Techmeme: Apple Music costs far less than $10/month in some countries, just $2/month in India (Josh Horwitz/Quartz)

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July 2, 2015, 10:50 AM

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Dick Costolo / Guardian:

Twitter helped open access to information, people, and power, and that access should be used responsibly and with empathy — why tech firms are set to face complex ethical issues — After nearly five years the Twitter CEO is standing down. He explains why it wants to champion the underserved …

More: Bloomberg Business and Fortune. Tweets: @mikeisaac

Andy Greenberg / Wired:

ProxyHam is a “hardware proxy” that puts you a mile away from your IP address using a 900MHz radio connection — This Online Anonymity Box Puts You a Mile Away From Your IP Address — In the game of anonymity-versus-surveillance online, the discovery of the user's IP address usually means game over.

More: Motherboard, ZDNet, Silicon Republic, SlashGear, BGR and Digital Trends

Micah Singleton / The Verge:

Facebook has held early talks with the major music labels, future plans may involve the company's video platform — Facebook is talking with music labels, but why? — Facebook has held talks with the major labels about “getting into music,” multiple sources tell The Verge.

More: Daily Mail, Business Insider, Ubergizmo, Digital Music News, GeekWire and Macworld. Thanks:@ericleamen. See also Mediagazer

Alistair Barr / Wall Street Journal:

Google Photos app mistakenly tags black people as ‘Gorillas’; Google apologizes, says it's working on a fix — Google Mistakenly Tags Black People as ‘Gorillas,’ Showing Limits of Algorithms — Google is a leader in artificial intelligence and machine learning.

More: Ars Technica, Re/code, Tech Times, CNET, BetaNews, The Verge, New York Times, Silicon Republic, RAPPLER, Ubergizmo, Fusion, Mashable, NEWS.com.au, USA Today, Forbes and The Register

Jon Russell / TechCrunch:

Xiaomi Sold 34.7M Smartphones In First Half Of 2015, Up 33% Year-On-Year — Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi today confirmed that it sold just shy of 35 million phones in the first half of this year. … Xiaomi, which is valued at $45 billion and is the world's third largest exporter of phones …

More: Engadget, 9to5Google, Business Insider, Ubergizmo, Pocketnow, ZDNet, Reuters, Forbes, CNET, Silicon Republic and RAPPLER

Tweets: @xiaomi, @neilcybart, @jonrussell and @gassee

Carolyn Said / San Francisco Chronicle:

City of San Francisco to create short term rental office to streamline Airbnb host registrations and investigate law violators — S.F. to create city office to enforce Airbnb law — San Francisco will take a carrot-and-stick approach to vacation rentals, making it easier for hosts …

More: VentureBeat

Eugene Kim / Business Insider:

PayPal to acquire international money transfer service Xoom for $890M — Xoom shares skyrocket more than 20% after PayPal bid — PayPal is acquiring digital money transfer service Xoom for roughly $890 million. PayPal is paying $25 per share, about a 32% premium Xoom's 3 month weighted average price.

More: Business Wire, VatorNews, ZDNet, The Register, Quartz, New York Times, Wired, TechCrunch, CNBC, PYMNTS.com, Computerworld, Bloomberg Business, The Next Web and Mashable

Jose Pagliery / CNNMoney:

MasterCard to test approving online purchases this fall with fingerprint and face scanning — MasterCard will approve purchases by scanning your face — This fall, MasterCard will start experimenting with a new program: approving online purchases with a facial scan.

More: SlashGear, NFC World+, eCreditDaily.com, BiometricUpdate, International Business Times and Fortune

Josh Horwitz / Quartz:

Apple Music costs far less than $10/month in some countries, just $2/month in India — Apple Music is just $2 per month in India—80% cheaper than the US … Apple tends to not care much about price competitiveness. Without telco subsidies, which typically occur only in rich countries …

More: TIME, Ubergizmo, Cult of Mac, The Next Web, Pocketnow, Digital Trends, Special and App Advice

Russell Brandom / The Verge:

Chicago's 9% cloud tax now applies to “electronically delivered amusements” like Netflix as well as “nonpossessory computer leases” which could include AWS — Chicago's ‘cloud tax’ makes Netflix and other streaming services more expensive

More: Fortune, Chicago Tribune, DSLreports, InfoWorld, Computerworld, Ars Technica, TechSpot, PCWorld, The Register, cloudpro.co.uk, Consumerist, Tech Times, FierceDevOps News, TechWeekEurope UK and The Next Web. Tweets: @c4i. See also Mediagazer

Aaron Wall / SEO Book:

Yahoo is testing Google-powered search results and ads — Yahoo! Search Testing Google Search Results — Search PandaMonium — A couple days ago Microsoft announced a deal with AOL to have AOL sell Microsoft display ads & for Bing to power AOL's organic search results and paid search ads for a decade starting in January.

More: New York Times, 9to5Google, Search Engine Land, Engadget, Search Engine Roundtable, TechTime, The SEM Post, WebProNews, WinBeta, Beyond Search and InvestorPlace. Thanks:@aaronwall

Reuters:

Sources: FCC to approve AT&T's $48.5B DirecTV acquisition with conditions as soon as next week — U.S. approval of AT&T-DirecTV deal expected as soon as next week: sources — AT&T Inc's (T.N) proposed $48.5 billion acquisition of DirecTV (DTV.O) is expected to get U.S. regulatory approval …

More: Bloomberg Business, Consumerist, The Hill, DSLreports, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Business Insider and Seeking Alpha. See also Mediagazer

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