Techmeme
April 17, 2020, 1:40 PM

Top News

Jessica Guynn / USA Today:
Facebook to add two new “Care Reactions”: an emoji hugging a heart on the main Facebook app and a pulsating heart on Messenger  —  Need a reassuring hug during the COVID-19 pandemic?  Facebook has a new feel-good reaction for that.  —  When even the smallest physical gesture …
Julia Carrie Wong / The Guardian:
Facebook to notify users who liked, commented, or reacted to COVID-19 misinfo and guide them to WHO resources, as report finds debunked claims on the platform  —  Users who have liked, shared or commented on posts with false claims will be directed to WHO's ‘myth busters’ page
Financial Times:
UK's competition watchdog provisionally approves Amazon's investment in Deliveroo, after concluding the startup risked collapse absent new funds  —  CMA says delivery group was at risk of failing without fresh funding  —  The UK's competition regulator has granted provisional approval …
Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Sources: at virtual all-hands, Tim Cook reiterated Apple's strong financials when asked about job cuts, said he doesn't know when staff will return to offices  —  - Tim Cook: Apple to make ‘really significant’ R&D investments  — Company's retail staff begin preparing for store re-openings
Protocol:
Source: Airbnb is laying off contractors and postponing summer internships and undergrad hiring until 2021  —  During his weekly Q&A over Zoom on Thursday, Airbnb's CEO Brian Chesky announced that the company was terminating contingent worker contracts early and postponing summer internships …
More: TechCrunch and Non-GAAP ThoughtsTweets: @bizcarsonThanks:@emilydreyfuss
Kyle Wiggers / VentureBeat:
Microsoft claims it can use AI to distinguish between security and non-security bugs 99% of the time, plans to open-source the methodology in coming months  —  Microsoft claims to have developed a system that correctly distinguishes between security and non-security software bugs 99% of the time …
Kyle Wiggers / VentureBeat:
Amazon introduces a long-form speaking style for news and music within third-party Alexa skills, making speech sound natural by inserting conversational pauses  —  Amazon today announced a long-form speaking style for news and music content within third-party Alexa skills (i.e., voice apps).
Alex Hern / The Guardian:
Natalia Drozdiak / Bloomberg:
Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
Sources: Google is working on a “Google card” co-branded with banks, including Citi and Stanford Federal Credit Union, to compete with Apple Card  —  Would you pay with a “Google Card?”  TechCrunch has attained imagery that shows Google is developing its own physical and virtual debit cards.
Kevin Roose / New York Times:
Analysis of Joe Biden's YouTube, which has just 32,000 subscribers, shows his weakness against Trump's online presence, especially as campaigning goes virtual  —  The coronavirus has forced the Democrats' presumptive presidential nominee into an all-digital campaign, and he's struggling to break through.

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Earlier Picks

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Paresh Dave / Reuters:
New York Times:
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Matt Day / Bloomberg: