Open Links In New Tab
Mobile Archives Advertise Site News
Techmeme
August 27, 2020, 12:40 PM
Mediagazer memeorandum WeSmirch
Home River Leaderboards About Events Newsletter

Top News

Financial Times:
TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer resigns, sources say after Trump threatened to ban the app; Vanessa Pappas, currently general manager of TikTok, will become interim head  —  Former Disney executive resigns just months after appointment by Chinese video platform  —  Kevin Mayer has quit TikTok …
Dan Primack / Axios:
Walmart says it is working with Microsoft on the TikTok deal, sources say with the idea of turning TikTok US into an e-commerce app for creators and users  —  Microsoft is working with Walmart on its efforts to buy TikTok's U.S. business from China's ByteDance, Axios has learned from multiple sources close to the process.
Alex Sherman / CNBC:
Sources: TikTok likely to announce a sale of US, Canada, Australia, and NZ operations in a deal worth $20B to $30B as soon as next week  —  - TikTok is nearing an agreement to sell its U.S., Canadian, Australian and New Zealand operations in a deal that could be announced as soon as next week, sources say.
Shakeel Hashim / Protocol:
Report: Oracle has taken the lead position to acquire TikTok and is offering $10B in cash, $10B in stock, and 50% of TikTok's annual profit to ByteDance  —  The Wrap reports that Oracle is offering $10 billion in cash, $10 billion in Oracle stock, and an agreement that 50% of TikTok's profit will go to ByteDance.
Russell Brandom / The Verge:
Facebook users reported Kenosha Guard's Page and event to Facebook before the shootings but were told it did not violate its policies; the Pages are now gone  —  Multiple users reported the account for inciting violence, but were told it did not violate platform policy
Dieter Bohn / The Verge:
Amazon announces Halo, a $99.99 fitness band with an app to track emotional tone and create 3D scans for body fat, with a $3.99/month subscription service  —  It makes a 3D model of your body and tracks the emotional tone in your voice  —  Amazon is getting into the health gadget market …
Rafat Ali / Skift:
A few lessons for the events industry from digital turning points in music, video, and news industries, as Zoom transforms events like Napster changed music  —  All types of business events are in danger of their revenue streams of tickets, sponsorships, memberships, and other types of fees being eroded.
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Facebook warns publishers that Apple's upcoming privacy changes in iOS 14, which clamp down on ad tracking IDFA usage, will make Audience Network less effective  —  Facebook is warning advertisers that they can expect weaker ad performance from iPhone users once iOS 14 comes out next month …
Bloomberg:
Counterpoint: Apple's AirPods are expected to sell 82M pairs this year, but their worldwide market share of true wireless earphones will drop from ~50% to 35%  —  - AirPods maker is projected to sell 82 million pairs this year  — Wider market growing even faster, driven by cheaper models
Kia Kokalitcheva / Axios:
SEC approves new NYSE rules that will let companies raise capital through direct listings, a technique that Spotify and Slack used  —  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday approved the New York Stock Exchange's rule change that will allow companies to raise new capital as part of a direct listing.
Jay Peters / The Verge:
Epic says Fortnite gamers on iOS and macOS will not be able to play the game's next season, arriving Thursday, and will lose cross-play with non-Apple platforms  —  Apple players are losing cross-play  —  Fortnite's next season arrives tomorrow, but if you're on iOS or macOS, you won't be able to play it, Epic announced today.
Ari Levy / CNBC:
Salesforce to cut ~1,000 jobs, 1.8% of its workforce, including some Tableau employees, and will give those affected 60 days to find a new role in the company  —  - The cuts amount to about 2% of Salesforce's workforce, but employees affected will have 60 days to find a new position at the company.
Daniel Cooper / Engadget:
Fairphone debuts modular €469 Fairphone 3+ with 40% recycled plastics, launching on September 14; Fairphone 3 users can upgrade camera module for €70  —  Fairphone is a Dutch social enterprise that's trying to improve supply chain and labor conditions in the tech industry.
Ryan Browne / CNBC:
Swedish online payments startup Klarna reports a ~$59.8M net loss for H1 2020, a sevenfold increase YoY, as total net operating income rose 37% YoY to ~$528M  —  - Klarna racked up a net loss of 522 million Swedish krona ($59.8 million) between January and June, a sevenfold increase from the same period a year ago.
Igor Bosilkovski / Forbes:
ChartHop, which provides charts to companies about their employees including data such as ethnicity and base compensation, raises $14M Series A led by a16z  —  Organizational platform ChartHop, which provides companies with visual charts that include various data points about their employees …
More: FinSMEs
Don Clark / New York Times:
Sources say problems at Intel are likely to delay the DoE's exascale supercomputer project, which was scheduled to be installed near Chicago in 2021  —  The chip maker was selected for an Energy Department project meant to show American tech independence.  But problems at Intel have thrown a wrench into the effort.
Tweets: @donal888

Sponsor Posts

Okara:
Meet Okara, the AI platform that doesn't train on your data  —  Chat with 30+ open-source models (Llama, Kimi, Qwen, DeepSeek) through encrypted infrastructure.  Used by teams handling proprietary code and strategy.
Soxton:
AI-powered law for startups  —  Soxton automates startup legal so founders can move faster and sleep better.  We handle incorporation, advisor, employment and commercial contracts.  Join the waitlist for early access!
Zoho:
Pro tips: 5 ways to simplify invoicing and payments in Zoho Books  —  Many businesses still rely on manual processes to collect payments and reconcile invoices.  This often results in delayed payments …
IDrive:
Protecting your Cloud Applications Data  —  Backing up Office 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox & Salesforce data is critical to preventing data loss or corruption, complying with laws and avoiding critical downtime in case of a disaster.
Sponsor Techmeme

Featured Podcasts

The Nick, Dick and Paul Show:
 The Wellness Industry Pt. 1
Nick Bilton, Dick Costolo, and Paul Kedrosky pull back the curtain on AI, startups, and the future rushing toward us, all with healthy dose of irreverence.
Subscribe to The Nick, Dick and Paul Show.
Invest Like the Best:
 Gokul Rajaram - Lessons from Investing in 700 Companies
The leading destination to learn about business and investing. We do this by showcasing exceptional talent and ideas.
Subscribe to Invest Like the Best.
Big Technology Podcast:
 Is AI Killing Software? — With Bret Taylor
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:
 Running a Newsroom in Minneapolis + How to Make a Game of Thrones For Less
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.
Acquired:
 The NFL (2026 Update)
Learn the playbooks that built the world's greatest companies - and how you can apply them as a founder, operator, or investor.
Subscribe to Acquired.
Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith:
 Special Edition: Key findings from the Microsoft AI Diffusion Report
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.
Add your podcast here
 

About This Page

This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 12:40 PM ET, August 27, 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.

From Mediagazer

Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Barry Diller expressed interest in buying CNN in H1 2025, before WBD said it would spin off cable networks; a WBD spokesman says CNN is not for sale

Colin Moynihan / New York Times:
A US judge sentences a third person to jail for participating in a murder-for-hire plot, directed by Iran, targeting journalist and activist Masih Alinejad

Charlotte Klein / New York Magazine:
Sources: WaPo CEO Will Lewis floated several plans to make the company profitable again; some efforts failed to pan out, part of a pattern of fits and starts

More News

Substack Blog:
Substack to support paid subscriptions for writers based in India; the feature is in beta and Substack will waive its 10% fee during the beta period
David McLaughlin / Bloomberg:
Rep. David Cicilline says recommendations from House antitrust inquiry could come as soon as Sept. and a Glass-Steagall-like law for tech might be an option

Earlier Picks

Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge:
Sony opens registration for invite-only PlayStation 5 preorders, says supply will be limited and invitation program is aimed at existing PlayStation customers
Dan Primack / Axios:
Ten VC firms say they're adding “diversity riders” in term sheets, pledging startups and lead investors will try to include underrepresented investors in deals
Edward Ongweso Jr / VICE:
Most of Scots Wikipedia appears to be written by an American attempting a Scottish accent, not Scots, Scotland's official language; the user has 23K+ articles
Mediagazer memeorandum WeSmirch
Home River Leaderboards About Events Newsletter