Gunning for Facebook

The FTC and 48 states have filed suits against the tech giant.

DECEMBER 11, 2020 It's December 11, 2020. It was today, in 2008, when Google released Chrome, paving the way for its web browser domination. Remember when it was IE on top? We do, and we don't miss it.      ⏰ Today's Big Stories... in 30 Seconds Today We Watched, Read, and Listened to (so you don't have to): 687 articles, 18 podcasts, 21 press releases, 511 tweets, and 8 YouTube videos 1. Facebook Faces Legal Battle To Break It Up The attorneys general from 48 states, plus the FTC itself, have filed two lawsuits that claim Facebook is a monopoly and must sell Instagram and WhatsApp. Facebook wonders why the purchases of those two companies were approved by anti-trust legislators in the first place, but there it is. 2. Adobe Flash Will Stop Working January 21st, 2021 The company will end support for the oft-maligned software starting December 31st, and it just released the last update for Flash ever. The app always had problems, from hogging memory to security issues, but it's the end of an era, for sure.  3. You Can Play Xbox Cloud Games on iOS and the Web Next Spring Microsoft has found a way around Apple's 30 percent app purchase fees by bringing its cloud gaming service to the web (just like Google's Stadia). The word is that you'll be able to fire it up on your iPhone or iPad starting in Spring 2021.  🦑 Go Deeper Mobile contact tracing is essential to helping reduce the risk of COVID. Experts worry that the data could be used by law enforcement, however, especially for people of color. Brandon Sams has a deeper look.      🎱 By the Numbers So long, farewell Data: W3 Techs Flash usage on the web has been declining for a while now, and it's finally reached its end of life. While we won't miss the software very much, it does seem like a good time to mark its passing.  🔥 Today's Hot Deal If you're a fan of Apple's signature design aesthetics and production quality, now's a great time to upgrade to the 16-inch MacBook Pro. Getting $300 off a powerful, sleek laptop (which rarely sees discounts) is a pretty tasty offer, too. Don't Miss This Deal 🤓 Nerd Out "What goes up comes back around?" -Kyree Leary, Associate News Editor A rocket launched in 1966 has apparently come back to Earth's orbit. After the Surveyor 2 slammed into the lunar surface 54 years ago, its launching rocket booster went off in a different direction, ending up back here. Wow. (Share on Twitter) 💎 You Know You Want It  Are those... vacuum tubes? Image: Sennheiser If you think Apple's AirPods Max are expensive, be sure to check this set of headphones out. The Sennheiser HE 1 brings unparalleled class and performance to a $59,000 pair of cans (and for that price, they really should). If you're in the market for maybe the best sound around, give these a listen.   🎥 Behind the Scenes The Dark Knight isn't rising Christopher Nolan, director of top-grossing Batman films and the low-earning Tenet, is complaining about Warner Bros. decision to release all their 2021 films onto HBO Max the same day as in theaters. We'll let you decide why he's so salty. Spoiler: It's all about the money, son.     🗞 Extra! Extra! We've got you covered with the best in daily tech news! See the latest on our site or follow us on Google News. Did someone forward this to you? Sign up here. Have something you'd like us to write about? We're always open for suggestions, too. You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Tech Today newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here .   Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. A Dotdash Brand 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY, 10036 2020 Dotdash • All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.   [View in Browser]