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A major strategy shift for Google Pay might be a big deal. But a minor shift in YouTube monetization is the same old, same old. Apple pays to settle an investigation into iPhone throttling. Affirm files for its IPO. Apple Silicon continues to absolutely wow people, and by the way, the iPhone 12 Pro Max camera is wowing professional photographers. Sponsors: MailmanHQ.com Amazon.com/ridehome Links: Google Pay gets a major redesign with a new emphasis on personal finance (TechCrunch) YouTube will run ads on some creator videos, but it won’t give them any of the revenue (The Verge) Affirm drops S-1, revealing sharply rising revenue on a narrower net loss (FinLedger.com) Apple to pay $113 million to settle state investigation into iPhone ‘batterygate’ (The Washington Post) Nvidia’s GeForce Now cloud gaming service launches on iOS as a web app (The Verge) Pixelmator Pro gets update for M1 Macs (The Verge) Apple releases forked version of TensorFlow optimized for macOS Big Sur (VentureBeat)

The App Store has cracked open a bit. Apple will cut its vigorish in half, for most developers, but not the ones that make them the most money. Robinhood is probably gonna join the cavalcade of IPOs. Marissa Mayer is back. And the biggest social network you’ve probably never heard of is coming from France. Sponsors: Amazon.com/ridehome Netgear.com/bestwifi Links: Apple will reduce App Store cut to 15 percent for most developers starting January 1st (The Verge) 'Fortnite' now offers Houseparty video calls on PC, PS4 and PS5 (Engadget) Robinhood Seeks Advisers for Potential IPO Next Year (Bloomberg) Marissa Mayer wants to clean up your contacts, and that’s just for starters (Fast Company) Beats debuts new glow-in-the-dark Powerbeats, available from Apple starting tomorrow (9to5Mac) Beats launches a glow-in-the-dark pair of Powerbeats for $200 (The Verge) Yubo could be the next big social app as it raises $47.5 million (TechCrunch) Not Dead Yet: News Site Mistakenly Runs Dozens of V.I.P

Amazon launches Amazon Pharmacy. Twitter launches Fleets, but the real news is they’re testing a Clubhouse clone with audio rooms. Airbnb finally files to go public. And running through the flood of reviews for the new Macs with Apple Silicon, I’m starting to become a believer. Apple might be able to revolutionize—and run away with—mobile computing with these chips. Sponsors: Amazon.com/ridehome Netgear.com/bestwifi Links: Amazon jumps into the pharmacy business with online prescription fulfillment, free delivery for Prime members (CNBC) Twitter rolls out Stories, aka ‘Fleets,’ to all users; will also test a Clubhouse rival (TechCrunch) Airbnb files to go public, turned a profit last quarter (CNBC) Adobe releases Arm beta version of Photoshop for Windows and macOS (The Verge) APPLE MAC MINI WITH M1 REVIEW: OVER-PERFORMER (The Verge) APPLE MACBOOK PRO WITH M1 REVIEW: FLEXING ARM (The Verge) MacBook Air M1 review: Faster than most PCs, no fan required (Engadget) Yeah, Apple's M1 MacBo

Continued problems with Big Sur have some people wondering if this is Apple’s version of Windows Vista. But actual benchmarks continue to show Apple Silicon is probably a big win. All the details of the Galaxy S21 lineup have leaked. A monster new GPU for supercomputers. And a PC monitor that can actually double as a modern smart tv. Sponsors: MasterWorks.io: code RIDE to skip the waitlist BuyRaycon.com/tech Links: macOS Big Sur Update Bricking Some Older MacBook Pro Models (MacRumors) Apple Silicon M1 Emulating x86 is Still Faster Than Every Other Mac in Single Core Benchmark (MacRumors) Exclusive: Specs and features of Samsung's Galaxy S21 smartphones (Android Police) Nvidia launches A100 80GB GPU for supercomputers (VentureBeat) Samsung’s new Smart Monitor is like a TV for your PC (The Verge) HBO Max Is Finally Coming to Amazon Fire TV (Variety) 'Godspeed': 4 astronauts make history as SpaceX's 'Resilience' launches for International Space Station (USAToday) Learn more

DoorDash files its S-1, and has a surprisingly good business, it looks like. The US backs down on TikTok. Is the whole Ant IPO thing, not business but personal? Why you should probably wait to download macOS Big Sur. How much Disney+ continues to kill it. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Calm.com/techmeme TinyCapital.com Links: DoorDash files to go public (TechCrunch) U.S. Backs Down on TikTok (WSJ) China’s President Xi Jinping Personally Scuttled Jack Ma’s Ant IPO (WSJ) macOS Big Sur launch appears to cause temporary slowdown in even non-Big Sur Macs (Ars Technica) Disney Plus Hits 73.7 Million Subscribers As They Reach Their One-Year Anniversary (The Streamable) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Twitter Thread on ARM history (@kenfhirriff) China Has Caught Up To U.S. In AI, Says AI Expert Kai-Fu Lee (Forbes) Welcome Back to the Office. Please Wear This Tracking Device. (OneZero) Students Have To Jump Through Absurd Hoops To Use Exam Monitoring Software

Why Google sunsetting the free version of its Photos service has so many people riled up. Apple’s TestFlight update should make beta testing apps easier. Amazon’s Alexa Care Hub should make caring for elderly relatives easier. A “bank on rails” is an interesting raise. And is the HomePod mini worth buying? Sponsors: TinyCapital.com VistaPrint.com/techmeme Links: Google Photos will end its free unlimited storage on June 1st, 2021 (The Verge) Google warns Google Drive users: Use it, or lose your files (Mashable) Google Photos Just Made the Case for Breaking Up Big Tech (OneZero) Apple updates TestFlight beta testing app with support for automatic updates (9to5Mac) Amazon Alexa Care Hub update will make it easier to help aging family members (CNBC) Railsbank, the Banking-as-a-Service, raises $37M in growth funding (TechCrunch) APPLE HOMEPOD MINI REVIEW: PLAYING SMALL BALL (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So wait, is TikTok facing shutdown again, as soon as tomorrow or… what? Some analysis on how well those M1 chips might actually perform. Ring doorbells are catching fire. The Hyperloop takes its first passengers for a ride. And does China now ALSO think that big tech has gotten too big? Sponsors: VistaPrint.com/techmeme TinyCapital.com Links: TikTok hasn’t heard from the Trump administration in weeks, prompting latest CFIUS petition (CNBC) Apple Announces The Apple Silicon M1: Ditching x86 - What to Expect, Based on A14 (AnAndTech) Samsung tops U.S. smartphone market in Q3: report (Yonhap News Agency) Roku Adds Apple AirPlay to 4K Devices, Which Gives Users New Workaround to Stream HBO Max and Other Mobile Apps (Variety) Ring recalls 350,000 smart doorbells after some of them caught fire (CNN Business) VIRGIN HYPERLOOP HITS AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE: THE FIRST HUMAN PASSENGER TEST (The Verge) China drafts new antitrust guideline to rein in tech giants, wiping US$102 billion from Alibaba, T

Apple’s One More Thing Mac Event. The EU sues Amazon for antitrust. The Slingbox is no more. And, apparently, the MagSafe Duo charger is no good. Sponsors: TinyCapital.com Wipers123.com, promocode: ride Links: EU accuses Amazon of breaching antitrust rules (FT) Slingbox discontinued, services sunsetting (SlashGear) Walmart and Cruise launch pilot to deliver orders via self-driving cars (Venture Beat) Apple MagSafe Duo Charger Review: Useful, but expensive and underwhelming (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple is not happy with a key parts supplier. If you’re running an old version of android, you might be shut out of some important websites soon. Is SoftBank’s Vision Fund, back, baby? Is the Raspberry Pi 400 any good to use? And what can Silicon Valley expect from a Biden administration. Sponsors: KiwiCo.com promocode: "ride" for 50% your first month TinyCapital.com Links: Apple Freezes New Business for Pegatron on China Labor Abuse (Bloomberg) Zoom and other ‘stay-at-home’ stocks are getting crushed on the positive vaccine news (CNBC) Many websites will stop working on older Android versions in 2021 (Android Police) SoftBank Recovery Gains Ground With Vision Fund’s Record Profit (Bloomberg) Raspberry Pi 400 review—the under-$100 desktop PC you didn’t know you needed (Ars Technica) 'Awakened a sleeping giant': Parler jumps to most popular app as conservatives rally support to leave Twitter and Facebook (Washington Examiner) Biden’s victory was just what tech wanted. Now what? (Proto

You know the drill... Sponsors: Canva.me/ride Metalab.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it too soon to start talking about the iPhone 13? It’s review day. Reviews of the iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and the PlayStation 5. Why I think the DOJ suing to block the Plaid acquisition is such a big deal. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Masterworks.io, promocode ride Metalab.co Links: Kuo: iPhone 13 to Come in Same Four Model Sizes As iPhone 12, Pro Models to Feature Major Upgrade to Ultra Wide Camera (MacRumors) Sizing up the iPhone 12 mini and 12 Pro Max (The Verge) DOJ files antitrust lawsuit challenging Visa’s $5.3 billion acquisition of Plaid (TechCrunch) PLAYSTATION 5 REVIEW: A BIG, CONFIDENT STEP INTO NEXT GEN (The Verge) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Ben Thompson’s Stratechery, Part 2 (Tim Wu) The Xenobot Future Is Coming—Start Planning Now (Wired) 'This is revolutionary’: new online bookshop unites indies to rival Amazon (The Guardian) How a not-yet-mature web covered the Florida recount in 2000 (Fast Company) An Oral Histo

WhatsApp gets disappearing messages ten years after Snapchat! A new entry-level, ultra-lightweight drone from DJI. Productivity laptops are getting interesting designs, ala gaming laptops. Ethereum 2.0 is coming. How and why Jack Ma pissed off the Chinese government. The Xbox Series X reviews are in. And Justice Department just sued to block Visa from buying Plaid. But that just broke, so I’m telling you it happened now. We’ll analyze it tomorrow. Sponsors: Fundrise.com/techmeme Canva.me/ride Links: WhatsApp now lets you post ephemeral messages that disappear after 7 days (TechCrunch) DJI Mini 2 drone arrives with 4K camera and ultra-portable design (SlashGear) Fortnite set to return to iPhones via Nvidia cloud gaming service (BBCNews) Ethereum 2.0 Set to Launch on December 1 (Decrypt) ‘The party is pushing back’: why Beijing reined in Jack Ma and Ant (Financial Times) TikTok Parent ByteDance Seeks to Raise Cash at $180 Billion Valuation (Bloomberg) Razer's first mainstream laptop still ha

Californians pass Proposition 22, and voters in Massachusetts strike a blow for the right to repair. You no longer need a phone to listen to Spotify on your watch. And why Walmart might partner with Comcast to make TVs, countries might force Netflix to produce content inside their own borders, and Hollywood is losing visual effects talent to Silicon Valley. Sponsors: Canva.me/ride  Metalab.co Links: Uber, Lyft Win California Bid to Keep Drivers as Contractors (Bloomberg) Massachusetts voters pass right-to-repair expansion opening up car data (Engadget) Wish Spotify streamed on Apple Watch? The time has arrived for many (9to5Mac) China Tells Ant It Can’t Go Public Until Capital Shortfall Fixed (Bloomberg) Comcast, Walmart in Talks to Develop and Distribute Smart TVs (WSJ) Canada to Force Netflix, Amazon Prime to Pay for Local Content (The Hollywood Reporter) Big Tech Snags Hollywood Talent to Pursue Enhanced Reality (WSJ) Link for tomorrow night's Listener Call In Episode: https://z

So, that November 10th Apple event might see a full slate of Mac laptops with Apple Silicon inside. Why has Ant Group’s IPOs been called off? Why has Walmart called off plans to allow robots to roam its store aisles? And someone explain to me why Spotify’s proposed new algorithm changes aren’t a modern form of Payola? Sponsors: Cava.me/ride CuriosityStream.com/ride promocode: ride Links: Apple to Launch MacBooks With Own Chips Next Week (Bloomberg) China Halts Ant Group’s Blockbuster I.P.O. (NYTimes) China Halts Ant’s Record IPO, Throwing Ma’s Empire Into Turmoil (Bloomberg) AWS launches its next-gen GPU instances (TechCrunch) Walmart Scraps Plan to Have Robots Scan Shelves (WSJ) NASA objects to new mega-constellation, citing risk of “catastrophic collision” (ArsTechnica) Spotify will now allow artists and labels to promote tracks in your recommendations (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Raspberry Pi launches the Raspberry Pi 400. All the big platforms’ plans for election day and beyond. Huawei is gonna make its own chips because it has to. Gaming continues to lead the way into the future in so many ways. And the Kafkaesque nightmare of Google locking you out of all your accounts. Sponsors: MintMobile.com/ride Metalab.co Links: The Raspberry Pi 400 is a compact keyboard with a built-in computer (The Verge) What to Expect From Facebook, Twitter and YouTube on Election Day (NYTimes) Huawei develops plan for chip plant to help beat US sanctions (Financial Times) Tencent claims record 100M daily users on mobile game Honor of Kings (TechCrunch) What it's like to get locked out of Google indefinitely (Business Insider) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Netflix raises prices. Because they can—and maybe because they should. Google wants to give you a free VPN. Samsung helps you find your galaxy of Galaxy things. A rundown of yesterday’s big day of tech earnings. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Monday.com/ride Mailmanhq.com Links: Netflix is raising the price of its most popular plan to $14 today, premium tier increasing to $18 (The Verge) Google One’s 2TB+ plans adding Android VPN, coming to iOS & Mac/Windows soon (9to5Google) SmartThings Find app can track down lost Samsung Galaxy devices (Engadget) Apple Reports Fourth Quarter Results (Apple Newsroom) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: The 100X Club: Software Startup Valuations Skyrocket Despite Small Revenue (The Information) How Discord (somewhat accidentally) invented the future of the internet (Protocol) The Tech Antitrust Problem No One Is Talking About (Wired) Streaming was part of the future — now it’s the only future (The Verge) The Elysium effe

Major warnings about a rash of ransomware attacks on US hospitals. The new AMD chips. MOAAR consolidation in the chip industry. Can I introduce you to Quantum Computing as a Service? And a reminder that as Hollywood moves to streaming first, you don’t own anything. Seriously. You’re just renting. Sponsors: GetRoman.com/techmeme MailmanHQ.com Links: Building wave of ransomware attacks strike U.S. hospitals (Reuters) AMD’s new Radeon RX 6800 XT promises to go head to head with Nvidia’s RTX 3080 (The Verge) It’s Official- Marvell Acquiring Inphi For $10B That Boosts Its Cloud And 5G Opportunities (Forbes) Honeywell announces its H1 quantum computer with 10 qubits (TechCrunch) Honeywell introduces quantum computing as a service with subscription offering (ZDNet) Microsoft plans big Windows 10 UI refresh in 2021 codenamed 'Sun Valley' (Windows Central) Samsung posts highest-ever quarterly revenue as demand roars back (CNET) Kuo: iPhone 12 Pro Demand Higher Than Expected (MacRumors) G

Does the iPhone 12 have secret reverse wireless charging just waiting to be turned on? More signs Apple might be building its own search engine. The headlines from today’s Section 230 Senate hearing. Is the DOJ gonna prevent Visa from acquiring Plaid? And how much would you pay Elon Musk to beam you internet from Space? Sponsors: Calm.com/techmeme MailmanHQ.com Links: Apple’s iPhone 12 seems to have a secret reverse wireless charging feature (The Verge) Apple develops alternative to Google search (Financial Times) Microsoft Q1 Earnings Release Republicans Accuse Zuckerberg and Dorsey of Censorship: Live Updates (NYTimes) Visa’s Planned Purchase of Plaid Faces Antitrust Scrutiny at the Justice Department (WSJ) SpaceX prices Starlink satellite internet service at $99 per month, according to e-mail (CNBC) Whoop Valued at $1.2 Billion With IVP, SoftBank, Eli Manning Backing (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AMD does indeed buy Xilinx for $35 billion dollars. The UK bans locked phones. Tinder rolls out video dating. Zoom finally rolls out encryption. A major breakthrough in OLED technology has major implications for VR and for porn. And why the no-code movement might actually usher in the true computing revolution we were promised all along.  Sponsors: MailmanHQ.com Monday.com/ride Links: AMD Acquiring Xilinx In Bold, $35B Semiconductor Mega-Deal (Forbes) UK announces ban on sale of network-locked phones (Android Authority) Face to Face, Tinder's opt-in video chat feature, is now rolling out globally (TechCrunch) Zoom’s end-to-end encryption has arrived (The Verge) Porn is about to get uncomfortably high-res thanks to new OLED tech (Input) The No-Code Generation is arriving (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New AirPods and AirPods pro coming as soon as the spring? Facebook launches streaming gaming everywhere but guess where? Ant is the biggest IPO in history. SAP seems to be having Covid issues. And are you still working from home? Well, maybe keep an eye on your ISP’s data caps. Sponsors: MailmanHQ.com Metalab.co Links: Apple Developing Smaller AirPods Pro, Revamped Entry-Level Model (Bloomberg) Facebook launches cloud games but says Apple won’t allow it on iOS (CNBC) Ant Group to raise $34.5 billion, valuing it at over $313 billion, in biggest IPO of all time (CNBC) Ant Group Set to Raise $34 Billion in World’s Biggest I.P.O. (NYTimes) SAP Shares Collapse After Lockdowns Force Cuts to Revenue (Bloomberg) Fix, or Toss? The ‘Right to Repair’ Movement Gains Ground (NYTimes) Deleting Facebook Also Deletes Oculus Purchases And Account Information (UploadVR) Facebook Prepares Measures for Possible Election Unrest (WSJ) Americans Working From Home Face Internet Usage Limits (WSJ)