Techmeme
September 30, 2020, 1:20 PM

Top News

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Facebook unveils cross-app communication between Messenger and Instagram, which works even for users without accounts on the other service, rolling out now  —  Facebook announced today it will begin rolling out new functionality that will allow Instagram and Messenger users to communicate across apps …
Harry McCracken / Fast Company:
A look at how Facebook is weaving Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp together even as it comes under increasing scrutiny from watchdogs and regulators  —  The social behemoth is weaving together Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp even as watchdogs and regulators close in.
Reuters:
Sources: China is considering an antitrust probe into Google, after allegations by Huawei that Google leveraged the dominance of Android to stifle competition  —  BEIJING/SINGAPORE/SHENZHEN, China (Reuters) - China is preparing to launch an antitrust probe into Alphabet Inc's Google …
Frank Chaparro / The Block:
Coinbase offers an exit package with four to six months severance pay and six months COBRA for employees who are not comfortable with its apolitical mission  —  Coinbase is offering a package for employees seeking an exit after the release of a blog post from its CEO outlining …
Natalia Drozdiak / Bloomberg:
Internal docs: EU may ban big tech companies from preferencing their own services or exclusively pre-installing their own apps as part of Digital Services Act  —  - Gatekeeper platforms could also have to share data with rivals  — EU to unveil regulatory proposal for platforms in December
Nikkei Asian Review:
Sources: Google is planning to produce as little as ~800,000 Pixel 5 handsets, taking total production of Pixel 4a, 4a 5G, and 5 to 3M units  —  Internet giant plans just 1m flagship Pixel 5 phones for 2020  —  TAIPEI — Google plans to produce less than 1 million Pixel 5 smartphones this year …
David Meyer / Fortune:
Cloudflare launches a free “privacy-first” analytics tool to rival Google Analytics that records how users engage with websites without invasive tracking  —  The cybersecurity and content-distribution company Cloudflare has become a major part of the Internet's infrastructure …
Sharon Weinberger / New York Magazine:
Former US military and intel officials express concerns about Palantir, arguing its success is largely down to its software having a friendlier UI than rivals  —  Back in 2003, John Poindexter got a call from Richard Perle, an old friend from their days serving together in the Reagan administration.
Max Weinbach / Android Police:
Xiaomi announces a range of new flagship devices: €499 Mi 10T, €599 Mi 10T Pro, and €279 Mi 10T Lite, all with 6.67-inch displays, and €99 Mi Watch  —  Xiaomi is known for its cheap phones, whether they come under its own brand name or its Redmi and Poco sub-brands.
Jay Peters / The Verge:
Twitter says it is expanding voice tweets to more iOS users and plans to add transcriptions to voice tweets to improve accessibility  —  Voice tweets will come to Android and the web in 2021  —  Twitter has just expanded its voice tweets feature, which lets you record a snippet of audio to include with a tweet, to more users on iOS.
Christopher Harland-Dunaway / The Verge:
Profile of Tron founder and BitTorrent CEO Justin Sun, whose controversial reputation is built on a non-traditional leadership style and marketing stunts  —  When Chinese millionaire Justin Sun acquired BitTorrent, was he trying to skirt the trade war?  Or fly right in the face of it, no matter the cost?
Nilay Patel / The Verge:
Sonos files another patent lawsuit against Google, alleging infringement of five wireless audio patents across the entire line of Nest and Chromecast products  —  Rocket docket, engage  —  Sonos has filed another patent lawsuit against Google, alleging that the search giant …
Abner Li / 9to5Google:
Google extends free access to Meet's unlimited call times for Gmail accounts through March 2021  —  Google is trying hard to make Meet a video conferencing competitor by adding a torrent of new features in quick succession.  After making premium features free at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic …
Bloomberg:
Clubhouse courted fresh controversy after a conversation with hundreds of listeners devolved into a platform for anti-Semitic comments on a Jewish holy day  —  Controversial private social app Clubhouse was again the target of criticism on Monday, after a conversation with hundreds …
Amy Martyn / OneZero :
Bird's Fleet Manager program, effectively a franchise model, has saddled some contract workers with debt on scooters they do not own amid the pandemic downturn  —  One Bird Charger estimates that he took on $40,000 in scooter debt  —  the time that Daniel got a surprise call from someone …
More: InputTweets: @ozm, @mvzelenks, @sarahfkessler, and @healthuntodeathThanks:@mvzelenks
Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge:
LG says its Wing smartphone will be available in the US beginning October 15 from Verizon and later this fall from AT&T and T-Mobile, starting at $1,000  —  LG's wild sliding phone won't be cheap  —  LG's wild-looking Wing smartphone has gotten a US price and release date …
Mikey Campbell / AppleInsider:
Apple and Epic Games stated in a court filing on Tuesday that their coming court battle should be decided in a bench trial by a judge, not a jury  —  Apple and Epic have agreed that the coming court battle should be decided in a bench trial by a judge, not a jury.
Monica Nickelsburg / GeekWire:
Seattle unanimously approved new regulations that would ensure Uber and Lyft drivers earn minimum wage, the second US city to establish the standard after NYC  —  Seattle became the second big city in the nation to establish a minimum wage standard for Uber and Lyft drivers on Tuesday.
Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:
VTEX, which offers e-commerce tools for giant companies like Walmart, Coca-Cola, and Nestlé, raises $225M at a $1.7B post-money valuation  —  Retailers and consumer brands are focused more than ever in their histories on using e-commerce channels to connect with customers …

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