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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From Mediagazer

Alex Ritman / Variety:

In Channel 4's 2025 Alternative Christmas Message, Jimmy Kimmel said “tyranny is booming” in the US and, on his ABC suspension, “We won, the president lost”

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Trump says Stephen Colbert is a “pathetic trainwreck” and “CBS should, ‘put him to sleep,’ NOW”, after CBS aired a Late Show rerun in which Colbert mocked Trump

Rebecca Rubin / Variety:

Disney crosses the $6B milestone at the box office for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic; no other studio has managed to reach $6B since 2015

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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