Techmeme
September 1, 2021, 2:50 PM

Top News

Zack Whittaker / TechCrunch:
Apple says Arizona and Georgia will be first to support adding IDs to Wallet in iOS 15, with six states, including Utah, Maryland, and Iowa, expected to follow  —  Apple's plan to digitize your wallet is slowly taking shape.  What started with boarding passes and venue tickets later became credit cards …
Tom Warren / The Verge:
Microsoft announces an online-only Surface hardware event for September 22, where an updated Surface Duo and Laptop are expected  —  New Surface hardware is on the way  —  Microsoft is holding a special Surface hardware event on September 22nd.  The software maker has started sending media invites …
Cheng Ting-Fang / Nikkei Asia:
Sources: Google is developing Arm-based chips for laptops and tablets that run on Chrome OS, set to launch around 2023  —  US software giant ramps up hiring blitz for semiconductor and hardware ambitions  —  TAIPEI — Google is developing its own central processors for its notebook and tablet computers …
Jarrod Doherty / Twitter:
Twitter introduces Safety Mode, which blocks harassing accounts for seven days, in beta for some English-language accounts  —  Feeling safe on Twitter looks different for everyone.  We've rolled out features and settings that may help you to feel more comfortable and in control of your experience …
Jeffrey Dastin / Reuters:
Andy Jassy says Amazon plans to hire over 55,000 corporate employees globally, including over 40,000 in the US, a 20% increase in tech and corporate staff  —  Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) is planning to hire 55,000 people for corporate and technology roles globally in the coming months, Chief Executive Andy Jassy told Reuters.
Rolfe Winkler / Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Apple is planning to add health features, including a blood pressure monitor and thermometer to track fertility, to Watch as soon as 2022  —  Tech giant seeks to push past obstacles in adding health features on your wrist  —  Apple Inc. is working on new health-related features for its smartwatch …
Bloomberg:
Source: Apple's upcoming Watch is suffering production snags as manufacturers adjust to a new design, likely leading to supply constraints or shipment delays  —  - Revamped device has a larger screen and other new features  — Wearables category has been one of fastest-growing for Apple
James Vincent / The Verge:
Analysis: governments intentionally blocked internet access nearly 850 times in the past decade, including 213 shutdowns in 2019, 155 in 2020, and 50 in 2021  —  A favorite tactic for stifling dissent in the 21st century  —  The number of government-led internet shutdowns has exploded …
Taylor Lorenz / New York Times:
Profile of Li Jin, an aggressively pro-worker VC who founded Atelier Ventures, which manages $13M, to invest in influencer-related startups  —  Li Jin, 31, began backing creators years ago.  She has raised her own fund to invest in influencer-related start-ups.
Financial Times:
John Gruber / Daring Fireball:
A look at the implications of South Korea's alternative app store payment law: confusion for non-technical users, difficulty managing subscriptions, and more  —  Apple, in a statement to MacRumors (and other media outlets), regarding South Korea's just-passed “Google power-abuse-prevention law” …
Kait Sanchez / The Verge:
Twitter launches Super Follows for iOS users, allowing a select group of US test users to charge either $2.99, $4.99, or $9.99 per month for their tweets  —  Select users in the US can now charge for tweets  —  Twitter is starting to roll out Super Follows, its new feature that lets users charge for subscriber-only content.
Jon Porter / The Verge:
Telegram releases an update that removes the cap on live stream viewers, from 1,000 to unlimited, introduces more options for forwarding messages, and more  —  Along with more forwarding options  —  Telegram, the messaging app that's becoming more and more like a fully-fledged social media network …
Zinnia Lee / Forbes:
Malaysian used car marketplace Carsome Group raises $170M from MediaTek and others at a $1.3B valuation, making it Malaysia's largest tech startup  —  Carsome Group, an online platform for buying and selling used cars, said on Wednesday that it had become Malaysia's largest tech unicorn …
Vildana Hajric / Bloomberg:
How Ethereum's increase in value, up 350% this year, and the rise of NFTs and DeFi have dampened enthusiasm for Bitcoin as the most essential crypto  —  - Ether has gained 350% this year versus Bitcoin's 60% advance  — August marked Ether's second monthly rise and best since April
The Tutanota Blog:
Australia passes bill that lets police hack user devices to modify, collect, or delete data and take over social media accounts without a judge's warrant  —  The Microsoft database hack shows that data stored in the cloud must always be encrypted end-to-end.
Jon Brodkin / Ars Technica:
More than 135 subreddits have gone private in protest of Reddit's refusal to ban communities that spread misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines  —  PokemonGo, Futurology among big subreddits going private until Reddit takes action.  —  Over 135 subreddits have gone dark …
Matthew Monks / Bloomberg:
Samsara, a cloud-based fleet vehicle management service, says it has confidentially filed for an IPO; Samsara raised $400M at a $5.4B valuation last year  —  Samsara Inc., a software company valued at $5.4 billion last year, has filed confidentially for an initial public offering.
More: Reuters
Mark Scott / Politico:
Facebook says it accidentally removed thousands of posts around the Jan. 6 riots from CrowdTangle, blaming a now-fixed error that has existed since at least May  —  The social media company said it was a technical error, and has been fixed, but tens of thousands of posts are still missing.

Sponsor Posts

Okara:
Meet Okara, the AI platform that doesn't train on your data  —  Chat with 30+ open-source models (Llama, Kimi, Qwen, DeepSeek) through encrypted infrastructure.  Used by teams handling proprietary code and strategy.
Soxton:
AI-powered law for startups  —  Soxton automates startup legal so founders can move faster and sleep better.  We handle incorporation, advisor, employment and commercial contracts.  Join the waitlist for early access!
Zoho:
Reduce SLA breaches with Zoho Desk and Zoho Contracts integration  —  Customer service teams strive to deliver fast, consistent, and reliable support to ensure satisfaction for each customer.
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

Lenny's Podcast:
Why most AI products fail: Lessons from 50+ AI deployments at OpenAI, Google & Amazon
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.
Access:
The AI glasses race is heating up.
A show about the tech industry's inside conversation, hosted by tech reporter Alex Heath and founder whisperer Ellis Hamburger.
Subscribe to Access.
Big Technology Podcast:
Claude Code's Shining Moment, ChatGPT for Healthcare, End Of Busywork?
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.
Uncapped with Jack Altman:
Ben Horowitz from a16z
Conversations with people I admire about things I'm genuinely interested in.
Subscribe to Uncapped with Jack Altman.
Hard Fork:
Grok's Undressing Scandal + Claude Code Capers + Casey Busts a Reddit Hoax
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.
Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith:
Special Edition: Key findings from the Microsoft AI Diffusion Report
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 2:50 PM ET, September 1, 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

Earlier Picks

Garett Sloane / Ad Age: