The alleged shooter who killed 2 people outside a synagogue in Halle, Germany, on Wednesday morning used the platform Twitch to livestream the attack, Amazon confirmed to CNBC.
Why it matters: 2,200 people viewed the recording of the killings, and the video was accessible on the platform for 30 minutes before Twitch flagged and removed it, according to the New York Times.
As congestion cripples the world's cities, transportation officials and city planners are trying to figure out how automated vehicles can help alleviate traffic and address climate change.
Why it matters: Robotaxis and delivery AVs running non-stop won't stop anything if they're merely replacing existing cars on the road. Instead, AVs need to be thoughtfully woven into reinvigorated public transportation systems so they become a desirable alternative to personal cars.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will testify before the House Financial Services Committee on Oct. 23 as part of a hearing titled, "An Examination of Facebook and Its Impact on the Financial Services and Housing Sectors."
Why it matters:Libra, Facebook's cryptocurrency project, faces headwinds from lawmakers and regulators. In July, House Financial Services Chair Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) called for a moratorium on the project. Zuckerberg's decision to testify about Libra personally rather than sending a subordinate is a sign of the effort's importance to Facebook.
The tech industry spent the last two decades connecting the world and getting computers into every home and hand — but that's turning out to have been the easy part. Now, every problem tech companies face is fiendishly hard.
Driving the news: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) unloaded on Facebook Monday:
"Facebook has incredible power to affect elections and our national debate. Mark Zuckerberg is telling employees that he views a Warren administration as an “existential” threat to Facebook. The public deserves to know how Facebook intends to use their influence in this election."
Twitter disclosed Tuesday that it "unintentionally" used some email addresses and phone numbers for advertising even though the information was provided for account security.
Why it matters: It's the latest example of a tech company misusing user data.
Sony said Tuesday that its next game console, the PlayStation 5, will arrive by next year's holiday shopping season. It also announced the PS5's controllers will feature advanced haptics with variable tension, so shooting a bow and arrow feels more realistic, for example.
Why it matters: Though eagerly awaited by hard core gamers, the new PlayStation will face competition not just from Microsoft's next Xbox, but also from streaming services like Google's Stadia.
SoftBank Vision Fund isn't just the largest private equity fund ever raised, at $100 billion. It's also one of the most complicated.
How it works: All outside limited partners are promised a 7% annual coupon on their invested capital, which through June had come out to $1.6 billion. And some of that $1.6 billion has come from those same limited partners, in a bizarre bit of capital carousel. The result, from a practical perspective, is that SVF might not really invest $100 billion into outside tech companies.
A chorus of civil rights and privacy groups is calling on U.S. cities to end partnerships with Amazon's Ring camera unit, saying the deals raise a range of privacy, discrimination and other concerns.
Why it matters: Per the Washington Post, more than 400 agencies have deals with the Amazon subsidiary.
TCG, a venture affiliate of The Chernin Group that invests in media, entertainment, and tech businesses, has doubled down on its investment in MeatEater, the hunting brand that hit mainstream via its hit show on Netflix beginning in 2015.
Why it matters: Outdoor entertainment is a growing media category that TCG thinks is underserved, and can be monetized well through selling branded merchandise. "There's several billion dollars a year spent just from Americans in pursuit of their outdoor activities on commerce," says Mike Kerns, President of Digital at The Chernin Group.
