Techmeme Ride Home

All the news from the Google Launch Night. Say hello to Google TV. Say hello to a new Chromecast and the new Nest Audio smartspeaker. Say hello to the Pixel 4a 5G and the new Pixel 5. But is this a new pivot to midmarket for the Pixel line, or is it the end of the road? The grand unification of Facebook apps continues. And Rally is an interesting raise that lets you invest in… baseball cards? Sponsors: Liftoff.to Calm.com/techmeme Metalab.co Links: Here’s what the new Chromecast’s Google TV software looks like (The Verge) Google launches Nest Audio speaker, successor to Google Home, available Oct. 5 for $99 (9to5Google) Google's Pixel 5 includes 5G and an ultrawide camera for $699 (Engadget) Facebook introduces cross-app communication between Messenger and Instagram, plus other features (TechCrunch) Microsoft’s Bing Will Have Key Slot on Some New Android Phones (Bloomberg) Rally raises $17M to expand a platform that lets you invest in (but not buy) collectibles (TechCrunch) Lea

With Amazon One, Amazon wants you to pay with your palm. Google is trying the carrot and the stick approach with its App Store controversies. What if Zoom was redesigned specifically for remote learning? The world’s first foldable PC is here. And why another Netflix price hike is likely coming soon. Sponsors: Metalab.co LinkedIn.com/ride Datatribe.com/challenge Links: Amazon will now let you pay with your palm in its stores (Recode) Google Demands 30% Cut From App Developers in Its Play Store (NYTimes) Judge suggests Apple vs Epic should go to jury, trial expected in July 2021 (Apple Insider) Google Meet brings noise cancellation to Android and iOS, adds attendance reports for schools (9to5Google) Zoom's earliest investors are betting millions on a better Zoom for schools (TechCrunch) The world’s first foldable PC is now available to order from Lenovo (The Verge) Disney+ now lets you binge watch with friends, even when you're not together (CNN Business) Netflix Price Hike Is “Prob

Roku launches a Streambar and an Ultra with Dolby Vision. Dell updates the XPS 13 lineup. TikTok is still ticking, as of this moment. Will we see the return of the mini moniker, with an iPhone 12 Mini that might not actually be that small? Amazon Prime day lives again, but the days are numbered for the original Farmville. Sponsors: Metalab.co Liftoff.to Links: Roku’s Streambar is a compact soundbar with built-in streaming smarts (The Verge) Roku Unveils Redesigned $100 Ultra Streaming Box, Will Add Ability to Stream HBO Max via Apple AirPlay (Variety) Dell updated its 13-inch XPS laptops with 11th-gen Intel CPUs (Engadget) TikTok Wins Reprieve From U.S. Ban (NYTimes) Prepare for the ‘iPhone 12 mini,’ suggest recent leaks (The Verge) LinkedIn launches Stories, plus Zoom, BlueJeans and Teams video integrations as part of wider redesign (TechCrunch) SpaceX’s Starlink satellites could make US Army navigation hard to jam (MIT Technology Review) Amazon Prime Day set for Oct 13 and 14 aft

Eugene Wei and Sonal Chokshi explain plainly how and why TikTok is an evolutionary (and algorithmic) step beyond the social graph. Eugene's original essay, TikTok and the Sorting Hat Subscribe to 16 Minutes News by a16z (podcast) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All the headlines from Amazon’s hardware event. New Echo devices. Amazon is getting into cloud gaming with Luna. And ring has a literal drone that will fly around the inside of your house for the purposes of sentry duty. Interesting acquisition from Apple continues to point to them doing something big in podcasts. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: PayPal App Amazon.com/techmeme Links: A closer look at Luna, Amazon's cloud gaming service (Engadget) Amazon announces all-new Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Dot with Clock (CNBC) AMAZON’S NEW ECHO SHOW 10 MOVES TO LOOK AT YOU (The Verge) Ring’s latest security camera is a drone that flies around inside your house (The Verge) Amazon’s Bizarre Home Drone Flies Around Inside Your House (Wired) Apple Buys Startup That Creates Radio-Like Stations for Podcasts (Bloomberg) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Huang’s Law Is the New Moore’s Law, and Explains Why Nvidia Wants Arm (WSJ) How Nvidia’s CEO Cooked Up America’s Biggest Semic

The Rebel Alliance has a name: The Coalition for App Fairness. Microsoft will make office available without a subscription. Software as a purchase, if you will, instead of a subscription. Radical. Say hello to the Galaxy S20 FE. And does the gaming industry make pre-orders and console launches so messy on purpose? Sponsors: Amazon.com/techmeme PayPal App Links: Epic, Spotify and others ally against Apple and Google app policies (Engadget) New Microsoft Office on the way for people who don't want a subscription (Windows Central) The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE brings some flagship specs at a $699 price (The Verge) Google Maps gets a COVID-19 layer (TechCrunch) Sneaker Platform Goat Group Raises $100 Million to Fund Expansion Plans (WSJ) How a marked-up term sheet and messy rollout threw TikTok deal into disarray (Reuters) THE GAMING INDUSTRY KEEPS FAILING MISERABLY AT SELLING ITS MOST IMPORTANT PRODUCTS (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All the announcements and headlines from Microsoft’s Ignite 2020. Microsoft is exclusively licensing Open AI’s GPT-3. Google has debuted an Airtable rival called Tables. Ming-Chi Kuo thinks we’ll see an iPad with mini-LED by the end of the year. What happened during Tesla’s “battery day.” Pinterest has launched Story Pins and how Spotify is enabling SEO spam in audio form. Sponsors: Amazon.com/techmeme PayPal App JoinFightCamp.com/techmeme Links: Microsoft challenges Twilio with the launch of Azure Communications Services (TechCrunch) Azure Orbital launches Microsoft into cloud-based space race with Amazon (GeekWire) Microsoft Teams is getting virtual commutes and Headspace meditation (VentureBeat) Google launches a work-tracking tool and Airtable rival, Tables (TechCrunch) Swift language tools now available for Windows 10 (iMore) Kuo: Mini-LED Displays to Debut in Apple's Next iPad Pro (MacRumors) Tesla CEO Elon Musk says company can build a $25,000 self-driving car within three yea

Quibi is exploring its options, as they say. The Google Antitrust suit could come next week. Why do you have to return the entire Apple Watch if your wristband doesn’t fit? The CIA has a new plan to compete with Silicon Valley for talent. The SEC and OCC sign off on stablecoins. And the strategy behind Microsoft’s big play for Bethesda. Sponsors: Amazon.com/techmeme PayPal App Links: Quibi Explores Strategic Options Including Possible Sale (WSJ) Justice Department expected to brief state attorneys general this week on imminent Google antitrust lawsuit (Washington Post) PSA: New Apple Watch Owners Have to Return Entire Device for Ill-Fitting Solo Loop or Braided Solo Loop (MacRumors) A $50 Phone is Ambani's Weapon to Dominate India Telecom Market (Bloomberg) SEC, OCC Issue First Regulatory Clarifications for Stablecoins (CoinDesk) CIA’s new tech recruiting pitch: More patents, more profits (MIT Technology Review) You can now stream your Xbox One games to your Android phone for free (Th

It looked like we had a TikTok deal the president liked. Then ByteDance went and pointed out they still had control. Now, I dunno where we’re at. Microsoft buys Bethesda. The founder of Nikola steps down in murky circumstances. And Amazon wants to use your Echo and Tile devices for a true Internet of Things network. Sponsors: Amazon.com/techmeme PayPal App Links: Trump Blesses Oracle’s TikTok Deal, Delays App Store Ban (Bloomberg) TikTok deal hit by confusion over who will own and control the app (FT) Judge halts Trump administration order banning WeChat from Apple and Google app stores (CNBC) Microsoft purchases Bethesda Softworks in industry-changing acquisition [Updated] (ArsTechnica) With $100M in funding, Playco is already a mobile gaming unicorn (TechCrunch) Nikola Founder Trevor Milton Resigns as Executive Chairman Amid Fraud Allegations (WSJ) Nikola’s chairman steps down, stock crashes following allegations of fraud (TechCrunch) Amazon details its low-bandwidth Sidewalk neig

The Commerce Department officially has brought the hammer down. WeChat is banned on Sunday. TikTok banned on Sunday too, but it’s complicated. PayTM is banned from the Google Play Store in India. Facebook decides that Facebook is too toxic for its own workers to use. And of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: Fundrise.com/techmeme PayPal App Links: Trump to block downloads of TikTok, WeChat on Sunday (CNBC) Google pulls India's Paytm app from Play Store for repeat policy violations (TechCrunch) iOS 14 default app settings automatically reset to Mail and Safari after reboot (9to5Mac) Apple is making Shazam a bigger part of your iPhone (The Verge) Facebook is cracking down on groups that give health advice and promote violence (CNBC) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Exclusive: The Billionaire Who Wanted To Die Broke . . . Is Now Officially Broke (Forbes) ‘Interactive entertainment is the standard bearer of the entertainment business’ (Protocol) Remote Work Is Killing

We have the launch date and price for the Playstation 5. An update on the TikTok and WeChat situations. Why the Snowflake IPO was such a big deal, and such a big success. Red Ventures is affiliate marketing on steroids. And what if I told you the coolest new bit of gear that people got turned on to during the last Apple event was an office chair. But it is Jony Ive’s favorite office chair. Sponsors: Liftoff.to PayPal App MarketingPlay.com; email info@marketingplay.com Links: PlayStation 5 preorders: Sony reveals release date and price (VentureBeat) The PS5 will launch on November 12th for $499.99 (The Verge) Sony confirms PS5’s first-party launch lineup and free game upgrade plans for PS4 titles (The Verge) Oracle’s TikTok Bid Leaves Open Some U.S. Security Concerns (Bloomberg) Pro Rata Newsletter (Dan Primack/Axios) Snowflake IPO Spurs Flood of Wealth for Silicon Valley Elite (Bloomberg) ‘Helping people discover information’: How Red Ventures grew into a giant (Digiday) Sit Lik

Facebook unveils the Oculus Quest 2, as a part of its Facebook Connect (formerly Oculus Connect) event. Amazon Music gets podcasts. Spotify puts the Apple One bundle on blast. Developers have found yet another reason to get pissed at Apple. And AT&T is not only bringing advertising to HBO, they want to add ads to you phone as well. Sponsors: PayPal App ExtraHop.com/techmeme Links: Oculus Quest 2 delivers standalone VR with sharper 90Hz screens for $299 (Engadget) OCULUS QUEST 2 REVIEW: BETTER, CHEAPER VR (The Verge) Snowflake is largest software IPO ever (Axios) Amazon Music Joins Podcasting Fray (WSJ) Driver Charged in Uber’s Fatal 2018 Autonomous Car Crash (NYTimes) Spotify says Apple One bundle is a 'threat to collective freedom' (Apple Insider) Apple accuses Epic of ‘starting a fire and pouring gasoline on it’ in new Fortnite filing (The Verge) Apple surprised iPhone users with a next-day iOS 14 release. App developers are pissed. (Mashable) Exclusive: AT&T considers cellpho

A full rundown of the Time Flies event from Apple. New Apple Watches, including an Apple Watch SE. Refreshed iPad, but redesigned iPad Air that is giving the iPad Pro a run for its money. An Apple Fitness+ subscription program. An Apple One subscription bundle. And meanwhile, Sony cuts PlayStation 5 production, we have a date for Google’s Pixel 5 launch and why it might actually be a good idea to put your data center at the bottom of the ocean. Sponsors: LiftOff.to PayPal App Links: Techmeme Headline Rundown of the Apple Event Sony Cuts PlayStation 5 Forecast by 4 Million Due to Chip Woes (Bloomberg) Sen. Hawley calls for US to reject Oracle’s TikTok deal (The Verge) We’re Heading Toward the Worst Possible Outcome on TikTok (Intelligencer) Google to launch Pixel 5, new Chromecast, and smart speaker on September 30th (The Verge) Microsoft pulls underwater data center back to the surface to assess benefits of deep-sea cloud (GeekWire) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaph

Has Oracle saved TikTok, in the US at least? Let me explain why it’s not actually buying anything, probably isn’t solving the security problem Microsoft says it would have, and China is keeping its hands on the algorithm. On a normal day, news of Nvidia buying ARM would have been the headline. Airtable is an interesting raise. And who has more pie on their face: OnePlus or US Customs agents? Sponsors: PayPal App BuyRaycon.com/tech Links: Oracle Wins Bid for TikTok in U.S., Beating Microsoft (WSJ) It’s Official- NVIDIA Acquires Arm For $40 Billion To Create What Could Be A Computing Juggernaut (Forbes) Verizon to Buy TracFone in Deal Valued at Up to $7 Billion (WSJ) Airtable raises $185M and launches new low-code and automation features (TechCrunch) Feds proudly announce seizure of ‘counterfeit Apple AirPods’ that are actually OnePlus Buds (The Verge) The LG Wing’s twisting screen offers a new spin on the dual-screen smartphone (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visi

The TikTok saga. It’s gonna end. Or it’s gonna happen. Or it’s gonna… something in the next few days. Will it be sold? Will it not be? Will it be banned in the US. There are so many angles here. So many interesting ways to tease out something that is unprecedented in the world of Tech. Alex Kantrowitz pinged me to talk about it and he’s a good dude to do so because he wrote a book about the big tech platforms, and, as we get into… this is so rare. A big up and coming platform that is just, for weird a-historical reasons, being offered up on a platter for the other powers that be to… maybe take over? I quoted Alex when he was at Buzzfeed for years. But as we discuss at the end, Alex has gone solo! Check out his newsletter Big Technology. Check out his podcast, Big Technology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Microsoft warns that hackers working for Russia, China and Iran are escalating their attacks surrounding the upcoming US Presidential election. I lied…. Apple has blinked in the Epic Games/App Store battle, at least a little bit. A profile of everyone’s favorite note taking startup, Roam. And, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions. Sponsors: DoubleUp.agency Today In Digital Marketing Podcast Links: Russia, China and Iran launched cyberattacks on presidential campaigns, Microsoft says (NBC News) Epic says that Sign in with Apple for Fortnite will still work after all (iMore) ‘Apple One’ subscription bundle confirmed by Apple Music for Android ahead of Sept. 15 event (9to5Google) A $200 Million Seed Valuation for Roam Shows Investor Frenzy for Note-Taking Apps (The Information) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Apple's Rising Class of Leaders Will Shape a Post-Tim Cook Era (Bloomberg) Your Phone Wasn’t Built for the Apocalypse (The Atlantic) Esports Pros Have ‘Dream’ Jobs—but Game

Facebook goes back to its roots by going back to school with Campus. The Long-Term Stock Exchange is ready for its closeup. The former head of the NSA is joining Amazon’s board. The second-gen Motorola Razr is here. And an in-depth review and assessment of whether or not Microsoft’s Surface Duo knows what it wants to be. Sponsors: Doubleup.agency Today In Digital Marketing Podcast Links: Facebook reinvents Facebook with the launch of Campus for college students (The Verge) Former NSA chief Keith Alexander has joined Amazon’s board of directors (The Verge) Former NSA chief Keith Alexander has joined Amazon’s board of directors (The Verge) Motorola’s second-gen foldable Razr adds 5G, better cameras, and a chance at redemption (The Verge) Bose announces $279 QuietComfort Earbuds and $179 Sport Earbuds (The Verge) MICROSOFT SURFACE DUO REVIEW: DOUBLE TROUBLES (The Verge) TikTok, U.S. Discuss Ways to Avoid Sale (WSJ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clarifying the news on the new Xbox consoles, as well as next week’s Apple event. Apple sues Epic Games for breach of contract. Android 11 is here if you can get it. A new Yubikey now has USB-C goodness. And more indications that 5G is going to continue to be super, annoyingly disappointing. Sponsors: DoubleUp.agency JoinFightCamp.com/techmeme Links: Xbox Series X launches on November 10th for $499 (The Verge) Microsoft is adding EA Play to Xbox Game Pass (Engadget) Nintendo Boosts Switch Production by Another 20% (Bloomberg) Apple to Hold Sept. 15 Online Launch Event to Reveal New Watch (Bloomberg) Apple doubles down in fight with Fortnite creator Epic Games, seeks damages for breach of contract (CNBC) Fortnite is launching a concert series it hopes will become a ‘tour stop’ for artists (The Verge) Google’s new ‘Verified Calls’ feature will tell you why a business is calling you (TechCrunch) Taboola and Outbrain end talks to merge after nearly a year (CNBC) Yubico’s new USB-C s

The details around the new Xbox’s have been revealed. China wants to draw definitive global lines in the tech cold war. Google makes a big bet on the “no code” movement. Content pirates have suffered a historic setback. Was Masa Son pumping up the entire stock market. And we know when the iPhone event will be. Sponsors: MintMobile.com/ride DoubleUp.agency Links: Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S release date and price finally revealed (WindowsCentral) Leaked Xbox Series S commercial reveals 1440p, ray tracing, and 512GB SSD (The Verge) China Launches Initiative to Set Global Data-Security Rules (WSJ) Google binds no-code tools, API management and serverless computing into new development platform (Silicon Angle) Scene Bust Triggered Historic Drop in ‘Pirate’ Releases (Torrent Freak) SoftBank’s Bet on Tech Giants Fueled Powerful Market Rally (WSJ) SoftBank, Robinhood and a Margins Singularity (Margins Newsletter) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As I said on Friday, my goal this week was I wanted to learn more about the EV space. Yes, there’s Tesla, but we only talk about Tesla. And remember, I got turned on to the whole SPAC phenomenon because a lot of EV startups were going the SPAC route to get themselves publicly traded stocks that they hope will go hockey stick like Tesla stock. So, I reached out to Martyn Lee of the EV News Daily podcast. If you’re into the whole EV space, check out the EV News Daily podcast. As mentioned, it’s a daily just like this podcast is, but if you’re into the EV space, Martyn has you covered absolutely comprehensively. My thanks to Martyn for this great chat. Subscribe to the EV News Daily Podcast! Sponsors: Wipers123.com code RIDE Metalab.co TinyCapital.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices