Techmeme
October 29, 2019, 6:55 AM

Top News

Mike Isaac / New York Times:
Sources: over 250 Facebook employees have signed a letter visible on an internal forum that says letting politicians lie in ads is “a threat” to the company  —  In an open letter, the social network's employees said letting politicians post false claims in ads was “a threat” to the company.
Reuters:
Sources: Alphabet has made an offer to buy wearable device maker Fitbit; Fitbit's stock closes up 30% on the news  —  (Reuters) - Google owner Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) has made an offer to acquire U.S. wearable device maker Fitbit Inc (FIT.N), as it eyes a slice of the crowded market …
Catalin Cimpanu / ZDNet:
Microsoft says hackers from Strontium, also known as Fancy Bear/APT28, are targeting 16 global sporting and anti-doping organizations ahead of 2020 Olympics  —  Microsoft said APT28 targeted “at least 16 national and international sporting and anti-doping organizations.”
Apple:
Apple unveils AirPods Pro, with active noise cancellation, transparency mode, silicone ear tip design, and water resistance, coming October 30 for $249  —  All-New Design Features Active Noise Cancellation for Immersive Sound  —  Cupertino, California — Apple today announced AirPods Pro …
Alphabet:
Alphabet reports Q3 revenue of $40.5B, up 20% YoY, operating income of $9.2B, up from $8.6B YoY, and net income of $7.1B, down from $9.1B YoY  —  “I am extremely pleased with the progress we made across the board in the third quarter, from our recent advancements in search and quantum computing …
Wolfie Zhao / CoinDesk:
Following Xi Jinping's speech urging adoption of blockchain tech, the CPC releases a decentralized app for members to attest their loyalty on a blockchain  —  China's Communist Party (CPC) is taking its leader's support for blockchain to heart.  —  Following Xi Jinping's bombshell speech …
Zack Whittaker / TechCrunch:
FCC proposes rules requiring telcos remove Huawei and ZTE equipment, in two draft orders slated to be voted on at a meeting on November 19  —  The Federal Communications Commission said it will move ahead with proposals to ban telecommunications giants from using Huawei and ZTE networking equipment …
Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple is working on new smart home products with a new team headed by Andreas Gal, the former Mozilla CTO and co-founder of Apple-acquired Silk Labs  —  The iPhone maker's effort in smart-home devices trails rivals.  A new team wants to change that.
Judd Legum / Popular Information:
How Ben Shapiro's massively popular right-wing site The Daily Wire gets promoted in an inauthentic, coordinated manner by 14 Facebook pages followed by millions  —  The Daily Wire, the right-wing website founded by pundit Ben Shapiro, is a cesspool of misogyny, bigotry, and misinformation.
Hugh Son / CNBC:
Uber unveils Uber Money, a division for efforts like digital wallets and upgraded debit and credit cards, focusing at first on getting 4M drivers a bank account  —  - The ride company announces a new division called Uber Money, which includes a digital wallet and upgraded debit and credit cards.
Bloomberg:
China has created a $29B state-backed fund to invest in the semiconductor industry, from design to manufacturing, to reduce its dependency on US technology  —  - Second of its kind, the fund is mainly backed by state capital  — China wants to become self-reliant in chip-making and design
Tom Warren / The Verge:
Microsoft revives Xbox All Access for US gamers and expands it to the UK and Australia; prices start at $20 per month, with a Project Scarlett upgrade option  —  Xbox All Access bundles from as little as $19.99 per month  —  Microsoft is bringing its Xbox All Access bundle back, just in time for the holiday season.

Sponsor Posts

Google:
Gemini 2.5 Pro: Our most intelligent AI model  —  Gemini 2.5 Pro (experimental) is now available, with thinking capabilities, enhanced performance, and improved accuracy.  Try it at no cost in the Gemini app.
UiPath:
Introducing the UiPath Platform™ for agentic automation  —  UiPath's new platform empowers enterprises to experience the full power of AI to transform industries
Zoho:
App Spotlight: Savoir for Zoho Books  —  App Spotlight brings you hand-picked solutions that enhance your Zoho apps and tools.  Visit Zoho Marketplace to explore all of our apps, integrations …
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

Techmeme Ride Home:
Apple's Coming For The Meta Ray-Bans
The day's tech news, every day at 5pm ET. Fifteen minutes and you're up to date.
Subscribe to Techmeme Ride Home.
Hard Fork:
Bad Apple + The Rise of the AI Empire + Italian Brain Rot
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
The Logan Bartlett Show:
Yotam Segev (CEO, Cyera) on Growing One of the Fastest Security Startups on the Planet
A podcast hosted by Logan Bartlett, an investor at Redpoint Ventures, covering tech with industry insiders.
Subscribe to The Logan Bartlett Show.
Great Chat:
Great managers, and what makes them great
A podcast mostly about tech. Brought to you weekly by Angela Du, Sally Shin, Mac Bohannon, Helen Min, and Ashley Mayer.
Subscribe to Great Chat.
Decoder with Nilay Patel:
Reuters is ready to stand up for the press -- and embrace AI
A show from the Verge about big ideas - and other problems.
Subscribe to Decoder with Nilay Patel.
Lenny's Podcast:
How have I been complicit in creating the conditions I say I don't want? | Jerry Colonna (CEO of Reboot, executive coach, former VC)
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 6:55 AM ET, October 29, 2019.

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

Matthew De Silva / Quartz:

Earlier Picks

Kurt Wagner / Bloomberg:
Angus Crawford / BBC: