Techmeme
May 17, 2023, 8:00 PM

Top News

Yogita Khatri / The Block:
Tether plans to invest up to 15% of its profits in bitcoin, as the stablecoin developer shifts its reserves toward crypto and away from US government debt  —  - Tether is set to purchase bitcoin on a regular basis from its profits.  — It held $1.5 billion in bitcoin as of the end of the first quarter …
Jess Weatherbed / The Verge:
Logitech partners with iFixit to help with DIY repairs, supplying spare parts, batteries, and guides for select Logitech hardware starting this summer in the US  —  / Official spare parts, batteries, and repair guides for select Logitech hardware will be available through iFixit starting ‘this summer.’
Wall Street Journal:
Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signs the country's first bill that bans TikTok in a state, set to go into effect on January 1, 2024  —  Ban is slated to take effect next year—if it survives expected litigation  —  Montana's governor signed the country's first bill that outright bans TikTok …
Ryan Weeks / The Block:
Ripple acquires Switzerland-based digital asset custody startup Metaco for $250M in cash and stock and plans to keep the brand and founder Adrien Treccani  —  San Francisco-based crypto company Ripple today announced an audacious swoop for Swiss custody firm Metaco in a deal worth $250 million.
Nikhilesh De / CoinDesk:
Michelle Faverio / Pew Research Center:
Survey: 60% of Americans who used Twitter in the past year have taken a break from the social network; 25% say they are not likely to use Twitter in a year  —  A majority of Americans who have used Twitter in the past year report taking a break from the platform during that time …
Jennifer Elias / CNBC:
Docs: Google plans to use new AI models for ads, customer service, and to help YouTube creators, and is working on an internal Stable Diffusion-like product  —  - Google has approved several ad-related artificial intelligence projects to help advertisers and YouTube creators, internal documents show.
More: NeowinThanks:@mattrosoff
Tatum Hunter / Washington Post:
Ovulation tracking app Premom agrees to pay $200K to settle with the FTC and state AGs for allegedly sharing user information with third parties without consent  —  The app allegedly shared sensitive user information with China-based companies known for privacy problems
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Amazon announces the new $40 semi-circle design Echo Pop, updates the $90 Echo Show 5, $100 Echo Show 5 Kids Edition, $50 Echo Buds, expands Echo Auto, and more  —  After last fall's Amazon hardware event which brought us a handful of new Echo devices, like the Dot with the clock and other minor updates …
Chris Welch / The Verge:
Beats Studio Buds+ review: better sound, ANC, battery, and calls, but ANC lags AirPods Pro 2, no wireless charging, and lacks some of Apple's ecosystem tricks  —  With better sound, improved noise cancellation, and a standout translucent design, these are everything the original Beats Studio Buds should've been.
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Netflix says its ad tier has nearly 5M global MAUs, with a median age of 34, six months after launch, and makes up 25%+ of signups in countries with the option  —  In its inaugural upfront advertising event, executives touted the the streaming service's growing ad tier, and unveiled new sponsorship options.
Kyle Bradshaw / 9to5Google:
An update to Google's Personal Safety app for Android suggests the company plans to offer a Dashcam recording feature for Pixel phones and other select devices  —  Rather than needing to buy a (sometimes pricey) dedicated gadget, you should soon be able to use your Pixel (and select other Android devices) …
Lawrence Abrams / BleepingComputer:
Cybersecurity researchers and IT admins raise concerns over Google's new .zip and .mov TLDs, warning that threat actors could use them for phishing and malware  —  Cybersecurity researchers and IT admins have raised concerns over Google's new ZIP and MOV Internet domains …
Stephanie Bodoni / Bloomberg:
Sources: the Irish DPC is set to hand Meta a record EU privacy fine and order the company to stop all data transfers to the US that rely on certain clauses  —  Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc. is set to be handed a record European Union privacy fine eclipsing a €746 million ($809 million) penalty doled out to Amazon.com Inc..
Ivan Mehta / TechCrunch:
Instagram adds support for GIFs in comments on posts and Reels, plans to launch a lyrics feature for Reels, and will roll out Instagram Gifts in India  —  On Tuesday, Mark Zuckerberg held a chat with Instagram head Adam Mosseri as part of the company launching collaboration feature on broadcast channels.
Jonathan Greig / The Record:
Symantec says the advanced persistent threat Lancefly used custom malware to attack Asian governments, telcos, and other organizations from mid-2022 to Q1 2023  —  A government-backed hacking group known as “Lancefly” has been seen using custom-made malware to attack governments, telecoms and other organizations across Asia.

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Earlier Picks

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