Techmeme
August 16, 2021, 4:00 PM

Top News

Tom Krisher / Associated Press:
NHTSA opens a formal investigation into Tesla's Autopilot system, covering 765K vehicles, saying it has trouble spotting parked emergency vehicles  —  DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. government has opened a formal investigation into Tesla's Autopilot partially automated driving system, saying it has trouble spotting parked emergency vehicles.
Brad Stone / Bloomberg:
A look at US lawmakers' efforts to rein in Google and Apple's app stores, after a bipartisan companion bill to Senate's Open App Markets Act debuts in the House  —  Legislating your apps  —  The U.S. Congress wants to change the way your smartphone works.  And the effort may actually succeed.
Kate Conger / New York Times:
Inside Twitter's two-year effort to change its internal culture, led by controversial VP of design Dantley Davis, which led to HR investigations and staff exits  —  Two years ago, the company brought in a blunt executive to make things move faster and to promote diversity.  Then the problems began.
Vlad Savov / Bloomberg:
Google and Facebook say they will participate in a subsea cable system linking Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Guam, the Philippines, and Indonesia, launching 2024  —  Alphabet Inc.'s Google and Facebook Inc. announced their participation in a new subsea cable system for 2024 set …
Tim Marcin / Mashable:
Yik Yak, the anonymous app that creates a forum and message board for users within a five mile radius, returns to the US iOS app store, after its 2017 shutdown  —  Yes, it's really back.  —  Buckle up, millennials.  Remember Yik Yak, the anonymous app that, in effect …
Alex Konrad / Forbes:
A look at Coinbase Ventures, which has backed 150+ companies over three years, writes mostly seed checks of $50K to $250K, and does not have any full-time staff  —  Look at the busiest U.S. investors in cryptocurrency startups this year, and in between investment firms like Digital Currency Group …
Michael McSweeney / The Block:
Bluesky, the decentralized social media initiative unveiled by Twitter in 2019, will be led by Jay Graber, a former startup founder and cryptocurrency dev  —  Bluesky, the decentralized social media initiative unveiled by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey at the end of 2019, has a project lead, according to a Monday announcement.
The Information:
Sources: seeking greater control, the Chinese government took a stake and a board seat in ByteDance's Beijing entity in April  —  For months, China has sought to bring its bustling internet sector to heel with an intensifying series of antitrust crackdowns and data security probes.
Wall Street Journal:
A look at chipmakers' race to capitalize on a wave of subsidies, as the US and other western countries reassess their industrial policies to slow China's rise  —  U.S. semiconductor maker's appeal for subsidies plays on national security fears during chip shortage; ‘Never let a good crisis go to waste’
Mishaal Rahman / XDA Developers:
A look at Camera Switches in the Android 12 beta, an accessibility feature that lets users control their devices using only facial movements  —  Android has long had an Accessibility API that's intended for developers to build apps and experiences aimed at helping persons with disabilities, though it isn't always used for that purpose.

Sponsor Posts

Google:
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UiPath:
Introducing the UiPath Platform™ for agentic automation  —  UiPath's new platform empowers enterprises to experience the full power of AI to transform industries
Zoho:
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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

The Talk Show With John Gruber:
'The Ratchet of Flippancy', With Craig Mod
The director's commentary track for Daring Fireball. Long digressions on Apple, technology, design, movies, and more.
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Techmeme Ride Home:
ChatGPT Just Wants To Please
The day's tech news, every day at 5pm ET. Fifteen minutes and you're up to date.
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Azeem Azhar's Exponential View:
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Azeem Azhar explores how AI and exponential technologies are shaping our future.
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Channels with Peter Kafka:
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Spotlight On:
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Cliff Sosin - Investing in Carvana
The leading destination to learn about business and investing. We do this by showcasing exceptional talent and ideas.
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Earlier Picks

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Wall Street Journal: