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Clubhouse has become a unicorn in, what… nine months? Google is making its facilities available as vaccine centers, while its workers are union organizing globally. Apple wants you to get up and walk. And why the SPAC frenzy could potentially transform the startup ecosystem over the coming months. Sponsors: Uber.com/techmeme Kiwico.com promocode: ride Links: Clubhouse announces plans for creator payments and raises new funding led by Andreessen Horowitz (TechCrunch) Big Revolution - Inside the Clubhouse (Big Revolution) Google will turn some of its offices into COVID-19 vaccination sites (Engadget) Google Maps and Search to show COVID-19 vaccination locations (LaptopMag) Exclusive: Google workers across the globe announce international union alliance to hold Alphabet accountable (The Verge) Apple officially launches new ‘Time to Walk’ feature for Apple Watch and Fitness+ (9to5Mac) Apple warns iPhone 12 and MagSafe accessories can interfere with medical devices (Silicon Angle) SPA

In 2017, scientists sighted the first interstellar object, the first thing we definitively know came from outside our solar system… something that was not bound to the gravity pull of our sun. But that was just the beginning of the oddness exhibited by the object known as Oumuamua. It didn’t behave like a comet. It didn’t seem to be made of materials we expect. It was shaped in a way that nothing in nature should be shaped like. And as it curved around our sun, it actually accelerated in a way that we couldn’t account for by the laws of physics. In his new book, Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth, which comes out Avi Loeb, Harvard’s top Astronomer, argues that Oumuamua was most likely an alien craft, or artifact of some kind. It likely had some sort of solar sail mechanism, and actually, suggests it might be functioning as some sort of interstellar buoy. We’re going to get into that in this episode, but stay to the end, because forget small satellites, do you know we could shoot

What does it mean for Alphabet if it’s starting to cut bait on its “moonshots?” Is Google going to cut bait entirely, on the entire country of Australia? More signs that Apple is atoning for their laptop design sins. Looks like we were right, Plaid is very much, no Visa, no cry. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Tovala.com/ride Metalab.com Links: Alphabet Pops Loon’s Balloons—but Won't Call It a Failure (Wired) Google threatens to shut down search in Australia if digital news code goes ahead (The Guardian) Apple Plans Thinner MacBook Air With Magnetic Charger in Mac Lineup Reboot (Bloomberg) Plaid Shareholders Field Offers at $15 Billion After Merger Collapse (The Information) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Biden picks Jessica Rosenworcel as acting FCC chief (NBC News) The Inside Story of How the Lowly PDF Played the Longest Game in Tech (Marker) The Moderation War Is Coming to Spotify, Substack, and Clubhouse (OneZero) SAMSUNG GALAXY S21 ULTRA REVIEW: T

Apple’s first foray into VR is coming next year, says Mark Gurman, but the real game is in AR and that’s a ways down the road. Amazon wants to help roll out the vaccines. Are laptops getting taller? One chat app to unify them all? And everybody wants a dark mode, even the White House. Sponsors: NewYorker.com/techmeme promocode: techmeme Tovala.com/ride Links: Apple’s First Headset to Be Niche Precursor to Eventual AR Glasses (Bloomberg) LG considers exiting smartphones in 2021 (The Verge) Amazon sends letter to President Biden, says it is ‘ready to assist’ with U.S. vaccination efforts (GeekWire) Facebook refers Trump ban to independent Oversight Board for review (Axios) Goodbye and good riddance to the 16:9 aspect ratio (The Verge) Pebble founder promises iMessage on Android and Windows with universal chat app (The Verge) WhiteHouse.gov now has dark mode (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Andreessen Horowitz about to spin up its own media platform? Anthony Levandowski gets a pardon and Jack Ma resurfaces. Netflix is about to start printing money, and they’re about to give you a “shuffle play” button. And why Ben Thompson thinks Intel is in even more trouble than everybody thinks. Sponsors: Grammarly.com/techmeme Tovala.com/ride Links: Andreessen Horowitz Looks to Launch Opinion Publication as Its Media Ambition Grows (The Information) The Unauthorized Story of Andreessen Horowitz (Newcomer) Donald Trump pardons ex-Waymo, Uber engineer Anthony Levandowski (Engadget) Jack Ma Emerges for First Time Since Ant, Alibaba Crackdown (Bloomberg) Brave becomes first browser to add native support for the IPFS protocol (ZDNet) Netflix shares rise on strong subscriber growth, considers share buybacks (CNBC) Netflix’s ‘Shuffle Play’ feature will roll out to all users worldwide this year (TechCrunch) Intel Problems (Stratechery) Twitter Thread on the Intel stuff Learn m

Qualcomm unveils the Snapdragon 870. Cruise, Microsoft and GM all get together in a beautiful marriage that is just as much about cloud computing as it is self-driving. Has the policy controversy endangered WhatsApp in India? And why the whole Smart Home and Internet of Things industry might be taking a breather. Sponsors: Fundrise.com/techmeme MintMobile.com/ride Links: Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 870 reheats the Snapdragon 865 for 2021 phones (The Verge) Microsoft invests in Cruise in new $2 billion round (TechCrunch) India asks WhatsApp to withdraw new privacy policy over ‘grave concerns’ (TechCrunch) 5G Rivals Face an $81 Billion Tab After Spectrum Buying Spree (WSJ) DuckDuckGo surpasses 100 million daily search queries for the first time (ZDNet) Electric car batteries with five-minute charging times produced (The Guardian) CES 2021: A deep breath for the smart home to determine its future (Stacey On IOT) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first ever interesting raise omnibus episode! Links: Hipcamp, ‘Airbnb of the Outdoors,’ Raises $57 Million (The Information) Local news app News Break raises $115M (TechCrunch) Perfect Corp., developer of virtual beauty app YouCam Makeup, closes $50 million Series C led by Goldman Sachs (TechCrunch) Veo raises $25M for AI-based cameras that record and analyze football and other team sports (TechCrunch) Graphcore raises $222M for its ultrafast AI chips (SiliconAngle) AI chipmaker Graphcore raises $22M at a $2.77B valuation and puts an IPO in its sights (TechCrunch) Fintech startup Oxygen raises $17M in Series A round (SiliconAngle) AMP Robotics raises $55 million for AI that picks and sorts recyclables (VentureBeat) WeLink raises $185M to deliver high-bandwidth wireless internet to the home using 5G (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Apple finally throwing in the towel and giving us the sort of laptops we actually want? With these IPO first-day pops, forget banks screwing startups, are VC’s also undervaluing companies right now in a way that is unfair? Amazon wants to do in cars what it’s done successfully in homes. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Oracle For Startups - oracle.com/goto/ride Metalab.co Links: Kuo details 2021 MacBook Pro: new design with squared-off sides, MagSafe connector and IO return, Touch Bar removed (9to5Mac) Apple Plans Upgraded MacBook Pros With Return of Magnetic Charging (Bloomberg) Online clothing reseller Poshmark closes up more than 140% on first day of trading (CNBC) Amazon opens Alexa AI tech for the first time so car makers can build custom assistants (The Verge) Galaxy Book Flex2: Samsung’s first 5G laptop has an 11th-gen Intel Processor (Digital Trends) Shares in China’s Xiaomi tumble after US investment ban (Financial Times) Weekend Longreads Sugge

All the news from the Galaxy Unpacked event. The tech stock IPO first day pop bubble continues. Asus persists with that dual screen laptop thing. BMW has a new way to unlock your car with your phone. And Google absolutely swears it won’t use your fitbit data against you. Swears. Sponsors: Metalab.co TinyCapital.com Links: SAMSUNG GALAXY S21, S21 PLUS, AND S21 ULTRA FIRST LOOK: POLISHED DESIGN (AND PRICES) (The Verge) The Galaxy S21 Ultra packs two telephoto lenses and supports the S Pen (Engadget) Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag is a $29.99 Tile competitor (The Verge) Max Levchin’s Affirm pops nearly 100% in market debut (CNBC) Asus’ 2021 laptop line includes two new dual-screen ZenBooks (The Verge) BMW’s Digital Key Plus will let iPhones unlock the iX from a pocket or bag (The Verge) Google's Fitbit acquisition is official (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Visa/Plaid merger is called off, and I’ll tell you why I think this is a sign of the current situation for tech. More tectonic shifts in the chip industry including Qualcomm acquiring a startup and Intel losing its CEO. More smoke around the fire story of an Apple Car. And Facebook has noticed you downloaded Signal. Sponsors: Netgear.com/bestwifi Metalab.co Links: Visa Abandons Planned Acquisition of Plaid After DOJ Challenge (WSJ) Qualcomm eyes challenge to Apple, Intel with $1.4 billion deal for chip startup (Reuters) Intel CEO Bob Swan to step down, VMware CEO Pat Gelsinger to replace him (CNBC) AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su: Interview on 2021 Demand, Supply, Tariffs, Xilinix and EPYC (AnandTech) Every Deleted Parler Post, Many With Users' Location Data, Has Been Archived (Gizmodo) Parler Users Breached Deep Inside U.S. Capitol Building, GPS Data Shows (Gizmodo) Exclusive: Apple held talks with EV startup Canoo in 2020 (The Verge) WhatsApp clarifies it’s not giving all your data to Fac

Intel’s new flagship chips are here. Lenovo’s new laptop lineup is here. Walmart wants in on the fintech startup game. GM is spinning off a new electric delivery truck startup. And I know foldable phones haven’t exactly taken over the world, but could I interest you in a rollable phone? Sponsors:  NewYorker.com/techmeme BuyRaycon.com/tech Links: Intel Previews 11th Gen Core Rocket Lake: Core i9-11900K and Z590, Coming Q1 (AnandTech) Lenovo’s new ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga is less than half an inch thick (The Verge) Walmart to create fintech start-up with investment firm behind Robinhood (CNBC) Aptiv unveils new self-driving platform with wireless upgrades (Reuters) GM unveils electric delivery van with 250 miles of range as part of new spinoff business (The Verge) Parler sues Amazon, leveling far-fetched antitrust allegations (The Verge) Following Trump Ban, Facebook Tells Employees to Avoid Wearing Company-Branded Apparel (The Information) LG’s Rollable phone is real and launching

Once again, did some things happen since we last spoke? A run-down of, especially, the Parler situation. And it’s the first day of CES. Here’s what we’re missing in terms of gadget announcements, cool gadgets we’d love to get hands-on time with and the weird gadgets that make CES so fun. Sponsors: KiwiCo.com promocode: ride ExpressVPN.com/techmeme Links: Amazon Is Booting Parler Off Of Its Web Hosting Service (Buzzfeed) Parler CEO Says Service Dropped By “Every Vendor” And Could End His Business (Deadline) San Francisco police are prepping for a pro-Trump rally at Twitter headquarters (TechCrunch) HP launches new Envy 14 laptop, Elite Folio 2-in1 tablet, and new… earbuds? (Android Authority) Lenovo's ThinkReality A3 Smart Glasses can show up to five virtual displays (Engadget) HyperX made its first 60-percent mechanical gaming keyboard (The Verge) WHY CHAMBERLAIN BUILT A $3,000 AUTOMATIC GARAGE DOOR FOR YOUR DOG (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.

Interesting new Apple Car rumors, including how they’ve basically raided Tesla for talent, apparently. Alex Stamos and Chris Krebs have formed the security Avengers. People do seem to be jumping ship from WhatsApp. Why Roku is maybe the dark horse of the Streaming Wars. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: TinyCapital.com DoubleUp.agency Links: Hyundai Motor says it’s in early talks with Apple to develop a car, sends shares soaring 19% (CNBC) SolarWinds hires former Trump cyber security chief Chris Krebs (Financial Times) Encrypted Messaging App Signal Sees Surge in Popularity Following WhatsApp Privacy Policy Update (MacRumors) Roku TV Was the Top Selling Smart TV OS in 2020 (The Streamable) A New Service Seeks to Streamline Your Streaming (WSJ) ‘TV Remote’ is an app that turns your iPhone into a universal control for your TV (9to5Mac) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Xbox: The Oral History of an American Video Game Empire (Bloomberg) FarmVille Once Took Ove

Some stuff happened yesterday at the US Capital, and there’s a tech angle to it. Is SolarWinds just the beginning of the supply chain compromises? There’s new wi-fi coming that is faster and broader. Did the Georgia runoff mean the floodgates are now open for tech antitrust? And what the final segment pre-supposes is: putting a 55 inch display inside a car is a good idea. Sponsors: TinyCapital.com Liftoff.to Links: Twitter and Facebook Lock Trump’s Accounts After Violence on Capitol Hill (NYTimes) Widely Used Software Company May Be Entry Point for Huge U.S. Hacking (NYTimes) SuperData: Games grew 12% to $139.9 billion in 2020 amid pandemic (VentureBeat) Wi-Fi industry launches next-gen 6E certification, and new devices are up next (CNET) Democrats have won the Senate. Here’s what it means for tech. (Protocol) Mercedes-Benz unveils its absolutely massive 56-inch ‘Hyperscreen’ display (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are two new GPT-3 models and now the robots have come for the graphic artists. Trump continues his tech cold war against China, but the question is, will Biden? WhatsApp is further absorbed into the Facebook mothership. Eve Online players broke the game by playing it so hard. And Cameo wants you to know there’s money in the banana stand—I mean... paying Tom Arnold to record a video for you. Sponsors: Audible.com/techmeme or text techmeme to 500-500 for a free 30-day trial Links: This avocado armchair could be the future of AI (MIT Technology Review) DALL·E: Creating Images from Text (OpenAI Blog) Trump bars U.S. transactions with eight Chinese apps including Alipay (Reuters) WhatsApp updates its Terms and Privacy Policy to mandate data-sharing with Facebook (XDA-Developers) CIRP: iPhone 12 sales strong at launch, but iPhone 12 mini ‘likely disappointed Apple’ (9to5Mac) Players in Eve Online broke a world record — and then the game itself (Polygon) Cameo launches hiring spree follo

The OCC clears US banks to run crypto nodes and issue stablecoins. Microsoft wants to make One Outlook to rule all your email and calendar apps. Looks like Haven couldn’t solve healthcare. Why haven’t we seen Jack Ma in public for going on two months now? And Singapore says SYKE on that whole, not using Covid tracking data to keep track of citizens. Sponsors: SmartAsset.com/techmeme Links: US regulator: Federally chartered banks can facilitate stablecoin payments, issue their own (The Block) Twitter acquires social podcasting app Breaker, team to help build Twitter Spaces (TechCrunch) Microsoft’s new ‘One Outlook’ app leaks online (The Verge) Haven, the Amazon-Berkshire-JPMorgan venture to disrupt health care, is disbanding after 3 years (CNBC) Kuo: Apple to Unveil AirTags, Augmented Reality Device, and More in 2021 (MacRumors) Alibaba Founder Jack Ma Has Been Missing For 2 Months (ZeroHedge) Singapore police can access COVID-19 contact tracing data for criminal investigations (ZDNet)

Google/Alphabet workers launch an official union drive. We’ve got a date for the Galaxy Unpacked event. Microsoft wants to give Windows a good scrubbing this year. Everyone wants a piece of ShareChat. Gazelle is getting out of the trade-in business. And LG doesn’t want to give up on tv screens you can hide away when not in use. Sponsors: Fundrise.com/techmeme LinkedIn.com/ride Links: Google, Alphabet employees seek to form a union (TechCrunch) Samsung officially confirms Galaxy S21 event for January 14th (The Verge) Microsoft planning ‘sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows’ (The Verge) Google and Snap in talks to invest in India's ShareChat (TechCrunch) Trade-in site Gazelle is ending trade-ins (The Verge) Apple will let Amphetamine app stay in the App Store after wrongly telling developer it violated App Store rules (The Verge) This LG display transforms from flat to curved for immersive gaming (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple loses an interesting copyright law case. Get ready to see TikToks in your Google searches. Amazon’s “other” business unit is becoming a monster. The tech consumers did, and did not AS MUCH partake in over the holidays. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. For the final time in 2020, here’s what you missed in the world of tech. Sponsors: Tovala.com/ride DoubleUp.Agency Links: Apple loses copyright battle against security start-up Corellium (Washington Post) Google pilots a search feature that aggregates short-form videos from TikTok and Instagram (TechCrunch) Amazon’s advertising business booms in pandemic (Financial Times) Apple iPhone Devices Sweep 9 of Top 10 Devices on Christmas 2020 (Flurry) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: The Turing Test is obsolete. It’s time to build a new barometer for AI (Fast Company) Tech Choices Dictate Teen Friendships During Pandemic (WSJ) Ambani Sold a Tech Dream for $27 Billion. Now He Has to Deliver (Bloomberg) Where Year Two of

Coinbase is suspending trading of XRP. Ant Group tries to appease the CCP. Will we soon see immunity passports on our phones? We now know the identity of the first tech IPO of the new year. And why, if you’re doing to do some dirt, you might want to know that your car is probably going to bust your alibi. Sponsors: CalderaLab.com code: TECHMEME (all caps, one word) Tovala.com/ride Links: Coinbase to Suspend XRP Trading Following SEC Suit Against Ripple (CoinDesk) Ant Considers Holding Company With Regulation Similar to Bank, Sources Say (Bloomberg) Los Angeles Vaccine Recipients Can Put the Proof in Apple Wallet (Bloomberg) Qualtrics Files for U.S. IPO Two Years After Sale to SAP (Bloomberg) Insecure wheels: Police turn to car data to destroy suspects' alibis (NBC News) TV Ratings: First Streaming-Only NFL Game Scores Solid Numbers for Amazon (Variety) Link to the AMA Auction with Andrew Wilkinson and Chris Sparling:  https://lu.ma/tinyama Learn more about your ad choices. Vi

The Chinese Communist Party is throwing serious cold water on its entire tech sector by continuing to target Jack Ma. Did Elon Musk once try to sell Tesla to Apple? Drones are getting digital license plates, of a sort. And a look at the generation of search engine startups hoping to, you know, maybe strike at Google while the antitrust iron is hot. Sponsors: Tovala.com/ride GetRoman.com/techmeme Links: Beijing launches antitrust investigation into Alibaba (Financial Times) China Tells Ant to Return to Its Payment Roots, Places Curbs (Bloomberg) Alibaba Probe Stirs Global Worry on What’s Next for Chinese Tech (Bloomberg) Kuo: Apple Car Still in Early Stages, Unlikely to Launch Until 2025-2027 at Earliest (MacRumors) Drone-Crowded Skies Get One Step Closer With U.S. Security Rules (Bloomberg) Search engine start-ups try to take on Google (Financial Times) Covid-19 Propelled Businesses Into the Future. Ready or Not. (WSJ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho