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: techmemeTovala.com/rideLinks: 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)

Techmeme Ride Home

Thu. 01/21 – Mark Gurman Dishes On The Apple VR Headset

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/techmemeTovala.com/rideLinks: 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

Wed. 01/20 – A16Z To Get Into The Media Business?

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/techmemeMintMobile.com/rideLinks: 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)

Tue. 01/19 – Qualcomm’s New Snapdragon 870

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)

(Bonus) Interesting Raise Episode 1!

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/rideMetalab.coLinks: 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 Suggestions:Is Letterboxd Becoming a Blockbuster? (NYTimes) Why the Canadian Tech Scene Doesn’t Work (AlexDanco.com) An Oral History of Wikipedia, the Web’s Encyclopedia (OneZero) CRISPR and the Splice to Survive (The New Yorker) Spotify Bets Big on Podcasts as a Path to Profitability (Bloomberg Businessweek)Subscribe to the premium feed here

Fri. 01/15 – Are We Really Getting the MacBook of My Dreams?

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.coTinyCapital.comLinks: 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)

Thu. 01/14 – Samsung Unpacked Brings The New Galaxy S21 Lineup

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/bestwifiMetalab.coLinks: 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 Facebook after surge in Signal and Telegram users (The Verge)

Wed. 01/13 – The Visa/Plaid Merger Is Called Off

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/techmemeBuyRaycon.com/techLinks: 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 in 2021 (The Verge)

Tue. 01/12 – Intel Unveils New Core i9-11900K Flagship Chip

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: rideExpressVPN.com/techmemeLinks: 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)

Mon. 01/11 – All Of Tech Kills Parler

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.comDoubleUp.agencyLinks: 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 Over Facebook. Now Everything Is FarmVille. (NYTimes) Archaeology is going digital to harness the power of Big Data (Ars Technica) Here are the 6 most exciting space missions of 2021 (TNW)

Fri. 01/08 – An Apple/Hyundai Car?

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.comLiftoff.toLinks: 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)

Thu. 01/07 – Yes, There’s A Tech Angle To Yesterday’s Events…

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 trialLinks: 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 following banner year (Axios)Link to the Clubhouse parody video (@PottsJustin)

Wed. 01/06 – New GPT-3 Models Can Generate Images From Text

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/techmemeLinks: 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) Dell built a range of monitors for video conferencing (Engadget) Dell's new Latitude 9000 laptops feature an automatic webcam shutter (Engadget)

Tue. 01/05 – US Banks Can Now Issue Stablecoins

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/techmemeLinkedIn.com/rideLinks: 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)

Mon. 01/04 – Some Google Workers Say Union YES!

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/rideDoubleUp.AgencyLinks: 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 the Pandemic Will Take Us (The Atlantic) With Money, and Waste, China Fights for Chip Independence (NYTimes) The Lasting Lessons of John Conway’s Game of Life (NYTimes)

Wed. 12/30 – Apple Loses A Copyright Lawsuit

The day's tech news, every day at 5pm. From Techmeme.com, Silicon Valley's most-read news source. 15 minutes and you're up to date. 