Techmeme
August 12, 2021, 7:08 AM

Top News

John D. McKinnon / Wall Street Journal:
Three US senators unveil the bipartisan Open App Markets Act, which would force app stores to allow sideloading and let developers use their own IAP systems  —  Legislation would place new limits on how Apple and Google app stores can operate  —  WASHINGTON—Senators introduced legislation Wednesday …
Gael Fashingbauer Cooper / CNET:
Twitter rolls out a web and app redesign, implementing its first proprietary font, Chirp, high-contrast black and white follow and unfollow buttons, and more  —  It's inevitable: Twitter changes Twitter, and Twitter users complain on Twitter.  But does Chirp make you feel like a woodpecker is pounding on your skull?
Tim Copeland / The Block:
Group behind Poly Network, a cross-chain protocol used for DeFi applications, says a hacker has stolen $611M; one researcher blames the attack on a crypto flaw  —  Quick Take  — Cross-chain protocol Poly Network has been hacked for $611 million.  — The team behind the protocol …
Wolfie Zhao / The Block:
Ben Schoon / 9to5Google:
Samsung announces Galaxy Z Flip3 with an internal 6.7" 120Hz display, a 1.9" external screen, 8GB RAM, and Snapdragon 888, starting at $999, shipping August 27  —  One of the first thoughts around foldable smartphones is a high price tag, but that tune is changing.
Dieter Bohn / The Verge:
Alex Heath / The Verge:
Interview with Facebook ad exec Graham Mudd on Facebook's plans to enhance privacy in its ads, regulation, Apple's ad tracking prompt, Google's FLoC, and more  —  A ‘very meaningful pivot’ is underway inside the world's largest social network  —  Facebook's massive business was built on its ability to track users across the internet.
Mike Isaac / New York Times:
Reddit raises $410M+ led by Fidelity Investments at a $10B+ valuation, up from $6B six months ago when it raised $250M  —  Reddit, the virtual town square of the consumer internet, has raised a fresh $410 million in funding, valuing it at more than $10 billion, the company said on Thursday.
More: Upvoted
The Information:
Sources: DoorDash recently held talks to buy Instacart for between $40B and $50B, but the talks fell apart due to potential antitrust scrutiny  —  DoorDash held talks to buy Instacart over the past two months, say people familiar with the situation, for a price that likely would have been between $40 billion and $50 billion.
Nathan Grayson / Washington Post:
Thousands of marginalized streamers implore Twitch to counter “hate raids”, where groups of malicious users fill a streamer's chat with targeted abuse  —  During an Aug. 6 broadcast, the Twitch streamer RekItRaven — who is Black and uses they/them pronouns …
Ryan Browne / CNBC:
Christine Hall / TechCrunch:
London-based Aforza, which builds tools on top of Salesforce and Google Cloud to help sell consumer packaged goods, raises $22M Series A led by DN Capital  —  Aforza, developing cloud and mobile apps for consumer goods companies, announced a $22 million Series A round led by DN Capital.
Zheping Huang / Bloomberg:
Baidu reports $4.8B in Q2 revenue, up 20% YoY and beating estimates, and $90M net loss after writing down shares in Kuaishou, which sank 28% across the quarter  —  - Search giant swung to a loss after marking down Kuaishou stake  — Shares of Baidu fell in pre-market trading in New York
Li Yuan / New York Times:
After Alibaba fired an employee accused of rape, over 6,000 workers sign a letter urging it to ban sexual remarks and games in ice-breaking and business events  —  Sexually suggestive office games, boozy dinners and a culture of ignoring problems have long plagued the industry.  Changing it will still be hard.
Radhamely De Leon / VICE:
Researchers create nine computer-generated faces that can serve as “master keys” to impersonate almost half of the faces in three top facial recognition systems  —  According to the paper, their findings imply that facial recognition systems are “extremely vulnerable.”
Jon Porter / The Verge:
Samsung announces Galaxy Watch4, starting at $249, and Galaxy Watch4 Classic, starting at $349, both with “Wear OS Powered by Samsung”, shipping August 27  —  Samsung and Google's smartwatch collaboration is here  —  Today we're getting our first look at the fruits …
Cherlynn Low / Engadget:

Sponsor Posts

TELUS Digital:
Are you ready for the era of agentic AI?  —  Tech leaders are always talking about what's next, and right now, agentic AI is dominating the discourse.  Equip yourself with the info you need in this recorded webinar.
Tribe AI:
State of AI: Adoption, Challenges and Recommendations  —  Examining the current state of AI, the key challenges organizations face, and practical recommendations for utilizing AI integration alongside other best practices.
Zoho:
5 reasons why digital signatures are a must-have for small and medium enterprises  —  Every morning, Hazel stops by her favorite corner cafe, where the barista already knows her order—a double espresso, no sugar.
IDrive:
Protecting your Cloud Applications Data  —  Backing up Office 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox & Box data is critical to preventing data loss or corruption, complying with laws and avoiding critical downtime in case of a disaster.

Featured Podcasts

Hard Fork:
Meta on Trial + Is A.I. a 'Normal' Technology? + HatGPT
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
The Logan Bartlett Show:
Matt Brown (NCAA Expert) on Athlete Pay Drama, Realignment of Power, and Transfer Portal Chaos
A podcast hosted by Logan Bartlett, an investor at Redpoint Ventures, covering tech with industry insiders.
Subscribe to The Logan Bartlett Show.
Techmeme Ride Home:
Mooooaaar Models!
The day's tech news, every day at 5pm ET. Fifteen minutes and you're up to date.
Subscribe to Techmeme Ride Home.
Decoder with Nilay Patel:
How Trump's tariffs actually work on the ground
A show from the Verge about big ideas - and other problems.
Subscribe to Decoder with Nilay Patel.
Great Chat:
Imposter syndrome is due for a rebrand
A podcast mostly about tech. Brought to you weekly by Angela Du, Sally Shin, Mac Bohannon, Helen Min, and Ashley Mayer.
Subscribe to Great Chat.
Channels with Peter Kafka:
How to make money in Washington, with Punchbowl's Jake Sherman
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.
 

About This Page

This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 7:08 AM ET, August 12, 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.

More News

Earlier Picks

Jon Fingas / Engadget:
Steve Dent / Engadget: