Techmeme
January 30, 2019, 5:45 PM

Top News

The Verge:
Apple shuts down Facebook's ability to distribute internal iOS apps, blocking staff transportation app and early releases of Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger  —  Facebook's internal iOS apps simply don't launch anymore  —  Apple has shut down Facebook's ability to distribute internal iOS apps …
Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
Apple says it revoked Facebook's Enterprise Certificate yesterday used to distribute the Research app outside of App Store, before Facebook could shut it down  —  In the wake of TechCrunch's investigation yesterday, Apple blocked Facebook's Research VPN app before the social network could voluntarily shut it down.
Rob Price / Business Insider:
Memo: Facebook confirms Apple disabled access to internal iOS apps and says it's “working closely” to reinstate “our most critical internal apps immediately”  —  - Facebook employees are furious after Apple temporarily crippled the company by revoking its developer certificate.
Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
Investigation finds that Facebook has been paying people to install a “Facebook Research” VPN to gather data on phone use habits on Android and iOS  —  Desperate for data on its competitors, Facebook has been secretly paying people to install a “Facebook Research” …
Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple tests USB-C iPhones and iOS dark mode for 2019, plans updated 10" iPad this spring, laser-based 3D cameras to aid AR on iPhones as soon as 2020  —  - Company is testing a triple camera system for 2019 phones  — New low-end iPads and an updated iPhone XR also in the works
Microsoft:
Microsoft Q2: revenue of $32.5B, up 12% YoY; Productivity and Business Processes revenue of $10.1B, up 13% YoY; Intelligent Cloud revenue of $9.4B, up 20% YoY  —  Microsoft Cloud Strength Fuels Second Quarter Results  —  REDMOND, Wash. — January 30, 2019 — Microsoft Corp. today announced …
Reuters:
Sources: UAE hacked iPhones of activists, diplomats, and rival foreign leaders using a spying tool called Karma, which exploited an iMessage vulnerability  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A team of former U.S. government intelligence operatives working for the United Arab Emirates hacked …
Facebook:
Facebook reports Q4 net income of $6.9B, up 61% YoY, revenue of $16.9B, up 30% YoY, DAUs of 1.52B, up 9% YoY, and headcount of 35,587, up 42% YoY; stock up 4%+  —  Facebook, Inc. (Nasdaq: FB) today reported financial results for the quarter and full year ended December 31, 2018.
TechCrunch:
Google disables its Screenwise Meter app on iOS, which coaxed users into sharing info in a manner similar to Facebook's Research app but with better disclosure  —  It looks like Facebook is not the only one abusing Apple's system for distributing employee-only apps to sidestep the App Store and collect extensive data on users.
Michael Bott / NBC Bay Area:
Unsealed court documents: FBI arrests second Chinese Apple employee for allegedly trying to steal trade secrets related to Apple's autonomous vehicles  —  For the second time in six months, an Apple engineer is accused of stealing intellectual property in order to benefit a China-based competitor
Apple:
Apple Music subscribers can stream music without paying for Wi-Fi on domestic American Airlines flights in the US starting February 1  —  Apple Music Subscribers can Stream Over 50 Million Songs, Playlists and Music Videos on US Flights  —  Starting Friday, Apple Music subscribers can enjoy …
Jack Nicas / New York Times:
An attempt to work out how many fake accounts are on Facebook, as the company ramps up efforts to remove them and provides confusing estimates  —  The social network has disclosed an estimate for years, but a closer look raises lots of questions.  —  Facebook sells advertisers on its access …
Business Wire:
Alibaba Q3: revenue up 41% YoY, its weakest pace in three years, to ~$17B, driven by cloud computing revenue, up 84% YoY at $962M; net income up 33% to $4.5B  —  HANGZHOU, China—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE: BABA) today announced its financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2018.
Reuters:
Foxconn is reconsidering plans for its $10B Wisconsin plant, says it plans to hire engineers and researchers instead of manufacturing workforce promised earlier  —  (Reuters) - Foxconn Technology Group is reconsidering plans to make advanced liquid crystal display panels at a $10 billion Wisconsin campus …

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The Intercept:

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Nicole Perlroth / New York Times: