Techmeme: Internal memo: Lyft plans to slow US hiring, cut some department budgets, and grant new stock options to some employees to make up for its eroding share price (Wall Street Journal)

Open Links In New Tab

Mobile Archives Advertise Site News

May 25, 2022, 3:35 AM

Top News

Kyle Wiggers / TechCrunch:

Microsoft unveils Project Volterra, an ARM-powered developer kit to explore “AI scenarios” coming in 2022, as Windows gains support for neural processing units — Today at Build 2022, Microsoft unveiled Project Volterra, a device powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon platform that's designed …

João Carrasqueira / XDA Developers:

Microsoft debuts Power Pages, a low-code website builder, and Power Apps Express Design, which can turn images into an app with controls and data storage — It's that time of the year again when Microsoft holds its Build developer event, and with it comes a ton of news for all kinds of Microsoft products.

More: SiliconANGLE, InfoWorld, The New Stack, TechRadar, Computerworld, IT PRO, ZDNet, Neowin, Thurrott, TechRepublic, TechCrunch, TechCrunch, OnMSFT.com, and Petri IT Knowledgebase. Tweets: @fxshaw

Tom Warren / The Verge:

Microsoft plans to support third-party Windows 11 widgets later in 2022, letting developers offer them as “companion experiences” to their Win32 or PWA apps — Widgets might appear on the Windows 11 desktop soon, too — Microsoft is planning to support third-party widgets inside Windows 11 later this year.

More: Windows Blog, BetaNews, Fossbytes, PCMag, 9to5Google, XDA Developers, BleepingComputer, Engadget, WinBuzzer, BigTechWire, Thurrott, and Windows Central

Tweets: @daniel_rubino, @tomwarren, and @daniel_rubino

Tom Warren / The Verge:

Microsoft debuts Dev Box, a cloud service offering Windows 365-integrated developer workstations, in private preview; a public preview arrives in a few months

More: Visual Studio Magazine, SiliconANGLE, Petri IT Knowledgebase, InfoWorld, WinBuzzer, DEVCLASS, TechRadar, BigTechWire, ZDNet, Microsoft Tech Community, TechCrunch, Protocol, Windows Central, and Thurrott

Filipe Espósito / 9to5Mac:

Apple says that starting on June 30, 2022, all App Store apps that offer account creation must also offer an in-app option to let users delete their account — Apple last year announced a change in the App Store guidelines that would require all apps that support account creation to offer …

More: Apple Developer, XDA Developers, The Economic Times, Apple Developer, Cult of Mac, MacRumors, The Verge, iMore, and iClarified

Tweets: @dimsartz_ and @dimsartz_

Shawn Amick / Bitcoin Magazine:

Stripe partners with OpenNode to let businesses convert fiat payments into bitcoin via OpenNode's Stripe app; Stripe suspended bitcoin support in 2018 — Stripe, a global payment processor, is working with OpenNode to enable businesses to convert fiat payments into bitcoin.

More: Silicon Republic, CoinDesk, and Bloomberg

Tweets: @opennode and @delitzer

Paul Sawers / VentureBeat:

Stripe launches an apps marketplace to bring third-party tools directly into Stripe, starting with 50+ apps from companies like Dropbox, Mailchimp, and DocuSign

More: PYMNTS.com and Stripe Blog

Tweets: @stripe, @patrickc, @patio11, and @ow

Wall Street Journal:

Internal memo: Lyft plans to slow US hiring, cut some department budgets, and grant new stock options to some employees to make up for its eroding share price — President John Zimmer announced the measures to staff Tuesday — Lyft Inc. LYFT -17.27%▼ will slow hiring …

More: Insider, Engadget, and Bloomberg

Tweets: @carnage4life, @meghanbobrowsky, @wallstcynic, @akikofujita, and @mrinaldesai

Lauren Feiner / CNBC:

In a letter, 42 Democratic lawmakers urge Google to stop collecting and keeping unnecessary user data that could be used to identify people seeking abortions — - Democratic lawmakers urged Google CEO Sundar Pichai to stop collecting and keeping unnecessary or non-aggregated location data …

More: Ron Wyden, Insider, Associated Press, Engadget, Cybernews.com, Nextgov, BuzzFeed News, CNET, VICE, The Verge, CyberScoop, and The Register

Tweets: @jcolman, @lauren_feiner, @asymmetricinfo, @accountabletech, @evan_greer, @daveixd, and @tonyajoriley

Dan Goodin / Ars Technica:

A researcher says Australia's New South Wales digital driver's license is easy to forge due to deficient encryption, data validation flaws, and other issues — A litany of security flaws allows forgeries that are easy, quick, and cheap. — In late 2019, the government of New South Wales …

More: Dvuln Blog. Tweets: @_berthandsome, @d_vuln, @darrenpauli, @reuvenim, @arstechnica, @gtroberts, and @marshacollier

Emily Nicolle / Bloomberg:

DeFi Llama: the total value locked across DeFi protocols has dropped to ~$112B, down from ~$195B before UST and LUNA collapsed, amid a broader decline in crypto — The collapse of one of decentralized finance's most ambitious experiments has knocked more than $83 billion off the sector's total value …

Tweets: @emilyjnicolle

Aaron Gordon / VICE:

Study: Amazon 3rd-party delivery drivers had an injury rate of one per five full-time-equivalent workers in 2021, up 38% YoY, higher than other delivery drivers — Third-party delivery workers got injured at a rate equivalent to one in five full-time workers, according to government data.

More: CNBC, Seattle Business Journal, Engadget, The Seattle Times, and CNET

Tweets: @annierpalmer, @techwontsaveus, @thesoc, and @vicenews

Krystal Hu / Reuters:

New Jersey-based Semperis, a cybersecurity startup offering tools to protect enterprises using Microsoft Active Directory, raises a $200M+ Series C led by KKR — U.S. cybersecurity software firm Semperis said it has raised over $200 million in a funding round led by private equity firm KKR & Co Inc …

More: SC Media, Business Wire, govinfosecurity.com, SiliconANGLE, CRN, FinSMEs, PitchBook, SecurityWeek, and Tech News. Tweets: @semperistech

Alex Heath / The Verge:

Niantic debuts Visual Positioning System, a developer platform for building location-aware AR apps, and Campfire, a location-based social network for its games — The maker of Pokémon Go is releasing its AR map for other apps and a location-based social network called Campfire

More: CNET, TechCrunch, Niantic, Road to VR, Game Developer, Transistori, Platformer, The Information, SiliconANGLE, and Protocol

Tweets: @benz145, @reneritchie, and @verge

Moneycontrol:

Indian startups are resorting to layoffs, hiring freezes, shutting down non-core verticals, and rationalizing ad spends as a two-year funding spree slows down — Startups have also resorted to shutting down non-core verticals, rationalising marketing and advertising spends and have gone on a hiring freeze …

Tweets: @avlesh, @aaravmeanspeace, @chandrarsrikant, @k_p_ganesh, @binoy_prabhakar, @nimsaw, @chandrarsrikant, @rmantri, @_prashantnair, @derzuschauer7, @latha_venkatesh, @abhilivian, @adadithya, @anandlunia, @nicks103, and @subramanya_sv

Sponsor Posts

Niantic Spatial:

World models need real-world data — Scaniverse is the gateway to spatial services — self-serve and built for AI and robotics. Large-area 3D reconstruction from 360° cameras and precise localization, anywhere machines operate.

Zoho:

Meet Zoho Books MCP: Bring AI-powered accounting to your business — Isn't change the only constant? And that holds true for accounting too. For years, accounting software has helped businesses manage their finances …

IDrive:

Protecting your Cloud Applications Data — Backing up Office 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox & Salesforce data is critical to preventing data loss or corruption, complying with laws and avoiding critical downtime in case of a disaster.

Anuma:

The Private AI That Remembers — Anuma is the all-in-one AI platform with private, portable memory. Chat, text, create, build, and solve across every model.

Sponsor Techmeme

Featured Podcasts

Big Technology Podcast:

OpenAI's User Growth Miss, Musk vs. Altman, Prediction Market Ban

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.

Training Data:

OpenAI's Greg Brockman: Why Human Attention Is the New Bottleneck

Sequoia Capital partners host conversations with leading AI builders and researchers to develop a deeper understanding of the evolving technologies and their implications.

Subscribe to Training Data.

The Upstarts Podcast:

Runway's Cris Valenzuela: Building The Hollywood-Friendly Video AI That OpenAI Couldn't

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.

Hard Fork:

OpenAI's Big Reset + A.I. in the Doctor's Office + Talkie, a pre-1930s LLM

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 Talk Show With John Gruber:

'Food and Beverage Director', With MG Siegler

The director's commentary track for Daring Fireball. Long digressions on Apple, technology, design, movies, and more.

Subscribe to The Talk Show With John Gruber.

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.

Add your podcast here

About This Page

This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 3:35 AM ET, May 25, 2022.

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

Bloomberg:

Sources: Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro is exploring a “super app” that integrates Disney+ with parks passes, games, merchandise, and cruise and resort apps

Jeremy Barr / The Guardian:

Speaking at an event, Sharyn Alfonsi voiced concern about “the spread of corporate meddling and editorial fear” at CBS News and uncertainty over her job

Jacob Bryant / The Wrap:

The Daily Wire undergoes layoffs, and a spokesperson says cuts were mostly in Nashville; the EIC says cuts were nowhere near 50% of staff, as some rumors stated

Upcoming Tech Events

May 3-6

Milken Insitute Global Conference

WSJ The Future of Everything Festival

Earnings: PYPL, AMD, SHOP, MTCH, GFS

CoinDesk Consensus REGISTER NOW

Miami

May 6

Earnings: DASH, UBER, ARM, SNAP, APP, CART

May 6

HYBRID: Anthropic Code with Claude SF

San Francisco

May 7

Earnings: ABNB, COIN, LYFT, NET, U, AFRM, XYZ, TOST, CRWV

May 8

Earnings: NTDOY, SONY

Fortune Brainstorm Tech

AI Engineer World's Fair

More News

Tracy Qu / South China Morning Post:

Kuaishou reports Q1 revenue up 24% YoY to ~$3.2B, vs. ~$3.1B est., a ~$939M net loss, down 89% YoY from ~$8.7B, and 346M DAUs, up 17% YoY from 295M

More: Kuaishou Technology

Paresh Dave / Reuters:

Clearview AI expands sales by offering private companies and organizations a facial recognition tool allegedly using data collected with subjects' permission

More: The Register, Protocol, and ComputerWeekly.com

Ben Schoon / 9to5Google:

Microsoft says 10M+ players stream games with Xbox Cloud Gaming; in September 2021, Nvidia said GeForce Now had 12M+ users; Google has not shared Stadia numbers

More: The Official Microsoft Blog, SiliconANGLE, MobileSyrup, XDA Developers, and OnMSFT.com

Tweets: @johnkoetsier and @satyanadella

Lauren Feiner / CNBC:

As Snap's growth warning sends its stock down 43.04%, other tech stocks drop too: Meta by 7.62%, Pinterest by 23.64%, Alphabet by 4.95%, and Twitter by 5.55%

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:

Google Chrome now lets all desktop users right-click an image and perform a Lens search to translate text, identify an object, get the original source, and more

More: BGR, Pocket-lint, iPhone in Canada Blog, Android Police, Search Engine Land, Tom's Guide, Android Headlines, 9to5Google, Android Central, and The Verge

Mary Ann Azevedo / TechCrunch:

Mexico-based Nowports, an automated digital freight forwarder in Latin America, raises a $150M Series C at a $1.1B valuation led by SoftBank Latin America Fund

More: Crunchbase News. Tweets: @ycombinator, @maxcasal13, @ponchodelosrios, and @bayareawriter

Ann-Marie Alcántara / Wall Street Journal:

San Mateo-based Firework, whose tools help companies livestream shopping events, raises a $150M Series B led by SoftBank's Vision Fund 2 at a $750M valuation

More: AdExchanger, PR Newswire, Firework, Moneycontrol, TechCrunch, FinSMEs, PYMNTS.com, and The Economic Times

Earlier Picks

Kyle Wiggers / TechCrunch:

Cribl, which helps companies monitor and analyze data created by their infrastructure, raises a $150M Series D led by Tiger, a source says at a $2.5B valuation

More: SiliconANGLE, CRN, FinSMEs, Cribl, VentureBeat, and PR Newswire. Tweets: @stepstonevc. Thanks:@kellyengemoen

Simon Jessop / Reuters:

Flowcarbon, a blockchain-based carbon credit trading service backed by WeWork's Neumann, raises $32M led by a16z and $38M from selling its Goddess Nature Token

Issie Lapowsky / Protocol:

How Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan's $419M donation to US local and state election officials in 2020 has become a target of right-wing conspiracies

More: Crypto Briefing, Cointelegraph, and The Overspill

Tweets: @issielapowsky, @teddyschleifer, @ianclucas, @justinhendrix, @radicalalarmist, @issielapowsky, @protocol, @protocol, @protocol, @tianaej, @issielapowsky, and @issielapowsky

Devin Coldewey / TechCrunch:

Google Research announces Imagen, an AI text-to-image generator rivaling OpenAI's DALL-E 2, but decides “not to release code or a public demo” at this time

Source: Google Research. More: Engadget, The Register, Analytics, MSPoweruser, Android Headlines, PetaPixel, Silicon Republic, The Verge, Slashdot, and 9to5Google

Tweets: @jeffdean, @multimodalart, @ak92501, @gonzauri, @jasonbaldridge, @billyperrigo, @joshelman, @jjvincent, @jjvincent, @jjvincent, @jelleprins, @yoavgo, @kevin2kelly, @cgarciae88, @michael_nielsen, @iscienceluvr, @parmy, @nabeel, and @daveleeft

Nathan Ingraham / Engadget:

As Street View for Google Maps turns 15, Google announces updates such as historical imagery on Android and iOS, a smaller camera system for its cars, and more

More: The Keyword, t3.com, MacRumors, The Keyword, The Verge, SlashGear, MobileSyrup, Fortune, Android Central, 9to5Google, CNN, GSMArena.com, Fossbytes, and Mashable

Tweets: @wittednote, @google, and @jinkiesjerrica

James Vincent / The Verge:

Delivery startup Gorillas lays off half of its “global office workforce”, ~300 staff, and plans to reassess its operations in Italy, Spain, Denmark, and Belgium

More: TechCrunch, Sifted, Insider, PYMNTS.com, gorillas.io, Protocol, Silicon Canals, and Silicon Republic

Tweets: @parismartineau, @carnage4life, @carnage4life, @slingshotcap, @sarthakgh, @sameer_singh17, @yattisoni, and @mparts_

Adam Beam / Associated Press:

California's State Assembly passes a bill to let parents sue social media companies if children become “addicted” to their products; the bill needs a final vote