Tech Brew Ride Home

Fortnite snubs Google, Amazon Prime Video is coming to Comcast, Peloton raises a ton, the top ten programming languages of 2018 and, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Links: Epic Games sidesteps the Play Store with Fortnite for Android launch (TechCrunch)Ready, Aim, Hire a ‘Fortnite’ Coach: Parents Enlist Videogame Tutors for Their Children (WSJ)Google Maps location sharing shows your contact's battery level (Android Police)The 2018 Top Programming Languages (IEEE Spectrum) The Betterment.com/ride Weekend Longreads:How Robot Hands Are Evolving to Do What Ours Can (NYTimes)Why the Next Silicon Valley Will Probably Be Outside the U.S. (Citylab)Masayoshi Son’s secret to running his $100 billion fund: Telling start-ups to treat each other like family (CNBC)What Happened to General Magic? (NYMag/SelectAll)Growing Up Jobs (Vanity Fair) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple hits a trillion, a midwestern unicorn cashes in, the Surface Go reviews are in, there are no perfect tools for making memes, and Tesla is adding video games to its cars. Links:Cisco to acquire Ann Arbor-based Duo Security in $2.35 billion deal (Crain's Detroit Business)Surface Go review: The ideal cheap Windows tablet... almost (Engadget)The tiny Microsoft Surface Go is available now, and it’s an overachiever (The Verge)Microsoft Surface Go review: Barely better than a netbook (Mashable)The Microsoft Surface Go Is Practically Perfect (Gizmodo)RideOS raises $25M to become the traffic control center for self-driving cars (TechCrunch)As Memes Evolve, Apps Are Struggling to Keep Up (The Atlantic)How Software Ate the Point of Sale (The Atlantic) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google has a secret plan to return to China, the Apple earnings analysis, Masayoshi Son goes “Brandless” and in praise of microfilm! Links:GOOGLE PLANS TO LAUNCH CENSORED SEARCH ENGINE IN CHINA, LEAKED DOCUMENTS REVEAL (The Intercept)Apple tops 300 million paid subscriptions as it reportedly preps new subscription services (Digiday)This No-Brand Startup Won $240 Million to Fight Amazon on Price and Quality (Bloomberg)Microfilm Lasts Half a Millennium (The Atlantic) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Facebook reveals fresh election meddling, Galaxy 9s might not be selling well, but Nintendo Switches sure are, and Playstation 4s still are, Uber stops truckin’ and Google Maps will predict which restaurant you’ll like. Stories from: @kerby, @fredwilson Tweets: @LDrogen Links:Smartphone Slowdown Hits Profits at Samsung Electronics (Bloomberg)Sony can't stop making money from PlayStation (Engadget)Uber’s self-driving trucks division is dead, long live Uber self-driving cars (TechCrunch)Where Did you Go to School? (Richard Kerby)Where Did You Go To School? (AVC)WhatsApp group calls are rolling out to everyone, but don’t ditch Skype just yet (Android Authority)Google Maps can predict how much you'll like a restaurant (Engadget) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The king of the bitcoin miners mulls an IPO (not an ICO), the prediction market Augur gets dark, a “Netflix for gadgets” and a “Dallas Cowboys for e-sports” both raise money, advice for Twitter and Facebook, and why autonomous cars need to talk to us. Links:Scoop: Bitcoin Mining Company Bitmain Hit $1.1 Billion in Profits in Q1 2018 (Fortune)The First Augur Assassination Markets Have Arrived (CoinDesk)Grover raises €37M Series A to offer latest tech products as a subscription (TechCrunch)Twitter is prioritizing its network ‘health’ over adding new growth features. Is that the right move? (Recode)Why unskippable Stories ads could revive Facebook (TechCrunch)Retailers set sights on Facebook, Google ad revenue (Reuters)The self-driving cars hitting the road in Texas today are unlike any we’ve seen before (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Slack takes out some competitors, Twitter get its own earnings shock, Amazon is just fine, thank you very much, Stripe issues credit cards, MoviePass… still alive at the time of this recording… and the weekend longreads suggestions. Stories from: @neilstrauss, @lmatsakis Tweets: @sparkycollier Links:Goodbye HipChat: Slack and Atlassian Team Up on Chat Software (Bloomberg)This is the Amazon everyone should have feared — and it has nothing to do with its retail business (Recode)Stripe Starts Issuing Credit Cards (Bloomberg) Weekend Longreads:Brock Pierce: The Hippie King of Cryptocurrency (Rolling Stone)How Silicon Valley Has Disrupted Philanthropy (The Atlantic)THE 'GUERRILLA' WIKIPEDIA EDITORS WHO COMBAT CONSPIRACY THEORIES (Wired)Inside Google’s Shadow Workforce (Bloomberg)MySpace and the Coding Legacy it Left Behind (Code Academy) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Facebook earnings disaster. What else? But also Qualcomm walks away from an acquisition, Amazon’s facial recognition tech seems pretty flawed, and Samsung might have invented unbreakable displays for smartphones! Links:Samsung announces new 'unbreakable' display that survives punishing UL certification (Android Central) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another internal Facebook memo leaks, China tells Facebook “not so fast,” Steam battles Discord, why the iPhone can’t compete in China, and a Y2K bug for the new millennium. Links:Departing Facebook Security Officer's Memo: "We Need To Be Willing To Pick Sides" (BuzzFeed News)China Said to Quickly Withdraw Approval for New Facebook Venture (NYTimes)Steam is rolling out its new Discord-like chat features to all users (The Verge)General Motors wants its customers to rent their cars to other people (The Verge)Why the iPhone can’t compete in India (The Verge)Big tech warns of 'Japan's millennium bug' ahead of Akihito's abdication (The Guardian) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alphabet earnings, Google’s Translation app takes over the world, potentially two new Xbox consoles, Verizon wants to deliver TV over 5G and the thin-and-light laptop revolution has gone too far! Links:Alphabet surges to all-time high as Wall Street says internet giant’s big bets are ‘paying off’ (CNBC)Alphabet’s experimental investments in the future continue to cost it a fortune (The Verge)Google CEO Sundar Pichai revealed a jaw-dropping fact about its translation app that shows how much money is still sitting on the table (Business Insider)Miles is an app that tracks your every move in exchange for deals and discounts (The Verge)A Few More Details About Microsoft’s Xbox Scarlett Game Streaming Service (Thurrott.com)Verizon Is Seeking Google or Apple as 5G TV Provider (Bloomberg)Thinner and Lighter Laptops Have Screwed Us All (Motherboard) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Susan Fowler Rigetti gets a high profile new job, a Lyft and Uber driver was live-streaming without consent, Samsung takes a big step toward a 5G world, and why is Google Translate spitting out religious prophecies? Links:St. Louis Uber driver has put video of hundreds of passengers online. Most have no idea. (St. Louis Dispatch)$20K in Crypto: The First Bets on Prediction Market Augur Just Paid Out (CoinDesk)Qualcomm's new chips fix a major problem for 5G phones (CNET)Why Is Google Translate Spitting Out Sinister Religious Prophecies? (Motherboard)Pinterest nears $1 billion in ad sales and valuation rises as it looks to go public in mid-2019 (CNBC)Consumer startups are dead. Long live consumer startups. (Eric Feng) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WhatsApp limits forwards, Microsoft announces earnings, emergency alerts on Netflix, grocery chain Kroger throws shade at Amazon Prime Day, and the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Links:WhatsApp will drastically limit forwarding across the globe to stop the spread of fake news, following violence in India and Myanmar (Recode)https://techcrunch.com/2018/07/18/senate-wants-emergency-alerts-to-go-out-through-netflix-spotify-etc/ (TechCrunch)First Test Drive of the Tesla Model 3 Performance: A Thrilling, Modern Marvel (WSJ) Weekend LongreadsHow ‘Small’ Security Errors Lead to a Security Breach (Alex DeFreese)Robots Are Ready to Shake (and Stir) Up Bars (WSJ)AI Could Make Detecting Autism Easier (The Atlantic)Best Buy Should Be Dead, But It’s Thriving in the Age of Amazon (Bloomberg Businessweek)When a DNA Test Shatters Your Identity (The Atlantic) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Facebook and Zuckerberg address misinformation and censorship, Reddit rolls out live chatrooms, will Fuchsia replace Android, and who is online journalism’s newest savior? Links:Facebook says it will begin removing misinformation that leads to violence (The Verge)Full transcript: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Recode Decode (Recode)Mark Zuckerberg clarifies: ‘I personally find Holocaust denial deeply offensive, and I absolutely didn’t intend to defend the intent of people who deny that.’ (Recode)REDDIT REINVENTS THE CHAT ROOM WITH COMMUNITY CHAT (Wired)The European Commission Versus Android (Stretechery)Project ‘Fuchsia’: Google Is Quietly Working on a Successor to Android (Bloomberg)Google’s Fuchsia OS on the Pixelbook: It works! It actually works! (Ars Technica) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google faces a record European fine, Nest gets a major reshuffle inside Google, Walmart guns for Netflix, Venmo transactions can be public, and can cool camera tech destined for smartphones actually improve autonomous vehicles? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Netflix’s subscriber miss, Amazon’s troubled Prime Day, Walmart and Microsoft team up against Amazon, some big problems with voting machines and the big autonomous vehicle startup you’ve probably never heard of. Links:What Netflix's big miss means for the new tech economy (Axios)STRIKES, BOYCOTTS, AND OUTAGES MAR AMAZON PRIME DAY (Wired)Amazon warehouse workers are striking across Europe on Prime Day (The Verge)Andreessen Horowitz Names Connie Chan A General Partner, Ending VC Firm's No-Promotion Policy (Forbes)Top Voting Machine Vendor Admits It Installed Remote-Access Software on Systems Sold to States (Motherboard)VC Firm Social Capital Set Out to Fix Capitalism. Now It’s In Turmoil (Bloomberg)Amazon Foes Walmart and Microsoft Deepen Tech Partnership (WSJ)$800 Million Says a Self-Driving Car Looks Like This (Bloomberg Businessweek) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Roku wireless speaker, better Uber pickups, Instapaper goes solo, what to expect from the Galaxy S10 and it’s Amazon Prime Day everybody! Links:Wave Uber’s new Spotlight or send canned chats to find your driver (TechCrunch)Airbnb is grappling with how to treat people with criminal convictions (Quartz)A German court ruled you can inherit Facebook content like a letter or a diary (Quartz)Here's what to expect from the Samsung Galaxy S10, including a new feature you won't find on iPhones (Business Insider)Amazon’s share of the US e-commerce market is now 49%, or 5% of all retail spend (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Full Photoshop is coming to iPads, PC sales are growing again, what now for the AT&T/Time Warner merger, what does an unlimited data plan really mean, and the weekend longreads suggestions. Stories from: @imkialikethecar, @ballmatthew Tweets: @renato_mariotti Links:Top of the Morning (Axios)AT&T’s no-good week shows why it may regret its Google envy (Fast Company)Uber begins monitoring U.S. driver background checks continuously (Axios)Unlimited data plans are a mess: here’s how to pick the best one (The Verge) Weekend Longreads:Hell for Elon Musk Is a Midsize Sedan (Bloomberg Businessweek)How Twitter Became Home to the Teen Status Update (The Atlantic)Why Some of Instagram's Biggest Memers Are Locking Their Accounts (The Atlantic)GEORGE HOTZ IS ON A HACKER CRUSADE AGAINST THE ‘SCAM’ OF SELF-DRIVING CARS (The Verge)THE ONLY GOOD ONLINE FANDOM LEFT IS DUNE (The Outline)Netflix Isn’t Being Reckless, It’s Just Playing a Game No One Else Dares (Netflix Misunderstandings, Pt. 3) (Matthew Ball/Redef) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Surprise MacBook Pro updates, Broadcom goes for Plan B, the fate of Gawker and The Onion, who will be the first to a trillion dollars, and who wants to be the Pixar of VR. Links:APPLE’S NEW MACBOOK PROS HAVE THE LATEST INTEL PROCESSORS AND QUIETER KEYBOARDS (The Verge)Broadcom reaches deal to acquire CA Technologies for $18.9 billion in cash (CNBC)The Race to a Trillion (Above Avalon) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Facebook faces its first fine from the Cambridge Analytica scandal, a look at what Article 13 might do to the web, a juicy new Apple rumor, more hints from Magic Leap, and a look at Alphabet’s “Moonshot” factory. Stories from: @AlecMuffett, @adavies47 Tweets: @joshelman Links:Facebook is slapped with first fine for Cambridge Analytica scandal (Washington Post)Thread by @AlecMuffett: "Regards Article13, I wrote up a little command-line false-positive emulator; it tests 10 million events with a test (for copyrighted materia […]" #Article13 (Alex Muffett)European Networks Are Joining Forces to Take On Netflix and Amazon (The Hollywood Reporter)INSIDE X, THE MOONSHOT FACTORY RACING TO BUILD THE NEXT GOOGLE (Wired) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Microsoft unveils a new Surface tablet, police can probably still break into iPhones, YouTube fights fake news, the new silicon gold rush, and Netflix makes binging even easier. Links:Microsoft’s $399 Surface Go aims to stand out from iPads or Chromebooks (The Verge)Microsoft's $399 Surface Go is here to nuke Apple's iPad (Mashable)The AI revolution has spawned a new chips arms race (Ars Technica)Netflix Binge-Watching Just Got Even Easier: Now It Automatically Downloads New Episodes To Watch Offline (BuzzFeed) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Xiaomi’s IPO disappoints, Apple Music gains on Spotify, Amazon’s ad business could be a contender, and why half the members of a popular subreddit are getting banned. Stories from: @mikelaris, @noamscheiber Tweets: @danprimack Links:Shares of Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi stumble on their debut, slipping as much as 6% (CNBC)Xiaomi's weak debut signals trouble for upcoming Hong Kong tech listings (Reuters)Apple slices into Spotify’s lead in the US music market (CNBC)High-Skilled White-Collar Work? Machines Can Do That, Too (NYTimes)Federal researchers are using data from Waze and Maryland to try to predict road dangers (Washington Post)The Thanos subreddit is gleefully heading for mass slaughter (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sonos files for an IPO, Netflix sunsets movie reviews, the iPhone is getting new colors, the memes are safe for now, and the weekend longreads suggestions. Links:MEPs vote to reopen copyright debate over 'censorship' controversy (TechCrunch)Kuo: New 2018 iPhone models to come in gold, grey, white, blue, red and orange colors (9to5Mac)Amazon Takes a Page From Toys ‘R’ Us With a Holiday Catalog (Bloomberg)Reddit — one of the world's most popular websites — is trying to cash in through advertising (CNBC) Longreads Suggestions:Xiaomi founder Lei Jun’s tech empire goes way beyond smartphones (Quartz)SELF-DRIVING CARS ARE HEADED TOWARD AN AI ROADBLOCK (The Verge)How to Make Piles of Money Using Instagram (Bloomberg)Ice Poseidon’s Lucrative, Stressful Life as a Live Streamer (The New Yorker) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A big problem with Samsung Messages, Dell comes back to the public markets, more machinations in the transportation shuffle, more NSA shenanigans, and the 10th anniversary of the App Store. Links:Dell to Return to Public Markets With Tracking Stock (NYTimes)Alphabet adds to transport bets with scooter deal (FT)N.S.A. Purges Hundreds of Millions of Call and Text Records (NYTimes)IPO Market Posts Blistering First Half (WSJ)In Q2 2018, Global VC Scales Tipped In Favor Of Chinese Startups Over North America (CrunchBase)These are the top iPhone apps of all time (Tech Crunch)“Perhaps it is simpler to say that Intel…was disrupted” (Steven Sinofsky) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Xiaomi’s IPO disappoints, Apple is rebuilding Maps from the ground up, the state of the ICO market, the weekend long reads suggestions, and the NES is back, baby! Stories from: @panzer, @tomwarren Tweets: @elonmusk Links:Apple is rebuilding Maps from the ground up (TechCrunch)Microsoft details secret ‘pocketable’ Surface device in leaked email (The Verge)Digital currency sales hit $13.7 billion in first five months of 2018: report (Reuters)The NES Classic is back: here’s where you can pick one up (The Verge) Weekend Longreads Suggestions:I Delivered Packages for Amazon and It Was a Nightmare (The Atlantic)HOW THE STARTUP MENTALITY FAILED KIDS IN SAN FRANCISCO (Wired)Despite Caution Over Cryptocurrency, Investors Are Bullish (NYTimes)The Biggest Digital Heist in History Isn’t Over Yet (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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