Techmeme
January 5, 2021, 4:00 AM

Top News

Megan Rose Dickey / TechCrunch:
A group of over 200 Google and Alphabet workers have announced their plan to form a union, open to both employees and contractors  —  A group of more than 200 Google and Alphabet workers have announced the formation of the Alphabet Workers Union, The New York Times first reported.
New York Times:
TechCrunch:
Twitter has acquired social podcasting app Breaker, whose team will join Twitter to help build Twitter Spaces; Breaker app will shut down on January 15  —  Twitter has acquired social broadcasting app Breaker, the companies announced today via a combination of blog posts and tweets.
Tom Warren / The Verge:
Leak shows Microsoft is working on One Outlook, a version of its Outlook app that will merge existing mail and calendar apps for desktops; release goal is 2022  —  Designed to replace the built-in Windows 10 Mail app  —  Microsoft is testing a new Outlook app that will replace its built-in Mail and Calendar apps on Windows 10.
Aislinn Keely / The Block:
OCC says banks and savings associations can now run crypto nodes and use associated stablecoins for “permissible payment activities”  —  National banks and federal savings associations can use public blockchains and stablecoins for settlement, The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency …
Eileen Yu / ZDNet:
Singapore now says local law enforcement can access COVID-19 contact tracing data; 78% of its population has adopted the TraceTogether app and wearable token  —  Under the country's Criminal Procedure Code, the Singapore Police Force can obtain any data — including information gathered …
Saniya More / The Block:
Square says US FinCEN's proposed cryptocurrency regulation will inhibit widespread adoption of cryptocurrencies and hinder current law enforcement efforts  —  Square is the latest company to go public with its opposition to proposed rulemaking from the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).
Rebecca Falconer / Axios:
NYSE says it no longer plans to delist China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom, but will continue to evaluate applicability of an US EO to the companies  —  The New York Stock Exchange announced late Monday it no longer plans to delist three Chinese companies.
Matt Stoller / BIG:
SolarWinds hack is an example of private equity firms wrecking software companies and degrading their products' security to the detriment of national security  —  Private equity monopolist Orlando Bravo made billions by putting our whole society at risk.  —  1 hr ago
Hugh Son / CNBC:
Haven, the Amazon-Berkshire-JPMorgan venture to disrupt healthcare, is disbanding after three years  —  - Haven began informing employees Monday that it will shut down by the end of next month, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter.  — Many of the Boston-based firm's 57 workers …
Joe Rossignol / MacRumors:
Kuo: Apple to release an AR device, “AirTags” item trackers, its first devices with Mini-LED displays, more Apple Silicon Macs, and new AirPods in 2021  —  Apple plans to release its long-awaited AirTags item trackers, an unspecified augmented reality device, and other new products in 2021 …
Reuters:
Alibaba founder Jack Ma has not appeared in a public setting since a late October forum in Shanghai, where he was critical of China's regulatory system  —  BEIJING (Reuters) - Alibaba founder Jack Ma's absence from public view in the past two months, including missing the final episode …
Yoolim Lee / Bloomberg:
Sources: Indonesia's Gojek is in advanced talks for a merger with local e-commerce giant PT Tokopedia; the combined entity would be valued over $18B  —  - The deal would combine Indonesia's two most valuable startups  — Discussions with Grab hit impasse over question of control

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More News

Kim Lyons / The Verge:
Darrell Etherington / TechCrunch:

Earlier Picks

Zak Doffman / Forbes:
New York Times: