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Bunch of Apple news. A new “buy now, pay later” service. A MagSafe battery pack. Is content moderation a hot new area for startups? Facebook groups can now get actual designated experts. REvil has suddenly gone dark. And why does iOS seemingly find 69 degrees Fahrenheit to be NOT nice! Sponsors: AwayTravel.com/techmeme KiwiCo.com/ride for first month free Links: Apple, Goldman Plan ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Service to Rival Affirm (Bloomberg) Apple Seeks Up to 20% Increase in New iPhone Production for 2021 (Bloomberg) Apple releases MagSafe Battery Pack for iPhone 12, available now for $99 (9to5Mac) Discord buys Sentropy, which makes AI software that fights online harassment (TechCrunch) Amazon Acquires Facebook’s Satellite Internet Group (The Information) Facebook's groups to highlight experts (CNET) REvil ransomware gang's web sites mysteriously shut down (BleepingComputer) Apple’s weather app won’t say it’s 69 degrees (The Verge) Link to today's Twitter space at 3pm eastern! Lear

If Twitter verification is now run by humans, how did so many obvious bot accounts get verified? Why you might start seeing brand logos in your emails, and why that’s actually a good thing. Biden's non-compete clause executive order is a big deal for Big Tech. And a look at the absurdity of the right to repair situation when it comes to gadgets you own. Links: Twitter verified a number of bot accounts—raising questions about security (updated) (DailyDot) Gmail deploys support BIMI security standard (The Record) Android 12 adds ‘Game dashboard’ and ‘Play as You Download’ in Google Play Store (9to5Google) Ring’s end-to-end encryption is rolling out globally (The Verge) Disney Plans to Raise ESPN Plus’ Monthly and Annual Subscription Costs (Variety) Biden's non-compete clause executive order is a big deal for Big Tech (Input Magazine) Biden Executive Order on Non-Competes Could Roil Tech (Bloomberg) Apple AirPod batteries are almost impossible to replace, showing the need for right-to-repair refo

Is InfoSec the new Fintech when it comes to investor hotness? Did ByteDance make the right move by putting its IPO on ice? Why Amazon looks like it’s going heavy into the sleep gadget game. Why the EU is postponing its digital tax initiative. And why Black Widow’s release this weekend is giving Hollywood streaming hope. Sponsors: Gabi.com/techmeme Gainful.com/techmeme Links: Microsoft Agrees to Acquire Cybersecurity Company RiskIQ (Bloomberg) ByteDance Shelved IPO Intentions After Chinese Regulators Warned About Data Security (WSJ) Amazon.com Wants to Monitor You in Your Sleep, for Your Benefit (Bloomberg) Samsung’s next Galaxy Unpacked device lineup may have been entirely spoiled in huge new leak (The Verge) EU Delays Push for Digital Levy to Focus on Global Tax Deal (Bloomberg) Box Office: Marvel’s ‘Black Widow’ Debuts With Dazzling $80 Million in Theaters, $60 Million on Disney Plus (Variety) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State Attorneys General file an antitrust suit against Google. But why them, first? Visa wants you to spend crypto via their platform. Fintech leads a record first half of the year for VC raises. And if payment for order flow were nixed by the SEC, what would that do to Robinhood? Sponsors: Tovala.com/ride Cybereason.com  Links: 36 states, D.C. sue Google for alleged antitrust violations in its Android app store (Politico) Visa is partnering with over 50 crypto companies to allow clients to spend and convert digital currencies (Markets Insider) OnePlus confirms the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro throttle many popular apps to improve battery life (XDA Developers) Global Venture Funding Hits All-Time High In First Half Of 2021, With $288B Invested (Crunchbase News) London fintech funding soars in first half of the year (Reuters) Twitter Pledges to ‘Fully Comply’ With India Internet Rules (Bloomberg) Robinhood’s Debut Is Clouded by SEC Scrutiny of Payment for Order Flow (Wall Street Journal) Weekend Lo

The Pentagon wants a do-over for that JEDI contract. YC wants to do Tinder but for founder matchmaking. Amazon open sources its gaming engine. How about NFT’s but for the stock market? And if you think China is cracking down on tech companies, wait till you hear how they want to regulate when and how kids can play videogames. Sponsors: Tovala.com/ride Cybereason.com Links: Pentagon cancels $10 billion JEDI cloud contract that Amazon and Microsoft were fighting over (CNBC) Biden Sets Up Tech Showdown With ‘Right-to-Repair’ Rules for FTC (Bloomberg) Y Combinator launches a new way for co-founders to find each other (Protocol) Amazon shifts Lumberyard to open source 3D game engine supported by 20 companies (Venture Beat) Fake Tesla, Apple Stocks Have Started Trading on Blockchains (Bloomberg) China's Tencent Says It'll Use Face Recognition to Keep Minors From Gaming at Night (Gizmodo) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nintendo finally announces the new Switch, but how new is it really? What the heck is happening with Didi and China? REvil strikes again, and what that might mean for the hacking situation going forward. And on a day of big geopolitical news, might big tech platforms be chased out of India and Hong Kong because their employees are in danger of being sent to jail? Sponsors: Tovala.com/ride  Cybereason.com  Links: Nintendo Switch OLED model will go on sale October 8th for $350 (The Verge) Chinese Regulators Suggested Didi Delay Its U.S. IPO (Wall Street Journal) Didi Shows China’s Tech Giants Must First Answer to Beijing (Bloomberg) China’s Big Tech Crackdown Puts Dozens of U.S. IPOs at Risk (Bloomberg) Hundreds of Businesses, From Sweden to U.S., Affected by Cyberattack (New York Times) REvil gang asks for $70 million to decrypt systems locked in Kaseya attack (The Record) Twitter has lost liability protection in India, government says (Tech Crunch) American Internet Giants Hit Back at Hon

lex Kantrowitz of the Big Technology newsletter comes on to try to help us work out what happened with that Facebook Antitrust case blowup. Also, what does this mean for regulating other companies. Hosts: @chrismessina @brianmcc Check out Alex's Big Technology Newsletter Here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robinhood files for its long-awaited IPO. The Chinese government took the shine off of Didi’s recent IPO. More new features from Twitter. Is Apple the first to take advantage of 3nm chips? And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: CreditKarma.com/podcast Calm.com/techmeme Links: Robinhood files for long-awaited IPO (Axios) How Robinhood's explosive growth rate came to be (Tech Crunch) Didi shares fall after China announces cybersecurity review just days after IPO (CNBC) Twitter considers new features for tweeting only to friends, under different personas and more (Tech Crunch) Apple and Intel become first to adopt TSMC's latest chip tech (Nikkei Asia) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Three Weeks with iOS and iPadOS 15: Foundational Updates (Mac Stories) Amazon Primed Andy Jassy to Be CEO. Can He Keep What Jeff Bezos Built? (Wall Street Journal) ROBBING THE XBOX VAULT: INSIDE A $10 MILLION GIFT CARD CHEAT (Bloomberg) ‘Time and space don’t exist in the spirit world’: How

Instagram and TikTok are on a collision course. Instagram wants to be more like TikTok, while TikTok hopes to move the goalposts first. Amazon wants Lina Khan to recuse herself. Big tech is not only taking over advertising, it’s consolidating it. And anyone can get their hands on Starlink next month, but not everyone might want to. Sponsors: Masterworks.io promocode RIDE Cybereason.com Links: Facebook is testing drastic changes to Instagram to make it more like TikTok (CNBC) TikTok is rolling out longer videos to everyone (The Verge) Federal judge puts Florida 'deplatforming' law on hold, citing First Amendment (NBC News) Amazon Wants FTC Chair Khan Recused Over Past Criticism (Bloomberg) Maine has strictly banned facial recognition from schools and policing (Input) The EU’s 'vaccine passport' and what it means for travel (BBC) Quintopoly? Five tech companies now earn 46% of global ad revenues as news media left behind (Press Gazette) Tim Berners-Lee sells web source code NFT for $5.4m (BB

Facebook launches its Substack clone. Emphasis on clone. Shopify joins the platform tax wars by going to zero. A truce between Microsoft and Google has just lapsed. A big raise in the drone space. And would you pay to get actual search results instead of ads? Sponsors: Cybereason.com Links: Facebook announces Bulletin, its Substack newsletter competitor (The Verge) Shopify drops its App Store commissions to 0% on developers’ first million in revenue (Tech Crunch) Google and Microsoft End Their Five-Year Cease-Fire (Bloomberg) T-Mobile is offering iPhone owners no-hassle network ‘test drives’ (The Verge) Alphabet’s Wing launches OpenSky drone airspace authorization app in US (Tech Crunch) Zipline raises $250M at $2.75B valuation to build out its instant logistics service (Tech Crunch) Inside Neeva, the ad-free, privacy-first search engine from ex-Googlers (Fast Company) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A judge has completely thrown out the FTC’s antitrust lawsuit against Facebook and sent them back to the drawing board. Microsoft and OpenAI and Github have a tool that will suggest code to you as you code. And Sam Altman, as I understand this, wants to do Universal Basic Income on the blockchain. But first, he wants to scan your eyeball.  Sponsors: Cybereason.com AirMedCareNetwork.com/tech offer code TECH  Links: Judge dismisses FTC and state antitrust complaints against Facebook (CNBC) Microsoft Office is getting a new design and a native 64-bit Arm version for Windows 11 (The Verge) Microsoft and OpenAI have a new A.I. tool that will give coding suggestions to software developers (CNBC) YouTube TV Unveils Dolby Digital Support & Premium Add-on with 4K, Offline Downloads, and Unlimited Streams (The Streamable) Sam Altman Wants to Scan Your Eyeball in Exchange for Cryptocurrency (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The UK orders a halt to regulated activities by Binance, joining everybody, all the sudden. Qualcomm unveils the Snapdragon 888 Plus. Lenovo unveils an Android tablet that works as a portable monitor. And meet the activists perfecting the craft of anti-surveillance. Sponsors: Masterworks.io promocode RIDE AirMedCareNetwork.com/tech offer code TECH Links: Financial watchdog bans crypto exchange Binance from UK (Financial Times) The world’s biggest crypto exchange is running into trouble everywhere (Quartz) Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 Plus will speed up gaming, AI in high-end 5G phones (Cnet) Lenovo announces $679 13-inch Android tablet that works as a portable monitor (The Verge) Apple Explores Bigger iPads and Reshuffles Its Car Team (Bloomberg) Microsoft admits to signing rootkit malware in supply chain fiasco (Bleeping Computer) Microsoft keeps hinting at an October release for Windows 11 (The Verge) Meet the activists perfecting the craft of anti-surveillance (Financial Times) L

We have two special guests this week! The first is Sonal Chokshi, Editor in Chief of a16z and showrunner of a16z podcasts. We’ll be getting her perspective on the launch of FUTURE, which we discussed last week. ​Second, as the major social platforms (save for YouTube!) have launched their social audio offerings, we’ll get the latest updates and analysis from Kaya Yurieff of The Information who recently published “The Week Social Audio Went Mainstream” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fri. 06/25 – Some Western Digital NAS Devices Are Getting Ill (matic?) Some Western Digital NAS devices are getting ill (matic). A breakdown of the 5 or 6 big tech antitrust bills that just passed House committees. Windows 11 is free, but what if your device can’t run it? Also, more on Microsoft’s anti-Apple posturing. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: AirMedCareNetwork.com/tech offer code TECH Cybereason.com Links: WD My Book NAS devices are being remotely wiped clean worldwide (Bleeping Computer) Big Tech edges closer to break up after deeply unhinged markup (The Verge) Satya Nadella’s closing Windows 11 remarks were a direct shot across Apple’s bow (The Verge) Windows 11 is free, but your CPU might not be officially supported (The Verge) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: What Is Blue Box? A Vast Conspiracy Grips the Video Game World (Bloomberg) A very brief history of every Google messaging app (The Verge) The Boy Who Could DeFi: Meet the 13-Year-Old Who Built a

The new Windows is Windows 11. Google delays the Adpodcalypse. BuzzFeed finally to go public. Comcast is having issues with Peacock. Google and Jio’s cheap smartphone is announced. Is the biggest ever crypto crime story evolving right now in South Africa? And RIP John McAfee. Sponsors: RocketLawyer.com/workconfidently Cybereason.com Links: Microsoft announces Windows 11, with a new design, Start menu, and more (The Verge) Google delays Chrome's cookie-blocking privacy plan by nearly 2 years (Cnet) BuzzFeed announces plans to go public via SPAC, targets $1.5 billion valuation (CNBC) Inside Comcast’s Plan to Become a Streaming Giant (Wall Street Journal) Google and India’s Jio Platforms announce budget Android smartphone JioPhone Next (Tech Crunch) South African Brothers Vanish, and So Does $3.6 Billion in Bitcoin (Bloomberg) John McAfee, Software Pioneer Turned Fugitive, Dies in Spanish Prison (New York Times) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ticketed Space and Super Follows begin to roll out, and depending on how you slice it, folks stand to make a ton of money… or a ton of money for the app stores. Speaking of, Apple launches a PR campaign defending the App Store on security grounds. Microsoft becomes the second company to reach the $2 trillion dollar club. And you know about phishing scams, but let me introduce you to “brushing” scams. Sponsors: Kraken.com/techmeme or search Kraken in the app store Cybereason.com Links: Twitter is opening applications to test Ticketed Spaces and Super Follows (The Verge) Apple’s Fight for Control Over Apps Moves to Congress and EU (Wall Street Journal) Microsoft Rises to Join Apple in Exclusive $2 Trillion Club (Bloomberg) Vercel raises $102M Series C for its front-end development platform (Tech Crunch) Brave’s nontracking search engine is now in beta (Tech Crunch) What is the 'brushing' scam and how can you protect yourself? (Yahoo Life) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho

Another antitrust investigation formally opened against Google in Europe. Facebook’s Oculus ad partner thinks better of the experiment. Stephen Spielberg decides that Netflix’s money is as green as anybody’s. Ransomware gangs are abandoning bitcoin. And Amazon, at least, still believes in autonomous vehicles. Sponsors: KiwiCo.com/ride for first month free NordVPN.com/ride coupon code ride Links: EU opens antitrust probe into Google’s advertising business (Financial Times) Resolution Games Pulls Blaston Out Of Facebook Ad Test (Upload) Entire London Underground to receive mobile coverage by end of 2024 (The Verge) Tinder lets people add videos to their dating profiles (Engadget) Epic Games releases free anti-cheat and voice chat services for developers (The Verge) Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners, Netflix Forge Film Deal in Sign of Changing Hollywood (Variety) Monero emerges as crypto of choice for cybercriminals (Financial Times) Amazon Snaps Up Option to Buy Stake in AI Truck-Driving St

Facebook’s Clubhouse clone rolls out. Here’s how it works. China really does seem to be cracking down on Bitcoin mining. Here’s why that could be important. Some power companies in Texas are remotely adjusting the smart thermostats of users. Here’s why that’s likely the future of things. And had you heard of cyclic propulsion aircraft before? I hadn’t. Let me tell you about it. Sponsors: Skiff.org/ride  Cybereason.com Links: Facebook officially launches Live Audio Rooms and podcasts in the US (Tech Crunch) China to shut down over 90% of its Bitcoin mining capacity after local bans (Global Times) Digital euro will protect consumer privacy, ECB executive pledges (Financial Times) 'Woke up sweating': Some Texans shocked to find their smart thermostats were raised remotely (KHOU) Apple Watch accessory maker Wristcam raises $25M (Tech Crunch) Russia has flown prototypes of its six-seat hybrid VTOL Cyclocar (New Atlas) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Were some of the base encryption algorithms on cell networks deliberately nerfed? The first ever mass arrest of a ransomware gang? Proof that Google is working on a FindMy network rival? And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Tovala.com/ride Cybereason.com Links: Bombshell Report Finds Phone Network Encryption Was Deliberately Weakened (Vice) Ukraine arrests ransomware gang in global cyber criminal crackdown (Financial Times) Google may be working on an Android version of Apple’s “Find My” network (XDA Developers) Gopuff to Buy Siemens-Backed RideOS in $100 Million-Plus Deal (Bloomberg) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Ransomware claims are roiling an entire segment of the insurance industry (Washington Post) THE RISE AND FALL OF AN AMERICAN TECH GIANT (The Atlantic) Anatomy of a Seed Round During COVID-19 (Fresh Paint) Meet Wu Dao 2.0, the Chinese AI model making the West sweat (Politico) Tech Companies Are Training AI to Read Your Lips (Vice) How governments and

Facebook is bringing ads to Virtual Reality cause, why not, right? Stories are coming to the Xbox. Why is Google downsizing it’s healthcare team? Why are music artists flooding to Twitch? And is Facebook cornering the VR market like it cornered social media? Sponsors: Tovala.com/ride Cybereason.com Links: Facebook to begin testing ads inside Oculus virtual reality headsets (CNBC) Xbox’s June update adds speech-to-text chat feature (Engadget) Podcasts start coming to Facebook next week (The Verge) Amazon Appstore will reduce developer revenue cut from 30% to 20% and give 10% in Free AWS Credit (AFTV News) EXCLUSIVE: Google is downsizing its health team and moving employees to Fitbit as part of a major reorganization (Insider) Can Streaming Pay? Musicians Are Pinning Fresh Hopes on Twitch. (New York Times) Is Facebook cornering the VR market? (Platformer) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices