Techmeme
December 17, 2017, 7:15 PM

Top News

Farhad Manjoo / New York Times:
In 2017, big tech platforms began accepting some responsibility for negatively affecting the real world, but questions remain about companies' next steps  —  This was a terrible year for the tech industry.  —  That's an odd thing to say at a time of record growth and profits.
Kate Conger / Gizmodo:
After slipping an unexplained promotional plugin for the TV show Mr. Robot into Firefox and angering users, Mozilla will move the extension to its add-on store  —  This week, Mozilla slipped a browser extension that promoted Mr. Robot into Firefox.  The goal was to give Firefox users access …
Benedict Evans:
How Amazon's decentralized operating structure and small, independent teams that use common internal systems, are integral to the company's unending scalability  —  When you look at large manufacturing companies, it becomes very clear that the machine that makes the machine is just as important as the machine itself.
Garrett M. Graff / Wired:
Inside the investigation led by the FBI to identify key perpetrators behind the Mirai Botnet, which was created initially to DDoS Minecraft servers  —  THE MOST DRAMATIC cybersecurity story of 2016 came to a quiet conclusion Friday in an Anchorage courtroom, as three young American computer …
More: New World Notes and TechdirtThanks:@gfififi
Reuters:
Oracle agrees to buy Aconex, an Australian project management cloud software provider for construction projects, for $1.2B  —  (Reuters) - Aconex Ltd (ACX.AX) said on Monday it had received a A$1.56 billion ($1.19 billion), A$7.80 in cash per share, buyout offer from U.S. software major Oracle Corp (ORCL.N).
Axios:
Amazon in advanced talks to acquire Sqrrl, a startup that analyzes big data to detect cybersecurity threats; Sqrrl has raised nearly $30M in VC funding  —  Amazon is in advanced talks to acquire Sqrrl, a Massachusetts-based cybersecurity software company whose founders used to work for the NSA, Axios has learned.
Chris Velazco / Engadget:
Eve V review: a more affordable, surprisingly worthy Surface Pro competitor designed by its forum community  —  If you've never heard of Eve, I like to think of it as the OnePlus of computers: By ditching middlemen, this 11-person startup found a way to build and sell premium computers at a significant discount.
Business Insider:
Interview with the “founding father of virtual reality”, Jaron Lanier, on Silicon Valley culture, VR, #MeToo backlash, AI, and the future  —  Widely recognized as a founding father of virtual reality, Jaron Lanier has been hugely influential in shaping the technology of today.
Thanks:@lexnfx

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Earlier Picks

Nathan Heller / New Yorker:
Sucheta Kulkarni / The Keyword: