Techmeme
February 1, 2021, 2:10 PM

Top News

Peter Rudegeair / Wall Street Journal:
Robinhood says it has raised $2.4B from shareholders, just days after raising ~$1B  —  The $3.4 billion raised since last Thursday is more than the company has raised in its entire prior existence  —  Robinhood Markets Inc. raised another $2.4 billion from shareholders …
Yueqi Yang / Bloomberg:
Andrew J. Hawkins / The Verge:
Ford says “millions” of its vehicles will run on Android starting in 2023, as it signs a six-year deal for Google Cloud to provide connected vehicle services  —  Google bags its latest automotive partner  —  Ford is the latest automaker to turn its vehicle operating systems over to Google.
Jeff Horwitz / Wall Street Journal:
In August, internal research at Facebook showed that ~70% of the platform's most active civic Groups were considered too toxic to recommend to users  —  The giant struggled to balance Mark Zuckerberg's free-expression mantra against findings that rabid partisanship had overrun a feature central to its future
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Facebook is testing a notification for Facebook and Instagram iOS app users globally that encourages opting in to tracking for a “better ads experience”  —  Facebook is testing a notification that notifies Apple iOS users about ways the tech giant uses their data to target personalized ads to them.
Mike Butcher / TechCrunch:
A recap of Elon Musk's Clubhouse appearance, which broke the 5,000 participant limit, pushing some to YouTube, and included an interview with Robinhood's CEO  —  Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, SpaceX, and many other companies, has mastered the art of using Twitter to harness fans …
Chris Velazco / Engadget:
Apple releases the first iOS 14.5 beta with the ability to unlock their iPhone with Face ID while wearing a mask if they are also wearing their Apple Watch  —  The feature debuts in a new developer beta, available now  —  While the full release won't arrive for some time …
Byron Kaye / Reuters:
Australian PM Scott Morrison says Microsoft is confident Bing can fill the gap created by Google if it pulls its search services over news payment disputes  —  SYDNEY (Reuters) -Software giant Microsoft Corp is confident its search product Bing can fill the gap in Australia if Google pulls …
Abner Li / 9to5Google:
Apple releases an iCloud Passwords browser extension for Chrome on Windows  —  Besides iTunes, Apple's biggest offering on Microsoft's operating system is the iCloud sync client for files, photos, and mail.  Apple is now extending its presence on Windows with an iCloud Passwords Chrome extension.
Bloomberg:
EU is seeking to overturn Apple's victory in $15.8B tax dispute saying the judges used “contradictory reasoning” when deciding the Irish tax case  —  - Regulators are challenging court view of Apple's Irish units  — Vestager has warned case has larger consequences for tax fight
Manish Singh / TechCrunch:
Twitter restricts a number of high-profile accounts in India, citing a “legal demand”, including investigative news outlet Caravan and two politicians  —  Twitter blocked access to dozens of accounts in India, including some that belonged to high-profile individuals in the country …
Khari Johnson / VentureBeat:
Databricks, which provides services for data analytics and AI workloads, raises $1B and is now valued at $28B  —  Databricks today announced the close of a $1 billion funding round, bringing the company's valuation to $28 billion after post-money valuation, a company spokesperson told VentureBeat.
More: Forbes
NetBlocks:
Network data indicates the onset of widespread internet disruptions in Myanmar amid reports of a military uprising and the detention of political leaders  —  Network data from the NetBlocks Internet Observatory indicate the onset of widespread internet disruptions in Myanmar on Sunday 31 January 2021 …
Maryclaire Dale / Associated Press:
SolarWinds hackers who breached US federal court system likely gained access to sealed documents containing trade secrets, espionage targets, and more  —  PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Trial lawyer Robert Fisher is handling one of America's most prominent counterintelligence cases, defending an MIT scientist charged with secretly helping China.

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Earlier Picks

Bloomberg:
Susan Adams / Forbes: