Techmeme
April 21, 2021, 10:30 AM

Top News

Wall Street Journal:
EU proposes strict AI rules, regulating “high-risk” uses such as loan applications, with non-compliant companies fined up to 6% of annual global revenues  —  EU is proposing one of the first laws globally to regulate the use of artificial intelligence for applications like hiring and policing
Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:
Instagram is rolling out tools to filter out abusive DMs based on keywords and emojis, and to block users along with any new accounts they may create  —  Facebook and its family of apps have long grappled with the issue of how to better manage — and eradicate — bullying and other harassment …
Catalin Cimpanu / The Record:
REvil ransomware gang claims to have breached Apple contractor Quanta Computer and is threatening to leak Apple product schematics unless a ransom is paid  —  The operators of the REvil ransomware are demanding that Apple pay a ransom demand to avoid having confidential information leaked on the dark web.
Sean Hollister / The Verge:
How Kosta Eleftheriou became a one-man App Store fraud squad, by looking for top grossing apps with fake user reviews and ridiculously high subscription prices  —  A one-man Bunco Squad is poking holes in Apple's App Store image  —  Recently, I reached out to the most profitable company …
Joseph Cox / VICE:
Facebook says a vulnerability that lets attackers find a Facebook profile given an email address is still active after being “erroneously closed out”  —  A video shared with researchers and Motherboard shows a tool linking email addresses to Facebook accounts.  —  Joseph Cox
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Ahead of its congressional testimony, Tile shares concerns of unfair competition regarding AirTag, which is tightly integrated with Apple's Find My network  —  Now that Apple's lost item finder AirTag has officially been introduced, competitor Tile is going on record ahead of its testimony …
Tom Warren / The Verge:
Microsoft introduces new settings in Outlook to allow breaks between back-to-back meetings after its own research showed that “digital overload is real”  —  Back-to-back meetings can now have a break in between  —  Microsoft is updating Outlook to give companies the option …
Sami Fathi / MacRumors:
Tim Cook says Apple is now selling more M1 Macs than Intel-based models, despite them only being released in November  —  Despite only being released in November, sales of the M1-powered MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini now represent the majority of Mac sales, outperforming Mac computers powered …
More: Appleosophy, Ubergizmo, iMore, and MacRumorsTweets: @rjonesy
Apple:
Haroon Siddique / The Guardian:
Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:
Apple debuts Apple Card Family to let spouses build credit together and extend access to family members over 13, with optional controls, coming to US in May  —  Apple has been slowly building a position for itself as a financial services giant, banked around its digital wallet for storing …
Benjamin Mayo / 9to5Mac:
Apple updates 11" and 12.9" iPad Pros with M1, 8-core GPU, Thunderbolt, up to 2TB storage, 5G, 1080p FaceTime HD camera, and a mini-LED screen on 12.9" model  —  As part of the Apple event today, the company unveiled the new lineup of iPad Pro tablets.  The 2021 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro feature …
Apple:
Deena Shanker / Bloomberg:
Misfits Market, an online grocer specializing in delivering food that would otherwise be wasted, raises $200M Series C, source says at a $1.1B valuation  —  Misfits Market Inc., an online grocer specializing in delivering food that would otherwise be wasted, completed a $200 million financing round.
More: TechCrunch
Netflix - Investors:
Netflix reports Q1 revenue of $7.16B, up 24% YoY, and 208M paid memberships, up 14% YoY but below its forecast of 210M; stock down 8%+  —  April 20, 2021 Fellow shareholders, Revenue grew 24% year over year and was in line with our beginning of quarter forecast, while operating profit and margin reached all-time highs.
Reuters:
FireEye and networking company Pulse Secure say two China-linked hacking groups used a flaw in its VPN devices to target customers in the US defense industry  —  At least two groups of China-linked hackers have spent months using a previously undisclosed vulnerability in American networking devices …
Gillian Tan / Bloomberg:
Sources: Mavenir, which makes tools for 250+ wireless service providers in 120+ countries, raises $500M from Koch Strategic Platforms for a minority stake  —  Koch Strategic Platforms has agreed to acquire a minority stake in Mavenir Systems Inc., a software maker used by communication service providers.
Paul Sawers / VentureBeat:
RapidAPI, an API marketplace that covers everything from file storage to COVID-19 statistics, raises $60M Series C led by Green Bay Ventures  —  Join Transform 2021 this July 12-16.  Register fo r the AI event of the year.  —  RapidAPI, a platform that helps developers find, manage …
More: CTech and insideHPC
Zac Hall / 9to5Mac:
Apple announces Podcasts Subscriptions for new premium and ad free content and a new Podcasts app design with channels, launching next month in 170 regions  —  Apple has officially an all-new feature coming to Podcasts next month.  Apple Podcasts Subscriptions will allow listeners …
Peter Kafka / Vox:

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Featured Podcasts

Hard Fork:
Anthropic's Cybersecurity Shock Wave + Ronan Farrow and Andrew Marantz on Their Sam Altman Investigation + One Good Thing
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.
The Upstarts Podcast:
Decagon's Jesse Zhang: Closing Customer Service Doom Loops With AI Concierges
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.
Subscribe to The Upstarts Podcast.
Access:
OpenClaw for normies is here
A show about the tech industry's inside conversation, hosted by tech reporter Alex Heath and founder whisperer Ellis Hamburger.
Subscribe to Access.
The Nick, Dick and Paul Show:
When AI Kills
Nick Bilton, Dick Costolo, and Paul Kedrosky pull back the curtain on AI, startups, and the future rushing toward us, all with healthy dose of irreverence.
Subscribe to The Nick, Dick and Paul Show.
Big Technology Podcast:
OpenAI vs. Anthropic's Direct Faceoff + Future of Agents — With Aaron Levie
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.
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.
Subscribe to Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith.
 

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Earlier Picks

Jon Porter / The Verge:
Juli Clover / MacRumors:
Bloomberg:
Charlie Osborne / ZDNet: