Techmeme
January 15, 2020, 9:05 AM

Top News

Kif Leswing / CNBC:
In a tweet, Trump criticizes Apple for refusing to unlock phones of violent criminals, says his administration helps Apple “all of the time” on trade  —  - In a tweet, president Donald Trump addressed the conflict between the FBI and Apple over locked iPhones used by the suspected Pensacola shooter.
New York Times:
Sources: Apple is preparing for a legal fight with the DOJ, similar to San Bernardino, which was not legally resolved before FBI dropped the case  —  The Silicon Valley giant is preparing for a legal fight over encryption, even as it works to reduce tensions with the Justice Department.
Scott Lucas / BuzzFeed:
Stephen Shankland / CNET:
Google says it will phase out support for third-party cookies in Chrome within two years  —  Google's Chrome team, advancing its web privacy effort, later this year will begin testing the “privacy sandbox” proposals it unveiled in 2019.  The Chrome tests, which Google announced Tuesday …
Catalin Cimpanu / ZDNet:
Abner Li / 9to5Google:
Google Smart Lock on iOS now leverages Secure Enclave to enable the iPhone's use as a physical 2FA key to sign in to Google apps via Chrome on nearby devices  —  Last year, Google announced that all Android 7+ devices can be used as two-factor authentication when signing into Gmail, Drive, and other first-party services.
Thomas Germain / Consumer Reports:
New study shows how popular apps including Grindr, OkCupid, Tinder, and the period-tracking apps Clue and MyDays share intimate user data with data brokers  —  A new study shows how information about your sexuality, religion, and location is sent straight from phones to data brokers
Kyle Wiggers / VentureBeat:
Google acquires no-code app development platform AppSheet, which had raised ~$19M to date, with plans to migrate AppSheet services to Google Cloud  —  Google is on something of a buying spree.  On the heels of its acquisition of retail inventory management startup Pointy …
Max Weinbach / XDA Developers:
Source: hands-on with a leaked Samsung Galaxy S20+ shows it has a 120Hz 3200 x 1440 display, ultrasonic under-display fingerprint scanner, and no headphone jack  —  The Samsung Galaxy S20 series is Samsung's next mainstream flagship series, and all eyes are set on the top Android OEM for its biggest guns yet.
Greg Kumparak / TechCrunch:
Hotel and flight search service Hipmunk says it's shutting down on January 23, 3+ years after SAP Concur acquired it  —  If you're still using Hipmunk for trip planning, it's time to find another site.  Sooner than later, really.  —  The Hipmunk team announced this afternoon that it'll be shutting down in just one week's time.
Jeff Stone / CyberScoop:
Equifax to pay $380.5M to members of a class action suit whose data was compromised in 2017 breach, after a federal judge approved the final settlement Monday  —  Equifax has agreed to pay $380.5 million to resolve allegations related to the 2017 data breach in which hackers stole information belonging …
Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:
Google acquires Dublin-based Pointy, a startup helping brick-and-mortar retailers track which products they have in stock, a source says for $163M  —  Google has been on a long-term mission to build inroads into the world of e-commerce by working more closely with brick-and-mortar retailers …
Ashley Carman / The Verge:
Instagram says it is testing letting some users access DMs from its website  —  As Facebook increases its focus on messaging  —  Instagram is finally bringing direct messages to the web.  Starting today, a “small percentage” of the platform's global users will be able to access their DMs …
Kyle Wiggers / VentureBeat:
Zinier, which provides workplace automation tools, raises $90M Series C led by ICONIQ Capital, bringing its total raised to $100M+  —  It's anticipated that workplace automation tools will see an uptick in adoption in the next few years.  One company leading the charge is San Francisco-based Zinier …
More: TechCrunch
Nicholas Thompson / Wired:
Interview with US CTO Michael Kratsios on the government's recent regulatory framework for AI, the potential for an AI cold war with China, and more  —  In a WIRED Q&A, the US chief technology officer warns against overregulating tech, underestimating the Chinese, and losing America's lead in quantum computing.
Ben Thompson / Stratechery:
Visa's Plaid acquisition will pay off if Visa can leverage Plaid's fintech network and make it worthwhile for banks to build out the APIs Plaid needs  —  Before the network, there is the job.  —  In the case of Visa, or, to be more exact, the Bank Americard that would eventually be spun …
Blake Hester / Polygon:
Former Microsoft employees and third-party developers reflect on the rise and fall of Microsoft Kinect, which was once billed as the future of Xbox  —  For a moment a decade ago, the game industry looked like a very different place  —  Illustrations by Cobysoft Joe for Polygon
Michael Thomsen / Daily Mail:
Toyota launches Kinto in Europe, a package of four separate mobility programs including car sharing, car pooling, and subscription-based leasing  —  Toyota Kinto is a package of four separate services that will be available in Europe in 2020.  The four programs are:

Sponsor Posts

Google:
Try Gemini 3 Pro  —  Google's newest and most intelligent AI model that helps you bring any idea to life
Shopify:
Shopify's new AI commerce stack  —  Their VP of Product digs into just-launched products to help entrepreneurs and developers build with the latest AI and tech.
Zoho:
Email fatigue is real: Here's how smart email tools help you regain control  —  Picture this: It's Monday morning.  You walk into the office feeling energized and ready to take on the week.
IDrive:
Protecting your Cloud Applications Data  —  Backing up Office 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox & Box data is critical to preventing data loss or corruption, complying with laws and avoiding critical downtime in case of a disaster.

Featured Podcasts

Big Technology Podcast:
CNBC's Jim Cramer: Big Tech Hot Takes, NVIDIA $10 Trillion?, Building Wealth In Any Market
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Channels with Peter Kafka:
"Neither Side Is Used to Losing." Lucas Shaw on What's Next for Netflix and Paramount in the Battle for Warner Bros.
Media and tech aren't just intersecting - they're fully intertwined. To understand how those worlds work, Peter Kafka talks to industry leaders, upstarts and observers.
Subscribe to Channels with Peter Kafka.
Uncapped with Jack Altman:
Saam Motamedi from Greylock Partners
Conversations with people I admire about things I'm genuinely interested in.
Subscribe to Uncapped with Jack Altman.
Invest Like the Best:
Henry Ellenbogen - Man Versus Machine
The leading destination to learn about business and investing. We do this by showcasing exceptional talent and ideas.
Subscribe to Invest Like the Best.
Grit:
How Evan Spiegel Is Building the Future of Computing
Grit explores what it takes to create, build and scale world-class organizations.
Subscribe to Grit.
Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith:
Ted Sarandos: Netflix and how tech changed storytelling
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.
Subscribe to Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith.
 

About This Page

This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 9:05 AM ET, January 15, 2020.

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.

More News

Annie Palmer / CNBC:

Earlier Picks

Nick Statt / The Verge:
Brian Krebs / Krebs on Security: