Techmeme: WhatsApp update brings emojis, ability to write and draw on photos, videos, and adds screen flash for front-facing photos, available on Android today, iOS soon (Kurt Wagner/Recode)

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October 4, 2016, 10:40 AM

Top News

Janko Roettgers / Variety:

Sources: Google to unveil its first Daydream VR headset Tuesday, to be used in conjunction with its new flagship phones; one source says price likely to be $79 — Google will not only use its October 4 hardware event to unveil two new flagship phones, the company is also going to introduce …

David Ruddock / Android Police:

Source: Huawei sacked Honor US team, refused deal for Google's 2016 phones after carriers failed to stock Nexus 6P and learning of new Google-only branding deal — According to a source familiar with Huawei's operations, the Chinese smartphone and telecoms giant's device division has been having …

Dan Seifert / The Verge:

What to expect at Google's Oct. 4 event: two new flagship devices without Nexus branding, more details about Home, Google Wi-Fi, Android-Chrome OS hybrid, more

Mary Jo Foley / ZDNet:

Microsoft pulls Band listings from its Store and admits there are no plans for a new Band device this year — Microsoft officials say there are no plans to introduce a new Microsoft Band fitness device this year and that they've sold through the existing Band 2 inventory.

Kurt Wagner / Recode:

WhatsApp update brings emojis, ability to write and draw on photos, videos, and adds screen flash for front-facing photos, available on Android today, iOS soon — Emojis, anyone? — WhatsApp launched a handful of new photo editing features Monday, including the ability to draw on pictures …

More: WhatsApp.com, Macworld, SocialTimes, Forbes, Tech Times, CNET, The Next Web, 9to5Google and VentureBeat

Kevin McLaughlin / The Information:

Google hires David Foster, who was previously leading device development teams at Amazon's Lab126; source says he will lead development of smartphones at Google — David Foster, who helped develop the Amazon Kindle and Kindle Fire tablet, joined Google on Monday as vice president …

More: 9to5Google, ZDNet, The Verge, TalkAndroid.com, Engadget, Silicon Valley Business …, Pocketnow, The Next Web and Good E-Reader. Tweets: @edbott

Zach Rodgers / AdExchanger:

Salesforce To Buy Krux For $700M, Closing Ad Tech Gap With Rival Marketing Clouds — Salesforce has shifted back into gear on ad tech M&A after a three-year quiet period. — The company will snap up data management platform Krux in a move that could bring its marketing stack into closer parity with its archrival Oracle.

More: Wall Street Journal, Computerworld, Krux Blog, SiliconANGLE, The Register, Bloomberg, Adweek, ZDNet, diginomica, MediaPost, RTTNews, Forbes, StreetInsider.com, TechCrunch, Business Insider, USA Today and silicontap.com

Tweets: @mcarney and @kantrowitz

Alexandria Sage / Reuters:

CA Gov. Brown last week signed into law restricted testing of fully autonomous vehicles on public roads without operator, steering wheel, or pedals — A bill signed into law on Thursday by California Governor Jerry Brown allows a self-driving vehicle with no operator inside to test on a public road …

More: Mercury News, SiliconBeat, Silicon Valley Business …, Inverse, Engadget, SiliconANGLE, ReadWrite, IEEE Spectrum and CNET. Tweets: @erickschonfeld

Mary Ku / Facebook:

Facebook launches Marketplace on mobile for buying and selling items, initially in US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand, won't facilitate payment or delivery — Facebook is where people connect, and in recent years more people have been using Facebook to connect in another way: buying and selling with each other.

More: Business Insider, ARC, Dice Insights, Social Media Today, gHacks Technology News, MediaNama, Tech Times, Trak.in, Marketing Land, USA Today, The Register, Vanity Fair, Digital Trends, CNET, TechnoBuffalo, Socialnomics, Computerworld, Pocket-lint, Investor's Business Daily, Newser, GeekTime, Droid Life, PYMNTS.com, LarrysWorld.com, internetretailer.com, WTVR-TV, 9to5Google, MobileSyrup.com, Peter Krasilovsky's Insights …, Techvibes, VatorNews, Wired, Peter O'Kelly's Reality Check, iPhone in Canada Blog, SocialTimes, TechSpot, Forbes, Ars Technica UK, PhoneDog.com, Laughing Squid, Android Police, WebProNews, International Business Times, Adweek, Engadget, HYPEBEAST, POPSUGAR, TalkAndroid.com, Bank Innovation, Lifehacker, Web Strategy …, AppleInsider, Android Authority, AppAdvice.com Latest, SiliconANGLE, New York Magazine, Pocketnow, Tech Trader Daily, ZDNet, SlashGear, The Next Web, The Digital Reader, Ausdroid and Gizmodo

Tweets: @johnhenderson, @ricmac, @marshallk, @bbcrorycj, @sarahfrier, @rsarver and @caseynewton

Josh Constine / TechCrunch:

Marketplace replaces Messenger shortcut in the main navigation tab bar on Facebook for iOS and lacks a way to rate sellers and provide feedback on sold items

Paul Sawers / VentureBeat:

Xiaomi partners with Google to launch its first US product, the Mi Box, a $69 Android TV set-top with 4K support, Google Cast, and Google Voice Search — Xiaomi has finally launched its Mi Box Android TV set-top box in the U.S. — While we did know that the Mi Box would be coming to the U.S …

More: PR Newswire, Tech Times, Pocketnow, TechnoBuffalo, TechCrunch, BetaNews, TechSpot, Ausdroid, Android Police, The Tech Report, Android Authority, The Verge, ZDNet, 9to5Google, The Next Web, Liliputing, PhoneDog.com and Android Beat

Natasha Lomas / TechCrunch:

European travel planner and booking platform GoEuro raises $70M round, led by Silver Lake Kraftwerk and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers — Travel planner and booking platform GoEuro has taken in another big cash injection, announcing a $70 million funding round led by Silver Lake Kraftwerk …

More: VentureBeat, Tech.eu, Reuters, Tnooz and Business Insider

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:

Amazon bans incentivized reviews tied to free or discounted products, except those from its Amazon Vine product review program — Amazon is making a significant change to its Community Guidelines, announced today, which will eliminate any incentivized reviews, except for those that emerge from within its own Amazon Vine program.

More: Engadget, Business Insider, Forbes, Marketing Land, ZDNet, BBC, Tech Times, Amazon.com, Consumerist, ClickZ, GeekWire, Lifehacker, Guardian, CNET, Trak.in, BetaNews, The Digital Reader, The Verge, Digital Trends, Bloomberg, TechSpot, Ars Technica UK, The Next Web, BGR, Gizmodo, Investor's Business Daily, USA Today and The Seattle Times

Tweets: @cyrusshepard and @kakurady

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:

iTunes debuts new “Spoken Editions” section featuring narrated articles from several web publishers including Reuters, Techcrunch, Gizmodo, IGN, Fusion, others — As we reported in September, iTunes has today launched a new section called “Spoken Editions,” …

More: AppleInsider, O'Grady's PowerPage, Ubergizmo, iPhone Hacks, 9to5Mac, MacStories, iPhone in Canada Blog, Mashable and MAC blog

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