Techmeme
August 22, 2019, 11:50 AM

Top News

Sameer Samat / The Keyword:
Google stops using dessert-themed names for Android for better worldwide accessibility, names Android Q Android 10, and refreshes Android brand logo and color  —  Over the last decade, Android's open platform has created a thriving community of manufacturers and developers that reach a global audience with their devices and apps.
Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple is planning to launch Pro iPhones with three-sensor camera systems for better low-light photos and video recording, new iPads, larger MacBook Pro  —  Apple Inc. is readying a clutch of new hardware for the coming weeks and months, including “Pro” iPhones, upgrades to iPads and its largest laptop in years.
Joseph Cox / VICE:
Assessing the impact of telecoms' poor privacy practices through the story of a woman stalked by a man who obtained her real-time location data from T-Mobile  —  Telecom giants are giving up customers' real-time location data to stalkers and bounty hunters.  Now, Motherboard speaks to a victim.
Eriq Gardner / Hollywood Reporter:
Eminem's publisher Eight Mile Style sues Spotify claiming copyright infringement, challenges the constitutionality of the Music Modernization Act passed in 2018  —  Eight Mile Style alleges “Lose Yourself” and many of the rapper's hits aren't licensed by the streamer.  Now comes a suit eyeing Spotify's billions.
Stephan Kahl / Bloomberg:
Numbrs, an app that enables users to manage existing bank accounts in one place, raises $40M at a $1B+ valuation, bringing its total raised to ~$200M  —  - Numbrs raises $40 million as it looks to expand beyond Germany  — Company counts 50 indivuals and families among its investors
Stephen Hall / 9to5Google:
Source: Google is planning an update to the Home Mini, called the Nest Mini, with a similar form factor, wall mount, improved sound, and 3.5mm jack  —  Google plans to launch a followup to 2017's Google Home Mini with a second-generation ‘Nest Mini,’ a reliable source tells 9to5Google.
Brian Merchant / Gizmodo:
Investigation reveals popular on-demand massage app Zeel repeatedly ignored therapists' complaints about sexual harassment and inappropriate client behavior  —  When Ilene Antelman arrived at a client's Manhattan duplex in December of 2016, she was in a good mood.
Todd Bishop / GeekWire:
Microsoft, Google, Alibaba, Baidu, IBM, ARM, Intel, Red Hat, and others form the Confidential Computing Consortium to promote better data security practices  —  A number of big-name tech companies — including Microsoft, Google, Alibaba, Red Hat, IBM, and Intel — are joining forces …
Mehreen Khan / Financial Times:
The European Commission is planning regulation to impose strict limits on the use of facial recognition technology by companies and public authorities  —  Brussels is exploring ways to impose strict limits on the use of facial recognition technology in an attempt to stamp out creeping public surveillance of European citizens.
More: Engadget and CNET
Natalie Gagliordi / ZDNet:
Big data analytics service Splunk to acquire cloud monitoring company SignalFx for $1.05B  —  The company announced the deal along with its second quarter financial results, which topped estimates.  —  Splunk delivered better-than-expected second quarter financial results and announced …
Abner Li / 9to5Google:
Google officially rolls out a redesign for the Play Store, using its Material design language, and creates two distinct destinations for games and apps  —  After months of waiting and temporary appearances, the Play Store Material Theme redesign is now official on Android.
Joseph Cox / VICE:
Google, Mozilla, Apple to block root certificate issued by Kazakhstan which could be used to monitor users; Microsoft says cert not in its Trusted Root Program  —  Browser makers announced they would block the Kazakhstan government's root certificate, which was designed to spy on citizens' internet usage.

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Christina Farr / CNBC:

Earlier Picks

Rose Eveleth / Slate:
Whitney Kimball / Gizmodo:
Joseph Cox / VICE:
Catalin Cimpanu / ZDNet:
Bloomberg:
John Whitehouse / Media Matters for America:
Ryan Smith / AnandTech:
Darrell Etherington / TechCrunch: