The Morning After: The EU might be making a Big Tech 'hit list'

The EU isn’t done with Big Tech. Sources at the Financial Times say the EU is drafting a “hit list” of up to 20 big tech firms that would face harsher regulations than smaller rivals. This could involve mandatory data sharing and greater transparency — rules that could help level the playing field. The list would be based on criteria like market share, user counts and the dependency others have on their platforms.

As Jon Fingas wrote over the weekend, it's likely to be a pretty US-centric laundry list, think Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google. It could well dovetail with that US House subcommittee investigation into accusations that these companies wield monopoly powers.

And the timing could be everything: The Digital Services Act, set to renovate EU’s internet regulations, is due in early December. Happy holidays, Big Tech.

— Mat

Razer announces a $50 mic for aspiring streamers

It promises 'studio grade' sound in a compact (and cheap) design.

Razer is trying to make decent mics more accessible, introducing the Seiren Mini mic that promises “studio grade” sound in a compact shape (6.42 inches tall) for just $50 — less than the cost of a typical new game.

The USB-based Mini isn’t as elaborate as other Seiren mics but still includes a super-cardioid pickup pattern to reduce ambient noise and a built-in shock mount to minimize desk vibrations. It’s available now from Razer’s own store and other retailers. Continue reading.

QAnon’s next enemy? Peloton.

Fitness tech isn't immune to conspiracy theories, apparently.

Peloton has confirmed to Business Insider that it has pulled QAnon hashtags that supporters of the conspiracy theory were using to connect to each other on the fitness platform. A spokesperson said Peloton removed the content due to a “zero-tolerance” approach to “hateful content.”

Peloton removes anything that “does not reflect our company’s values of inclusiveness and unity or maintain a respectful environment,” the representative said. Continue reading.

Huawei will unveil the Mate 40 on October 22nd

It's the company's last phone with a high-end Kirin chip.

It still won’t have Google apps and services, but Huawei is about to unveil its next big phone — and a swan song of sorts. The Chinese tech giant has announced it will reveal the Mate 40 phone series at a virtual event on October 22nd at 8AM ET.

The company has already confirmed the Mate 40 will be its last phone with a high-end Kirin chip, at least for a while. Now the US has slapped Huawei with trade restrictions, the company simply doesn’t have access to cutting-edge processing tech for future models. However, expect some potent imaging specs and camera tricks when the device is revealed later this month. Continue reading.

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Apple will ship orders straight from its stores for some customers

The company usually ships from distribution centers or directly from China.

Just in time, perhaps, for those new iPhones, your next Apple device might arrive more quickly than usual if you live near an Apple Store in the US and Canada. The tech giant has started shipping orders directly from its retail outlets, according to Bloomberg, instead of shipping them from a distribution center or straight from China like it usually does. The report says Apple started testing the program after its stores started re-opening following COVID-19 shutdowns. It has since expanded the program’s availability, though it hasn’t rolled out to all its locations in the US and Canada yet.

For now, you won’t be able to choose whether to have your order shipped from a warehouse or from a store — apparently, the decision comes from Apple’s operations team. Continue reading.

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