IoT security device maker Verkada hit a $5.8B valuation after new funding, source says totaling $100M, led by CapitalG; it passed $1B in annualized bookings (Jaures Yip/CNBC)
CNBC
Security startup Verkada hits $5.8 billion valuation in latest funding round led by CapitalG
In September, Verkada rolled out over 60 new AI features and platform updates, including tools like "AI-Powered Unified Timeline."
Techmeme
IoT security device maker Verkada hit a $5.8B valuation after new funding, a source says totaling $100M, led by CapitalG, and passed $1B in annualized bookings
By Jaures Yip / CNBC. View the full context on Techmeme.
Russia's Roskomnadzor blocks access to Roblox, claiming that it is "rife with inappropriate content" and spreading "LGBT propaganda" (Reuters) https://www.reuters.com/technology/russia-blocks-access-us-childrens-gaming-platform-roblox-2025-12-03/
Techmeme
Russia
From Reuters. View the full context on Techmeme.
India says it revoked an order to smartphone makers to preload state-run cybersecurity app Sanchar Saathi on new smartphones, after protests from lawmakers (Reuters) https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-cyber-safety-app-mandate-breach-privacy-main-opposition-party-tells-2025-12-03/
Techmeme
India says it revoked an order to smartphone makers to preload state-run cybersecurity app Sanchar Saathi on all new smartphones, after protests from lawmakers
From Reuters. View the full context on Techmeme.
Amazon Fire TV adds an Alexa+ feature enabling Prime Video users to skip to movie scenes using natural language descriptions, character names, or famous quotes (Lucas Manfredi/The Wrap)
TheWrap
Amazon Fire TV's New Alexa+ Feature Will Let Prime Video Users Skip to Their Favorite Movie Scenes
The new AI-powered Alexa+ feature will expand to TV shows on the streamer at a later date
Techmeme
Amazon adds an Alexa+ feature to Fire TV that lets Prime Video users skip to movie scenes using natural language descriptions, character names, or famous quotes
By Lucas Manfredi / The Wrap. View the full context on Techmeme.
After an online backlash, Amazon Prime Video removes AI-generated English and Spanish dubs that it had quietly rolled out in beta for several anime titles (James Whitbrook/Gizmodo)
Gizmodo
Amazon Quietly Rolls Back Its AI Anime Dubs After Massive Backlash
As quickly as they arrived, many of Prime Video's controversial generated dubs have been removed from the streamer.
Techmeme
After a backlash, Amazon Prime Video removes AI-generated English and Spanish dubs that it had quietly rolled out in beta for several anime films and series
By James Whitbrook / Gizmodo. View the full context on Techmeme.
Decentralized exchange Ostium raised a $20M Series A led by General Catalyst and Jump Trading, a source says at a ~$250M valuation, after previously raising $8M (Ben Weiss/Fortune)
Fortune
Harvard grads raise $20 million for Ostium, a platform focused on a derivative popular with crypto traders | Fortune
Marquee investors General Catalyst and Jump Crypto led the funding round.
Techmeme
Decentralized exchange Ostium raised a $20M Series A led by General Catalyst and Jump Trading, a source says at a ~$250M valuation, after previously raising $8M
By Ben Weiss / Fortune. View the full context on Techmeme.
TikTok plans to invest $37.7B+ to build a data center in Brazil's port of PecΓ©m, partnering with Omnia and Casa dos Ventos, its first Latin American project (Bloomberg) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-12-03/tiktok-to-invest-more-than-37-billion-in-brazil-data-center
Techmeme
TikTok plans to invest $37.7B+ to build a data center near Brazil
From Bloomberg. View the full context on Techmeme.
Sources: multiple Microsoft divisions lowered how much salespeople are supposed to grow sales of certain AI products after missing growth targets, a rare move (Aaron Holmes/The Information) https://www.theinformation.com/articles/microsoft-lowers-ai-software-sales-quotas-customers-resist-newer-products
Techmeme
Sources: Microsoft units lowered how much salespeople are supposed to grow sales of certain AI products, a rare move for Microsoft, after missing growth targets
By Aaron Holmes / The Information. View the full context on Techmeme.
Q&A with Valve executive Pierre-Loup Griffais, who helped build SteamOS and the Steam Deck, on quietly funding open-source tech to play Windows games on Arm (Sean Hollister/The Verge)
The Verge
Steam Machine today, Steam Phones tomorrow
The Steam Frame is a Trojan horse carrying Arm’s gaming future.
Techmeme
Q&A with Valve executive Pierre-Loup Griffais, who helped architect SteamOS and the Steam Deck, on quietly funding open-source tech to play Windows games on ARM
By Sean Hollister / The Verge. View the full context on Techmeme.
Spotify unveils 2025's top 50 most popular US podcasts, led by The Joe Rogan Experience for the fifth consecutive year; 24 of the top 50 now offer video content (Todd Spangler/Variety)
Spotify Wrapped Top 50 Podcasts of 2025 Unveiled
Spotify, as part of Spotify Wrapped, released the top 50 podcasts of 2025 -- with Joe Rogan coming in at No. 1 for the fifth straight year.
Techmeme
Spotify unveils 2025
By Todd Spangler / Variety. View the full context on Techmeme.