Max Tani / Semafor: Apple’s September 2023 change to how its Podcasts app automatically downloaded episodes has dramatically curtailed download numbers for some podcasts  —  Apple has quietly tightened its reporting of how many people listen to podcasts, sending shock waves through an embattled audio industry still reeling … Lees verder op Tech Meme

Bloomberg: Switzerland-based SoftwareOne, which advises companies on cloud strategies, rejects Bain’s $3.5B takeover, ending months of back-and-forth; SWON.SW drops 10%+  —  – Bain had offered the equivalent of 18.8 Swiss francs per share  — Company has been in negotiations with Bain for several months Lees verder op Tech Meme

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg: Apple plans to move a San Diego-based Data Operations Annotations team, responsible for improving Siri’s accuracy, to Austin; sources say 121 people will move  —  – Company will relocate key Siri data operations group to Austin  — Employees who can’t transfer or find other jobs will be let go Lees verder op Tech Meme

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg: Sources detail the Apple Vision Pro’s in-store sales process, including extensive fitting and calibration and an employee-guided demo lasting up to 25 minutes  —  The company is preparing an extensive sales pitch for the $3,499 device, including a demo lasting as long as 25 minutes. Lees verder op Tech Meme

Adam Samson / Financial Times: Documents: Turkey told ISPs to block access to 16 VPN services, fueling concerns of the government stifling news and information before elections in March 2024  —  New controls on VPNs underline Erdoğan’s moves to curb freedom of information  —  Turkey is tightening its censorship … Lees verder op Tech Meme

Scott Chipolina / Financial Times: A UN report says Tether’s token is one of the leading payment methods for money laundering and frauds, including pig butchering scams, in Southeast Asia  —  Digital currency at the heart of scams including fake romance frauds known as ‘pig butchering’, report says Lees verder op Tech Meme

Emma Park / Financial Times: How some artists are incorporating Dall-E, Midjourney, and other AI tools into their work, while others remain anxious about AI’s impact on their livelihoods  —  Forward-thinking designers are willing to embrace the technology — without relinquishing human creativity’s central role Lees verder op Tech Meme