Techmeme
May 21, 2019, 10:50 AM

Top News

Reuters:
Commerce Dept. creates a general license, which expires Aug. 19, to restore Huawei's ability to maintain existing networks and push software updates to handsets  —  (Reuters) - The U.S. Commerce Department on Monday created a temporary general license restoring Huawei's ability …
Financial Times:
Sources: US intelligence chiefs have been briefing US tech companies since Oct. to warn them on the risks of trade with China, showing classified info to execs  —  US intelligence chiefs have held a series of classified briefings with American companies and other groups to warn them of the dangers …
Angela Moon / Reuters:
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Sources: ByteDance, owner of TikTok, is developing a paid music service via a new app it expects to debut as early as this fall, mostly in emerging markets  —  - ByteDance plans to target listeners in emerging markets  — Company has already secured rights from Indian record labels
Alfred Ng / CNET:
On the first anniversary of GDPR, Microsoft calls for a similar privacy law in the US that puts the burden on the companies that collect and use sensitive data  —  Microsoft's idea of a US privacy law would make it easier for people to protect their data.  —  The company's corporate vice president …
Julia Alexander / The Verge:
Professional gamer Tfue sues esports org FaZe Clan over allegedly “oppressive” contract, says FaZe violates CA law by acting as an unlicensed talent agency  —  The lawsuit could be a turning point for e-sports organizations  —  A new lawsuit filed against Faze Clan …
Jeremy Horwitz / VentureBeat:
Google unveils Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2 with a Snapdragon XR1 chip, an improved 8MP camera, and ~8 hours of battery life; orders open today for $999  —  Six years after Google Glass was unveiled, it goes without saying that the first major augmented reality headset wasn't the massive success …
Bloomberg:
Source: DOJ is leaning against approving T-Mobile's takeover of Sprint because the companies' proposals don't go far enough to resolve anti-trust concerns  —  The Justice Department is leaning against approving T-Mobile US Inc.'s proposed takeover of Sprint Corp. because the remedies proposed …
Zack Whittaker / TechCrunch:
Researcher finds database, belonging to Mumbai-based Chtrbox, with contact info, including phone numbers, of millions of Instagram users exposed online  —  A massive database containing contact information of millions of Instagram influencers, celebrities and brand accounts has been found online.
Kyle Wiggers / VentureBeat:
Ivalua, which provides spend management solutions for enterprises, raises $60M led by Tiger Global Management at a $1B+ valuation  —  Ivalua, a Redwood City, California-based provider of enterprise spend management tools, today announced the closure of a $60 million growth equity round …
Oculus:
Facebook announces that Oculus Quest and Oculus Rift S are now shipping globally  —  Today marks an important moment for the VR community, as both Oculus Quest and Rift S begin shipping now!  With all-in-one, fully immersive 6DOF VR, we're bringing the magic of presence to more people than ever before …
Tom Warren / The Verge:
Microsoft says its Edge for Mac browser is now available in preview, starting with daily canary builds for macOS 10.12 and above  —  Daily Canary builds available at first  —  Microsoft teased its Edge browser for macOS earlier this month, and now the company is officially allowing Mac users to download a preview version.
Bloomberg:
Sony says talks with Microsoft on their cloud gaming partnership began last year; source: talks began after discussions with Amazon fell through  —  - Talks on cloud gaming pact have been underway since last year  —  When Sony Corp. unveiled a cloud gaming pact with archrival Microsoft Corp., it surprised the industry.
Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:
Marqeta, which provides payment card services to third-parties like Square and Instacart, raises $260M Series E led by Coatue Management at a ~$2B valuation  —  Startups that are disrupting and unlocking the lucrative world of financial services continue to unlock big fund funding rounds for themselves.
Nick Statt / The Verge:
Xbox chief outlines plans to fight toxicity in gaming through new moderation tools for Xbox Live communities and a new industry-wide initiative to share tech  —  Spencer says Microsoft is treating safety as a paramount issue for the industry  —  Microsoft's Xbox chief Phil Spencer …
Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
Instagram quietly overhauls the design of IGTV to have just one central feed, much like TikTok, as it tries to ramp up the app's growth a year after launch  —  Instagram conquered Stories, but it's losing the battle for the next video formats.  TikTok is blowing up with an algorithmically suggested vertical …

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Earlier Picks

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