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Matthew Yglesias / Vox:
An overview of the debate over breaking up big tech and why antitrust might not be the best concept to address most issues people have with big tech companies — There's a pervasive feeling that the tech giants are too powerful ... but they're also really good for consumers.
Kyle Wiggers / VentureBeat:
Virginia-based DivvyCloud, which provides cloud infrastructure automation software, raises $19M, says its client base doubled in the past year to 20+ companies — DivvyCloud, an Arlington, Virginia-based company developing a cloud infrastructure automation platform, today announced …
Jack Shafer / Politico:
Facebook could have limited the reach of Alex Jones and other “dangerous” figures without outright bans, which erode the US' strong free speech traditions — Jack Shafer is Politico's senior media writer. — Free speech took a whacking Thursday as Facebook cited its policies against …
Joseph Cox / Motherboard:
Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T hit with class action lawsuits for selling customer location data — The lawsuits come after a Motherboard investigation showed AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile sold phone location data that ended up with bounty hunters, and The New York Times covered an instance of Verizon selling data.
CNN:
After Facebook bans seven extremists, Trump, in a series of tweets, complains about the ban, retweeting extremists' tweets, and issuing vague threats — New York (CNN)Facebook barred seven users from its services earlier this week, citing its policies against “dangerous individuals and organizations.”
Clean audio is essential for YouTube work. While substandard video with crisp audio is still watchable, high-quality video with bad audio will have audiences clicking away in no time.
Unfortunately, clean audio isn’t the easiest to set up. You need a microphone, you need a way to record the microphone, and you probably want it to be as hassle-free as possible. Wireless audio solutions tend to be expensive, but with the $199 RØDE Wireless GO, YouTubers now have an affordable, hassle-free option for recording audio.
The RØDE Wireless GO is a two-piece system with a transmitter (TX) and a receiver (RX). Here’s what you need to know about it and how much we like it. And at the end of this review, we’re giving a set away.
For the system:
For the TX transmitter:
For the RX receiver:
In addition to the TX-RX system, the package comes with a few goodies:
The first thing I noticed after unboxing is that the RØDE Wireless GO truly is the world’s smallest wireless audio system. Prior to this, every audio pack I’ve ever seen or held has been the size of two playing card decks held in hand. But this? This wireless audio system is tiny, and I’m actually concerned that I might lose it someday.
The RØDE Wireless GO is a two-piece system:
There’s the RX receiver, which uses the included 3.5mm TRS cable to plug into any device that accepts a TRS microphone input, most likely your camera. The RX receiver itself has no built-in memory or recording function.
There’s also the TX transmitter, which pairs wirelessly with an RX receiver using the 2.4GHz band (more on the pairing process below). It has a built-in omnidirectional microphone so you don’t need to buy a separate mic, but it does accept a 3.5mm input which is great for plugging in a lavalier mic.
See our recommendations for the best budget lavalier microphones.
The bodies of both the TX and the RX are made from high-quality matte plastic, while their faces are glossy and sleek. Both have clips that allow you to stick them onto clothing, bags, or whatever else, and they hold on pretty well from my experience. The buttons are nice, providing a satisfying tactile click with each press.
Overall, despite how lightweight they are, the build quality is excellent and I’m confident that they could take a beating in real-world scenarios without sustaining too much damage.
The RØDE Wireless GO is so simple to operate that it doesn’t even come with a manual—only a wordless Quickstart Guide printed on the box itself. I didn’t even need the guide to set things up, but I admit that my previous experience with audio equipment comes with its privileges. I might have struggled if I had never seen an audio pack before.
For a first-time YouTuber, I trust that they’d know enough to decipher the guide and get there eventually.
The pairing process is super simple: as soon as you turn on both TX and RX, they automatically pair. If you have multiple systems, you can do it manually by holding the pairing button on the RX until it enters pairing mode, then pressing the Ø button on the TX you want to pair. Done!
While multiple systems are supported, there’s a limit of 8 simultaneous pairs due to the limitations of the 2.4GHz wireless band. In fact, note that the 2.4GHz band is the same one used by Wi-Fi connections, and you may experience interference in densely populated areas (e.g. apartments in large cities) due to Wi-Fi congestion.
Each TX-RX pair has an operating range up to 230 feet (70 meters) , which is more than enough for any kind of YouTube video, even ones that have you going outside. And while the official specifications say line-of-sight is required, I found that audio transmission still works fine even behind multiple walls.
As for weight, the TX transmitter and RX receivers are like feathers. Individually, they weigh less than my wallet—and trust me, my wallet is minimal and sparse. It’s absolutely perfect for taking on trips (and the included windshields are a nice touch for outdoor recording), but even if you stay in and only record at home, the lightness makes it a joy to work with.
And with the clips, you can mount them pretty much anywhere.
That said, it’s a shame that the RX receiver doesn’t have a shoe mount for mounting directly onto a camera. Instead, you simply plug it into the microphone port and let it dangle. It’s light enough to cause no concern for damage, but it’s a bit unsightly. If you don’t like the dangling and can’t clip the RX receiver to the camera, there’s always gaffer tape.
The audio quality out of the TX transmitter’s built-in microphone isn’t bad, but it does leave me wanting. Then again, how much can you expect out of something so small? My expectations weren’t high, so it’s not like I’m disappointed. It’s certainly passable for anything but the most professional podcasts and YouTube videos.
But I do recommend using it with a lavalier microphone, as that’s when the RØDE Wireless GO system really shines. See the review video at the start of this article to hear an audio comparison between the built-in microphone and a Boya BY-M1 lavalier microphone.
The slated battery life is 7 hours, and I found that to be true. The package comes with two USB-C-to-USB-A cables, allowing you to charge both TX and RX at the same time. But there is no charger included, so you’ll have to use your computer or one you probably already own.
The RØDE Wireless GO is available for $199. With a budget lavalier microphone, the total goes up to about $219. For comparison, the RØDE RodeLink Filmmaker Kit—which comes with a receiver, a transmitter, and lavalier microphone—costs $399. Of course the RodeLink is slightly more advanced, but the functionality is essentially the same, and the Wireless GO is half the price.
That’s an insane deal for what you’re getting, and the fact that the Wireless GO is so tiny and lightweight cannot be overstated. You can literally slip these into your pocket, take them anywhere you want, and you won’t even notice they’re in there.
Honestly? The RØDE Wireless GO is a game-changer for YouTubers. Highly recommended.
Read the full article: RØDE Wireless GO Review: The Best Wireless Audio System for YouTubers
Cecilia Kang / New York Times:
Sources: FTC commissioners remain divided along the party lines on whether to hold Mark Zuckerberg personally liable for Facebook's future privacy violations — The F.T.C. chairman seems to have the votes to approve a settlement. One of the biggest issues has been whether to hold Mark Zuckerberg liable for future violations.
David Cancel, the CEO and founder of Drift, wrote a deep dive on how to think about finding and recruiting the kinds of people who build incredible startups. Among the factors he looks at:
Scrappiness (Importance: 35%)
The four most telling words a new hire can say: “I’ll figure it out.” If you find someone who says that (and can follow through on it), you know you’ve found someone with drive — someone who will plunge headfirst into any challenge and help move the company forward. But to clarify, the type of drive I look for in new hires is different from traditional ambition. Because traditionally ambitious people, while hard workers, tend to obsess over their own personal rise up the corporate ladder. They always have an eye on that next title change, from manager to director, director to VP, or VP to C-suite, and that influences how they perform. That’s why a decade ago, while running my previous company Performable, I added a new requirement to our job descriptions: “Scrappiness.” Today, it’s one of our leadership principles at Drift.
Scrappy people don’t rely on titles or defined sets of responsibilities. Instead, they do whatever it takes to get the job done, even when no one is looking, and even if the tasks they’re performing could be considered “beneath their title.”
We had a greatly informative conference call with our very own Josh Constine and Frederic Lardinois, who were checking in from Facebook’s F8 conference in San Jose this week. In case you weren’t able to join us, the transcript and audio have been posted for Extra Crunch members:
This post and podcast contain spoilers for “Game of Thrones” and “Avengers: Endgame.”
“The Long Night,” the much-anticipated “Game of Thrones” episode where the living and the dead meet in a desperate, epic battle, wasn’t entirely embraced by the show’s fans. Instead, many have complained about the episode’s (literal) darkness, while others were disappointed by the apparent disappearance of the show’s old ruthlessness.
But your hosts at the Original Content podcast (joined this week by our original co-host Darrell Etherington) were pretty happy with the episode, as revealed in an appropriately super-sized discussion.
Yes, the darkness was an issue, but the creative team used that darkness to eerily beautiful effect. On the right screen, everything in the episode was a grand and terrifying spectacle. And while we quibbled with some of the storytelling choices, we also screamed with surprise at the episode’s ending.
The other big question is what the death of the Night King means for the final three episodes of the show. Time will tell, but for now we’re hoping for a return to the initial focus on political scheming and moral compromise.
As if that wasn’t enough for one podcast, we also review the other big pop cultural event of the past week “Avengers: Endgame” — and in doing so, we capture the exact moment when Jordan realized that “Endgame” won’t be the last Marvel movie.
You can listen in the player below, subscribe using Apple Podcasts or find us in your podcast player of choice. If you like the show, please let us know by leaving a review on Apple. You can also send us feedback directly. (Or suggest shows and movies for us to review!)
Alex Hern / The Guardian:
YouGov and Cambridge poll of 25,000+ people in 23 countries finds that UK citizens trust social media platforms less than any other nation surveyed — Majority in UK favour stronger regulation of tech companies such as Facebook and Twitter — Britons trust social media platforms less …
Celia Wan / The Block:
Bitfinex is trying to raise $1B via initial exchange offering of LEO tokens to provide liquidity as it seeks access to $850M it says were frozen by governments — Bitfinex will issue an initial exchange offering (IEO) that aims to raise $1 billion, according to an excerpt …
Former Youtube star Austin Jones has been sentenced to ten years in a US federal prison after pleading guilty to persuading underage girls to send him explicit videos of themselves.
Jones, who made a name for himself online singing covers of songs, was arrested and charged in 2017 with two counts of producing child pornography.
He later pled guilty to one charge of receiving child pornography — admitting in a plea agreement that in 2016 and 2017 he enticed six girls to to produce and send explicit videos to “prove” they were his “biggest fan”, per Buzzfeed.
“Production and receipt of child pornography are extraordinarily serious offenses that threaten the safety of our children and communities,” it quotes assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Neff Welsh writing in a sentencing memo. “Jones’s actions took something from his victims and their families that they will never be able to get back.”
At the height of his YouTube fame Jones had around 540,000 subscribers to his channel and more than 20M video views.
In a 2015 apology vlog, after reports emerged of Jones asking young fans to send him twerking videos, he claimed it never went further than that. “There were never any nudes, never any physical contact, it never happened,” he said then.
But in his plea agreement Jones admitted to attempting to persuade more than thirty underage fans to send him explicit photos or videos.
YouTube removed Jones’ channel after he pled guilty in February — saying it had violated its community guidelines. But the Google-owned company initially refused to shutter it, telling the BBC a few days earlier that while it does have a policy of removing content when a person is convicted of a crime “in some cases” it does so only if the content is closely related to the crime committed.
Describing her experience in a vlog also posted to YouTube, one former fan she had received messages from Jones asking her for twerking videos prior to his 2015 apology video when she was 14-years-old.
“I just don’t understand how these people can let the fame get to their heads that much that they think it’s alright to do something to people like this,” she said. “It’s so messed up. But the fact that his fanbase was these vulnerable, insecure young girls makes it so much worse than it already is… He knew that that was his fanbase and he took advantage of that.”
Greetings from Seattle, the land of Amazon, Microsoft, two of the world’s richest men and some startups.
I’m always surprised the Seattle startup ecosystem hasn’t grown to compete with the likes of Silicon Valley — or at least Boston and New York City — since the dot-com boom. Today, it’s the strongest it’s has been due to the successes of companies like the newly minted unicorn Outreach, trucking business Convoy and, of course, the dog walking startup Rover. But the city still lags behind, failing to adopt the culture of entrepreneurship that defines San Francisco.
I spent a lot of time wondering why it hasn’t reached its full potential. Is it because Microsoft and Amazon pay their employees so well they don’t have the same urge to build something from the ground up? Is it a lack of access to capital? Is the city not attracting top talent? If you have thoughts, send them my way.
“We think part of the issue is a lack of capital and a lack of help,” Rover and Pioneer Square Labs co-founder Greg Gottesman told TechCrunch earlier this year. “If we can provide a little bit of both of those things, we can really put Seattle where it deserves to be, should be and will be.”
Despite its shortcomings, there is still some action in the city I want to highlight this week. A same-day delivery business, Dolly, is on the rise. The startup told me on Thursday it had raised a $7.5 million round from Unlock Venture Partners, Maveron and Jeff Wilke, the chief executive officer of Amazon Worldwide Consumer. Maveron, if you remember, is the VC fund co-founded by Starbucks founder Howard Schultz.
In other Seattle news, Madrona Venture Group, a well-regarded fund, raised an additional $100 million this week. Typically, Madrona focuses on companies based in the Pacific Northwest, but this fund will deploy capital throughout the entire U.S. Hmmm, that’s not necessarily a good sign for Seattle founders, but great progress for the ecosystem nonetheless.
If you’re interested in learning more about Seattle tech, I’ve covered it a bit because it’s my hometown! Start with this story, which dives deep into a Seattle accelerator that’s working hard to encourage entrepreneurship in the city. Alright, on to other news.
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WeWork: The co-working giant now known as The We Company submitted confidential IPO documents to the SEC, the company confirmed in a press release Monday. Is this the next massive startup win or a house of cards waiting to be toppled by the glare of the public markets? TechCrunch’s Danny Crichton investigates.
Slack: The business is in its final steps toward a much-anticipated direct listing, with one source telling TechCrunch the listing will be complete within 45 days. The WSJ reported this week that Slack will make an online presentation to potential shareholders on May 13. This week, we dug deep into Slack’s S-1 and decided to evaluate just how well the tech press, us included, did in covering the company. For the most part, the tech press did decently well, except for one curious, $162 million gap.
Uber: Finally! That ride-hailing company is going public next week. That latest news? Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick won’t be ringing the opening bell. Uber would not be where it is today without Kalanick, but him being there would surely be a reminder of Uber’s rocky past.
Beyond Meat: Shares of the company surged up 135 percent in their market opener last week, valuing the company as high as $3.52 billion. Volatility was so high on the company’s stock that the Nasdaq had to pause trading of “BYND” shares.
Ofo has run into its fair share of issues, laying off hundreds of workers, shutting down its international division and more. Now, you can buy a piece of the startup’s history.
In other micro-mobility news, Lyft’s head of scooter & bikes Liam O’Connor, who was hired to help transportation company Lyft build its bike and scooter operations, has left after seven months with the newly-public company. TechCrunch’s Ingrid Lunden has the scoop. Plus, Bird, the electric scooter unicorn doing its best to overcome regulatory barriers, has made its way back to San Francisco. Bird is using its business license in San Francisco to introduce monthly personal rentals in the city. The program enables people to rent a scooter for $24.99 a month with no cap on the number of rides. We’ll how that goes.
For some reason, people are giving Magic Leap more money. The company has secured another $280 million in a deal with Japan’s largest mobile operator, Docomo. Do you know what that means? The developer fo AR/VR headsets has raised a total of $2.6 billion. We’re just as confused as you.
Brand new venture capital funds:
Unshackled Ventures raised $20 million.
Jungle Ventures closed on $175 million.
And Toyota AI Ventures launched a $100 million fund.
I have the inside story on Menlo Ventures early Uber stake and TechCrunch’s Connie Loizos goes deep with early Uber backer Bradley Tusk.
This week, we offer TechCrunch Extra Crunch subscribers exclusive tips on building extraordinary teams. Plus, the final piece in TechCrunch’s Greg Kumparak’s series on Niantic, the fast-growing developer of Pokemon Go. If you recall, we’ve captured much of Niantic’s ongoing story in the first three parts of our EC-1, from its beginnings as an “entrepreneurial lab” within Google, to its spin-out as an independent company and the launch of Pokémon GO, to its ongoing focus on becoming a platform for others to build augmented reality products upon.
If you enjoy this newsletter, be sure to check out TechCrunch’s venture-focused podcast, Equity. In this week’s episode, available here, Crunchbase News editor-in-chief Alex Wilhelm and TechCrunch’s Danny Crichton chat about updates at the Vision Fund, Cheddar’s big exit and more of this week’s headlines.
