Techmeme
August 16, 2020, 1:20 PM

Top News

Charlie Warzel / New York Times:
While social media platforms did not create QAnon, they helped it go mainstream via recommendation systems designed to prioritize engagement  —  A supporter of the dangerous conspiracy theory is most likely headed to Congress.  The social media platforms have some soul-searching to do.
Nick Statt / The Verge:
With its ban on cloud gaming services and now the removal of Fortnite, Apple is at the risk of losing a generation of young, game-loving smartphone owners  —  Apple has always had a complicated relationship with the game industry, but this month that relationship slid into a bitter …
Nick Statt / The Verge:
John Gruber / Daring Fireball:
Amit Katwala / WIRED UK:
Tens of thousands of UK high school students were downgraded from teacher estimates by an algorithm that replaced exams, affecting university applications  —  Even with the late changes, GCSE and A-Level results still highlight the flaws in a biased education system
Kim Lyons / The Verge:
In a new Instagram update, Facebook has started replacing the Instagram DM icon with Messenger's logo, although cross-messaging is still not functional  —  You might see this pop-up when you open Instagram  —  Facebook appears to flipping the switch on integrating the chat systems for Instagram and Messenger.
Biz Carson / Protocol:
Interviews with 20+ founders and investors provide an inside look at Y Combinator's virtual W20 Demo Day, which saw some companies lower their target valuations  —  It was four weeks before Y Combinator's scheduled March 2020 Demo Day, and the pressure was on Helena Merk as she tried to pivot her startup idea ahead of the big pitch.
Kim Lyons / The Verge:
Telegram has launched an alpha version of one-on-one video calls in its Android and iOS apps, says all calls will be end-to-end encrypted  —  The company plans to add improvements to the alpha feature in coming months  —  Secure messaging app Telegram has launched an alpha version …
Aliya S. King / LEVEL:
An oral history of hip-hop sites like UBO, Hookt, and 360HipHop which raised millions before becoming the early casualties of the first dot-com bubble  —  It wasn't just Pets.com and eToys — 20 years ago, a slew of hip-hop and ‘urban’ sites became early casualties of the first dot-com bubble
Lora Kolodny / CNBC:
Trump's new EO forces ByteDance to sell or spin off its US TikTok business within 90 days instead of 45 days and destroy all copies of TikTok data of US users  —  - President Donald Trump issued an executive order Friday that will force China's ByteDance to sell or spin off its U.S. TikTok business within 90 days.

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Featured Podcasts

Channels with Peter Kafka:
Trump vs The Media, Round 2, with Sara Fischer
Media and tech aren't just intersecting - they're fully intertwined. To understand how those worlds work, Peter Kafka talks to industry leaders, upstarts and observers.
Subscribe to Channels with Peter Kafka.
Spotlight On:
Graphite's Merrill Lutsky on Revolutionizing Code Review for the AI Era
A podcast from Accel about how companies are built, from the people doing the building.
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Techmeme Ride Home:
OpenAI Closes The Biggest Private Tech Round Ever
The day's tech news, every day at 5pm ET. Fifteen minutes and you're up to date.
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Invest Like the Best:
Darren Farber - The Business of Defense
The leading destination to learn about business and investing. We do this by showcasing exceptional talent and ideas.
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Decoder with Nilay Patel:
CEO Matt Bromberg on ending Unity's 'war' against its customers
A show from the Verge about big ideas - and other problems.
Subscribe to Decoder with Nilay Patel.
Diggnation:
GTA 6, Helicopter Joysticks, AI Psychics, and Live Show Regret
Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht give you their unique, sometimes awkward, and always hilarious take on the edges of the internet.
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More News

Parmy Olson / Wall Street Journal:

Earlier Picks

Will Oremus / OneZero :