Techmeme
October 22, 2018, 9:05 AM

Top News

Fred Wilson / AVC:
Recent news serves as a reminder that operators in startups and venture capital should work to ensure their investors are not bad actors  —  I got an email from the CEO of one of our portfolio companies last week.  —  It asked a very basic question, but one that I don't recall being asked before:
The Information:
Sources: Facebook is stepping up efforts to buy a major cybersecurity firm and has approached several companies about an acquisition  —  In an effort to repair its tattered reputation around data protection, Facebook is stepping up efforts to acquire a major cybersecurity firm, according to four people familiar with the matter.
Andrew Gebhart / CNET:
Google Home Hub review: smart photo frame and home control panel, a capable digital assistant, photos and videos look crisp but sound quality is mediocre  —  Google Assistant helps this tiny screen feel powerful  —  $149.00  —  CNET may get a commission from these offers.  —  Compare These
Haaretz:
An in-depth look at how Israel became a leading exporter of tools for oppressive regimes to spy on activists' and dissidents' communications  —  Haaretz investigation spanning 100 sources in 15 countries reveals Israel has become a leading exporter of tools for spying on civilians.
New York Times:
Detecting fake news using AI will require a number of major advances far beyond today's AI, which just flags word patterns and operates at a keyword level  —  At least not for decades to come.  Sorry, Mark Zuckerberg.  —  Dr. Marcus is a professor of psychology and neural science.
Zheping Huang / South China Morning Post:
China's internet censor releases draft rules for blockchain startups, requiring registration of users with real names, censoring posts, and storing user data  —  - Cyberspace Administration of China published draft regulations on Friday for public consultation until November 2
Mallory Locklear / Engadget:
Survey of 5,844 US college students finds 89% at least got some news from social media weekly, with 71% getting news from Facebook and 55% from Snapchat  —  A number of studies have shown that people turn to social media for news, and of all of the social networks out there, Facebook consistently leads the pack in this regard.
Nathaniel Popper / New York Times:
How projects like Ocean Protocol, Oasis, Enigma, and SingularityNET use blockchain for AI research hoping to curb the dominance of big tech in the field  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Pairing artificial intelligence and the blockchain might be what you would expect from a scammer looking to make a quick buck in 2018.
Andrii Degeler / Tech.eu:
London-based fashion e-commerce startup Thread, which uses AI to help suggest clothes to buy, raises $22M and announces an equity crowdfunding campaign  —  British menswear suggestion and matching startup Thread has raised $22 million in a Series B funding round from Balderton Capital …
David Pierini / Cult of Mac:
Profile of YouTuber Scotty Allen, who rose to fame last year after he built an iPhone from scratch by using parts he bought from public markets in Shenzhen  —  Millions have watched Scotty Allen build an iPhone from parts mined from the electronics markets of Shenzhen, China.

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Featured Podcasts

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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.
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