Techmeme
October 29, 2021, 3:50 PM

Top News

Kevin Roose / New York Times:
Facebook's metaverse is designed to solve several problems: an ageing userbase, dependence on Google and Apple, regulatory risk, and reputational damage  —  If his new strategy works — a big if — it could help address several of Facebook's biggest problems.
Salvador Rodriguez / CNBC:
Sources: Zuckerberg agreed to a name change after years of staff complaints and research showing a “brand tax” on apps with the “from Facebook” label  —  - Employees have used the term “brand tax” to refer to the negative impact of Facebook on its other brands.
Ben Thompson / Stratechery:
Facebook's Meta renaming is a bet on the power of founder control, and is about a future that doesn't yet exist, but one that Zuckerberg believes needs to  —  The obvious analogy to Facebook's announcement that it is renaming itself Meta and re-organizing its financials to separate …
Mark Zuckerberg / About Facebook:
Alex Heath / The Verge:
Andrew Bosworth:
The Verge:
Apple MacBook Pro 14- and 16-inch review: incredible performance with very long battery life and beautiful displays but expensive with absurd RAM pricing  —  Apple's new pro laptops right the wrongs of the past half decade  —  Let's start simply: the new MacBook Pros with M1 Pro and M1 Max chips …
Joanna Stern / Wall Street Journal:
Apple's VP of Mac and iPad Product Marketing Tom Boger says Touch ID is more convenient than Face ID on a laptop since users' hands are already on the keyboard  —  Full-size ports, real function keys and other retro features, plus cutting-edge M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, make the new MacBook Pro models the laptops to beat
Tom Warren / The Verge:
Microsoft acquires Two Hat, a content moderation provider that has helped improve Xbox communities for the past few years  —  The deal will help Microsoft's consumer services push  —  Microsoft has acquired Two Hat, a content moderation provider that's helped keep harmful content off Xbox.
Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
The Facebook View app on iOS contains an image of a potential Meta smartwatch, with a front-facing camera notch, rounded screen, and a detachable wrist strap  —  - Device has front-facing camera, possibly for videoconferencing  — Image of watch is found inside of Facebook View iPhone app
YouTube:
Dean Takahashi / VentureBeat:
Catalin Cimpanu / The Record:
Europol says it has detained 12 suspects for orchestrating ransomware attacks that hit 1,800+ victims across 71 countries since 2019  —  Europol said it detained 12 suspects this week it believes were part of a professional criminal group that orchestrated a long string of ransomware attacks …
Manish Singh / TechCrunch:
Google and Jio debut $87 JioPhone Next with a 5.45-inch HD+ display and Qualcomm's quad-core QM-215 chipset, available November 4 in India  —  Google and Indian telecom network Jio Platforms said on Friday that their much-anticipated budget smartphone, JioPhone Next, will go on sale …
Yifan Wang / Wall Street Journal:
Under pressure from China, Alibaba's market value has declined from a peak of $850B in October 2020 to ~$460B today; filings show T. Rowe and others cut stakes  —  They may have to wait a while for the former market darling to regain its glory  —  SINGAPORE—Investors are betting the worst …
Apple:
Apple misses with Q4 revenue of $83.4B, up 29% YoY, vs $84.85B est., iPhone revenue of $38.87B, up 47% YoY, services revenue of $18.3B, up 25.6%; stock down 3%+  —  New September quarter record with revenue up 29 percent  —  Services and Mac revenue reach new all-time highs
About Amazon:
Kif Leswing / CNBC:

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Lawrence Abrams / BleepingComputer:
Alexander Osipovich / Wall Street Journal: