Techmeme
February 5, 2021, 5:50 AM

Top News

Megan Graham / CNBC:
Snap says Apple's changes to IDFA will interrupt demand; Unity says IDFA changes will affect how mobile game developers “optimize lifetime customer value”  —  - Snap and Unity Software, which reported fourth quarter earnings after the bell Thursday, both warned of the upcoming impact …
Ben Thompson / Stratechery:
Cherlynn Low / Engadget:
Google says Pixel users will be able to use their phone cameras to measure pulse and breath rates through the Google Fit app, starting next month  —  Like many of us, Google is getting more interested in our health.  The company is announcing today new features that will allow …
Josh Eidelson / Bloomberg:
In a NLRB filing, the Alphabet Workers Union accuses Google vendor Adecco of violating US labor law by forbidding contract workers from discussing their pay  —  - New labor group accuses Google vendor of violating labor law  — Worker says Facebook post got her suspended by contractor
Abner Li / 9to5Google:
Google starts rolling out Google News Showcase in Australia, paying local and regional publishers, amid an ongoing dispute over Australia's proposed media rules  —  Google has a $1 billion plan to pay publishers for content that appears in a cross-service “News Showcase” product.
Bloomberg:
Sources: Google is exploring a less-stringent Android alternative to Apple's App Tracking Transparency feature, resembling planned Chrome changes  —  - Internet giant mulls bringing web privacy approach to Android  — Google balancing user privacy with developer, advertiser needs
Lauren Kaori Gurley / VICE:
Amazon is quietly transitioning its US warehouse workers to 10-hour graveyard shifts; labor experts say the move is to cut costs and pay for fewer benefits  —  The company has been quietly transitioning warehouse workers at Amazon warehouses nationwide to a 10-hour graveyard shift, known as the “megacycle.”
Salvador Rodriguez / CNBC:
Kyle Bradshaw / 9to5Google:
Google delists the popular Chrome extension The Great Suspender for containing malware and is disabling the extension for those who installed it  —  This afternoon, Google has delisted the popular extension The Great Suspender for containing malware and is proactively disabling the extension for those who have it.
Brian Krebs / Krebs on Security:
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter took coordinated action to take down top members of account hijacking forum OGUsers and seized hundreds of accounts  —  Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter this week all took steps to crack down on users involved in trafficking hijacked user accounts across their platforms.
Alex Kantrowitz / Big Technology:
Apptopia: since Trump was banned from Twitter, daily use of Twitter has remained remarkably consistent  —  Trump's presence on Twitter had no impact on how much people used it, contrary to the popular narrative. … For as long as Donald Trump was president, there was a common misconception that Twitter's fate was tied to his.
Dean Takahashi / VentureBeat:
Activision Blizzard reports Q4 net revenue of $2.41B, up 21% YoY, driven by a record year for Call of Duty, which had full year premium unit sales up 40% YoY  —  Activision Blizzard reported earnings today that beat Wall Street's expectations with 21% revenue growth to $2.41 billion for the fourth quarter ended December 31.
Hamish McKenzie / Substack Blog:
Substack co-founder says Facebook and Twitter getting into paid newsletters is a positive thing for writers and the media ecosystem, implores them to go all in  —  When Twitter announced that it had acquired the email newsletter provider Revue to create a Substack competitor, I tweeted a smartass response:
The Information:
Source: Apple is planning a $3,000+ mixed-reality headset with 8K displays, eye-tracking tech, and 12+ cameras to track hand movements and show the real world  —  A mixed-reality headset Apple is developing will be equipped with more than a dozen cameras for tracking hand movements …
Liam Tung / ZDNet:
Five high-ranking Google engineers propose new rules for developers working on “critical” open source projects, including no unilateral code changes  —  If your open-source software project is considered “critical”, you could be facing a lot more work and responsibility in the future.
More: The New StackThanks:@steveranger
Felix Salmon / Axios:
Wikimedia Foundation announces CEO Katherine Maher will step down as of April 15, says its annual budget doubled to estimated $140M in 2021 under her leadership  —  Katherine Maher, the Wikimedia Foundation's CEO, will step down as of April 15, she tells Axios, leaving the nonprofit …

Sponsor Posts

TELUS Digital:
The brand supporting the biggest brands in tech  —  Deliver memorable experiences throughout the customer journey with customer experience support from TELUS Digital.  Scale quickly, automate efficiently and win decisively.
Intel:
Intel Delivers powerful CPUs for AI and Networking  —  With the onset of AI, businesses demand powerful and efficient CPUs.  Explore new Intel Xeon 6 processors, for the broadest set of workloads with leadership performance and lower TCO.
Zoho:
From app chaos to business clarity: How to solve software overload  —  The software overload dilemma: A maze or a highway?  Imagine driving through a city where every street follows different rules, forcing constant stops, detours, and delays.
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

Spotlight On:
Speak CEO Connor Zwick on Building the Next Great Language Learning App
A podcast from Accel about how companies are built, from the people doing the building.
Subscribe to Spotlight On.
Techmeme Ride Home:
The Big M&A Test I Was Waiting For
The day's tech news, every day at 5pm ET. Fifteen minutes and you're up to date.
Subscribe to Techmeme Ride Home.
Invest Like the Best:
Alex Wiltschko - Giving Computers A Sense Of Smell
The leading destination to learn about business and investing. We do this by showcasing exceptional talent and ideas.
Subscribe to Invest Like the Best.
Decoder with Nilay Patel:
How Trump's tariff chaos is already changing global trade
A show from the Verge about big ideas - and other problems.
Subscribe to Decoder with Nilay Patel.
Grit:
From Bootstrapped to $12B: Mailchimp's Ben Chestnut on Life After the Exit
Grit explores what it takes to create, build and scale world-class organizations.
Subscribe to Grit.
Lenny's Podcast:
The hidden power of introverts: How to thrive without changing who you are | Susan Cain (author of "Quiet")
Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover actionable advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.
Subscribe to Lenny's Podcast.
 

About This Page

This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 5:50 AM ET, February 5, 2021.

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

Earlier Picks

Kristen V Brown / Bloomberg:
Frederic Lardinois / TechCrunch:
Ryan Tracy / Wall Street Journal:
The Information:
Manish Singh / TechCrunch: