Techmeme
April 20, 2021, 7:00 PM

Top News

Benjamin Mayo / 9to5Mac:
Apple updates 11" and 12.9" iPad Pros with M1, 8-core GPU, Thunderbolt, up to 2TB storage, 5G, 1080p FaceTime HD camera, and a mini-LED screen on 12.9" model  —  As part of the Apple event today, the company unveiled the new lineup of iPad Pro tablets.  The 2021 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro feature …
Apple:
Apple says the updated M1 iPad Pro starts at $799 for the 11-inch and $1,099 for the 12.9-inch; pre-orders open April 30, shipping in second half of May  —  CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced the most powerful and advanced iPad Pro ever, pushing the limits of what's possible on iPad.
Apple:
iMac with M1 starts at $1,299 for 8-core CPU/7-core GPU in four colors and $1,499 for 8-core GPU in seven colors with Touch ID keyboard, shipping late May  —  iMac offers the best camera, mics, and speakers ever in a Mac, and Touch ID for the first time  —  CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today introduced …
Hartley Charlton / MacRumors:
Apple updates iMac with M1, slimmer design with two small fans, seven colors, 1080p webcam, six speakers, beamforming three-mic array, and 24-inch 4.5K display  —  Apple has announced a new, redesigned 24-inch iMac, featuring an M1 chip, a 4.5K display, and a range of color options …
Tom Warren / The Verge:
Apple officially launches AirTags, an item tracker that works with Apple's Find My app, with one unit for $29 and four units for $99, launching April 30  —  The long-rumored trackers are now official  —  Apple is officially launching a Tile-like item tracker that will work with the company's software and services.
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Jon Porter / The Verge:
Apple's new Siri Remote will be sold separately from the new Apple TV 4K for $59 and is backwards compatible with previous Apple TV 4Ks and Apple TV HD  —  It's also available separately for previous Apple TV boxes  —  The Apple TV remote is one of the weakest parts of the company's set-top box …
Dan Seifert / The Verge:
Apple refreshes Apple TV 4K with A12 Bionic, high frame rate HDR video, revamped remote with new click pad and buttons, coming in May for $179 and $199  —  Now with the A12 Bionic  —  Apple has just announced a new Apple TV streaming box, replacing the Apple TV 4K that came out in 2017.
Zac Hall / 9to5Mac:
Apple announces Podcasts Subscriptions for new premium and ad free content, a new Podcasts app design, channels, launching next month in 170 regions  —  Apple has officially an all-new feature coming to Podcasts next month.  Apple Podcasts Subscriptions will allow listeners to directly support podcasters through the Podcasts app.
Peter Kafka / Vox:
Apple will take a 30% cut of revenue generated through Podcasts Subscriptions, dropping to 15% after a year; pricing options start at 49 cents a month in the US  —  Apple hasn't tried to make a business out of podcasting until now.  Will you pay?  —  Apple more or less invented podcasting.
Zac Bowden / Windows Central:
Sources: Microsoft is revamping its Store app on Windows 10 and will let devs submit unpackaged Win32 apps, use third-party commerce platforms in apps, and more  —  Microsoft wants to bring life back to the Store app on Windows 10.  —  What you need to know  — Microsoft is working on a new Store app for Windows 10.
Charlie Osborne / ZDNet:
Internal Facebook emails, accidentally sent to a journalist, show its “long-term strategy” for data scraping incidents, framing it as a “broad industry issue”  —  More scraping incidents are “expected” in the future.  —  An internal email accidentally leaked by Facebook …
Reuters:
FireEye and networking company Pulse Secure say two China-linked hacking groups used a flaw in its VPN devices to target customers in the US defense industry  —  At least two groups of China-linked hackers have spent months using a previously undisclosed vulnerability in American networking devices …
Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:
Apple debuts Apple Card Family to let spouses build credit together and extend access to family members over 13, with optional controls, coming to US in May  —  Apple has been slowly building a position for itself as a financial services giant, banked around its digital wallet for storing …
Netflix - Investors:
Netflix reports Q1 revenue of $7.16B, up 24% YoY, and 208M paid memberships, up 14% YoY but below its forecast of 210M; stock down 10%+ after hours  —  April 20, 2021 Fellow shareholders, Revenue grew 24% year over year and was in line with our beginning of quarter forecast, while operating profit and margin reached all-time highs.
Bloomberg:
Sources: Discord has ended talks to sell itself, including rejecting a $12B bid from Microsoft, as it resumes planning for a potential IPO  —  Microsoft Corp. and video-game chat company Discord Inc. have ended takeover talks, according to a person familiar with the matter.
New York Times:
Governments around the world are moving to limit the power of tech companies with an urgency and breadth that no single industry has experienced before  —  Never before have so many countries, including China, moved with such vigor at the same time to limit the power of a single industry.
Joe Rossignol / MacRumors:
Apple announces a purple iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini, arriving on April 30 with pre-orders starting on Friday  —  Apple today announced that the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini will be available in a new purple color starting April 30, with pre-orders starting this Friday.
Linda Sui / Strategy Analytics:
Strategy Analytics: global smartphone shipments rose to 340M units in Q1 2021, up 24% YoY, representing the highest growth since 2015  —  According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global smartphone shipments were 340 million units in Q1 2021, up +24% YoY representing the highest growth since 2015.

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