Techmeme: Court docs detail Google's user location data collection, efforts to make popular privacy settings harder to find, pressure on partners like LG to do the same (Tyler Sonnemaker/Insider)

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May 30, 2021, 9:35 PM

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Tyler Sonnemaker / Insider:

Court docs detail Google's user location data collection, efforts to make popular privacy settings harder to find, pressure on partners like LG to do the same — - Google made it nearly impossible for users to keep their location private, according to newly unredacted court documents.

More: The Verge, Engadget, SlashGear, AppleInsider, CNET, Android Police, iThinkDifferent, mobilesyrup.com, phonearena.com, BGR, 9to5Google, Daring Fireball, and Pixel Envy

Tweets: @jason_kint, @devonbl, @luisbruno, @chartier, @patrickmcgee_, @worldwise001, @wolfiechristl, @jernejv, @davewiner, @aagha, and @alistairmbarr

Aidan Moher / Wired:

Amid a boom in retro gaming, enthusiasts are scouring online marketplaces for old CRTs, as modern displays can't replicate the unique characteristics of CRTs — Thanks to a retro gaming renaissance, enthusiasts are scouring online marketplaces for 20-year-old CRTs.

Tweets: @wired, @marshacollier, @echoplex420247, @verygooster, @whelpmaurice, @tyschalter, @adribbleofink, @adribbleofink, @kenley_k, @finishingmycof1, and @b3ttyoops

Doc Searls Weblog:

Apple's claims about respecting privacy aren't fully serious, as the iPhone default doesn't disallow apps from tracking users, instead expecting users to do so — This piece has had a lot of very smart push-back (and forward, but mostly back). I respond to it in Part II, here.

More: Protocol, Daring Fireball, and Pixel Envy

Tweets: @modestproposal1, @itsjeffhiggins, @hjarche, @dsearls, and @jason_kint

Neil Cybart / Above Avalon:

Through its custom silicon, integrated sensors, design-led focus on user experience, and broad ecosystem, Apple is a decade ahead of rivals in wearables — Last week, Apple quietly unveiled one of the more remarkable pieces of technology that has been developed in the past few years.

More: Daring Fireball and iThinkDifferent

Tweets: @neilcybart, @scobleizer, @greengart, and @greengart

South China Morning Post:

Meituan reports Q1 revenue of $5.8B, up 120.9% YoY, and a loss of $752M; CEO says Meituan is reviewing its business practices amid China's antitrust probe — Meituan's first-quarter revenue reached US$5.8 billion, up 120.9 per cent from a year earlier Net losses widened to US$752 million …

Source: PR Newswire. More: Bloomberg and PingWest

Matt Stoller / BIG:

Via Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, and its Buy Box algorithm, Amazon forces third party Marketplace sellers to keep prices high for consumers across the web — A new antitrust case shows that Prime inflates prices across the board, using the false promise of ‘free shipping’ that is anything but free.

More: Adafruit Industries and Daring Fireball

Tweets: @matthewstoller, @moiragweigel, @jonastics, @acrossthecurve, @jamessurowiecki, @matthewstoller, @hkanji, @matthewstoller, @can, and @matthewstoller

Anne Stych / The Business Journals:

Hello Heart, a heart health management app employers can offer their employees as a benefit, raises $45M Series C led by IVP and says its business is up 3X YoY — Digital health management company Hello Heart has completed a $45 million Series C to drive growth.

Source: helloheart.com. More: VatorNews and medcitynews.com

Packy McCormick / Not Boring:

A bull case for Ethereum, which is the backbone and a settlement layer of a decentralized internet that continues to grow as DeFi and NFTs explode in popularity — A Bull Case for Ethereum … Hi friends 👋 , — Happy Monday! Sometimes, it's better to be lucky than good.

More: The Irrelevant Investor, Coinmonks, and Crypto Briefing

Tweets: @gavinsbaker, @packym, @glynmoody, @mdudas, @mdudas, and @cnyari

Fast Company:

During the pandemic, electronic health record provider Epic quickly rolled out a non-peer reviewed AI-powered tool for triaging patients across US hospitals — During the pandemic, the electronic health record giant Epic quickly rolled out an algorithm to help doctors decide which patients needed the most immediate care.

Andreas Kolbe / The Daily Dot:

The Wikimedia Foundation is financially healthy and nearing a $100M endowment target five years ahead of schedule, yet fundraising appeals imply it's struggling — The site is way richer than it wants you to know. — The Wikimedia Foundation (WMF), the non-profit that owns Wikipedia …

More: Telegraph. Tweets: @wikiland, @andreworlowski, @wikiland, and @andreworlowski

Manish Singh / TechCrunch:

India's largest independent e-commerce logistics startup Delhivery has raised $277M led by Fidelity, valuing the startup at ~$3B — Delhivery, India's largest independent e-commerce logistics startup, has raised $277 million in what is expected to be the final funding round before the firm files for an IPO later this year.

More: The Economic Times, Entrackr, and Moneycontrol

Faris Mokhtar / Bloomberg:

Tech companies took up 22% of new office space in Singapore between 2015-2020, up from 8% between 2004-2014, led by Amazon, as financial firms reduced workspace — In the financial mecca of Singapore, a new crowd is flocking to its offices: technology companies.

Tweets: @business

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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.

From Mediagazer

Lachlan Cartwright / Breaker:

Anderson Cooper is leaving 60 Minutes after almost 20 years; sources say he has decided to pass on a renewal offer with CBS

Chris Quinn / Plain Dealer:

The Cleveland Plain Dealer says it has removed “writing” from some reporters' workloads; an “AI rewrite specialist” turns info gathered by reporters into drafts

Ken Fisher / Ars Technica:

Ars Technica apologizes after publishing an article it says had fabricated quotations generated by an AI tool attributed to a source who did not say them

More News

Jim Dallke / Chicago Business Journal:

Relativity, which helps law firms analyze large datasets, acquires Text IQ, an AI startup that helps businesses identify sensitive data, reportedly for $100M+

Source: PR Newswire. More: Chicago Business, Artificial Lawyer, Reuters, TechRepublic, and VentureBeat

Tweets: @techrepublic and @therealsjr

Nora Caplan-Bricker / New Yorker:

Despite a wave of complaints, pushback from top universities, lawsuits, and accusations of bias, Proctorio's client list grew over 500% from 2019 to 2021

Tweets: @ncaplanbricker, @newyorker, @jessifer, @bonstewart, @jofrhwld, @krystafauria, @newyorker, @fennelaurora, @shorterpearson, @benwolfevision, @cayneletizia, @autumm, @jessifer, @hypervisible, and @hypervisible

Hannah Murphy / Financial Times:

How online criminals are turning to unlicensed crypto exchanges and over-the-counter crypto brokers to cash out profits and how crypto forensic firms track them

Tweets: @dimartinobooth, @paulkrugman, and @mshannahmurphy

Lily Hay Newman / Wired:

Google researchers detail “Half-Double”, a new Rowhammer attack technique they say will be difficult to mitigate as future generations of DRAM chips get smaller

Tweets: @ucsdjacobs, @gadgetlab, and @wired

Reuters:

Indian conglomerate Tata Group buys a majority stake in e-grocer Bigbasket; previous reports suggest that the deal is worth $1.31B for a stake of up to 64.2%

More: The Week, The Hindu, Livemint, Moneycontrol, The Economic Times, PYMNTS.com, Tech in Asia, and Reuters. Tweets: @docolumide

Stu Woo / Wall Street Journal:

US's campaign against Huawei has opened the $35B/year cellular equipment market, giving rise to new players and helping US's bid to counter China's 5G dominance

Tweets: @wsjtech, @wsj, @brendancarrfcc, and @ajitpai

Earlier Picks

Reuters:

Sprinklr, a provider of customer service software, files for an IPO and reports revenue of $386.9M and net loss of $41.2M in the year ended January 31

Kate Kaye / Digiday:

Google says it won't build itself Privacy Sandbox backdoors, but whether it will allow itself to use individual-level data from Chrome users remains unclear

Tweets: @kyotonio