not to pass a bill that would have required app stores to enable software developers …
Nick Statt / The Verge:
Atlassian updates Trello with a visual overhaul, new card customization, and new board views; Trello says it has 50M+ users  —  The app is getting a visual overhaul and new features  —  Productivity app Trello, a virtual whiteboard-style platform for organizing and managing projects …
Olivia Raimonde / Bloomberg:
Bitcoin briefly crossed the $50K mark today, up ~73% YTD, while Ethereum hit a record $1,785, up ~140% YTD  —  - Rival cryptocurrency Ether hit a record of its own on Friday  — Morgan Stanley is considering Bitcoin for investment fund  —  Bitcoin blew through another milestone …
BBC:
Investigation finds ten websites offering fake Amazon reviews from £5 each; five of the websites claimed to have 702K+ “product reviewers” on their books  —  Fake reviews for products sold on Amazon's Marketplace are being sold online “in bulk”, according to Which?
Tom Warren / The Verge:
Microsoft's unified Office mobile app, which combines Word, Excel, and PowerPoint into a single application, is now available on iPad  —  A tablet-friendly version is finally here  —  Microsoft has updated its unified Office mobile app to work on Apple's iPad devices.
Meir Orbach / CTech:
Palo Alto Networks acquires Israeli startup BridgeCrew, which develops and delivers security as code, for $156M  —  This is the seventh Israeli company purchased by the Silicon Valley cyber powerhouse  —  Israeli-founded cyber company Bridgecrew Technologies has been acquired by Palo Alto Networks …
The Economic Times:
Amazon partners with Foxconn to establish its first device manufacturing line in India, operational later this year, to make Fire TV sticks locally  —  Bengaluru: Amazon.com Inc. is setting up its first device manufacturing line in India to make Fire TV sticks locally.  The facility will become operational later this year.
Taylor Soper / GeekWire:
Amazon confirms it has acquired Australian e-commerce startup Selz, a Shopify competitor that employs less than 50 people and has raised $11M  —  Amazon has acquired Selz, a 7-year-old startup that helps entrepreneurs sell products online.  The deal signals Amazon's continued focus …
David McCabe / New York Times:
Revelations from government investigations have paved the way for private antitrust lawsuits against Google and Facebook brought by publishers and advertisers  —  Government antitrust lawsuits have created openings for numerous private cases against Big Tech, with more expected to come.

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Matthew Hutson / New Yorker:
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@pwnallthethings: