Tech Brew Ride Home

Amazon makes a ton of news including buying into pharmaceutical commerce and creating its own mini-package delivery army, Apple considers one subscription to rule them all, and the long Apple/Samsung war is over. Stories from: @angelicalavito, @jacknicas Tweets: @eugenegu Links:Amazon shakes up drugstore business with deal to buy online pharmacy PillPack (CNBC)Amazon’s new blue crew: Tech giant enlists entrepreneurs to own the ‘last mile,’ delivering packages in Prime vans and uniforms (GeekWire)Apple Eyes Streaming Bundle for TV, Music and News (The Information)Apple and Samsung End Smartphone Patent Wars (NYTimes)Bird CEO Explains Why His Scooter Startup Needed $300 Million (Bloomberg)AT&T more than doubles ‘admin fee’ for every wireless customer (The Verge)Colossal 128TB SD cards could soon be on the way (TNW) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google rebrands AdWords and demos Duplex for reporters, Twitter takes steps to fight spam and make your account more secure, Facebook wants to help you avoid spoilers and is Blackberry back with the Key2? Links:Google is retiring the AdWords & DoubleClick brands in a major rebranding aimed at simplification (Search Engine Land)Google opens its human-sounding Duplex AI to public testing (CNET)Google Duplex really works and testing begins this summer (The Verge)Facebook tests 30-day keyword snoozing to fight spoilers, triggers (TechCrunch)BlackBerry KEY2 review: One of the most unique phones around comes up short of awesome (Android Police) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Uber gets legal in London, a16z raises a crypto fund, Apple opts for human editors, Fortnite makes bank, and a check-in on the space race. Links:Uber wins the right to keep operating in London (TheVerge)Wi-Fi security is starting to get its biggest upgrade in over a decade (TheVerge)Fortnite is generating more revenue than any other free game ever (ReCode)Intel and the Danger of Integration (Ben Thompson/Stratechery)Steven Sinofsky Tweet Thread on the Above Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New noise cancelling AirPods might be coming, AT&T buys AppNexus, more Trump and Chinese tech rumblings, and what is the future of Benchmark Capital? Links:Apple to Unveil High-End AirPods, Over-Ear Headphones For 2019 (Bloomberg)The US now officially has the world's fastest supercomputer, knocking China off the top spot (TechSport)Is there a next act for one of Silicon Valley’s top investors after Uber? Benchmark and Bill Gurley are about to find out. (ReCode)Here’s How That Tablet On The Table At Your Favorite Restaurant Is Hurting Your Waiter (BuzzFeed) Book Recommendation:eBoys Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court rules on cell phone tracking, YouTube gets channel memberships, Twitter literally smites Smyte, the Elon Musk sabotage saga gets weirder and the weekend longreads suggestions. Stories from: @sarahintampa, @drewharwell Tweets: @mathewi Links:Supreme Court says police can't use your cellphone to track you without a court order (NBC News)Twitter ‘smytes’ customers (TechCrunch)Elon Musk Has Always Been At War With The Media (BuzzFeed) Weekend Longreads:How Twitter Made The Tech World's Most Unlikely Comeback (BuzzFeed)The Legend of Nintendo (Bloomberg)Intel now faces a fight for its future (The Verge)INSIDE THE CRYPTO WORLD'S BIGGEST SCANDAL (Wired) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Intel’s CEO steps down, an update on Apple’s AirPower wireless charger, a Supreme Court ruling will have a big impact on e-commerce, and Amazon Fire TV Cube reviews. Stories from: @jessiwrites, @chrisvelazco Tweets: @kevinctofel Links: Why Apple’s AirPower Wireless Charger Is Taking So Long to Make (Bloomberg)AMAZON FIRE TV CUBE REVIEW: A SMARTER STREAMING BOX (The Verge)Google turns on ‘Continued Conversation’ in the Google Assistant (Search Engine Land)WHY LYFT IS TRYING TO BECOME THE NEXT SUBSCRIPTION BUSINESS (Wired) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The immigration controversy comes to Silicon Valley, Instagram debuts IGTV, Disney ups its bid for Fox, and a new phone finds a new way around “the notch.” Links:Facebook launches gameshows platform with interactive video (TechCrunch)Oppo’s Find X ditches the notch for pop-up cameras (The Verge)Crypto Exchange Bithumb Halts Withdrawals After $31 Million Hack (CoinDesk) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Verizon and AT&T stop selling your location data, Google roles out a couple of cool new things, Alexa is coming to your hotel, Elon Musk is worried about sabotage, and how Europe might kill meme culture. Stories from: @jacknicas Tweets: @coryweinberg, @danprimack Links:In China Trade War, Apple Worries It Will Be Collateral Damage (NYTimes)One Year in, Bird Founder Sells Some Shares (The Information)The EU's bizarre war on memes is totally unwinnable (Wired UK) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple upgrades 911 calls—and is taking a case to the Supreme Court—Google invests big time in China, gaming addiction is officially a disorder, and how an Australian telecom company is screwing up the World Cup. Stories from: @stevelevine, @tiffkhsu Tweets: @mhbergen Links:In China, a picture of how warehouse jobs can vanish (Axios)Video Game Addiction Tries to Move From Basement to Doctor’s Office (NYTimes)Google Is Training Machines to Predict When a Patient Will Die (Bloomberg)SBS to screen World Cup games after Optus fail (Sydney Morning Herald) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oprah signs with Apple, but OLEDs aren’t working out for Apple, Netflix has a hidden source for teen comedy hits, the weekend longreads suggestions, and, if you can believe it, William Shatner’s new gig. Stories from: @mochi_wsj, @McLauchlin Links:APPLE’S ORIGINAL CONTENT IS FURTHER ALONG THAN YOU THINK (LoupVentures)Netflix’s latest hit ‘The Kissing Booth’ is a Wattpad success story (TechCrunch)How Batteries Went From Primitive Power to Global Domination (Bloomberg)William Shatner's new enterprise: A solar-powered bitcoin mining farm in southern Illinois (Chicago Tribune) Weekend Longreads Suggestions:The Time Canada Wanted Its Own Internet Because It Thought the US Would Mess It Up (Motherboard)Instagram’s Wannabe-Stars Are Driving Luxury Hotels Crazy (The Atlantic)HOW THE TRENDIEST GRILLED-CHEESE VENTURE GOT BURNT (Wired)THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE RACY MODULE THAT ALMOST RUINED D&D (Wired) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple tries to lock down it’s phones again, Google makes ad targeting more transparent, Microsoft works to replace cashiers with robots… but the robots have already come for middle managers at Amazon, and a plea to help save Metafilter. Stories from: @spencersoper, @viticci, @CamiRusso Links:Shortcuts: A New Vision for Siri and iOS Automation (MacStories)Amazon’s Clever Machines Are Moving From the Warehouse to Headquarters (Bloomberg)Making a Killing in Virtual Real Estate (Bloomberg)The Million Dollar Homepage (Wikipedia)SAVE METAFILTER! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today was major revamp day. Twitter’s ringing in big changes. Microsoft is putting a new polish on Office. Also: Intel jumps into the GPU game, Bitcoin might have been manipulated, and Fortnite comes to the Nintendo Switch. Stories from: @nathanielpopper, @PatcohenNYT, @ryanshrout Tweets: @hrtbps Links:Intel makes it a three-way race with AMD and Nvidia on graphics chips (Marketwatch)Bitcoin’s Price Was Artificially Inflated Last Year, Researchers Say (NYTimes)E-Commerce Might Help Solve the Mystery of Low Inflation (NYTimes)Fortnite on the Switch is good enough to make Sony’s cross-play policy look even more stupid (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

E-scooter valuations explode, Facebook turns in its homework, Microsoft’s next Xbox is coming in 2020, how Netflix is winning, and a dreaded 51% attack explained. Here’s what you missed today in the world of tech. Tweets: @annehelen, @arielbogle Stories: @danprimack, @bdsams Links:Scooter startup Bird is seeking a $2 billion valuation (Axios)Microsoft’s Next-Gen Xbox Will Arrive in 2020 (Thurrott.com)The Guy Tapping His Head Meme Explained (NYMag)Inside the Binge Factory (NYMag)Blockchain's Once-Feared 51% Attack Is Now Becoming Regular (CoinDesk)TED Residency (TED) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Snapchat Clear Chats and Facebook’s Memories come at social media from different philosophical viewpoints, headlines from the ramp up to E3, new Apple Watch rumors, the scooter economy, and do on-screen fingerprint scanners work well? Stories from: @thesullivan, @345triangle Links:The Apple Watch will get touch-sensitive, solid-state buttons (Fast Company)The Scooter Economy (Stratechery)How to understand the financial levers in your business (TechCrunch)AT&T-Time Warner Ruling Has Dealmakers Bracing (NYTimes)In-display fingerprint sensors are here, and they actually work (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google’s lays out ethical principles for AI development, Facebook has another privacy issue (again), why the next generation of gaming consoles might be the last, Yahoo Messenger logs off, and the weekend long-reads suggestions. Stories from: @sundarpichai, @terrortola Links:AI at Google: our principles (Google)Can Google keep its promises on building ethical AI? (Engadget)Airbnb says forced to cancel bookings under new Japan law (Asia One)Ubisoft Believes Next Gen Is the Last for Consoles as Microsoft Looks Beyond Platforms (Variety)Chat Wars (N+1) Longreads:‘I can understand about 50 percent of the things you say’: How Congress is struggling to get smart on tech (Washington Post)The Twitter crime mystery that gripped Spain (BBC)Meet the people who still use Myspace: 'It's given me so much joy' (The Guardian)Exploring The Digital Ruins Of 'Second Life' (Digg)Why Aren’t We All Buying Houses on the Internet? (Slate) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ZTE makes a deal with Uncle Sam, but Google might be in trouble because of Huawei, the new Amazon Fire TV Cube is announced, a new Blackberry phone, a redesigned Lyft app and more Instagram video rumors. Stories from: @stuwoo, @meganrosedickey LinksAfter Scrutinizing Facebook, Congress Turns to Google Deal With Huawei (WSJ)Lyft redesigns rider app to encourage shared rides (TechCrunch)Instagram plans to launch Snapchat Discover-style video hub (TechCrunch)For BlackBerry Key2, privacy is (again) a key pitch for comeback (CNET) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A whole slew of product announcements. New Sonos speakers. A new Motorola smartphone. A new AMD chip. Instagram may soon allow you to post hour-long videos. Plus: why Microsoft sunk a data center off the Scottish coast and why startups keep naming themselves after… people. Stories from: @DMOberhaus, @janinewolfj9, @laforgia_ Links:Facebook Gave Data Access to Chinese Firm Flagged by U.S. Intelligence (NYTimes)Instagram Could Soon Allow Users to Post Long-Form Video (WSJ)Microsoft Just Put a Data Center on the Bottom of the Ocean (Motherboard)Marcus, Casper, Oscar: Why Startups Are Obsessed With Human Names (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Intel releases some anniversary chips, why WhatsApp and Facebook had a falling out, followups from WWDC and analysis of that GitHub acquisition, and some scientists purposely created a psychopathic AI. Stories from: @jameskobielus, @janewakefield Tweets: @pkafka Links:Microsoft’s GitHub takeover sends shockwaves through the open-source developer ecosystem (SiliconAngle)Behind the Messy, Expensive Split Between Facebook and WhatsApp’s Founders (WSJ)Are you scared yet? Meet Norman, the psychopathic AI (BBC News)I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream (Wikipedia)Roko's basilisk (LessWrong) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, it’s all about developers, everything from Apple’s WWDC Keynote, Microsoft buys GitHub in order to court developers. Oh. And a new Facebook data brouhaha. Tweet commentary: @ericlbarnes, @HenrikJoreteg Links:Microsoft confirms it’s acquiring GitHub for $7.5 billion (The Verge)Facebook Gave Device Makers Deep Access to Data on Users and Friends (NYTimes) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The end of an era in venture capital, the end of Facebook’s trending news feature, what to expect from WWDC next week, some new ARM chips and the weekend longreads suggestions. Stories from: @joshuarothman, @deborahgage, @meliarobin Links:New Arm Cortex-A76 and Mali-G76 target laptop-class performance (Android Authority)Angry Facebook shareholders challenge Zuckerberg over 'corporate dictatorship' (The Guardian)Apple Is Set to Unveil AR Upgrade, Software to Manage iPhone Use (Bloomberg)Apple’s WWDC 2018: iOS 12, macOS, and what else to expect (The Verge)WWDC 2018: What to expect from Apple’s big event (MacWorld) Weekend Longreads:Obama's US Digital Service Survives Trump—Quietly (Wired)The Search for Women Who Want Cybersecurity Careers (WSJ)How Futures Trading Changed Bitcoin Prices (Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco)The Growing Emptiness of the "Star Wars" Universe (The New Yorker) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A bunch of self driving car news, a bunch of headline making quotes from the Code Conference, a couple new flagship smartphones, and a new Atari gaming console that nobody is quite sure the purpose of. Stories: @Charlie_L_Hall, @richardlai Tweets: @ChengmingAlpert, @dcseifert Links:Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says he’s trying to convince Alphabet to put Waymo self-driving cars on the company’s network (Recode)Xiaomi's transparent Mi 8 also does 3D face unlock (Engadget)Atari is crowdfunding a new console, but who is this device actually for? (Polygon) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Code Conference brings us Mary Meeker’s Internet Trends Report and juicy quotes from Evan Spiegel, web publishers find life after Facebook, a new gaming laptop from HP, and how ambulance chasing lawyers can target ads to people in the hospital. Tweets: @simonowens, @agolis Links:Snapchat preps Snapkit platform to bring camera, login to other apps (TechCrunch)Mobile Direct Traffic Eclipses Facebook (Chartbeat)Mary Meeker’s 2018 internet trends report: All the slides, plus analysis (Recode)Digital Ambulance Chasers? Law Firms Send Ads To Patients' Phones Inside ERs (NPR)Glenn's Kickstarter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Uber adds a panic button, Apple updates HomePod, the Chinese trade war is back on, Facebook gets a month-long timeout, another EU privacy regulation, and less-desirable dogs get better PR. Tweets from from @lcmoser, @heldavidson, @jimwaterson Links:Uber adds a panic button in its app (The Verge)Uber’s Exit From Southeast Asia Upsets Regulators and Drivers (New York Times)Apple’s HomePod Speaker Finally Gets Multi-Room Audio And Stereo Mode (Buzzfeed)Papua New Guinea To Shutdown Facebook (Post Courier)Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook’s hardest year, and what comes next (Vox)Bid to Block Trump's Deal on ZTE Would Have Support, Rubio Says (Bloomberg News)The Next Privacy Battle in Europe Is Over This New Law (New York Times)How The Internet Is Changing The Way Dogs Find Homes (Buzzfeed)Credits: Special Guest-Host: Glenn Fleishman Produced by @glennf, @brianmcc, and the @techmeme editors Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

European Union privacy restrictions kick in, Tesla settles a suit, Alexa is listening, Essential becomes a misnomer, and San Francisco brakes scooters. Tweets: @bxchen, @ktbenner, @geoffreyfowler, @zeynep, @cathyyoung63, @mccanner Links:Publications block EU readers (New York Times)Google late to update advertisers and ad-tech networks on GDPR changes (Digiday)Tesla settles on auto-pilot (Reuters)Alexa forwards private conversation by couple (KIRO)Amazon’s statement on Alexa recording and forwarding (Recode)Piles of bike-sharing cycles (Atlantic)Long Reads:Instagram has transformed high-school basketball players into starsAn oral history of the Microsoft antitrust lawsuit that’s now 20 years oldHow Facebook monitors for abuse and misuseIn depth on Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne BoleynCredits: Special Guest-Host: Glenn Fleishman Produced by @glennf, @brianmcc, and the @techmeme editors Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Facebook and Twitter label political ads, Apple’s self-driving car efforts fizzle, the DOJ is looking at cryptocurrency manipulation, there’s a PornHub VPN, and StumbleUpon is no more. Stories from: @jacknicas, @mat Links:Apple, Spurned by Others, Signs Deal With Volkswagen for Driverless Cars (NYTimes)Google Buys 20,000 SUVs, Apple Gets Two Dozen VW Vans (Bloomberg)The Techie Town Of San Francisco Gets A New Tower As Houses Remain Scarce (BuzzFeed) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme editors Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Facebook helps you find a plumber, Apple lets you download your data, Comcast wants to buy 21st Century Fox, why would Amazon ban you, and Bill Gates’ summer reading recommendations. Stories from: @kottke, @LauraStevensWSJ Links:Next Generation iPhone Chips Go Into Production (Bloomberg)HTC Announces U12 Plus With Pressure-Sensitive Buttons and Sides (The Verge)Banned From Amazon: The Shoppers Who Make Too Many Returns (WSJ) Bill Gates' Summer Reading List Recommendations:Origin Story: A Big History of Everything by David ChristianLeonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson.Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders.Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved by Kate Bowler.Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World - and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling. Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme editors Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another chip flaw found, privacy activists turn their attention to Amazon, ZTE might be saved by the Trump Administration, Zuckerberg’s European sojourn is a damp squib, and now you can mute annoying people on Instagram. Stories from: @katienotopoulos, @sarafischer Links:The Privacy Scandal That Should Be Bigger Than Cambridge Analytica (Slate)Impatient, distracted consumers upend the media landscape (Axios)Overall Q1 US Smartphone Sales Dip 11% YoY, Apple Grows a Record 16% YoY (Counterpoint)Instagram Finally Adds A Mute Button, Saving Countless Friendships (BuzzFeed) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme editors Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the government coming after Big Tech, Microsoft doubles down on voice AI, Lyft joins the e-scooter scramble, the Obamas officially join Netflix, and which smartphone is most likely to shatter? Stories from: @TaylorLorenz, @coryweinberg Tweets: @tanayj, @ibogost Links:Lyft Explores Launching Scooter Service in San Francisco (The Information)Electric Scooter Charger Culture Is Out of Control (The Atlantic)We Dropped $18,000 Worth of Phones, and These Are the Toughest (and Weakest) (Tomsguide.com) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme editors Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today more leakage of your phone’s location data, Fortnite comes to Android, dataplans for seniors’ smartphones, robotic insects, drone sailboats, and the weekend long reads suggestions. Stories from: @briankrebs, @valleyhack Links: Tracking Firm LocationSmart Leaked Location Data for Customers of All Major U.S. Mobile Carriers Without Consent in Real Time Via Its Web Site (KrebsonSecurity)The first wireless flying robotic insect takes off (University of Washington)This Armada of Saildrones Could Conquer the Ocean (Bloomberg) Longreads Suggestions:Death in the alpine (High Country News)How Evan Spiegel Fumbled Snap’s Redesign (The Information)Apple and Its Rivals Bet Their Futures on These Men’s Dreams (Bloomberg)I Tried to Get an AI to Write This Story (Bloomberg) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme editors Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

YouTube Music launches next week, Apple too is looking for a major new campus, Mobileye signs a big deal for autonomous car tech and the SEC creates honeypot to teach investors about scammy ICOs. Stories from: @JessConditt, @josephfcox Links:Hacker Breaches Securus, the Company That Helps Cops Track Phones Across the US (Motherboard)Xbox Adaptive Controller first look: A new, necessary gamepad (Engadget)The Autonomous-Car Company That’s Selling Safety First (Bloomberg)Buyer Beware: Hundreds of Bitcoin Wannabes Show Hallmarks of Fraud (WSJ)Howeycoins (SEC) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme editors Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zuckerberg to testify in Europe, Prime members to get discounts at Whole Foods, low-end tablets possibly coming from Microsoft, a blockchain phone, a connected toothbrush, and all you need to know about the Yanny or Laurel controversy. Stories from: @markgurman, @chrissyfarr Tweets: @backlon, @anindac92 Links:Amazon cuts Whole Foods prices for Prime members in new grocery showdown (Reuters)Microsoft Plans Low-Cost Tablet Line to Rival iPad (Bloomberg)This start-up made connected toothbrushes -- now it aims to overthrow the 'primitive' dental insurance industry (CNBC)Yanny or Laurel? How an Audio Clip Divided the Internet (NYTimes)The True History of 'Yanny' and 'Laurel' (Wired) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme editors Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone says they’re cleaning up their act: Twitter, Facebook, Uber. The Crypto kids crash New York while Coinbase cozies up to Wall Street. The Surface Hub 2 looks pretty sweet, and we might soon be shooting Wikipedia pages to the moon. Stories from: @lorengrush Tweets: @AaronKlein, @marcoarment, @ballmatthew Links:At NYC’s Big Crypto Conference, the Lamborghinis Are Rented and Protests Are Staged (Bloomberg)Microsoft’s Surface Hub 2 is designed for an office of the future (The Verge)Tweetstorm about Netflix and "originals" (Matthew Ball)This nonprofit plans to send millions of Wikipedia pages to the Moon — printed on tiny metal sheets (The Verge) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme editors Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Email encryption might be broken, Facebook suspends suspicious apps, why Google employees are resigning in protest, Silicon Valley could benefit from a gambling gold rush, and how Masayoshi Son is disrupting the entire technology world. Stories from: @Danny_Heifetz, @kateconger Tweets from: @F_Kaltheuner, @dcurtis Links:Google Employees Resign in Protest Against Pentagon Contract (Gizmodo)New HP all-in-one houses Alexa, provides power with wireless charging base (Ars Technica)The Supreme Court Struck Down the Law Prohibiting Sports Gambling. Here’s What Could Happen Next. (The Ringer)Supreme Court allows states to legalize sports betting, opening floodgates for online gambling profits (TechCrunch)The impact of Masayoshi Son’s $100bn tech fund will be profound (The Economist) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme editors Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is a Facebook cryptocurrency really possible? Can Snapchat redesign its way back into users' hearts? What's going on at Symantec? Klout strikes out. And the Weekend Longreads. Stories from: @alexeheath, @mekosoff Tweets: @om, @manjusrii, @sfiegerman Links:"It Was Cataclysmic": Can Snapchat Survive Its Redesign? (Vanity Fair)IAB says online advertising grew to $88B last year — more spending than TV (TechCrunch) Longreads:Don't Skype Me: How Microsoft Turned Consumers Against a Beloved Brand (Bloomberg)How to Make Your Open Office Less Annoying (The Atlantic)The 15 People Who Keep Wikipedia’s Editors From Killing Each Other (WSJ)The Wealthy Are Hoarding $10 Billion of Bitcoin in Bunkers (Bloomberg)Supercomputers are driving a revolution in hurricane forecasting (Ars Technica) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The suspected Russian Facebook ads are released, a new Apple credit card, why Roku is a quiet powerhouse, Robinhood raises a ton of money, and how your digital assistant might be susceptible to subliminal commands. Stories from: @jank0, @mattlynley Tweets: @ByronTau, @anildash Links:Link to the Russian Facebook ads (House.gov)Goldman Sachs, Apple Team Up on New Credit Card (WSJ)Roku Earnings Beat Expectations as Ads, Services Surpass Hardware Revenue (Variety)Free stock trading app Robinhood rockets to a $5.6B valuation with new funding round (TechCrunch)Google Grapples With ‘Horrifying’ Reaction to Uncanny AI Tech (Bloomberg)Google’s AI sounds like a human on the phone — should we be worried? (The Verge)Alexa and Siri Can Hear This Hidden Command. You Can’t. (NYTimes)Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Pt. 1 (The Flaming Lips) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme editors Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A major Facebook executive shakeup, Walmart beats Amazon to Flipkart, Glassdoor gets acquired, one more chance to fight for net neutrality, and a deeper look at how Google’s Duplex technology works. Stories from: @brianstelter Tweets: @pt, @poniewozik Links:Tweet thread about using crypto for social networking (Parker Thompson @pt)Red Alert For Net Neutrality Email Your Senator Form (Do it!)Google Duplex: An AI System for Accomplishing Real World Tasks Over the Phone (Google AI Blog)FX and New York Times partner for new series 'The Weekly' (CNN/Money) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme editors Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The highlights from Google I/O, Microsoft gives developers 95%, possible encrypted Twitter DMs, the NYSE wants to trade bitcoin, and Uber unveils its flying car. Stories from: @nathanielpopper, @tonyromm Tweets: @puiwingtam, @bzamayo Links:Link to the video of the full I/O keynoteBest video I could find (in a rush) of the Duplex DemoTwitter has an unlaunched ‘Secret’ encrypted messages feature (TechCrunch)Bitcoin Sees Wall Street Warm to Trading Virtual Currency (NYTimes)Uber shows its flying car prototype, which looks like a giant drone (CNBC) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme editors Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Highlights from Microsoft's Build conference, a preview of Google's I/O conference, you might soon be able to add music to your Instagram Stories, who's ahead in the autonomous car race, and the iMac at twenty. Stories from: @backlon, @nickstatt Links:Nadella's Microsoft (The Verge)Eight things to expect at Google I/O 2018 (The Verge)Who’s Winning the Self-Driving Car Race? (Bloomberg)Why 'Stories' Took Over Your Smartphone (The Atlantic) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme editors Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Would you pay for a Facebook subscription? Would you pay for Facebook satellite internet? Instagram adds native payments, Warren Buffett doubles down on Apple, the weekend longreads suggestions and plenty more. Stories from: @NellieBowles, @beckyquick Jokes from: @behindyourback Links:Facebook Weighs Ad-Free Subscription Option (Bloomberg)Facebook May Have Secret Plans to Build a Satellite-Based Internet (ieee spectrum)Instagram quietly launches payments for commerce (TechCrunch)Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway bought a stunning 75 million Apple shares in first quarter (CNBC)Why Regulators Should Approve the T-Mobile/Sprint Deal (Tech.pinions)The ‘Race to 5G’ Is Just Mindless Marketing BS (Motherboard) Longreads:‘Hi, It’s Amazon Calling. Here’s What We Don’t Like in Your City.’ (WSJ)Over 400 Startups Are Trying to Become the Next Warby Parker. Inside the Wild Race to Overthrow Every Consumer Category (Inc)All We Want to Do Is Watch Each Other Play Video Games (NYTimes)CoinTalk (podcast) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme editors Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Xiaomi files for a monster IPO, Cambridge Analytica might not be dead after all, a whole bunch of news in the digital assistant space, NPR buys a podcast app, and how Stories have eaten social networking. Stories from: @oneunderscore__ , @JoshConstine Tweets: @rycrist Links:How Xiaomi Went From Has-Been to World's Biggest IPO in Years (Bloomberg)Stories are about to surpass feed sharing. Now what? (TechCrunch) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme editors Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Facebook’s AI announcements from F8, LG announces G7 ThinQ, Apple earnings analysis, Snap earnings analysis, the Pentagon blocks the sale of Chinese phones, and can AI predict the next Avengers: Infinity War? Stories from: @ashleyrcarman, @DanielEran Tweets from: @BenedictEvans, @lexnfx Links:Cambridge Analytica Closing Operations Following Facebook Data Controversy (WSJ)Telegram Messaging App Scraps Plans for Public Coin Offering (WSJ)LG’s G7 ThinQ preserves the headphone jack and introduces a notch (The Verge)Pandora Learns the Cost of Ads, and of Subscriptions (Wired)Over 30? You're Too Old For Tech Jobs In China (Bloomberg)Could Artificial Intelligence Predict the Next Avengers: Infinity War? (Wired) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme editors Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple's earnings numbers, all of the announcements from Facebook's F8 conference, a WhatsApp co-founder leaves, publishers criticize Google over GDPR, and will Comcast only give you faster internet speeds if you subscribe to cable TV? Stories from: @lizzadwoskin Tweets: @anildash, @johnbattelle, @jason_kint Links:Mark Zuckerberg Says it Will Take 3 Years to Fix Facebook (Wired)WhatsApp founder plans to leave after broad clashes with parent Facebook (Washington Post)Comcast won’t give new speed boost to Internet users who don’t buy TV service (Ars Technica) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme editors Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The T-Mobile/Sprint merger, Fitbit wants to share health data with doctors, Oculus wants virtual reality theater, Galaxy S9s get a storage boost, and did Jeff Bezos become a billionaire simply because he wanted to live in space? Links:As controversy swirls, Facebook dials down the swagger on its developer conference (The Verge)Oculus wants to make immersive virtual theater a reality (CNET)Jeff Bezos reveals what it’s like to build an empire and become the richest man in the world — and why he's willing to spend $1 billion a year to fund the most important mission of his life (Business Insider) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme editors Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Price of Amazon Prime is going up, Apple's AirPort is going away, Square buys Weebly, A DNA site might have cracked the Golden State Killer case, will T-Mobile and Sprint finally tie the knot, is Apple working on an AR/VR headset, and the weekend longreads. Stories: @matthew_d_green, @reneritchie Tweets: @jrichlive, @mattmcgee Links:RIP AirPort Base Stations: Why Apple is exiting the Wi-Fi router business (iMore)Apple’s working on a powerful, wireless headset for both AR, VR (CNET)GEDmatch, a tiny DNA analysis firm, was key for Golden State Killer case (Ars Technica)A few thoughts on Ray Ozzie’s “Clear” Proposal (Matthew Green) Weekend Longreads:Inside Jeff Bezos’s DC Life (Washingtonian)Hulu Beyond 'Handmaid's Tale': Execs and Stars on a Promising Yet Uncertain Future (The Hollywood Reporter)Can Silicon Valley Get You Pregnant? (Fast Company)You could be flirting on dating apps with paid impersonators (Quartz) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme editors Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s an earnings bonanza! Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook… and what might Samsung’s earnings mean for Apple’s? Also, new Snapchat Spectacles, a look behind the scenes at Nintendo, a possible Sonos IPO and Digg finds a new home. Stories from: @maureenmfarrell, @CaseyNewton Tweets: @lexnfx Links:Snap’s second-generation Spectacles are more grown up — and more expensive (The Verge)Inside Nintendo's secretive creative process (The Guardian)Sonos Prepares for IPO as Soon as June (WSJ) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme staff Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Facebook earnings, Twitter earnings, the Gmail redesign arrives, Alexa for children, a possible solution for law enforcement accessing encrypted phones, and drones are helping first responders in Europe. Stories from: @mm_maack and @StevenLevy Links:DJI launches a new emergency drone program in Europe (TNW)Cracking the Crypto War (Wired) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme staff Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amazon now delivers to your car, Spotify updates its app for free users, a wrap up of Alphabet’s earnings, jailbreak-able Nintendo Switches, and Mt. Gox’s Mark Karpelès breaks his silence. Stories from: @ShiraOvide, @KyleOrl, @jenwieczner Links:Google's Writing Checks and Trusts Investors Won’t Bounce (Bloomberg)The “unpatchable” exploit that makes every current Nintendo Switch hackable (Ars Technica)Mt. Gox and the Surprising Redemption of Bitcoin’s Biggest Villain (Fortune) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme staff Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alphabet's Q1 earnings, Amazon's working on a domestic robot, Aleksandr Kogan says he worked more closely with Facebook than has been reported, spies—like us—fear digital tracking, and the state of the music industry. Stories:Amazon Has a Top-Secret Plan to Build Home Robots (Bloomberg)Cambridge Analytica Data Scientist Aleksandr Kogan Wants You To Know He’s Not A Russian Spy (BuzzFeed)Who Has More of Your Personal Data Than Facebook? Try Google (WSJ)CIA agents in 'about 30 countries' being tracked by technology, top official says (CNN)Global Recorded Music Revenues Grew By $1.4 Billion in 2017 (Music Industry Blog) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme staff Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google brands its replacement for SMS as "Chat," Apple can’t quit Samsung…yet, people are worried about MoviePass, digital design pioneer Susan Kare is honored, the weekend long reads suggestions, and Do Not Disturb While Driving might be having an impact. Stories from: @LangeAlexandra, @backlon, @emiliapetrarca Tweets: @waltmossberg Links:Exclusive: Chat is Google's Next Big Fix for Android's Messaging Mess (The Verge)Apple Can’t Cut Its Dependence on Rival Samsung’s Screens (WSJ)The Woman Who Gave The Macintosh a Smile (The New Yorker)Phone use while driving is still a huge problem, but this is helping (SlashGear) LongReads:Style is an Algorithm (Racked)Everything We Know About the Feud Between These Two Computer-Generated Instagram Influencers (The Cut)Iceland Takes Hard Look at Tech Boom Sparked by Its Cheap, Bountiful Power (WSJ)The Untold Story of Jaime Levy, Punk-Rock Cyber-Publishing Pioneer (NYMag)Can This Man Help Uber Recover From The Travis Kalanick Era? (Wired) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme staff Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amazon Prime tops 100 million subscribers, clarifying Facebook’s GDPR compliance, Netflix has mobile previews, what metrics show that is Reddit bigger than Facebook, and will you soon be able to letter in eSports? Stories from: @David_Ingram, @aatilley Links:Amazon CEO Shareholder Letter (SEC)Exclusive: Facebook to put 1.5 billion users out of reach of new EU privacy law (Reuters)Facebook Is Forming a Team to Design Its Own Chips (Bloomberg)Intel Plans to Shut Down Smart Glasses Group (The Information)PlayVS wants every high school to have an esports team (TechCrunch) Credits: Produced by @brianmcc and the @techmeme staff Music by @jpschwinghamer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices