Techmeme
March 8, 2021, 11:05 AM

Top News

Tom Warren / The Verge:
EU approves Microsoft's $7.5B deal to acquire ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks, without conditions  —  Microsoft will have 23 first-party game studios  —  The European Commission has approved Microsoft's $7.5 billion deal to acquire ZeniMax Media …
Ron Amadeo / Ars Technica:
The new Google Pay app that came out of beta this week replaces a perfectly fine service for P2P users with a less-functional service that has more fees  —  For P2P users, the new app has fewer features, is less convenient, and has more fees.  —  The new Google Pay app came out of beta this week …
Joe Rossignol / MacRumors:
Kuo: Apple plans to release a mixed reality headset in mid-2022 for around $1K, followed by AR glasses by 2025 and “contact lens type” devices by 2030-2040  —  Apple plans to release its long-rumored mixed reality headset “in mid-2022,” followed by augmented reality glasses by 2025 …
NBC News:
Current and former Google employees say the company's HR routinely offers mental health counseling and medical leave when staff complain about racism and sexism  —  Benjamin Cruz, a former instructional designer in Google's Cloud division, was caught off guard when a colleague told …
New York Times:
The NYT editorial board calls for federal US privacy legislation mandating opt in as default on data collection practices by tech companies like Facebook  —  Using an opt-in approach will help curb the excesses of Big Tech.  —  The editorial board is a group of opinion journalists whose views …
New York Times:
Sources: US plans attacks on Russian networks and new sanctions, in retaliation for SolarWinds hack; Biden curbed Cyber Command's offensive leeway in Jan. 20 EO  —  The proliferation of cyberattacks by rivals is presenting a challenge to the Biden administration as it seeks to deter intrusions on government and corporate systems.
Wall Street Journal:
Profile of Chamath Palihapitiya, who has become a public icon of the SPAC and amateur trading booms; sources: Social Capital raised $3.7B for five SPACs in 2020  —  Buy!  Sell!  Tweet!  An icon of the amateur trading masses and an evangelist for SPACs, Chamath Palihapitiya is commanding …

Sponsor Posts

Google:
Try Gemini 3 Pro  —  Google's newest and most intelligent AI model that helps you bring any idea to life
Shopify:
Shopify's new AI commerce stack  —  Their VP of Product digs into just-launched products to help entrepreneurs and developers build with the latest AI and tech.
Zoho:
Zoho People in 2025: A year in review  —  As we wrap up 2025, we're taking a moment to look back on a year filled with progress and transformation at Zoho People.  Our team has been constantly pushing boundaries …
IDrive:
Protecting your Cloud Applications Data  —  Backing up Office 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox & Box data is critical to preventing data loss or corruption, complying with laws and avoiding critical downtime in case of a disaster.

Featured Podcasts

Hard Fork:
Why Roomba Died + Tech Predictions for 2026 + A Hard Forkin' Xmas Song
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.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
Big Technology Podcast:
Sam Altman: How OpenAI Wins, AI Buildout Logic, IPO in 2026?
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.
Access:
Betting on reality with Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour
A show about the tech industry's inside conversation, hosted by tech reporter Alex Heath and founder whisperer Ellis Hamburger.
Subscribe to Access.
Lenny's Podcast:
The new AI growth playbook for 2026: How Lovable hit $200M ARR in one year | Elena Verna (Head of Growth)
Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover actionable advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.
Subscribe to Lenny's Podcast.
Channels with Peter Kafka:
"Neither Side Is Used to Losing." Lucas Shaw on What's Next for Netflix and Paramount in the Battle for Warner Bros.
Media and tech aren't just intersecting - they're fully intertwined. To understand how those worlds work, Peter Kafka talks to industry leaders, upstarts and observers.
Subscribe to Channels with Peter Kafka.
Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith:
Ted Sarandos: Netflix and how tech changed storytelling
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 11:05 AM ET, March 8, 2021.

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

Arjun Kharpal / CNBC:

Earlier Picks

Florian Mueller / FOSS Patents:
David Molloy / BBC:
Khari Johnson / VentureBeat:
Joe Rossignol / MacRumors: