Foldable phones are officially a thing, Tesla names a new board chair, Amazon’s mailing a physical toy catalog, Ford doesn’t want to miss out on scooters, and Comcast doesn’t want to miss out on home hubs. Stories from: @albertwenger, @dmac1, @meganrosedickey Tweets: @bryce Links: This is Samsung’s foldable smartphone (The Verge) Google says Android will natively support ‘foldables’ to limit fragmentation (The Verge) Amazon is mailing a printed holiday toy catalog to millions of customers (CNBC) Google Plans Large New York City Expansion (WSJ) The Anchor Tenant (Fred Wilson/AVC) Google's Gift to NYC (Albert Wenger) Ford buys electric scooter startup Spin (TechCrunch) Comcast is developing a video-streaming platform for broadband-only customers (CNBC) So I sent my mom that newfangled Facebook Portal (TechCrunch)  

Silicon Valley’s special election day vote, why robocalls have taken over your phone, Jeff Bezos’ clever HQ2 bonus, making 911 calls better and why Jake Tapper is a digital media pioneer. Links: San Francisco has passed a first-of-its-kind tax on big businesses — like Square and Stripe — to help the homeless (Recode) Scoop: AT&T to cut off some customers' service in piracy crackdown (Axios) Why robocalls have taken over your phone (The Verge) Amazon gained a huge perk from its HQ2 contest that's worth far more than any tax break (Business Insider) Chinese ‘gait recognition’ tech IDs people by how they walk (The Associated Press) RapidSOS, an emergency response data provider, raises $30M as it grows from 10K users to 250M (TechCrunch) Newsonomics: “Digital defeats print” is the headline as Gannett steps away from printed election results (NiemanLab)

Facebook takes down more accounts ahead of the election, the new Chrome might block ALL ads on some websites, Macbook Air reviews, and why you might not be able to read election results in tomorrow’s newspaper. Links: Medium Post on Facebook and the Election (Jonathan Albright) Chrome will soon ad-block an entire website if it shows abusive ads (The Verge) Amazon Plans to Split HQ2 Evenly Between Two Cities (WSJ) APPLE MACBOOK AIR (2018) REVIEW: THE PRESENT OF COMPUTING (The Verge) The 2018 Retina MacBook Air (Daring Fireball) India's Meesho, which enables social commerce via WhatsApp, raises $50M (TechCrunch) PredictHQ exits stealth with $10 million to help Uber and others forecast demand surges (VentureBeat) VMWare acquires Heptio, the startup founded by 2 co-founders of Kubernetes (TechCrunch)

Has Amazon decided on the location of its new HQ? What do people think of the new iPad Pros? Why are recently IPO’d tech companies hoarding cash? And why you might want to think twice about taking a selfie in the voting booth tomorrow. Links: Amazon in Late-Stage Talks With...

Apple makes a pile of money and their stock tanks, Flickr ends its mega-free-storage plan, a classic internet cartoon gets a 4K makeover, browser extensions steal Facebook private messages, testing the latest smartphones to see how their batteries hold up, and the weekend lon...

Google employees stage a walk-out protest around the globe, Vox swallows Recode, the new devices this week continue Apple’s push to increase ASP, and maybe it’s subscriptions that are eating the world. Stories from: @rustybrick, @benlovejoy Tweets: @lizthegrey, @ingridlunden...

Facebook earnings were not a disaster, another Alphabet employee is out because of scandal, Waymo has a permit to test real driverless cars on California roads, and if you don’t know what computational notebooks are, let me tell you about them.  Links: Zuckerberg says ...

Today MacBook Airs, Mac Minis and new iPad Pros, Coinbase raises a round, the UK has a new tech tax, interesting executive musical chairs, and why reCAPTCHA’s might be a thing of the past. Links: UK chancellor announces 2% ‘digital services tax’ on tech giants’ revenues starting in April 2020 (TechCrunch) Snap CEO Picked a New Business Chief, Then Changed His Mind (Bloomberg) Google Launches reCAPTCHA v3 (Security Week)

IBM buys Red Hat, museums get new ways to preserve video games, Sony announces the full list of titles for its retro PlayStation mini-console, DJI has a drone for first responders, and a look at the service Gab. Links: IBM to acquire Red Hat in deal valued at $34 billion (C...

The Tech earnings season earnings roundup, new DRM rules allow jailbreaking… for some things, China’s rival GPS system, AI “art” fetches $400,000 at auction and the weekend longreads suggestions. Links: Twitter Stock Soars after Strong Earnings Beat (CNBC) Tesla Shares Soar...

How Google paid Andy Rubin on his way out the door despite allegations of sexual misconduct, Uber Eats and the rise of virtual restaurants, Kickstarter sunsets its Drip service but plans a nice replacement, and older people are worse than younger people at telling f...

Tim Cook attacks the “data industrial complex,” why political texts are flooding your phone, the US, China and the AI cold war, and how Facebook Messenger got its new look. Links: Apple’s Tim Cook Makes Blistering Attack On the “Data Industrial Complex” (TechCrunch) Why political text messages are flooding your phone (Axios) The AI Cold War That Could Doom Us All (Wired) Messenger redesigns to clean up Facebook’s mess (TechCrunch) How Facebook’s Messenger Got Its New Look in a New Jersey Basement (Wired)

Tim Cook demands a retraction from Bloomberg, another founder flees Facebook, Repl.it gets a murder’s row of VC backers and the iPhone XR reviews are in. Links: Amazon cloud chief Jassy follows Apple in calling for retraction of Chinese spy chip story (CNBC) Apple CEO Tim Cook Is Calling For Bloomberg To Retract Its Chinese Spy Chip Story (Buzzfeed) Supermicro CEO Joins Cook in Calling for Bloomberg to Retract Supply Chain Hack Story (MacRumors) Oculus co-founder is leaving Facebook after cancellation of ‘Rift 2’ headset (TechCrunch) Former Facebook engineer quit to build the programming tool he always wanted (CNBC) Apple iPhone XR Review: Better Than Good Enough (The Verge) Now Apps Can Track You Even After You Uninstall Them (Bloomberg) Android: A Visual History of Google’s OS On Its 10th Anniversary (The Verge)

Facebook wants to buy some cybersecurity, Washington wants to know what Silicon Valley will do for its country, Fred Wilson wants you to ask yourself if your investors are bad actors, and stealing a Tesla by hacking the entry fob. Links: Facebook on Hunt for Big Cybersecurity Acquisition (The Information) Who Are My Investors? (AVC) Thieves steal a Tesla Model S by hacking the entry fob (Engadget) A tech executive's video of his Tesla Model S being hacked and stolen is going viral (Business Insider) Video of the Tesla theft Google Home Hub review (CNET) Google Home Hub review—Awesome hardware for Google’s nascent smart display software (Ars Technica) Google Home Hub Review: At the intersection of useful and just plain cute [Video] (9to5Google) Google Home Hub review: A more personal smart display (Engadget)

Facebook makes a hire that makes British Twitter laugh, here’s how much Google’s going to charge for Android, Google wants China but does China want Google and the Weekend Longreads suggestions. Links: Facebook Hires Nick Clegg, Former UK Deputy Prime Minister, as Head of G...

Spotify Premium gets a spit shine, Facebook think it knows who was behind that big hack, why everyone and their mother has a subscription box service, and an Apple event in Brooklyn! Links: Spotify Premium gets personalized artist radio stations and better search (The Verge) Twitter makes it easier to see enforcement taken on reported tweets (Tech Crunch) Facebook Finds Hack Was Done by Spammers, Not Foreign State (WSJ) Android Creator’s Startup Essential Products Cuts About 30% of Staff (Bloomberg) Inside the $2.6 billion subscription box wars (Fast Company) Beddr’s SleepTuner is a powerful standalone alternative to Apple Watch sleep tracking (9to5Mac)

Google bows to the EU’s demands, the biggest thing to happen to Github since the pull request, video game cheaters are getting sued, and Facebook brings back MTV’s The Real World.  Links: Google will start charging Android device makers a fee for using its apps in Europe (The Verge) GitHub launches Actions, its workflow automation tool (Github) Fortnite, GTA V hackers face legal action for online cheating (Ars Technica) It turns out that Facebook could in fact use data collected from its Portal in-home video device to target you with ads (Recode) MTV is bringing back 'The Real World' for Facebook Watch, and will let the audience vote on the direction of the show (Business Insider)

Uber’s targeting a blockbuster IPO valuation, cops told to stop looking at iPhones, the Kindle Paperwhite is ready for the bath, the Pixel reviews are in, and remembering Paul Allen.Sponsors:DatadogHQ.com/RideHomeTiny.website99designs.com/techmeme Links:Uber Proposals Value Company at $120 Billion in a Possible IPO (WSJ)Cops Told ‘Don’t Look’ at New iPhones to Avoid Face ID Lock-Out (Motherboard)The Kindle Paperwhite is ready for the bath (Engadget)Google Pixel 3 review: improving on incredible (Charged)GOOGLE PIXEL 3 AND 3 XL REVIEW: THE BEST CAMERA GETS A BETTER PHONE (The Verge)The Google Pixel 3 XL review (TechCrunch)Google Pixel 3 Review: The Other Way to Make a Killer Phone (Gizmodo)Paul G. Allen, Microsoft’s Co-Founder, Is Dead at 65 (NyTimes)

The future of Photoshop is here today, Palm is back to bring us a tiny phone, Apple makes another acquisition, and why we’re doomed to a future of genetic surveillance. Links: FINALLY: REAL PHOTOSHOP ON THE IPAD (The Verge) Adobe launches new AR and drawing tools (TechCrunch) Adobe launches Premiere Rush, a cross-platform video editor (Venture Beat) Apple acquires music analytics startup Asaii (Axios) THE NEW PALM IS A TINY PHONE TO KEEP YOU AWAY FROM YOUR PHONE (The Verge) GENOME HACKERS SHOW NO ONE’S DNA IS ANONYMOUS ANYMORE (Wired) Blockchain isn't about democracy and decentralisation – it's about greed (The Guardian) Tweetstorm about Google+ from @morganknutson

Facebook announces the results of their investigation into that data breach, the market downturn is biting some tech companies, has Spotify ruined music, and, of course, the Weekend Longreads suggestions. Links: An Update on the Security Issue (Facebook) Facebook rolls out ...

Facebook cracks down again, ahead of the election, Apple make some interesting acquisitions, how many cameras does a smartphone need, and Dieter Rams just wants Silicon Valley to slow down. Links: Facebook purged over 800 accounts and pages pushing political messages for pr...

Windows needed a do-over, Snapchat hopes its Originals will give it one too, Minecraft abandons Apple TV, and Andy Rubin can’t quit smartphones.  Links: Microsoft begins re-releasing Windows 10 October update after fixing file deletion bug (The Verge) Snapchat becomes the mobile HBO with 12 daily scripted Original shows (TechCrunch) Snap Is ‘Quickly Running Out of Money,’ Analyst Says (Bloomberg) Google Photos adds automated sharing through ‘Live Albums,’ which can stream to Home Hub (TechCrunch) Apple's dream of making the Apple TV a gaming console just took a major hit (Business Insider) A China Veggie-Selling App May Be Worth $7 billion (Bloomberg) Android Creator Is Building an AI Phone That Texts People for You (Bloomberg) AT&T will launch a Netflix rival next year (CNBC) Where the next 10 million miles will take us (Waymo)

The big Made By Google event, follow up on that Google+ bug, WeChat is willing to debunk rumors for you and Saudi Arabia doubles down on Masa Son. Links: First look at Google’s Pixel 3 and 3 XL (The Verge) Exclusive: iPad Pro Face ID details, 4K HDR video over USB-C, AirPods-like Apple Pencil 2 pairing, more (9to5Mac) Google, Exposures, and Breaches; Was Google Wrong?; The Political Considerations (Stratechery) Google Drops Out of Pentagon's $10 Billion Cloud Competition (Bloomberg) Some advertisers are moving half of their search budget from Google to Amazon, say ad industry sources (CNBC) How China's biggest social network fights fake news (Abacus) Saudi Arabia Doubles Down on SoftBank Bet With Extra $45 Billion (Bloomberg)

Google has a data scandal and it's a doozy. Facebook portal is real, a Microsoft streaming gaming service is real, next generation Intel chips are manifest, no one knows what to believe in that blockbuster Bloomberg story, and how the Internet Archive works. Links: Facebook launches Portal auto-zooming video chat screens for $199/$349 (TechCrunch) THE NEW AMAZON ECHO SHOW’S IMPROVED SCREEN AND BETTER SPEAKERS AREN’T ENOUGH (The Verge) Microsoft’s xCloud service streams Xbox games to PCs, consoles, and mobile devices (The Verge) Intel Announces 9th Gen Core CPUs (AnAndTech) Google Exposed User Data, Feared Repercussions of Disclosing to Public (WSJ) Supply Chain Security is the Whole Enchilada, But Who’s Willing to Pay for It? (Krebs on Security) The Internet’s keepers? “Some call us hoarders—I like to say we’re archivists” (Ars Technica)

He said she said on that Bloomberg Bombshell, Evan Spiegel’s plan for survival, new Macs are un-repairable, why are Apple Watch faces such a mess, and the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Stories from: @jsnell, @bizcarson Tweets: @karaswisher, @AdamMinter Links: Instagram pro...

Did China pull off a hardware hack to end all hardware hacks, is a new Nintendo Switch coming as soon as next summer, the ThinQ has five cameras on one phone, and Movie Pass? Still alive! Links: The Big Hack: How China Used a Tiny Chip to Infiltrate U.S. Companies (Bloomberg Businessweek) Russia cyber-plots: US, UK and Netherlands allege hacking (BBC News) Nintendo Plans New Version of Switch Next Year (WSJ) LG V40 THINQ REVIEW: ONE PHONE, FIVE CAMERAS (The Verge) Verizon’s Severance Offer Goes to About 44,000 Employees (WSJ) Barnes & Noble names board committee to review possible sale, shares soar (CNBC) MoviePass' new funding means it isn't going anywhere just yet (Engadget)

Highlights from the Microsoft Surface event, Uber launches its scooter play, streaming service fatigue might be pushing consumers back toward piracy, did you get your smartphone alert from the president, and the new app startup from a young entrepreneur by the name of Bill Ga...

Amazon raises its minimum wage, Tesla’s hitting its Model 3 marks, another new California law could change the face of Tech Boards of Directors and Netflix wants us to choose our own adventure. Links: Amazon raises minimum wage to $15 for all US employees (CNBC) The Story o...

California ready to do battle over net neutrality, Instagram under new management, Elon settles with the SEC, and Tim Berners Lee kinda wants a do-over on the whole World Wide Web thing. Links: The Trump administration is suing California to quash its new net neutrality law (The Washington Post) Justice Department Sues to Stop California Net Neutrality Law (NYTimes) SEC settles charges with Tesla's Elon Musk, will remain as CEO but relinquish chairman role and pay stiff fine (CNBC) Internet, social media use and device ownership in U.S. have plateaued after years of growth (Pew Research Center) (SMART) SPEAKING MY LANGUAGE: DESPITE THEIR VAST CAPABILITIES, SMART SPEAKERS ARE ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC (Nielsen) One Small Step for the Web... (Inrupt Blog) Exclusive: Tim Berners-Lee tells us his radical new plan to upend the World Wide Web (Fast Company)

A new Facebook scandal—but this time it’s different, Slack is preparing for an IPO, an exciting new episode of Today in Elon Musk, and, of course, the weekend longreads suggestions.  Links: Slack Actively Preparing for Early 2019 IPO (WSJ) Coinbase now lets users buy 'bundles' (TechCrunch) Compound launches easy way to short cryptocurrencies (TechCrunch) Tesla's Musk pulled the plug on a settlement with the SEC at the last minute (CNBC) The Betterment Weekend Longreads: How Uber is getting flying cars off the ground (CNET) Coinbase Wants To Be Too Big To Fail (Fortune) The Apple Watch – Tipping Point Time for Healthcare (Steve Blank) Meet the Community Keeping Obsolete Supercomputers Alive (Motherboard) The first Android phone 10 years later: An annotated review (CNET) Hacker says he'll livestream deletion of Zuckerberg's Facebook page (Engadget)