Technology news

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge In a move that may forever change what it means to be ratio’d, Twitter is testing some new language on tweet metrics, making quotes (also known as retweets with comments) visible on each tweet, the company confirmed Saturday.
“A few months ago, we’ve made Retweets with Comments more visible when you tap to see Retweets on a Tweet,” a Twitter spokesperson wrote in an email to The Verge. “This is available to everyone. Now, we&

Welcome back to The TechCrunch Exchange, a weekly startups-and-markets newsletter for your weekend enjoyment. It’s broadly based on the weekday column that appears on Extra Crunch, but free. And it’s made just for you. You can sign up for the newsletter here. 
With that out of the way, let’s talk money, upstart companies and the latest spicy IPO rumors. 
(In time the top bit of the newsletter won’t get posted to the website, so do make sure to sign up if you wan

Moft is a clever company that makes clever products. For a while there, I was sporting their laptop stand. It was a head-turner when I used to unfold it during meetings — back when we used to do those in-person. The truth is, I ended up having to tear it off the bottom. It lasted fine for a while, but the heat from the bottom of my MacBook ultimately melted it into a gooey mess. It was fun while it lasted.
Ultimately, I do think that was a design flaw. But even so, Moft its one of those co

Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images An agreement between the US government and Kodak to develop generic drug ingredients appears to be on hold, after the US International Development Finance Corporation tweeted that “recent allegations of wrongdoing raise serious concerns.”“We will not proceed any further unless these allegations are cleared,” the agency tweeted, without specifying what the allegations were.Kodak said Friday it was conducting an internal review o

Editor’s note: Get this free weekly recap of TechCrunch news that any startup can use by email every Saturday morning (7am PT). Subscribe here.
They say business needs certainty to succeed, but new tech startups are still getting funded aggressively despite the pandemic, recession, trade wars and various large disasters created by nature or humans. But before we get to the positive data, let’s spend some time reviewing the hard news — there is a lot of it to process.

Nearly eight years ago, Hamet Watt and Stacy Spikeslaunched MoviePass, the subscription-based movie ticketing service that captured the minds and dollars of investors and brought thousands of cinephiles a too-good-to-be-true deal for all-you-can watch movie passes.
Watt, who came to MoviePassas an entrepreneur in residence at True Ventures, previously founded the brand and product placement startup NextMedium and also spent time as a board partner at Upfront Ventures. Now, the serial entrepreneu

On one hand working from home is truly awesome. Your commute is however far it is from your bed to your laptop, you don't have to deal face-to-face with annoying colleagues, you can make your own homemade, healthy snacks, and yes, you can work in your pajamas. 
On the other hand, working from home turns your cozy sanctuary into an extension of your workplace, and it can be hard to switch off the way you normally would when you leave a physical place. 
While there are some things you ca

You'll always remember your first...time listening to Phil Collins? These two will, anyway.
On July 27, twin YouTubers Tim and Fred Williams — known for their hilarious reaction videos to classic songs like Dolly Parton's "Jolene," The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army," and Tom Jones' "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" on the channel TwinsthenewTrend — gifted the world documentation of their first outing with "In the Air Tonight." Naturally, it's the drum break that gets them. 
"O

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Facebook removed dozens of accounts it says were part of a troll farm pretending to be African-Americans in support of President Donald Trump and QAnon supporters, the company said, for violating its policies against coordinated inauthentic behavior.According to a report on its July enforcement activity, Facebook removed 35 Facebook accounts, three pages and 88 Instagram accounts for “violating our policy against foreign interference, which is coord

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge President Trump’s advisors got into a “knockdown, drag-out” fight in the Oval Office late last week during discussions about a TikTok ban, the Washington Post reported. Trade advisor Peter Navarro accused Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin of being soft on China, as Navarro pushed for an outright ban of the Chinese-owned video-sharing app, according to the Post, as Mnuchin had been arguing for a TikTok sale to a US company.Navarro told th

Sen. Bernie Sanders accepts none of your hypocritical hot takes, Elon Musk.
Musk's seeming inability to think before tweeting (or his desire for attention) bit him in the ass Friday night when he attempted a dunk on Sanders. The beefing started when Musk replied on Twitter to an article about a bill proposed by the Vermont senator that would create a one-time tax for the country's billionaires to cover the out-of-pocket medical costs for millions of Americans for one year.
The Make Billionaires

There’s a certain kind of panic that at some point gets us all.
You just got to work but did you leave the oven on at home? The gut-punch “call me ASAP” message from your boss but now they’re not answering their phone. Or that moment you unexpectedly see your camera light flash on your computer and you’re suddenly in a video call with a ton of people you don’t know.
Yes, that last one was me. In my defense it was only slightly my fault.
I got a tip about a new

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge President Trump’s executive order banning WeChat could have far-reaching consequences for almost the entire technology industry, thanks to the app’s parent company, Tencent, having investments in companies like Riot Games and other US-based brands. But the ban could also have a big impact on Apple, which is deeply entrenched in China.
Apple has a significant Chinese customer base, and nearly all of its critical manufacturing and assembly partn

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge New Jersey’s Essex County Prosecutor’s Office is moving to dismiss the harassment charges against five people who tweeted or retweeted a police officer’s photo. Asbury Park Press reported the news on Friday afternoon, quoting spokesperson Katherine Carter saying that “after reviewing the cases, we concluded there was insufficient evidence to sustain our burden of proof.”
The Nutley Police Department filed a criminal complaint

Photo by JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images Capital One will pay an $80 million civil penalty for its role in a 2019 security breach that exposed the personal data of more than 100 million customers, The Wall Street Journal reported. In a scathing report on its investigation into the breach, the Office of the Comptroller of Currency, part of the US Treasury. said Capital One was aware its security practices were woefully insufficient, and that the company’s board of directors “fai

August 8 is International Female Orgasm Day, and we're celebrating with an entire week dedicated to exploring the business and pleasure of porn.These days we're inundated with online porn options — that's easy enough to figure out from a single Google search. 
But even connoisseurs of more diverse and ethical alternatives may still find themselves overwhelmed by the sheer amount of choices. Fortunately for those who are horny with no place to go, Mashable is here to help. 
We've

A volunteer gets a vaccine on August 7, 2020 | Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images This week started with a whole lot of people getting very angry about someone being wrong on the internet. This time, it was computer scientist Steven Salzberg, who wrote a blog post on Forbes arguing that people should start vaccinating now — phase 3 clinical trials had just started. They seemed to be going well. Why not start passing out doses to willing, informed volunteers?Well, a whole bunch of reasons, m

Facebook has removed one of the largest public QAnon groups for violating the company’s policies on misinformation, bullying, hate speech, and harassment, Reuters reported. The group, called Official Q/Qanon had almost 200,000 members, was deleted after numerous posts were taken down. A Facebook spokesperson told Reuters that the company was monitoring other QAnon groups as well.QAnon is a conspiracy theory that claims, among other things, that President Donald Trump is secretly planning t

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has described the company’s potential TikTok deal as a poisoned chalice. In a wide-ranging interview with Wired, Gates makes it clear that Microsoft acquiring parts of TikTok won’t be easy or simple. “Who knows what’s going to happen with that deal,” says Gates. “But yes, it’s a poison[ed] chalice.” He also notes that being a big player in the social media business “is n

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has described the company’s potential TikTok deal as a “poison chalice.” In a wide-ranging interview with Wired, Gates makes it clear that Microsoft acquiring parts of TikTok won’t be easy or simple. “Who knows what’s going to happen with that deal,” says Gates. “But yes, it’s a poison chalice.” He also notes that being a big player in the social media business &ld

Photo by Sam Byford / The Verge If you’re shopping around for a deal this weekend, there are a few that we want to tell you about. As is usually the case, some of them have been happening for the past few days, but others are new ones that more recently popped up.Brydge is hosting a back-to-school sale on its wireless Bluetooth keyboards for iPad, which should be helpful whether you’re physically going back to class or just resuming where you left off from home. If you have an iPad

When you hear the words "back to school," you most likely picture things like textbooks, classrooms, and school buses. But due to a global pandemic, the upcoming school year is going to take a new shape for many.
With some schools remaining closed for the remainder of the year, most classes will take place over video calls and assignments will be completed via apps, tablets, and laptops. All of which is to say: Your school supply list is going to look different as compared to previous years.
In

August 8 is International Female Orgasm Day, and we're celebrating with an entire week dedicated to exploring the business and pleasure of porn.Knowledge of the orgasm gap isn't new but, unsurprisingly, it's still very real. For cisheterosexual couples, men typically orgasm 95 percent of the time, but for women that number drops to 65 percent, according to a 2016 study from the Archives of Sexual Behavior. 
This is why on the weekend of August 8, which is International Female Orgasm Day, Po

In our Back to School series, we tackle the big issues students face, from police in schools to representation. Because returning to the classroom is about more than buying school supplies.You might not spend much time thinking about the gender gap in education — that is, the difference in educational outcomes between boys and girls — but you should. These disparities affect people from childhood all the way through adult life, via the careers they choose and beyond. 
Girls

If you're a hot sleeper, getting a solid night's rest can be difficult. It's especially hard if you can't sleep without some kind of bed covering. Sleeping on top of the comforter, vulnerable to all manner of aliens and demons, is just not an option. 
That's where cooling bedding — pillows, comforters, and sheets — comes in. (For more info on why sleeping cool is so important, check out our story on cooling pillows.) A cooling sheet set is a particularly useful way to stay cool:

When the weather is nice and the sun is shining, it can feel like the only thing you want to do is spend your whole day outside. Whether that means lounging by the pool, reading on your porch, working from your patio, or picnicking at the park, it doesn’t get much better than enjoying the fresh air as you go about your daily activities. 
But actually, there is one thing that could make all of those scenarios even more perfect, and that would be having the right outdoor speaker to make

When the weather is nice, you’re likely lounging by the pool, reading a book on your porch, or BBQ’ing for the family in the backyard. The only thing that could make it even more perfect would be having the right speaker to play your favorite playlist.
But when you’re choosing a speaker for listening outside, there are a few features you’re going to want to prioritize. Choosing a wireless speaker — one where you don’t need to tangle with power cords and can ea

TL;DR: Create your own fun with the Build a Strategy Game Development online course bundle for $39.99, a 97% savings as of Aug. 8. If video games have been helping you pass the time while you're stuck at home, you're far from alone. There's a reason you haven't been able to escape conversations about Animal Crossing since April. And it all boils down to one beautiful little word: escapism. 
But if that's just not doing it for you anymore, why not kick it up a notch and become the archi

TL;DR: Work on your language skills with the Complete Conversational Spanish Mastery bundle for $29.99, an 84% savings as of Aug. 8. We may not be able to travel the world at the moment, but it's a great time to study up on a new language nonetheless. And considering how many Spanish speakers reside in the US, you can't lose by investing some time and effort into this worthy skill. The Complete Conversational Spanish Mastery Bundle is a unique three-in-one course that favors conversational

We may not want to admit it outright, but we can't live without our electronic devices. Then again, our beloved devices are as good as bricks when their batteries hit zero. What we're saying is this: while gadgets are great investments, you shouldn't overlook the chargers you use, too.
Whether you want cables that don't fray after only weeks of use or power banks that you can bring with you everywhere, here are deals on power devices you'll want to snatch up:
Wireless chargers
Executive Wireless

It's high time we face the painful reality that we are not going back to theaters (of any kind) anytime soon. That's why the highly-anticipated live-action Mulan is set to stream on Disney+ instead and Netflix has given us their word that they will continue to offer a virtually bottomless pool of content for us to enjoy while stuck at home. 
While there's nothing that can replace an actual cinematic experience in a theater, it doesn't mean that we can't try. From HD TVs to portable projecto

It can be easy to let yourself go, especially when you're stuck at home for months with zero social engagements. One way to make sure that doesn't happen is by treating yourself to a bunch of new grooming goodies.
Whether you're shopping for a man in your life or you're that man, there's definitely something here for everyone. The best part is every item is under $50. Start scrolling and placing those orders. 
1Modrn Man 2-Step Cosmetic Systems
Modrn Man 2-Step Cosmetic Systems — $26.

TL;DR: The Hacking In Practice: Ethical Hacking course is on sale for £9.86 as of August 8, saving you 87% on list price.Renowned cybersecurity researcher and analyst Keren Elazari posited the perfect metaphor for hackers in a now-viral TED talk: hackers are the internet's immune system, pushing the internet to become stronger and healthier. 
While there are malicious hackers pushing that agenda by exposing flaws, there are also good guy/girl hackers (commonly referred to as ethical h

TL;DR: The Complete 2020 Cloud Certification Training bundle is on sale for £30.37 as of August 8, saving you 98% on list price.Cloud technology has done wonders for the business world over the years — and it's easy to see why. It provides more space, scalability, efficiency, and speed, with absolutely zero hardware. It's basically an invisible solution to a handful of problems, including how to transition companies to remote-only work during the current pandemic. As a result of all

The president held a surprise press conference at one of his golf clubs late Friday evening, and very few of the attendees wore masks — until Twitter shamed them about it. 
During Friday's conference at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, Trump spoke about a strange selection of topics, but did address the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which he repeatedly referred to as the "ChinaVirus." I will be doing a news conference on the ChinaVirus, th

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying satellites for the U.S. Air Force launches on June 25, 2019. | Photo by Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty Images The US Department of Defense has selected its two primary rocket companies for getting satellites into orbit in the years ahead: long-time military launch provider United Launch Alliance (ULA) and SpaceX. ULA will receive 60 percent of the department’s satellite launch contracts, while SpaceX will receive 40 percent.
The two companies beat o