Techmeme
December 15, 2021, 1:25 PM

Top News

Wall Street Journal:
Microsoft and cybersecurity company Mandiant say hacking groups linked to China, Iran, North Korea, and Turkey are exploiting the Log4j flaw  —  Researchers call it one of the most dire cybersecurity threats to emerge in years and could enable devastating attacks
Catalin Cimpanu / The Record:
CISA orders US federal civilian agencies to patch systems affected by the Log4j vulnerability by December 24  —  The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has told federal civilian agencies to patch systems affected by the Log4Shell vulnerability by Christmas Eve.
Tim Starks / CyberScoop:
Jennifer Elias / CNBC:
Leaked memo: Google tells employees they must comply with vaccine policies by January 18 or lose pay and eventually be fired  —  - In a memo circulated by leadership, Google told employees that they must comply with vaccine policies or they face losing pay and then losing their job.
Tim Hardwick / MacRumors:
Apple quietly removes all mentions of CSAM scanning on its Child Safety webpage, but says its plans have not changed since September when it delayed the feature  —  Apple has quietly nixed all mentions of CSAM from its Child Safety webpage, suggesting its controversial plan …
Financial Times:
Sources: the US will ban eight Chinese companies, including DJI, for their alleged involvement in the surveillance of Uyghur Muslims  —  American investors will be banned from groups accused of involvement in Xinjiang abuses  —  The Biden administration will place eight Chinese companies including DJI …
Rest of World:
A look at Chinese fast fashion online retailer Shein, as 2020 sales reportedly hit $10B thanks to knockoff items, a nimble supply chain, and social media  —  By connecting China's garment factories with Western Gen-Z customers, Shein ushered in a new era of “ultra-fast” shopping.
Martin Matishak / The Record:
The US Department of Homeland Security launches “Hack DHS”, a bug bounty program that pays hackers between $500 and $5,000 per flaw found in its systems  —  The Homeland Security Department has launched a bug bounty program that will allow hackers to report vulnerabilities …
Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss / Reuters:
Anchorage Digital, which offers institutions digital asset services for secure crypto custody, trading, and more, raises $350M led by KKR at a $3B valuation  —  Anchorage Digital, a digital asset financial platform, said on Wednesday it raised $350 million in its latest funding round led by private equity firm KKR & Co Inc (KKR.N).
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge:
A look at the industry-backed smart home standard Matter, slated for mid-2022, and whether it can achieve its promises to fix smart home interoperability  —  The smart home should be a natural evolution of our homes, bringing better appliances, better systems, better experiences.
Mary Ann Azevedo / TechCrunch:
Swimply, a marketplace for renting private swimming pools, raises $40M led by Mayfield, seven months after raising $10M  —  The concept of creating a marketplace for underutilized assets that can turn into a meaningful business for hosts is not a new one.  And there is no higher profile of how successful that model can be than Airbnb.
Tweets: @pkedroskyThanks:@bayareawriter
Amanda Silberling / TechCrunch:
Twitter rolls out automatic video captions, with support for over 30 languages, but not for previously uploaded videos  —  Starting today, Twitter is rolling out auto-generated captions on videos.  This feature will make videos more accessible for Deaf and hard-of-hearing users.
Emily Birnbaum / Politico:
The Internet Association says it is closing at the end of the year; sources describe financial struggles and tension between members  —  The Internet Association plans to announce it is dissolving as soon as tomorrow.  —  From left, former Internet Association President & CEO Michael Beckerman speaks …
Sam Byford / The Verge:
Oppo unveils Find N, a foldable with a 7.1" inner and a 5.49" outer display, Snapdragon 888, 8-12GB RAM, 256-512GB SSD, coming December 23 to China for ~$1,200  —  An open and shut case?  —  After teasing its first folding phone last week, Oppo is revealing the Find N in full today.
Natasha Lomas / TechCrunch:
The UK's CMA issues an interim report voicing concerns over Apple and Google's “vice-like grip” on the mobile ecosystem, hinting at future antitrust action  —  The UK's antitrust watchdog has given the clearest signal yet that interventions under an upcoming reform …
New York Times:
How China helps foreign influencers in the country who spread pro-China messages, funding their travel and generating lucrative, likely inauthentic, traffic  —  We are on the outskirts of Shanghai today at the most incredible hotel we've ever stayed at.  —  It's the first in the world built inside a quarry.

Sponsor Posts

Tribe AI:
Is AI just hype?  —  Find out how top enterprises use Tribe to get real business results.
Techmeme Leaderboards:
Discover the top reporters on AI, VR, policy, and much more  —  We've analyzed Techmeme's news crawl to identify the most influential and prolific writers on 48 news topics.  Download reports immediately for just $100.
Zoho:
All new Zoho Workerly 2024  —  Staffing businesses around the world face a unique set of challenges when it comes to managing their temporary workforce.  With a constantly shifting job market and changing staffing needs …
Comprehensive.io:
Browse salary data from 3,000 startups for free  —  Click for FREE, immediate access to real-time compensation benchmarking data.  Paid version helps HR automate comp reviews and communicate total compensation to employees.
The Kevin Rose Show:
Henry Shukman, Lessons from an Authentic Zen Master
Gain unconventional wisdom and insights through conversations with top expert in AI, investing, wellness, technology, and culture.
Techmeme Ride Home:
Wed. 03/27 - Hulu Comes To Disney+; WWDC Gets A Date
The day's tech news, every day at 5pm ET. Fifteen minutes and you're up to date.
Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or RSS.
 

About This Page

This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 1:25 PM ET, December 15, 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

Lucas Matney / TechCrunch: