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Techmeme
January 20, 2016, 2:20 PM

Top News

Lucas Matney / TechCrunch:
Apple adds many new features to GarageBand for iOS including Virtual Drummers and Live Loops, which let you endlessly customize tracks on a grid-based interface  —  Apple's New GarageBand For iOS Is An Electronic Musician's Dream  —  GarageBand has always had a definite appeal …
Chris Welch / The Verge:
Apple releases Music Memos, a simple, free recording app for iOS that caters to musicians while avoiding the complexity of GarageBand  —  Music Memos is Apple's new, simple recording app  —  Alongside some fun GarageBand updates being rolled out today, Apple is also introducing a completely new app for iPhone and iPad: Music Memos.
Mary Jo Foley / ZDNet:
Microsoft to exchange power cords for Surface Pro, Pro 2, and Pro 3 purchased before March 2015, due to possible overheating issues  —  Microsoft to recall some Surface Pro power cables  —  MIcrosoft will be allowing Surface Pro users who bought earlier models of the company's tablet …
Maria Bobila / Fashionista:
Apple Watch Hermes collection will be available online January 22, prices start at $1,100  —  The Apple Watch Hermès Will Finally Be Available to Purchase Online  —  Mark your calendars for this Friday, Jan. 22.  Instead of having to visit a select boutique in a major city like New York …
Dan Goodin / Ars Technica:
Researchers disclose an almost three year old privilege escalation bug in the Linux kernel that imperils millions of PCs, servers, and Android phones  —  Linux bug imperils tens of millions of PCs, servers, and Android phones  —  Vulnerability allows restricted users and apps to gain unfettered root access.
TechCrunch:
Spotify Buys Cord Project And Soundwave To Expand Messaging And Social Features  —  On the same day that streaming rival Deezer announced a new cash injection of €100 million, Spotify has confirmed two new acquisitions, Cord Project and Soundwave.  The startups are based respectively …
Georgia Wells / Wall Street Journal:
Alphabet, Apple, Yahoo, Uber, and other tech firms are sponsoring the host committee financing the 2016 Super Bowl, to be held at Levi's Stadium in the Bay Area  —  Apple, Alphabet, Yahoo Hoping to Use Super Bowl to Score at Home  —  Tech firms including Alphabet Inc. …
Dina Bass / Bloomberg Business:
Microsoft to donate $1B in cloud services to 70K nonprofits globally over the next three years  —  Microsoft to Donate Cloud Services Worth $1 Billion Over 3 Years  —  Program aims to advance public good, solve biggest problems  —  Company will also invest in Internet in developing nations
The Economic Times:
Apple files an application with India's Department Of Industrial Policy and Promotion to open its own retail stores in the country  —  Apple seeks DIPP nod to open own stores in India  —  Confirming the development, DIPP Secretary Amitabh Kant said, “We have just received Apple's proposal.
Devindra Hardawar / Engadget:
LinkNYC free public gigabit WiFi goes live for beta testing, shows speeds of 280 Mbps down, 317 Mbps up, plans to have 500 kiosks running by July, 4450 by 2020  —  LinkNYC's free gigabit Wi-Fi is here, and it is glorious  —  I'm standing on the corner of 15th Street and Third Avenue in New York City, and I'm freezing.
Ken Yeung / VentureBeat:
Norwest Venture Partners raises $1.2 billion for its 13th fund  —  Norwest Venture Partners announced that it has raised $1.2 billion for its 13th fund, which it'll use to support its sector and stage independent investment strategy.  With this fund, the firm now has a total capital and commitment size of more than $6 billion.
Harrison Weber / VentureBeat:
Google's Real-Time Ads, still in beta, lets brands instantly run ads as events occur, will see first major test with this year's Super Bowl  —  Google's new Real-Time Ads sound a lot like Twitter  —  Aiming to sell more ads during live events, Google officially unveiled a new ad product today called Real-Time Ads.
Natasha Lomas / TechCrunch:
Urban transport app Citymapper raises $40M Series B from Index, Benchmark, Yuri Milner, others to ramp up hiring in major cities internationally  —  Urban Transport App Citymapper Snags $40M From Index, Benchmark, Yuri Milner, Others  —  People who don't take Uber frequently take the bus.
Rick Carew / Wall Street Journal:
China's Meituan-Dianping, an online seller of movie tickets and restaurant bookings, raises $3.3B, the largest ever private round in tech, at $18B+ valuation  —  China's Meituan-Dianping Raises $3.3 Billion  —  Online seller of movie tickets, restaurant bookings snares record private fundraising round
Katie Roof / TechCrunch:
FinTech startup BlueVine raises $40M round led by Menlo Ventures to help small businesses with cash flow  —  BlueVine Raises $40 Million To Help Small Businesses With Cash Flow  —  Another big bet on “FinTech,” Palo-Alto based BlueVine has raised $40 million to provide credit lines for small businesses.

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Earlier Picks

Paul Lilly / Maximum PC:
Ben Popper / The Verge:
Joseph Cox / Motherboard: