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TECH CRUNCH
The pandemic effect is slowing
Welcome back to The TechCrunch Exchange, a weekly startups-and-markets newsletter for your weekend enjoyment.
5 lessons from Duolingo's bellwether edtech IPO of the year
Duolingo landed onto the public markets this week, rallying excitement and attention for the edtech sector and its founder cohort. The language learning business’ stock price soared when it began to trade, even after the unicorn raised its IPO price range, an…
China roundup: Keep down internet upstarts, cultivate hard tech
Hello and welcome back to TechCrunch’s China roundup, a digest of recent events shaping the Chinese tech landscape and what they mean to people in the rest of the world. The tech industry in China has had quite a turbulent week. The government is upending its…
This Week in Apps: Instagram restricts teens' accounts, Elon Musk criticizes App Store fees, Google Play's new policies
Welcome back to This Week in Apps, the weekly TechCrunch series that recaps the latest in mobile OS news, mobile applications and the overall app economy. The app industry continues to grow, with a record 218 billion downloads and $143 billion in global consu…
Bring your own environment: The future of work
A few years from now, the organizations that succeed will be the ones that resisted the urge to race everyone back to the office and instead rethought how their workforce operates.
TuSimple's self-driving truck network takes shape with Ryder partnership
TuSimple, the self-driving truck company that went public earlier this year, has partnered with Ryder as part of its plan to build out a freight network that will support its autonomous trucking operations. Under the deal announced this week, Ryder’s fleet ma…
Pittsburgh Google contractors ratify deal with HCL
Nearly two years ago, contractors for Google’s Pittsburgh operations voted to join the United Steelworkers union in a bid to secure more labor rights representation. It was an early example of a building union movement for tech workers across the spectrum. Bu…
Daily Crunch: European privacy regulators fine Amazon $887M over targeted advertising practices
Hello friends and welcome to Daily Crunch, bringing you the most important startup, tech and venture capital news in a single package.
Argo AI can now offer the public rides in its autonomous vehicles in California
Argo AI, the autonomous vehicle technology startup backed by Ford and VW, has landed a permit in California that will allow the company to give people free rides in its self-driving vehicles on the state’s public roads. The California Public Utilities Commiss…
Deliveroo could leave Spanish market ahead of on-demand labor reclassification
Deliveroo said it is considering leaving the Spanish market, citing limited market share and a long road of investment with 'highly uncertain long-term potential returns' on the horizon.
WIRED
Ted Lasso, the Olympics, and Talking About Mental Health
The confluence of the Apple TV+ comedy, the sports world, and social media is leading to a much needed dialog.
3D Imaging Shows How Shark Guts Work Like a Tesla Valve
Using CT scans and 3D modeling, researchers found the fish’s spiral digestive system is analogous to Nikola Tesla’s ingenious check valve design.
Why the History of Black Twitter Needed to Be Told
This week, Jason Parham takes us inside one of the most influential communities on the internet and shares their stories in their own words.
The Privacy Battle That Apple Isn’t Fighting
California has begun enforcing a browser-level privacy setting, but you still can’t find that option in Safari or iOS.
Dogs, Unlike Wolves, Are Born to Communicate With People
Wolf puppies can’t understand human gestures as well as their dog cousins. The difference could help explain what makes dogs so special.
The Dam Is Breaking on Vaccine Mandates
Hopes for a “normal” fall have been dashed by variants and low vaccine uptake. Businesses and the White House think requiring shots can turn things around.
Simone Biles and the Unprecedented Olympic Pressure
The Tokyo Games have taken a unique psychological toll on all of the athletes.
Phantom Warships Are Courting Chaos in Conflict Zones
The latest weapons in the global information war are fake vessels behaving badly.
The 11 Best Laptop Stands: Adjustable, Portable, and More
Help your back and posture by raising your computer screen up to eye level.
18 Best Cloth Face Masks: Ones We Actually Like to Wear (Updated 2021)
WIRED has tested these masks. With the coronavirus pandemic ongoing, we've gathered our team's favorite face coverings for running, going to work, kids, and looking stylish. Plus, updated tips on how to wear them most effectively.
HACKER NEWS
Platform Software Engineer
Zendar is hiring a Platform Software Engineer.
About Zendar:
Zendar develops a high-resolution radar imaging system that has resolution similar to lidar, allowing cars to see in inclement weather. We are a team of electrical, radar, software engineers and r…
Why is the English spelling system so weird and inconsistent? | Aeon Essays
Why is English spelling so weird and unpredictable? Don’t blame the mix of languages; look to quirks of timing and technology
Hosting SQLite Databases on GitHub Pages
I was writing a tiny website to display statistics of how much sponsored content a Youtube creator has over time when I noticed that I often write a small tool as a website that queries some data from a database and then displays it in a graph, a table, or si…
FBI probe shows amount of chemicals in Beirut blast was a fraction of original shipment
The amount of ammonium nitrate that blew up at Beirut port last year was one fifth of the shipment unloaded there in 2013, the FBI concluded after the blast, adding to suspicions that much of the cargo had gone missing.
Hundreds of Ways to Get S#!+ Done—and We Still Don’t
You want to be productive. Software wants to help. But even with a glut of tools claiming to make us all into taskmasters, we almost never master our tasks.
As lockdowns lift, media firms brace for an “attention recession”
People have spent a year glued to screens, but now the attention boom is turning to bust | International
Cory Doctorow: Past Performance is Not Indicative of Future Results
In “Full Employment”, my July 2020 column, I wrote, “I am an AI skeptic. I am baffled by anyone who isn’t. I don’t see any path from continuous improvements to the (ad…
WALL STREET JOURNAL
Border Surge, Delta Variant Complicate Biden’s Immigration Agenda
Plans to ease public-health rules at the border, overhaul the asylum system and create a path to citizenship for Dreamers face potential delays or political pushback
Instead of Gold, Djokovic’s Olympics End with a Meltdown
The world No.1 lost his singles match on Saturday, lost his temper and skipped mixed doubles altogether to miss both of his shots at a bronze medal.
Behind the Rise of U.S. Solar Power, a Mountain of Chinese Coal
Reliance on coal-fired electricity to produce solar panels raises concerns in the West
The Zen of the Olympic Bullpen Cart
The unlikely baseball star of the Tokyo Games is a slow-moving vehicle that ferries pitchers to the mound in a giant baseball mitt.
Delta Variant Fears Spur Some Americans to Get Covid-19 Vaccine
Concerns about the Delta variant, confidence in vaccines’ safety and pressure from friends and family are helping people get past their hesitancy
Towns Trying to Ban Natural Gas Face Resistance in Their Push for All-Electric Homes
Massachusetts is at the center of a battle over phasing out gas for cooking and heating
How a Landlord Making $75,000 a Year Could End Up in the Millionaire Tax Bracket
Paul Settle hoped to retire on the proceeds from the sale of his rental property. President Biden’s proposal to raise capital-gains taxes has put his plans in limbo.
Why Artificial Intelligence Isn’t Intelligent
Some experts in AI think its name fuels confusion and hype of the sort that led to past ‘AI winters’ of disappointment
Is a Four-Day Week the Future of Work?
Working fewer hours is getting a new look during the pandemic as companies experiment with cures for employee burnout
Investors Lost Hundreds of Billions on China in July
China moves to reassure global investors who have been drawn to country’s strong growth, booming tech industry
ASSOCIATED PRESS
US memorials to victims of COVID-19 pandemic taking shape
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (AP) — Ohio has planted a memorial grove of native trees to remember people who died of COVID-19, and governors and state lawmakers nationwide are considering their own ways to mark the toll of the virus.
UK prime minister's wife says she's pregnant again
LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s wife, Carrie, said Saturday that she is expecting the couple’s second child.Carrie Johnson announced her pregnancy in a post on Instagram in which she also revealed that she suffered a miscarriage earlier t…
Tenants prepare for unknown as eviction moratorium ends
BOSTON (AP) — Tenants saddled with months of back rent are facing the end of the federal eviction moratorium Saturday, a move that could lead to millions being forced from their homes just as the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus is rapidly s…
Bacon may disappear in California as pig rules take effect
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Thanks to a reworked menu and long hours, Jeannie Kim managed to keep her San Francisco restaurant alive during the coronavirus pandemic.That makes it all the more frustrating that she fears her breakfast-focused diner could be ruined …
Ammunition shelves bare as U.S. gun sales continue to soar
SEATTLE (AP) — The COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with record sales of firearms, has fueled a shortage of ammunition in the United States that’s impacting law enforcement agencies, people seeking personal protection, recreational shooters and hunters -- and could…
Mask guidance divides parents heading into new school year
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — With U.S. health officials recommending that children mask up in school this fall, parents and policy makers across the nation have been plunged anew into a debate over whether face coverings should be optional or a mandate.
Ban on 'Soul Cap' spotlights lack of diversity in swimming
TOKYO (AP) — Alice Dearing has an afro, a voluminous puff nearly impossible to protect in most swimming caps. Her hair shrinks if it gets wet. And the chlorine? The chemicals in a pool can cause severe damage that requires substantial time and money to treat.
Schumer: Senators will 'get the job done' on infrastructure
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate convened for a rare weekend session on Saturday, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer encouraging the authors of a bipartisan infrastructure plan to finish writing their bill so that senators can begin offering amendments.
Olympic attention to mental health: Can NBC coverage pivot?
NEW YORK (AP) — If NBC's Michele Tafoya expected exultation or tears of joy from American swimmer Caeleb Dressel when she asked how it felt to reach his dream of an Olympic gold medal, that's not what she got.
Olympic Latest: Bencic wins tennis gold for Switzerland
TOKYO (AP) — The Latest on the Tokyo Olympics, which are taking place under heavy restrictions after a year’s delay because of the coronavirus pandemic:___
BUSINESS INSIDER
Rep. Cori Bush: Dems 'went on vacation' as eviction moratorium set to expire
Once the moratorium expires on July 31, about 6 million Americans will risk eviction in the coming months.
The US reported 122,000 new COVID-19 cases on Friday — the highest single-day spike since February
The CDC last week shifted its mask guidance and said vaccinated people should wear face coverings in areas with high levels of COVID-19 transmission.
6 YouTube drama channel creators explain why spilling tea is harder than it used to be
Insider spoke to six influential people who spread the news on YouTube about the biggest challenges they face in their community.
Hedge funds get a wake up call on the risks of investing in China
Hedge funds with big positions in Chinese companies will likely be proceeding with caution after the regulatory environment rocked markets, insiders say.
Wall Street and Silicon Valley looking for cloud cost FinOps pros
Banks, retailers, and pharma companies are all hiring for tech's hottest new role: helping them cut costs in Amazon, Microsoft, and Google's clouds.
Airlines combat pilot shortage by fast-tracking trainees
Some airlines have 'ab initio' programs that can take candidates from the streets to the first officer's seat of a major jet in five years or less.
The eviction moratorium is ending. Expect millions of evictions.
Evictions, which have been banned since March 2020, will soon be allowed. Rents may fall, and the 7.4 million households behind on rent should brace.
Iran: Suspected 'kamikaze drone' attack on Israeli ship was retaliation
A Briton and Romanian were killed in the attack on the Israeli-linked oil tanker Mercer Street in the Gulf, off the coast of Oman.
Hotel manager says he flooded with 115 job applicants in 2 days
The owner of two hotels in Bellingham, Washington, said he avoided the labor shortage after spending four years building up the company's culture.
CEO Elon Musk said Tesla was 'wrong' over battery-charging issue
Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Friday said the EV maker had been wrong to lower the maximum charging capacity for some vehicles in a 2019 software update.