Techmeme
January 11, 2022, 8:00 AM

Top News

Moxie Marlinspike / Signal Blog:
Signal CEO Moxie Marlinspike steps down; WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton will act as the interim CEO as the search for a permanent replacement begins  —  It's a new year, and I've decided it's a good time to replace myself as the CEO of Signal.  —  I have now been working on Signal for almost a decade.
Chance Miller / 9to5Mac:
Report: European carriers voice opposition to Apple's Private Relay, as T-Mobile and others begin blocking the VPN-like service in the US and parts of Europe  —  Earlier today, a report indicated that some European carriers were blocking the Private Relay feature introduced by Apple with iOS 15.
Bloomberg:
Profile of Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, worth an estimated $96B, as the company generated an estimated $20B+ in revenue in 2021  —  The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix draws princes, movie stars and world-famous athletes every year to party on Yas Island, the entertainment hub about 30 minutes from the center of downtown.
Sean Hollister / The Verge:
Android lead Hiroshi Lockheimer says Apple is “holding back” the messaging experience for not just Android but its own users by not supporting RCS in iMessage  —  Android boss says it's not about iMessage — it's about RCS  —  On Saturday, Android boss Hiroshi Lockheimer accused Apple of …
Joe Rossignol / MacRumors:
Apple shares 2021 highlights: developers made $260B+ via the App Store since its debut, up from $200B+ YoY, US and Canadian consumers used 30M tickets in Wallet  —  Apple today highlighted the continued growth and expansion of its services in 2021, including the App Store, Apple Music …
The Korea Herald:
Apple will let developers use alternative payment systems in South Korea, complying with a law banning app store operators from forcing their own IAP systems  —  Apple will allow alternative payment systems in South Korea in compliance with a new local law that bans app store operators …
Kara Swisher / New York Times:
Interview with Microsoft's Phil Spencer on why he thinks the metaverse is an extension of gaming, sexual misconduct allegations at Activision Blizzard, and more  —  When you walk in the room, do you have sway?  —  I'm Kara Swisher, and you're listening to “Sway.”
Mitchell Clark / The Verge:
The Associated Press will launch a photojournalism NFT marketplace built by blockchain tech provider Xooa on Jan. 31, with proceeds used to fund its journalism  —  It's offering collectors ‘exclusive, historic, and stunning visual content’  —  The Associated Press, or AP …
Sarah E. Needleman / Wall Street Journal:
Take-Two will acquire Zynga for $12.7B, or $9.86 per share, a 64% premium on Zynga's January 7 closing price; Take-Two develops GTA, Red Dead, and other titles  —  Deal would be about a 64% premium to Zynga's Friday closing stock price  —  Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. agreed …
David Cohen / Adweek:
Mozilla's data sharing project Rally and The Markup launch Facebook Pixel Hunt, a study to investigate Meta's data collection and tracking practices  —  Firefox users who opt into ‘Facebook Pixel Hunt’ will use tools in the Rally browser extension
Geoff Ralston / Y Combinator:
YC announces a new standard deal: a $125K investment for 7% of the startup and a further $375K at terms founders can negotiate with future investors  —  We have a new standard deal at Y Combinator.  When a company is accepted into the YC batch program, we now invest a total of $500,000.
TechCrunch:
Peer-to-peer car sharing marketplace Turo files its S-1, showing it had a $97.1M net loss on net revenue of $149.9M in 2020, up 6% YoY  —  Peer-to-peer car-sharing startup Turo has released its filing to become a publicly traded company in the United States, a process the company began confidentially in August.
Mary Ann Azevedo / TechCrunch:
Brex, which offers online financial tools for SMBs, raises a $300M Series D-2 at a $12.3B valuation, bringing its total funding to $1.2B  —  In the latest fintech megaround, Brex has confirmed that it has raised $300 million in a Series D-2 round that ups its valuation to $12.3 billion.
Washington Post:
Sources: Trump declined offers from Gettr and Parler in favor of his own social media startup, and is frustrated with the slow development of TRUTH Social  —  Advisers say the former president is frustrated by the pace of development of his promised website, still months away from its launch
More: TechCabal
Ben Dummett / Wall Street Journal:
Paris-based Back Market, an online marketplace for refurbished iPhones and other devices, raises $510M led by Sprints Capital at a $5.7B valuation  —  Fresh funding for electronics reseller underscores heady market for startups in Europe  —  Back Market, an online marketplace …
Kif Leswing / CNBC:
Meta delays a full return to the office until March 28 and will require COVID-19 booster shots for returning staff  —  - Facebook parent Meta Platforms said on Monday that it will require Covid-19 booster shots for employees.  — It is also delaying employees' return to U.S. offices until March 28 from Jan. 31.

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Dr. Ian Cutress / AnandTech:
Lauren Kaori Gurley / VICE:
Mitchell Clark / The Verge:
The Guardian: