TechCrunch Industry News
3,880 episodes — Page 36 of 78
Apple’s iCloud website gets a widget-styled redesign
Apple has finally launched a redesigned iCloud website with apps appearing as widget-styled tiles instead of icons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Elon Musk, disaster artist
We’re at the point in the Elon Musk/Twitter debacle where the fact that it’s a shit show is our new normal, and anything that resembles a normal functioning tech company or leadership is more newsworthy than the inverse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
New code suggests Twitter is reviving its work on encrypted DMs
Under Elon Musk, Twitter may be reviving a project that would bring end-to-end encryption to its Direct Messaging system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Pickle picks up $26M for its truck unloading robots
Fulfillment has arguably been the hottest robotics category over the past two years, as companies have looked to stay competitive with Amazon, even amid ongoing labor shortages. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Impacked packs up $2.5M to give the packaging industry a greener tint
Packaging is a trillion-dollar-per-year industry that, by and large, has some sustainability challenges. Impacked is a B2B company that’s bringing green tech to the forefront for everything from jars, tubes and pouches to bottles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A ‘credible alternative to Google and Amazon’: Klarna brings its price comparison tool to Europe
Klarna is expanding into the competitive world of price comparisons, with the launch of a new tool that compares prices across thousands of retailers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Amazon eyes devices group as it undertakes broad cost cutting
The Echo business has always looked like Amazon playing the long game from the outside. Above all, the company’s home consumer hardware is a convenient vessel for getting Alexa into millions of homes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Australia tells Medibank hackers: ‘We know who you are’
The Australian Federal Police claims to have identified the cybercriminals behind the Medibank ransomware attack, which compromised the personal data of 9.7 million customers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Have you tried turning it off and on again, Elon?
A few days ago, new Twitter owner Elon Musk said that the company will try a lot of dumb things in the coming days. And that seems to be the product strategy of the company — even if it causes utter chaos all around. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aiphone door entry systems can be ‘easily’ bypassed thanks to NFC bug
The vulnerability in the door entry security system, used in government buildings and apartment complexes, cannot be fixed.Aiphone door entry systems can be ‘easily’ bypassed thanks to NFC bug by Zack Whittaker originally published on TechCrunch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Twitter blocks new accounts from its $8 verified tier after high-profile fakes abound
The motto over at Twitter is clearly a throwback ‘move fast and break things’ at the moment under new ruler Elon Musk, and the latest thing to break is the just-introduced $8 monthly Twitter Blue tier. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Ping wants to simplify global payments while helping Latin Americans embrace crypto
Ping users create a free account in U.S. dollars to receive bank transfers in either their local currency or cryptocurrency.Ping wants to simplify global payments while helping Latin Americans embrace crypto by Christine Hall originally published on TechCrunch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Filing: Meta slashes expenses on reduced hiring and capex investments
Meta’s body blow layoff announcement will see the parent of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp making its first-ever major layoffs as a company, cutting 11,000 employees, 13% of its total; predictably investors are responding favorably, bumping the stock up by over 5% in pre-market trading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Southeast Asia health tech platform Speedoc raises $28M
Speedoc, a health tech platform that brings hospital care to homes, has raised $28 million in pre-Series B funding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Netflix launches a new interactive trivia experience, ‘Triviaverse’
Today, Netflix is launching a new interactive game called “Triviaverse” that allows subscribers to test their knowledge and compete against an all-knowing “Trivia master” using their TV remote. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Ouster and Velodyne agree to merger, signaling consolidation in lidar industry
Ouster and Velodyne, two lidar companies, have agreed to a merger in an all-stock transaction, the companies said Monday. Both Ouster and Velodyne will maintain a 50% stake in the new company, according to the agreement that was signed on November 4. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Unity and IronSource’s $4.4B merger is now complete
Unity‘s proposed merger with IronSource has formally concluded, with the two companies coming together to create an end-to-end platform for developers to build and monetize games. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Ant’s global play is to be a payments aggregator and it now reaches 1B users
After trying for years to replicate the success of its QR code-enabled payments solution overseas, Ant Group seems to have finally found a path to scaling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
After Stripe and Square, Venmo and PayPal are set to support Apple’s Tap to Pay on iPhones
PayPal announced Thursday that it will soon support Apple’s Tap to Pay on iPhones. The company said in its Q3 2022 earnings report that both PayPal and Venmo will soon support this tech as a part of its offering. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Patreon adds a long-awaited native video feature
Patreon creators can now upload videos directly to the platform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Smartex sews up $24.7M to put smarter eyes on textile manufacturing
A lot of things might spring to mind when you hear “fashion,” but taking care of the planet generally isn’t on that list. Smartex just raised a couple of bolts’ worth of cash, sowing up a round of funding to bring smart tech to fabric manufacturing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Ex-Bain investor launches $30M web3 consumer VC fund as solo female founder
Magdalena “Mags” Kala, a self-described “lifetime degen,” is no stranger to beating the odds. Before she became an investor, she co-founded an all-female blackjack team that sought to exploit gender bias to make a profit through gaming, she told TechCrunch in an interview. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Byju’s eyes $1 billion IPO for physical tutor chain Aakash
Indian edtech giant Byju’s is engaging with bankers to put together a plan for the initial public offering of its unit Aakash, which it acquired last year, a source familiar with the matter told TechCrunch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Volocopter raises $182M to bring air taxi closer to certification
Volocopter, a German startup building electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, has secured $182 million for the second signing of its Series E round. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Evolito, with an axial-flux motor lighter than Tesla’s, starts ramping up its team
Last year YASA, a British electric motor startup with a revolutionary “axial-flux” motor, was acquired by Mercedes-Benz to develop ultra-high-performance electric motors for Mercedes’s AMG.EA electric-only platform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hong Kong to explore legalizing retail crypto trades in reversal of previous proposal
Hong Kong has proposed allowing retail investors to trade in cryptocurrencies and crypto exchange-traded funds and plans to conduct pilots in NFT issuance and CBDC as it looks to regain its status as a global financial hub. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
GM pauses paid advertising on Twitter as Chief Twit Elon Musk takes ownership
General Motors has temporarily paused paid advertising on Twitter, one day after billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk finalized a $44 billion acquisition of the social media platform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
US sanctions on China could extend to biotech, official says
On the heels of the Biden administration’s decision to impose sweeping chip sanctions on China, there are signs that China might also lose access to other types of critical U.S. technologies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Europe schools Elon Musk that Twitter’s wings are already clipped
And so the it begins… Elon Musk has only been owner of Twitter for a few hours but he’s already earned himself a schooling from the European Union in response to his suggestive “the bird is freed” tweet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It’s time to admit self-driving cars aren’t going to happen
A couple caveats for those going apoplectic over the headline: I mean self-driving isn’t going to be a thing A) in our lifetimes and B) with any kind of omnipresent scale. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Versa raises $120M for its software-defined networking and security stack
Networking and cybersecurity firm Versa today announced that it raised $120 million in a mix of equity and debt led by BlackRock, with participation from Silicon Valley Bank. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
US charges Ukrainian national over alleged role in Raccoon Infostealer malware operation
U.S. officials have charged a Ukrainian national over his alleged role in the Raccoon Infostealer malware-as-a-service operation that infected millions of computers worldwide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Twitter’s Elon problem could soon become Apple’s Elon problem, too
Reports indicate Elon Musk is on track to close his purchase of mildly popular bird website Twitter dot com as of this Friday, which is when he’s been ordered by the judge in the ongoing legal fracas to do so anyway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Google hit with $113 million fine in India for anti-competitive practices with Play Store policies
India’s antitrust watchdog has hit Google with $113 million fine for abusing the dominant position of its app store, the second such penalty on the Android-maker in just as many weeks in the key overseas market. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jasper’s robots assemble fresh meals for nearby apartment dwellers
After attempting to sell its tech to large food service companies, cooking automation startup Jasper has shifted to direct-to-consumer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Taylor Swift’s ‘Midnights’ is the priciest digital album Tencent has sold
Taylor Swift’s latest album “Midnights” has dropped, and it might be setting a new standard for China’s digital music industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
YouTube Premium’s family plan gets a price hike in several countries
YouTube is raising prices for its Premium subscription plans across many countries including the US, the UK, Canada, and Argentina. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Uber pilots electric cab offering in India
Uber has started offering electric vehicles to customers in certain parts of the Delhi-NCR region and says it will be expanding its efforts over the coming months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Google Messages adds reaction support for iPhone texts and in-app reminders
Google has left no stones unturned in pushing Apple to adopt the Rich Communication Services that the search giant argues will improve cross-platform communication. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Ocean-climate VC Propeller launches with $100M to fund ‘tomorrow’s narwhals’
Propeller, a new climate-tech investor with a focus on the ocean, tells TechCrunch that it has hooked $100 million for its first seed fund. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Pinterest partners with record labels to bring popular music to its TikTok rival, ‘Idea Pins’
Pinterest’s TikTok competitor is gaining new music. The company announced today its video-focused “Idea Pins” feature will now include the ability to add popular tracks from top artists, thanks to new licensing deals with Warner Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Merlin and BMG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Eswatini’s central bank mulls issuance of a digital currency
The kingdom of Eswatini is considering the introduction of a central bank digital currency (CBDC), joining the growing list of African countries exploring the viability of an e-currency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Rolls-Royce Spectre EV to launch next year with 260-mile range
Rolls-Royce plans to deliver its first EV, the Spectre two-door coupe, to customers late next year as it transitions toward becoming a fully electric brand by 2030. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Belkin’s $30 Continuity Camera accessory is now available for MagSafe iPhones
Continuity Camera was one of the odder additions that arrived in the last round of Apple operating system updates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Shares of Korean internet giant Kakao slide after fire disrupts service
The stock price of South Korea’s internet giant Kakao tumbled on Monday after a fire at a data center that cut off power on Saturday, causing several service malfunctions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
PayPal debuts a new rewards program that combines Honey’s discounts with other ways to earn
PayPal is taking a step away from the Honey brand, the $4 billion shopping rewards acquisition it made in 2019, with today’s launch of PayPal Rewards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Shein owner fined $1.9M for failing to notify 39M users of data breach
A data breach from 2018 is putting Shein under the spotlight as the ultra-fast fashion e-commerce platform continues to conquer Gen-Z markets across the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Repairable laptop firm Framework introduces refurbished program
Framework is at the vanguard of a growing movement to make electronics more repair-friendly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nudge Security emerges from stealth to tackle cybersecurity’s people problem
Social engineering attacks are on the rise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Uniswap Labs valued at $1.66 billion in $165 million new funding
Uniswap Labs has raised $165 million in a new funding round as the parent firm of the world’s largest decentralized exchange looks to broaden its offerings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices