Techmeme
October 29, 2019, 1:25 PM

Top News

Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:
Amazon makes grocery delivery free in ~2,000 US cities for all Prime members by removing the $14.99 per month Amazon Fresh fee  —  Amazon is turning up the heat once again in the world of groceries, and specifically grocery delivery, to make its service more enticing in face of competition from Walmart …
Juli Clover / MacRumors:
Apple pulls HomePod 13.2 software update because some users have reported bricked HomePod devices after the update  —  Apple today released new 13.2 software for the HomePod with long-awaited features like Handoff and voice detection for different family members, but unfortunately, some users are running into problems with the update.
Chris Welch / The Verge:
Amazon Echo Buds review: excellent sound quality, comfortable fit, and good Bose noise reduction, but no wireless charging and outdated micro-USB charging port  —  Amazon's first truly wireless earbuds exceed expectations  —  Amazon's new Echo Buds are the company's first wireless earbuds.
Juli Clover / MacRumors:
Apple releases macOS Catalina 10.15.1 update with new emoji, Siri privacy settings, and support for AirPods Pro and more HomeKit devices  —  Apple today released macOS Catalina 10.15.1, the first update to the macOS Catalina operating system that was released in October.
Apple:
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.”
Josh Taylor / The Guardian:
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission sues Google for allegedly misleading customers over location data settings and collection on Android devices  —  Australian Competition and Consumer Commission alleges Google breached law when users set up Android accounts
Mathew Ingram / CJR:
Q&A with Alex Stamos about Mark Zuckerberg's recent comments on free speech and where he went wrong, Facebook's News tab, fact-checking political ads, and more  —  Facebook relationship to speech is complicated: It takes down some forms of hate speech, provided it meets certain criteria …
Cameron Faulkner / The Verge:
Razer announces $100 Hammerhead True Wireless earbuds, which it claims can offer low audio latency of 60ms on iOS and Android when enabled via its app  —  The Hammerhead True Wireless earbuds have a low 60ms latency mode  —  One of the worst things about using wireless headphones while gaming on an Android phone is the latency.
Natasha Lomas / TechCrunch:
Report analyzing 800 Facebook posts about the Assam region in North India finds 26.5% constituted hate speech, and were shared 99K+ times with 5.4M views  —  A report by campaign group Avaaz examining how Facebook's platform is being used to spread hate speech in the Assam region …
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 …
Wolfie Zhao / CoinDesk:
Internal email to staff: Beijing-based bitcoin mining giant Bitmain has abruptly ousted co-founder and executive director Micree Ketuan Zhan  —  In a surprising move, Beijing-based bitcoin mining giant Bitmain has ousted co-founder and executive director Micree Ketuan Zhan, according to an internal email sent to staff.
Kiley Roache / Bloomberg:
Shopify reports unexpected loss of $35.7M in Q3 on revenue of $390.6M, up 45% YoY  —  - Company spending $1 billion to set up fulfillment network  — Adjusted loss per share was 29 cents, analysts expected profit  —  Shopify Inc. reported an unexpected quarterly loss …
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 …
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 …

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Kurt Wagner / Bloomberg:
Mike Isaac / New York Times:
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