Techmeme
May 19, 2021, 11:45 AM

Top News

Dieter Bohn / The Verge:
Google details Android 12's new design, based on the flexible Material You system, with better widgets and buttons, more animation, privacy features, and more  —  There are new features, but it's the biggest design update in years  —  Google is announcing the latest beta for Android 12 today …
Erik Kay / The Keyword:
Abner Li / 9to5Google:
CNBC:
Bitcoin fell 20%+ over the last 24 hours to below $35K, the lowest level since Feb., and is down 30%+ in the last week; Ether, Dogecoin, and others also plunged  —  Galaxy Digital's Novogratz on bitcoin's plunge: These are setbacks for investor base  —  Bitcoin plunged to near $30,000 …
Jessica Bursztynsky / CNBC:
Coinbase was down for some users as cryptocurrencies plunge; Coinbase stock is down ~7%  —  - Crypto-exchange company Coinbase appeared to be down Wednesday morning, as digital coins plunged.  — The company's stock fell 10% just after trading began Wednesday.
Dieter Bohn / The Verge:
iPad Pro (2021) review: amazing mini-LED screen on 12.9", fast M1 CPU, Center Stage works well for video calls, but camera still misplaced and no multi-user  —  Mini LED, major improvement  —  How much do you care about having a great screen?  —  That, really, is the only question that matters with the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
Lauren Goode / Wired:
Early look at Google's Project Starline, a video booth with a 65" display and several sensors and cameras allowing for 3D representations of video call subjects  —  Our reporter tests out a “video booth” to glimpse of the future of telepresence.  —  OVER THE PAST several years …
Scott Stein / CNET:
Google unveils Wear OS 3.0, with a revamped design and 30% performance boost, and partners with Samsung, which will use Wear OS, not Tizen, for its next watches  —  Were you considering buying a smartwatch for your Android phone?  Hold off until the fall.  Google and Samsung have announced …
Mary Ann Azevedo / TechCrunch:
Miami-based Pipe, a trading service that helps companies with recurring revenue streams access capital, raises $250M at a $2B valuation  —  At the end of March, TechCrunch reported that buzzy startup Pipe — which aims to be the “Nasdaq for revenue” — had raised $150 million in a round of funding that values the fintech at $2 billion.
Collin Eaton / Wall Street Journal:
Colonial Pipeline CEO Joseph Blount says the company paid a $4.4M ransom because executives were unsure how bad the attack was  —  Joseph Blount says he needed to quickly restore service after cyberattack threatened East Coast supply  —  The operator of the Colonial Pipeline learned …
James Vincent / The Verge:
Google announces LaMDA, a language model for dialogue applications that it says represents a “breakthrough” for having natural conversations with AI  —  Google wants to build AI that understands language better  —  Artificial intelligence is a huge part of Google's business …
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Google says Android TV OS, which includes Google TV, now reaches over 80M monthly active devices, with 80% YoY growth in the US  —  Google offered an update on its TV platform, Android OS, at its Google I/O developer event on Tuesday.  The company said its Android TV OS now reaches …
Charlotte Shane / New York Times:
Profile of OnlyFans, a site synonymous with porn, where sex workers resent the absence of search and tags, which they say helps it minimize legal liability  —  Despite all assertions that the site isn't powered by its sexual content, the platform is synonymous with porn.  What is it really?
Jessica Conditt / Engadget:
Google announces plans to build a commercial-grade quantum computer by 2029 and unveiled its new quantum AI campus in Santa Barbara, California  —  Google developers are confident they can build a commercial-grade quantum computer by 2029.  Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the plan during
Miles Parks / NPR:
Mental health experts, disagreeing with Mark Zuckerberg, increasingly see a correlation between poor mental health and social media use, call for more research  —  Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers' biggest fear as a parent isn't gun violence, or drunk driving, or anything related to the pandemic.
Sheera Frenkel / New York Times:
Analysis: after violence between Israelis and Palestinians escalated last week, 100+ WhatsApp groups were created to coordinate attacks on Palestinians  —  Jewish extremists have formed more than 100 new groups on the Facebook-owned encrypted messaging app in recent days to target attacks.
Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:
Super, a subscription service for home repairs that uses AI-based tech for pricing, raises $50M Series C, bringing its total raised to $80M  —  The real estate sales market has been in an upswing this year, and today a startup that's addressing one of homeowners' biggest needs …
Kyle Wiggers / VentureBeat:
Salto, which helps businesses manage their SaaS apps, raises $42M Series B, bringing its total raised to $69M  —  Elevate your enterprise data technology and strategy at Transform 2021.  —  Enterprise app configuration platform Salto today announced that it raised $42 million in series B funding …
Zoe Kleinman / BBC:
Google unveils a tool that uses AI to help spot skin, hair, and nail conditions, based on images from patients, says it plans to launch it later this year  —  Google has unveiled a tool that uses artificial intelligence to help spot skin, hair and nail conditions, based on images uploaded by patients.

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Earlier Picks

Carl Beekhuizen / Ethereum Blog:
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Tom Warren / The Verge: