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Joshua Schachter is mostly known these days as a prominent angel investor, but his claim to fame is as the founder of del.icio.us, one of THE sites and startups that convinced me and a lot of other people that the internet space wasn’t dead, in the wake of the dotcom bubble. So, consider this in the spirt of the longreads. A profile of a key startup and entrepreneur, that got the web and the world to where we are today. Sponsors: BitTrustIRA.com/techmeme Monday.com/ride NewYorker.com/techmeme Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is PayPal making moves to become a major player in Crypto? A look at the two big ballot initiatives in California that Silicon Valley cares about and which the rest of the country might be affected by. Why YouTube is this election’s go-to place for campaigns to run ads, and of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Masterworks.io  Promocode: ride Monday.com/ride Links: PayPal in Talks to Buy Crypto Firms Including BitGo (Bloomberg) Uber, Lyft likely violated California labor law, appeals court finds (NBCNews) Google and Facebook hate a proposed privacy law. News publishers should embrace it. (Recode) YouTube Is So Flooded With Political Ads It Can’t Place Them All (Bloomberg) Weekend Longreads: The Network: How a Secretive Phone Company Helped the Crime World Go Dark (Motherboard) Cloud gaming’s history of false starts and promising reboots (Polygon) 'Virtual' studios could offer a real alternative to green screen special effects (Engadget) The Google Case (Tim Wu)

Quibi’s dead baby. Quibi’s dead. Jony Ive is going to design stuff for… Airbnb? The Mate 40 Pro is the best flagship smartphone you’ll probably never want to buy. What if Snapchat conquers India? The Bahamas launches the first official cryptocurrency for an entire country. And look out cause Tesla is turning on the self-driving beta starting now… Sponsors: Monday.com/ride NewYorker.com/techmeme Links: Quibi's Open Letter Quibi Is Shutting Down Barely Six Months After Going Live (WSJ) In defense of Quibi (Recode) Airbnb announces multi-year partnership with Jony Ive, a year after leaving Apple (9to5Mac) Huawei’s Mate 40 Pro is another powerful flagship that you won't buy (Engadget) Snapchat doubles down on India with new original series, games (The Economic Times) Central Bank of Bahamas Launches Landmark ‘Sand Dollar’ Digital Currency (Coindesk) Tesla is putting ‘self-driving’ in the hands of drivers amid criticism the tech is not ready (Washington Post) Learn more about you

Big news for crypto as PayPal adopts it, both for users to buy, but also, crucially, for them to spend. Facebook is testing a Nextdoor killer. Update on the Quibi deathwatch. Tech earnings snuck up on me and Evan Spiegel had a good night. And let’s end today with another review roundup. This time of the new iPad Air. Sponsors: KiwiCo.com/ride Monday.com/ride Links: PayPal to allow cryptocurrency buying, selling and shopping on its network (Reuters) Dropbox's family plan offers a shared 2TB for $17 per month (Engadget) Facebook Building Neighborhood Feature as Nextdoor Eyes IPO (Bloomberg) Katzenberg May Shut Down Quibi as Options Run Short (The Information) Netflix misses on subscriber additions and EPS (CNBC) Snap stock rockets up after surprise earnings beat (CNBC) APPLE IPAD AIR (2020) REVIEW: TAKE IT FROM THE PRO (The Verge) Apple iPad Air (2020) review: Who needs the iPad Pro? (Engadget) Review: iPad Air, smooth criminal (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices

The Feds have finally thrown the book at Google. But the DOJ has also targeted the infamous Sandworm hackers. Intel sells its NAND memory unit as consolidation in chips continues. Microsoft partners with Elon Musk to take its battle with AWS to space. What product is Google abandoning today? And the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro reviews are here. Which one should you get? NewYorker.com/techmeme Monday.com/ride Links: The DOJ sues Google for monopoly practices – and says there’s more to come (Protocol) Justice Department Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Google (WSJ) U.S. Accuses Google of Illegally Protecting Monopoly (NYTimes) US charges Russian hackers behind NotPetya, KillDisk, OlympicDestroyer attacks (ZDNet) Intel Agrees to Sell Storage Unit to SK Hynix for $9 Billion (Bloomberg) Google confirms the Nest Secure has been discontinued (Android Police) Google discontinues its Google Nest Secure alarm system (The Verge) Microsoft launches Azure Space initiative; partners with SpaceX (ZDNet)

Apple wants to you to want your A-MTV. iMTV? I dunno. Apple has launched a music videos channel. The new Samsung Galaxies might be coming sooner than ever. The company bringing AR to car windshields. And why Japan saying it’s getting on the regulate tech bandwagon might be the tipping point for the entire sector. Sponsors: ExtraHop.com/techmeme Monday.com/ride Links: Apple Launches ‘Apple Music TV,’ a 24-Hour Music Video Livestream (Variety) iPhone 12 mini has 2,227 mAh battery, new models will likely be assembled in Brazil and India [U] (9to5Mac) Samsung Galaxy S21 and S21 Ultra leaked in full, confirms January 2021 launch (AndroidCentral) The British Company That’s Bringing Augmented Reality to Your Windshield (Bloomberg) Facebook’s and YouTube’s algorithms might soon be a bit less mysterious (Fast Company) Japan to join forces with U.S., Europe in regulating Big Tech firms: antitrust watchdog head (Reuters) Tech’s Influence Over Markets Eclipses Dot-Com Bubble Peak (WSJ)

I don’t think I’ve made any bones about the fact that I blow hot and cold on crypto. Sometimes I grow frustrated that it always seems to be a lot of sound and fury, ultimately signifying nothing. Or at least, not amounting to much that touches normal people’s lives. I dunno if that’s a fair way to look at crypto or not. But at the same time, there is no single corner of tech that has more activity, that has more passion and energy and, just pure, crazy creativity. Lots of people in crypto have adopted my book about the first half of the Internet Era because they hope it’s a guide for how, just when everyone has written off a movement, that’s when it finally breaks through. And I’ll admit, that’s why I keep my eye on a space. That’s why the activity around DeFi has caught my eye. By some measurements, this is crypto actually being USED, in a tangible real world way, and in volumes of activity we’ve never seen before. Is DeFi actually fulfilling the original economic promise of crypto? What, the heck, is DeFi?

Google now lets you whistle or hum to search, which sounds crazy I know, or crazy cool. Are we due for one more Apple event this year? The FCC wants to kill section 230 but actually can’t. Could you do machine learning with practically no data to learn off of? And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: NewYorker.com/techmeme TinyCapital.com Links: Google’s new ‘hum to search’ feature can figure out the song that’s stuck in your head (The Verge) Apple might hold another event on November 17 to introduce first Apple Silicon Mac (9to5Mac) Trump Foes Fume Over FCC’s Efforts to Rein In Twitter (Bloomberg) A radical new technique lets AI learn with practically no data (MIT Technology Review) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Lidar used to cost $75,000—here’s how Apple brought it to the iPhone (Ars Technica) Car design is about to change forever. This video encapsulates how (Fast Company) Clear Conquered U.S. Airports. Now It Wants to Own Your Entire Digital Identity. (OneZer

It’s hardware review Thursday! Reviews of the Xbox Series X, Google Pixel 5 AND 4a 5G. SOME of the new iPhones are getting extra RAM. Room-temperature superconductivity has been achieved for the first time and what that could mean. Landscape is an interesting raise. And Adam Neumann is back… and so is WeWork. Sponsors: NewYorker.com/techmeme TinyCapital.com Links: XBOX SERIES X PREVIEW: THE NEXT GEN FEELS LIKE A PC (The Verge) GOOGLE PIXEL 4A 5G REVIEW: MORE THAN JUST A BIGGER BUDGET PHONE (The Verge) Google Pixel 5 review: An off year for Pixel fans (Engadget) iPhone 12 Pro Models Have 6GB of RAM, iPhone 12 and 12 Mini Remain at 4GB (MacRumors) Room-temperature superconductivity has been achieved for the first time (MIT Technology Review) WeWork’s Adam Neumann Returns to Real Estate With Startup Investment (Bloomberg) Landscape site launches with the aim of becoming the 'Glassdoor for VC' (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Picking up some odds and ends from yesterday’s iPhone event, including some eyebrow raising clarifications on price and availability. Zoom is indeed trying to be a platform by bringing apps to your calls. You know DeFi is hot when everyone is suddenly rebranding themselves as DeFi. And is Dropbox leading the way to a virtual work future? Sponsors: BlueNile.com, code RIDE for $50 off your purchase of over $750. ForHims.com/tech Links: The iPhone 12’s mysterious groove is a 5G mmWave antenna window — and it’s exclusive to the US (The Verge) iPhone 12 actually costs $829, advertised $799 price includes ‘carrier special offers’ (9to5Mac) Snapchat among first to leverage iPhone 12 Pro’s LiDAR Scanner for AR (TechCrunch) Zoom launches its events platform and marketplace, brings apps to your calls (TechCrunch) ‘DeFi’ Replaces ‘Blockchain’ as the Must-Have Crypto Moniker (Bloomberg) Dropbox is the latest San Francisco tech company to make remote work permanent (CNBC) Dropbox goes Virtual Fir

All the details from the iPhone 12 event. PC shipments go into the category of “doing well in covid times.” Disney announces a reorg to emphasize its streaming strategy. And following up on that whole Foxconn factory in Wisconsin promise. Hint: it looks like vaporware. Sponsors: BuyRaycon.com/tech ForHims.com/tech Links: Techmeme Headline Cluster About the iPhone 12 Pro Techmeme Headline Cluster About the iPhone 12 Techmeme Headline Cluster About the iPhone 12 mini PC shipments climb in Q3, Gartner and IDC report(ZDNet) The Digital Divide Starts With a Laptop Shortage (NYTimes) Disney says its ‘primary focus’ for entertainment is streaming — announces a major reorg (CNBC) Wisconsin denies Foxconn tax subsidies after contract negotiations fail (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google’s Nest thermostat is ditching the iconic dial design. Will regulators first ask Google to divest itself of Chrome? A big takedown of a botnet that could have influenced the election. Update on Quibi’s shopping itself around. And why Covid has made Caterpillar hit the gas on robo-construction machines. Sponsors: Masterworks.io, select PODCAST, then promocode: RIDE ForHims.com/tech Links: Google’s Nest announces new smart thermostat with simpler design, lower price (The Verge) Feds may target Google’s Chrome browser for breakup (Politico) Microsoft and others orchestrate takedown of TrickBot botnet (ZDNet) Microsoft takes down massive hacking operation that could have affected the election (CNN Business) Katzenberg Strikes Out on Quibi Sale Efforts, So Far (The Information) Twilio confirms it is buying Segment for $3.2B in an all-stock deal (TechCrunch) On Facebook, Misinformation Is More Popular Now Than in 2016 (NYTimes) Caterpillar bets on self-driving machines impervious

Again, could Gaming, and Microsoft specifically, be the thing that cracks the App Store open? More hints of consolidation in the semiconductor industry that is massively in flux. A major milestone in self-driving cars has been passed. Could hybrid cable-fiber networks compete with 5G. And in the weekend longreads suggestions, what operating systems do NASA’s spacecraft actually run on? Sponsors: ForHims.com/tech Monday.com/ride Links: Microsoft told employees it plans to release a browser-based app for the Xbox Game Pass streaming service next year that will get around Apple App Store rules: 'We absolutely will end up on iOS' (BusinessInsider) Microsoft app store playbook swipes at Apple, Google (Axios) AMD Is in Advanced Talks to Buy Xilinx (WSJ) Waymo Begins Fully Driverless Rides for All Arizona Customers (Bloomberg) Google Assistant finally works with some third-party apps (Engadget) Comcast says gigabit downloads and uploads are now possible over cable (ArsTechnica) Weekend Longre

Bunch of new chip announcements from AMD. Facebook is pausing all political ads… after the election. Square puts its money where its mouth is when it comes to bitcoin. Triller is an interesting TikTok competitor. And what is it with photo startups always wanting to go all nostalgic and analog? Sponsors: ForHims.com/tech Monday.com/ride Links: AMD reveals its new Zen 3 Ryzen 5000 processors, including the ‘world’s best gaming CPU’ (The Verge) Facebook to temporarily halt political ads in U.S. after polls close Nov. 3, broadening earlier restrictions (The Washington Post) Google is adding cross-app account security alerts on iOS (The Verge) Jack Dorsey’s Square purchases $50 million worth of bitcoin (The Block) Airbnb Burned Through $1.2 Billion as IPO Loomed (The Information) Fancy Cars, Fine Dining, Creator Mansions, Cash: Triller Is Shelling Out for Talent (NYTimes) Reddit Co-founder Alexis Ohanian’s New Venture Fund Invests in Disposable Camera App (WSJ) Learn more about yo

The House has released its big antitrust report on big tech. Facebook has banned Qanon everywhere it can. DDR5 chips are finally here. Shogun is an interesting raise. And could a VR infinity treadmill be the next home workout hit, AND the first step to Star Trek’s holodeck? Sponsors: Monday.com/ride Wipers123.com Promocode: RIDE Links: House Democrats say Facebook, Amazon, Alphabet, Apple enjoy ‘monopoly power’ and recommend big changes (CNBC) House Lawmakers Condemn Big Tech’s ‘Monopoly Power’ and Urge Their Breakups (NYTimes) Facebook completely bans QAnon and labels it a ‘militarized social movement’ (The Verge) SK Hynix Launches World's First DDR5 DRAM Modules Rated At 4.8 Gbps And Beyond (HotHardware) Shogun raises $35M to help brands take on Amazon with faster and better sites of their own (TechCrunch) This extremely slippery VR treadmill could be your next home gym (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

G Suite is no more! But don’t worry. It’s just a name change. Apple is removing non-Apple headphones from its stores. And AT&T is killing DSL. Why that’s a problem for a lot of people. Putting interactive advertising on convenience store coolers is sort of obvious. But why it SHOULD be obvious that an internet connected chastity belt is a bad idea. Sponsors: Monday.com/ride Fundrise.com/techmeme Links: G Suite is now Google Workspace (TechCrunch) Apple Stops Selling Rival Earphones, Speakers Ahead of Launches (Bloomberg) Facebook's Portal adds support for Netflix, Zoom and other features (TechCrunch) AT&T kills DSL, leaves tens of millions of homes without fiber Internet (Ars Technica) Cooler Screens raises $80M to bring interactive screens into cooler aisles (TechCrunch) Security flaw left ‘smart’ chastity sex toy users at risk of permanent lock-in (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nvidia’s new platform to fix video calls. Surprisingly, Facebook says breaking up Facebook is impossible. Google slow rolls enforcement of the 30% take on the Play Store in India. A couple of direct Covid-related tech stories. And I catch you up on the whole DeFi phenomenon in crypto that has made transaction volume on the Ethereum blockchain skyrocket 1200% in just three months. Sponsors: WeWorkRemotely.com MintMobile.com/ride Links: Nvidia unveils Maxine, a managed cloud AI videoconferencing service (VentureBeat) Nvidia says its AI can fix some of the biggest problems in video calls (The Verge) Facebook Says Government Breakup of Instagram, WhatsApp Would Be ‘Complete Nonstarter’ (WSJ) Google defers 30% in-app commission in India to April 2022 after protests (The Economic Times India) Google delays mandating Play Store payments rule in India to April 2022 (TechCrunch) Ethereum Dapp Volumes Hit $120 Billion in Third Quarter (Decrypt) What Is DeFi? (CoinDesk) States are finally star

For years, I quoted Josh Constine on this show because he was one of the breaking news-iest folks over at TechCrunch for years. Well, now he’s gone the well worn TC to VC route, and is a principal at SignalFire. I noticed Josh had his name on a SignalFire report looking at the creator ecosystem, not as some sort of weird outlier, but as an actual, mature economy. It’s the best breakdown I’ve seen of the creator economy overall… as we say extensively, currently the fastest growing category of startup business. So, I called up Josh to discuss the report. It’s linked in the show notes if you want to read it for yourself, but listen to this episode. If you’re not taking creators seriously as entrepreneurs and a category of startups, you’re missing the boat on something big. Enjoy. SignalFire’s Creator Economy Market Map Sponsors: BuyRaycon.com/tech Metalab.co TinyCapital.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tesla continues to smash records. Facebook has announced big changes for Groups, and folks are concerned it will smash the platform further. A new startup claims to have smashed quantum computing records. And of course, we’ll smash the weekend longreads suggestions. Here’s what you missed today in the world of tech. Smash. Sponsors: Metalab.co Liftoff.to MarketingPlay.com; email info@marketingplay.com Links: Tesla delivered 139,300 vehicles in the third quarter, smashing its previous record (The Verge) HP’s new Spectre x360 14 laptop has a 3:2 aspect ratio plus a Thunderbolt 4 port hiding in the corner (The Verge) Facebook will start surfacing some public group discussions in people’s News Feeds and search results (The Verge) Startup IonQ drastically ups the quantum computing ante (Fortune) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: What Opening Day for Asana and Palantir Says About Private Tech Stock Values (The Information) Techie Software Soldier Spy (Intelligencer) Sourcegraph: Devs are

New Surface Laptop Go and Surface Pro X from Microsoft. Google is going to pay $1 billion dollars to support journalism. Google has a Photos update, but why is Stadia already looking shaky? And a textbook example of a developer’s dream of overnight success that was actually years in the making. Sponsors: MasterWorks.io: Promocode RIDE to skip the waiting list! Metalab.co Links: Microsoft’s new $549 Surface Laptop Go aims to compete with Chromebooks (The Verge) Microsoft updates the Surface Pro X with a new processor option (Engadget) Google will spend $1 billion to pay publishers for news showcase (Axios) Improved Google Photos editor is rolling out now on Android (The Verge) The new Chromecast with Google TV won’t officially support Stadia at launch (The Verge) Palantir closes below first trade after NYSE debut (CNBC) Six Figures in 6 days (tr.af) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices