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May 6, 2015, 6:55 PM
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Stuart Dredge / Guardian:
First consumer version of Facebook's Oculus Rift VR headset to ship Q1 2016, pre-orders to start later in 2015  —  Facebook's Oculus Rift virtual reality headset will ship in early 2016  —  After months of rumours that the first commercial model of VR headset would slip beyond 2015, company confirms the news
Greg Bensinger / Wall Street Journal:
Ex-Apple retail boss Ron Johnson launches Enjoy e-commerce site, with personal delivery and in-home setup service at no cost  —  Former Apple Retail Boss Ron Johnson Unwraps New Web Startup ‘Enjoy’  —  Ron Johnson, the former Apple retail chief who was ousted as J.C. Penney's boss two years ago …
Eric Johnson / Re/code:
Zynga Narrows Focus, Will Cut 18 Percent of Staff  —  With Don Mattrick out and founder Mark Pincus reinstalled as CEO, what will Zynga's future look like?  —  For one, think a bit smaller: The company said today that as part of a $100 million cost reduction program, it would lay off 364 people …
Ben Popper / The Verge:
Reddit launches a video division to create original content  —  The social news service Reddit has grown to a truly massive size, garnering 170 million monthly visitors and 6.7 billion pages view this January, while maintaining a fairly bare-bones service.  It helps elevate obscure material …
Tom Fairless / Wall Street Journal:
EU unveils plan to unite fragmented online markets, crack down on possible abuses by US Internet firms  —  EU Announces Plans to Create a Single Digital Market  —  Plans include inquiries into the role of online platforms and possible abuses by U.S.-based companies
POLITICO:
EU's digital single market initiative doesn't take a strong stand on some essential issues, such as the need for a single telecom and digital regulator
Douglas MacMillan / Wall Street Journal:
Zenefits raises $500M round led by Fidelity Management and TPG, attains $4.5B valuation after just two years  —  Zenefits Tagged With $4.5 Billion Valuation After Just Two Years  —  The latest software company valued at over $1 billion doesn't make a dime selling software.
Steve Lohr / New York Times:
Paypal co-founder Max Levchin's lending startup Affirm raises $275M  —  Lending Start-Up Affirm Raises $275 Million  —  Affirm, a San Francisco-based consumer lending start-up, is adding $275 million in debt and equity to accelerate its growth plans.  —  The big Series B funding round …
Antonio Regalado / MIT Technology Review:
Sources: Apple working with US researchers to offer DNA testing via ResearchKit  —  Apple Has Plans for Your DNA  —  The iPhone could become a new tool in genetic studies.  —  Of all the rumors ever to swirl around the world's most valuable company, this may be the first that could involve spitting in a plastic cup.
Douglas MacMillan / Wall Street Journal:
Banjo raises $100M from SoftBank to build out software that detects world events in real time, using photos and videos uploaded to social media sites  —  Banjo Raises $100 Million to Detect World Events in Real Time  —  Banjo started four years ago as a simple app for viewing social media posts tagged …
Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
Meerkat Launches Developer Platform To Differentiate From Periscope  —  How did it feel getting cut off by Twitter with just 2 hours notice?  “It sucked” says Meerkat founder Ben Rubin.  That's why it's determined to treat developers with more respect.  In the nine weeks since Meerkat launched …
Ryan Lawler / TechCrunch:
Automated Savings Startup Digit Raises $11.3M From General Catalyst  —  It's only been a few short months since automated savings startup Digit opened to the public, but it's already garnered serious interest from consumers who want more money in their bank accounts, as well as investors …
More: iamWire.  Tweets: @adamnash and @bonatsos
Shalini Ramachandran / Wall Street Journal:
As part of a $300M multi-year plan, Comcast will hire 5,500 new customer service employees, credit customers $20 if technicians are late for appointments  —  Comcast to Pay Customers $20 If Technicians Are Late as Part of Customer Service Revamp  —  Comcast is going to pay you $20 …
Dean Takahashi / VentureBeat:
RockYou acquires PlayHaven as it moves deeper into mobile ad networks  —  RockYou has agreed to buy mobile ad network PlayHaven from its parent company, Science.  —  The deal shows RockYou's unique position as both an operator of social games and a big advertising network.
More: TechCrunch
Tim Ring / SC Magazine UK:
Privilege escalation flaws and a signature validation vulnerability found in Lenovo's System Update service; Lenovo issues patch  —  Updated: PC maker Lenovo exposes users to “massive security risk”  —  World number one PC maker Lenovo has been accused of running a “massive security risk” …
Shara Tibken / CNET:
Sources: Samsung to introduce Artik, new chip platforms to power IoT devices, next week  —  Samsung readies new processors to power the Internet of Things  —  The hardware platform, which Samsung will reveal next week during a San Francisco event, will be called Artik, CNET has learned.

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This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 6:55 PM ET, May 6, 2015.

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

Natalie Korach / @nataliekorach:
Memo: HuffPost EIC informs staff that ~15 editorial jobs will be cut, the first layoffs under new owner Byron Allen, and executive editor Kate Palmer is leaving

Brian Stelter / CNN:
Filing: Paramount and state AGs agree to freeze the WBD merger until an antitrust trial occurs or until June 2027; a preliminary injunction hearing is canceled

Associated Press:
The DOJ withdraws subpoenas that would have forced three NYT reporters to testify about sources, after a federal judge criticized the DOJ for sloppy legal work

More News

AppleInsider:
Apple details new ‘AppleBot’ web crawler used by Siri and Spotlight
Frederic Lardinois / TechCrunch:
Google Launches Cloud Bigtable, A Very Fast NoSQL Database For The Enterprise

Earlier Picks

New York Times:
Google Ventures' Bill Maris likens the $6M cash-out by founders of portfolio company Secret to a “bank heist” in interview
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