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May 16, 2019, 6:40 PM
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Tom Warren / The Verge:
Microsoft and Sony announce a strategic partnership to explore development of future cloud solutions in Microsoft Azure for game and content-streaming services  —  An unusual partnership  —  Microsoft and Sony are announcing an unusual partnership today, allowing the two rivals to partner on cloud-based gaming services.
Salvador Rodriguez / CNBC:
Sources: acceptance rates for Facebook job offers among graduates of top US schools like Stanford fell from nearly 90% in late 2016 to around 50% in early 2019  —  KEY POINTS  — Among top schools, Facebook's acceptance rate for full-time positions offered to new graduates has fallen …
Thomas Brewster / Forbes:
Europol and FBI arrest the leader and ten members of the GozNym criminal network, who broke into 44K computers and tried to steal ~$100M  —  Paying money and buying online concept, couple doing internet shopping with computer, customers making secure payment on laptop via e-banking service, close up view of hand holding credit card
Theodore Schleifer / Vox:
Sources: Quora, which has 300M+ MAUs, is raising a $60M round led by Valor Equity Partners at a valuation of $2B, and told investors it had $20M in 2018 revenue  —  According to some, the financing round for the question-and-answer platform speaks to the high valuation for virtually everything these days in the tech sector.
Dieter Bohn / The Verge:
Google to add the ability to save transcriptions in Live Transcribe and will include indicators for sounds like door knocks, dog barks, and phones ringing  —  [Clapping]  —  When Google released Live Transcribe this past February, it was a hugely important accessibility feature for people …
Russell Brandom / The Verge:
Researchers: NYPD used edited suspects' photos and photos of celebs, when witnesses said the suspects looked like them, to generate facial recognition matches  —  In one case, a photo of the actor Woody Harrelson was used to locate a suspect  —  A new report from Georgetown Law's Center …
Dan Seifert / The Verge:
Google clarifies Works with Nest shutdown, says connections will continue to work beyond Aug. 31 until they are replicated in new Works with Assistant program  —  Works with Nest moves from fully dead to on life support  —  Google has issued a response to the criticisms of its recent announcement …
Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:
Instagram is shutting down Instagram Direct, its standalone direct messaging app that it was testing to rival Snapchat, on iOS and Android  —  As Facebook pushes ahead with its strategy to consolidate more of the backend of its various apps on to a single platform, it's also doing a little simplifying and housekeeping.
Casey Newton / The Interface:
As the definition of “bias” expands to include instances where social media users don't have the desired outcome, it's harder for platforms to say there is none  —  Three years ago this month, Mark Zuckerberg gathered together a group of influential conservatives to defend Facebook against allegations of political bias.
Makena Kelly / The Verge:
White House launches tool to solicit information from people who had social media accounts suspended or banned and who suspect political bias behind the actions
Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
Facebook is updating the News Feed algorithm to include data from user surveys about which links users find most worthwhile and who their closest friends are  —  Facebook is updating the News Feed ranking algorithm to incorporate data from surveys about who you say are your closest friends and which links you find most worthwhile.
Jeremy Horwitz / VentureBeat:
Sprint says it will begin offering 5G in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and Kansas City on May 31, with preorders for LG's V50 ThinQ 5G starting tomorrow  —  Having previously set general targets for its initial launch of 5G services and devices in the United States, Sprint says today …
Larry Cermak / The Block:
Sources: Coinbase is in advanced talks to acquire the Bitcoin custody provider Xapo for around $50M  —  Regulated U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase is in advanced talks to buy custody provider Xapo for about $50 million to boost its custody business, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
Nat Levy / GeekWire:
Amazon upgrades its $50 Fire 7 tablet with faster processor, doubled storage, and hands-free activation of Alexa, available for pre-order now, shipping June 6  —  Amazon today unveiled the next generation of its Fire 7 tablet and Fire 7 Kids Edition, speeding up the devices and adding more storage and features.
Kyle Wiggers / VentureBeat:
Revenue Analytics, which uses AI to help clients like Toyota, Best Buy, and Marriott instantly adjust prices to drive sales, raises $11M Series A  —  Imagine you're a retailer with a diverse clientele.  To whom should you extend a promotion when a product isn't flying off the shelves, and how steep should the discount be?

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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

Sara Fischer / Axios:
Meta says it has struck multiple multiyear commercial AI data agreements, including with USA Today, People, CNN, Fox News, The Daily Caller, and Le Monde

The Guardian:
Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, and the Netherlands exit Eurovision after Israel received an all-clear to compete; the BBC and Germany's SWR plan to participate

Mark Stenberg / Adweek:
Bloomberg Media COO Julia Beizer is leaving the company, a source says to lead Microsoft's AI news product, working under Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman

More News

Earlier Picks

Chance Miller / 9to5Mac:
Valve releases Steam Link, its service for streaming desktop games to another device, on iOS and Apple TV, almost a year after its initial App Store rejection
Washington Post:
Trump issues order blocking US companies from doing business with information and communications technology companies owned or controlled by a foreign adversary
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