Techmeme
August 12, 2020, 2:00 PM

Top News

Tom Warren / The Verge:
Microsoft is launching its Surface Duo dual-screen Android phone on September 10 for $1,399, with preorders starting today in the US  —  Microsoft is launching its Surface Duo dual-screen Android phone on September 10th, priced from $1,399.  After months of Microsoft executives teasing …
Scott Stein / CNET:
Hands-on with a non-functioning Surface Duo prototype, which has two 5.6-inch OLED screens forming a 8.1-inch display, bound together by a unique hinge  —  Inside a little white box in front of me is a gadget that looks like a little book.  The Microsoft Windows logo is embossed on top.
Lauren Feiner / CNBC:
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says it will likely need to shut down for several months in California if it is forced to re-classify drivers as employees  —  - Uber would likely shut down temporarily for several months if a court does not overturn a recent ruling requiring it to classify its drivers …
Francoise Brougher:
Former Pinterest COO provides a detailed account of her claims about gender discrimination and toxic workplace culture with recommendations for the company  —  Pinterest has always been about aspiration.  It is a platform for sharing beautiful images, curating galleries of an idealized world.
Erin Griffith / New York Times:
Former Pinterest COO accuses the company of gender bias in a new lawsuit, alleging she was fired in April after complaining about sexist treatment  —  Françoise Brougher, Pinterest's former chief operating officer, said she was fired after speaking up about mistreatment.
New York Times:
Hands-on with Instagram's Reels: confusing, frustrating, impossible to navigate, and lacking TikTok's editing features  —  TikTok might not be winning over President Trump, but it sure beats its Instagram copycat for making and sharing short videos.  —  Millions of people have used …
Theodore Schleifer / Vox:
Biden's VP pick Kamala Harris, who has close ties with tech execs and has dodged questions about breaking up Big Tech, is likely to generate excitement in SV  —  Sen. Kamala Harris has had a close relationship with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg.  Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Russell Brandom / The Verge:
Trump's executive order to ban TikTok by Sept. 20 is a gross abuse of power and sets an alarming precedent for the executive branch's control over software  —  An alarming precedent for government control over software  —  For months, President Trump has been teasing some kind of ban on TikTok …
Wall Street Journal:
Analysis: TikTok used an Android security hole to collect MAC addresses, possibly for ad tracking, without an ability to opt out; the practice ended in November  —  The tactic, which experts in mobile-phone security said was concealed through an unusual added layer of encryption, appears to have violated Google policies
Terry Nguyen / Vox:
Instagram has been taken over by “social justice slideshows” that use the 10-image carousel format to inform and educate about myriad issues  —  PowerPoint activism is everywhere on Instagram.  Why do these posts look so familiar?  —  In 1971, to the backdrop of a funky jazz rhythm …
Joseph Cox / VICE:
A look at so-called Russian, encrypted, or “white” SIMs, used by criminals to spoof phone numbers, add voice manipulation to calls in real-time, and more  —  Criminals use so-called Russian, encrypted, or white SIMs to change their phone number, add voice manipulation to their calls …
Kyle Wiggers / VentureBeat:
Gong, which uses AI to provide insights on customer behavior and improve sales, raises $200M Series D, at a $2.2B valuation, led by Coatue  —  Gong.io, a startup providing an “intelligence platform” for enterprise sales teams, today nabbed $200 million in funding at a $2.2 billion valuation …
Becky Ferreira / New York Times:
As Amazon joins SpaceX and OneWeb in launching satellite constellations, astronomers worry about the effects on astronomical observations and image quality  —  The F.C.C. approved the company's 3,236-satellite constellation, which aims to provide high-speed internet service around the world.
Kevin Roose / New York Times:
QAnon followers are hijacking #SaveTheChildren, an anti-human-trafficking movement, and joining parenting Facebook Groups in order to gain new followers  —  Fans of the pro-Trump conspiracy theory are clogging anti-trafficking hotlines, infiltrating Facebook groups and raising false fears about child exploitation.

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Catalin Cimpanu / ZDNet:

Earlier Picks

Andrei Frumusanu / AnandTech:
Tom Warren / The Verge:
Anthony Ha / TechCrunch:
Kurt Wagner / Bloomberg: