Techmeme: India-based LocoNav, which makes vehicle fleet management software, raises $37M Series B and says users across 25 countries manage 500K+ vehicles on its service (Manish Singh/TechCrunch)

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June 28, 2021, 3:00 PM

Top News

Tom Warren / The Verge:

Microsoft releases the first Windows 11 preview, available to Insiders, with major updates included except Teams integration and Android app support — The next version of Windows is available for testing — Microsoft is releasing its first Windows 11 preview build today.

More: Windows Blog, Windows Blog, Windows Central, mobilesyrup.com, ZDNet, Softpedia News, Engadget, TechCrunch, and fossbytes.com

Mitchell Clark / The Verge:

After a wave of criticism, Microsoft defends Windows 11's minimum requirements, says it will test PCs with Intel 7th gen and AMD Zen 1 chips for compatibility — It'll test support for Intel 7th Gen and AMD Zen 1 chips — In a blog post today, Microsoft is making another attempt at clarifying …

More: Windows Blog and BetaNews

Tom Warren / The Verge:

Sources: Microsoft is planning to release Windows 11 in October; Microsoft employees have hinted at October 20 in marketing images — October 20th may be the Windows 11 day — Microsoft keeps hinting at an October release date for Windows 11. The software giant teased …

More: BleepingComputer, Thurrott, ZDNet, Softpedia News, techadvisor.com, mobilesyrup.com, Tom's Hardware, Android Authority, XDA Developers, MUO, WinBuzzer, Windows Central, OnMSFT.com, and TechRadar

Tweets: @tomwarren, @horsynox, @tomwarren, and @martinsfp

Noah Bailey:

Windows 11 has needlessly stringent hardware requirements, especially its arbitrary list of compatible CPUs, which will render a lot of decent hardware obsolete

More: Petri, PCWorld, ExtremeTech, Pixel Envy, Windows Central, Petri, gHacks Technology News, BetaNews, and Pureinfotech

Jason Gurwin / The Streamable:

YouTube TV gets a 4K Plus add-on package with downloads, 4K, and unlimited streams for $20 more per month; 5.1 Dolby surround sound coming to all subs for free — YouTube TV has officially announced their new premium add-on which includes 4K streaming, the ability to download shows offline …

Shara Tibken / CNET:

Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon 888 Plus with 3GHz clock speed and a claimed 20% boost in AI capabilities, arriving in devices during Q3 2021 — Phones are getting a speed boost. Qualcomm on Monday unveiled its newest, highest-end smartphone processor, the Snapdragon 888 Plus.

Cherlynn Low / Engadget:

Samsung details a new smartwatch user interface called One UI Watch, debuting on an upcoming Galaxy Watch later this year — At its MWC event today, Samsung showed off its latest smartwatch interface called One UI Watch. This software will run on top of — the new Wear OS, which the company co-developed with Google.

Spencer Soper / Bloomberg:

Interviews with 15 Amazon Flex drivers reveal how algorithms hire, rate, and fire contract drivers with little or no human oversight — Stephen Normandin spent almost four years racing around Phoenix delivering packages as a contract driver for Amazon.com Inc. Then one day, he received an automated email.

More: Ars Technica and Insider

Tweets: @kyweise, @mattdpearce, @mhbergen, @hypervisible, @johnjedwards3, and @spencersoper

Shirin Ghaffary / Vox:

Researchers say the study of social media's large-scale societal impact should be treated as a “crisis discipline”, like climate science or conservation biology — One challenge is how little we know about the dangers. — Social media has drastically restructured …

Reuters:

YouTube took down and then restored a channel featuring testimonials from Xinjiang; the channel owner says the videos are being backed up on the LBRY blockchain — A human rights group that attracted millions of views on YouTube to testimonies from people who say their families have disappeared …

More: MIT Technology Review, Washington Post, ZDNet, The Verge, and Insider

Tweets: @ajenglish, @vaitor, @locadoes, @eileenguo, @im_pulse, @theabridgedzach, @propublica, @tedcruz, @kenroth, @reuters, @_nickmonaco, and @sfthq

Bloomberg:

Chainalysis: despite regulatory uncertainty, investments by Indians in cryptocurrencies grew from ~$200M to $40B in the past year, as 15M bought and sold coins — - Daily trading values are up nearly 900% in last 12 months — Investors pile in, regulators give conflicting signs on future

More: NewsBTC, btcmanager.com, Coin Journal, InsideBitcoins.com, CoinDesk, Decrypt, BitcoinExchangeGuide, and Cointelegraph

Tweets: @aparanjape, @eug_ng, @gladstein, and @apompliano

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:

Sensor Tower: global consumer mobile app spending hit $64.9B in H1 2021, a record and up 24.8% YoY; install growth slowed to 1.7% overall, declined 10.9% on iOS — Consumer spending in mobile apps hit a record $64.9 billion during the first half of 2021, according to preliminary data from app store intelligence firm Sensor Tower.

More: Sensor Tower Blog and VentureBeat

Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:

Etsy says it will acquire Brazilian marketplace for creators Elo7 for $217M; the brand will remain standalone, operating out of Sao Paulo — On the heels of Etsy's huge deal to acquire Depop to open the door to more social selling, targeting younger users, and deeply expand in Europe …

More: PR Newswire, PYMNTS.com, Tamebay, and chainstoreage.com. Thanks:@ingridlunden

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About This Page

This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 3:00 PM ET, June 28, 2021.

The most current version of the site as always is available at our home page. To view an earlier snapshot click here and then modify the date indicated.

From Mediagazer

Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:

CEOs at Nexstar, Sinclair, and Tegna, plus some analysts, say they expect deregulation and consolidation in the broadcast TV industry under Trump's FCC

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Don Lemon, who sued Elon Musk and X after a deal fell apart, says he's leaving X on November 15, citing X's new ToS that moves legal disputes to Texas courts

Murray Stassen / Music Business Worldwide:

German royalty licensing group GEMA sues OpenAI and subsidiary OpenAI Ireland in Munich Regional Court, claiming ChatGPT violates copyrights of lyrics

More News

Manish Singh / TechCrunch:

India-based LocoNav, which makes vehicle fleet management software, raises $37M Series B and says users across 25 countries manage 500K+ vehicles on its service

More: The Economic Times

Mary Ann Azevedo / TechCrunch:

Side, a real estate brokerage whose software helps agents with branding, marketing, and more, raises $50M+ at a $2.5B valuation, up from $1B in March

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:

Tapcart, which lets SMBs launch e-commerce apps powered by Shopify APIs, raises $50M Series B, says it has handled $1.2B+ in merchant sales in the past year

Sam Nussey / Reuters:

Sources: SoftBank is scaling back its robotics business globally, including eliminating 165 jobs in France, and has stopped producing its Pepper humanoid

More: The Robot Report and SlashGear

Tweets: @parismarx and @lanceulanoff

Jennifer Elias / CNBC:

How Google turned critics of plans for its San Jose downtown campus into supporters, by partnering with the community through a diverse team of company liaisons

More: Protocol. Tweets: @jenn_elias

Finextra:

UK-based ClearScore, which offers a free credit scoring service, raises £200M from Invus Opportunities and says it has 14M customers globally

More: Business Wire and Law360

Clive Cookson / Financial Times:

UK-based CMR Surgical, which develops surgical robotic arms, raises $600M Series D led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2 at a $3B valuation

More: GlobeNewswire News Room, FierceBiotech, and Med-Tech Innovation

Catherine Shu / TechCrunch:

Voyager Innovations, which develops popular Filipino payment and financial app PayMaya, raises $121M in new funding and $46M in previously committed funds

More: Business Wire, PYMNTS.com, FinLedger, The Economic Times, PingWest, Tech in Asia, Finextra, DealStreetAsia, and Reuters. Tweets: @ifc_eap

Earlier Picks

Monica Chin / The Verge:

Lenovo unveils $679 Yoga Tab 13 Android tablet that works as a portable monitor, with a stainless steel kickstand and 1080p display

Hannah Murphy / Financial Times:

A look at tools being developed and used by activists to counter surveillance tech, such as steganography, mesh networks, stealthwear, and “anti-face” make-up

Tweets: @hypervisible and @straycarnivore

Cyrus Farivar / NBC News:

As “security robots” get deployed across the US by local governments and companies, there is little to no evidence they can effectively fight crime

More: Beyond Search, Slashdot, and NBC Bay Area

Tweets: @redlianak, @hypervisible, and @yoda

Charity L. Scott / Wall Street Journal:

Venmo will let users sell products and services on their personal accounts for the same 1.9% plus 10-cent fee applied to business profiles, starting July 20

More: TechCrunch, TechRadar, KnowTechie, Gizmodo, Engadget, and MarketWatch. Tweets: @jaycuthrell

Ron Amadeo / Ars Technica:

Google unveils “Play Media Experience Program”, which will let certain media apps get a larger cut of Play Store sales for supporting more Android form factors

More: 9to5Google, Gizmodo, XDA Developers, AppleInsider, and Tom's Guide

Financial Times:

UK's Financial Conduct Authority orders Binance to stop all regulated activities in Britain by June 30 and issues consumer alert against the company

Ax Sharma / BleepingComputer:

Microsoft admits it signed a malicious driver called “Netfilter” targeting gaming environments; the rootkit malware was observed communicating with Chinese IPs

Source: Microsoft Security …. More: Threatpost, VICE, CRN, KnowTechie, Engadget, The Hacker News, Security Affairs, The Record, TechRadar, ZDNet, Beyond Search, gdatasoftware.com, Wall Street Journal, Ubergizmo, HackRead, PC Gamer, MSPoweruser, and PCMag

Tweets: @struppigel, @ax_sharma, @ghost_motley, @daedalusleto, @tomlawrencetech, @dangoodin001, @profwoodward, @gossithedog, @encthenet, @j_opdenakker, and @struppigel

José Adorno / 9to5Mac:

Telegram adds group video calls, screen sharing, noise suppression, animated backgrounds, tablet and desktop support with side panel and split-screen view, more

More: Telegram, Gizmodo, CNET, mobilesyrup.com, International Business Times, and iThinkDifferent

Tweets: @pajoysrsly_, @amasna, and @telegrambeta