Hackers say they breached Verkada, accessing feeds and archives of 150K surveillance cameras inside clinics, police precincts, jails, schools, Tesla facilities
- Hacker group says it wanted to show prevalence of surveillance — Video footage was captured from Sequoia-backed startup Verkada
Sources: Apple is cutting orders for all iPhones by ~20% compared to its plans in December, with iPhone 12 mini production cut by 70% for H1 2021
Total iPhone target for 2021 still at 230m units despite global parts shortage — TAIPEI — Apple is slashing its planned production …
Russia says it is slowing down Twitter for not removing 3,000+ posts containing “illegal content”, threatens a total block if Twitter ignores deletion demands
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Wednesday it was slowing down the speed of Twitter in retaliation for its alleged failure …
Apple says it will invest €1B in Germany over the next three years and will make Munich its European Silicon Design Center
Apple will make Munich its European Silicon Design Center, the company announced today. Work already being undertaken by Apple in Bavaria's capital is contributing …
In a privacy policy update, T-Mobile says it will automatically enroll all subscribers in an ad program informed by their online activity, starting on April 26
Wireless carrier tells subscribers it could share their browsing, app data and other online activity with advertisers unless they opt out
Apple Podcasts will drop the word “subscribe” in iOS 14.5, substituting the word “follow”; research shows “subscribe” signals a cost for some non-listeners
A small change with a big impact: no more “subscribe” as podcasting moves to “follow”
The NYSE sets Roblox direct listing reference price at $45 per share ahead of its trading debut on Wednesday
What's Roblox? Ask Anyone With Kids. Wallace Witkowski / MarketWatch : Roblox direct listing gets $45 reference price from NYSE Luisa Beltran / Barron's Online : What Is Roblox Worth? Maybe $29.3 Bil...
Facebook details a 10-year vision for its AR glasses, imagining they will work alongside a wristband to measure hand and figure gestures, with haptic feedback
Facebook is working on a neural wristband for AR glasses, with haptic gloves in the works — Facebook's first pair of smart glasses is arriving this year.
Google adds features to Chrome OS including Phone Hub, which lets Android users control aspects of their phones, like replying to texts, from their Chromebooks
Chrome OS is getting a bunch of new features to celebrate 10 years — Google is marking 10 years of Chromebooks by unveiling new features for Chrome OS today.
Interview with Vitalik Buterin on ETH2, scaling plans and timelines, NFTs, the Ethereum Name Service, quadratic funding, more
Join 1.5M+ subscribers and receive exclusive tools, tips, and resources sent directly by Tim: — Type your email address — Yes, sign me up for Tim's free email newsletter.
Facebook launches Instagram Lite, an Android app that takes up just 2MB of storage space, in 170 countries, and says Facebook Lite has 200M+ MAUs
Growth for Facebook is coming from the developing world, and so the social network today made another key move to cater better to consumers in those countries.
TikTok gives users the ability to approve all new comments before they appear and adds in-app prompts to discourage nasty comments
TikTok is introducing new features meant to — reduce bullying and harassment on its platform: new comment controls and in-app prompts to discourage nasty comments.
Twitter says it is testing displaying large images, instead of cropped previews, on iOS and Android and will add support for 4K photo uploads
Twitter has today unveiled brand new features for iOS that will allow users to see images in full when posted on the timeline, as well as 4K photo uploading.
To ease its dependence on US, China's new five-year plan calls tech development a matter of national security and pledges to raise R&D spending by 7% annually
Beijing's leaders plot a path to go it alone, vowing to spend big to fill gaps in innovation and avoid dependence on the United States and others.
Samsung announces its Galaxy Unpacked event will be held on March 17, where it's expected to unveil an updated Galaxy A series lineup
It's only the third month of the year, but Samsung is gearing up for its second big product launch of 2021. The company on Tuesday sent invitations …
Asus unveils ROG Phone 5 Ultimate with 6.78-inch FHD+ OLED screen, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage, 144Hz refresh rate, headphone jack, starting at $950
It'll cost about $1,580 when it launches in May, but less expensive models will come first — Asus is going big with its latest gaming phones.
By bringing disparate parts of gaming into one place, Roblox has created the conditions for interlocking feedback loops that typify transformational products
The degree to which Stratechery Weekly Articles are pre-planned varies; Eddy on Twitter, though, had this article pegged: Tweets: @rktweets , @webmixedreality , and @stratechery Tweets: Roberto Kusabb...
Taiwan, undergoing its worst drought in 56 years, says it has enough water to keep its semiconductor industry going until late May, when monsoons are expected
- Government expects rain in 2021 to be slightly less than usual — TSMC sees no impact on production so far, has contingency plan
Linux Foundation debuts the Sigstore initiative, which aims to improve open source software supply chain security, and includes members like Google and Red Hat
Sigstore aims to improve the open source software supply chain by simplifying the process of cryptographic software signing.
A look at Unit 8200, an elite intelligence unit within the Israeli Defense Forces and a pipeline for the country's sprawling network of cybersecurity startups
The country's hacking software is recognized the world over. Not everyone thinks it's a good thing. Tweets: @restofworld , @leomschwartz , @cengizyar , @restofworld , and @_meher Tweets: @restofworld...
Creators are monetizing through hyper-specific revenue streams like NewNew, which lets fans pay to vote to control a creator's day-to-day decisions
Digital stars are coming up with new ways to make money. Yet fans still hold the power. — A rash of new start-ups are making it easier … Tweets: @taylorlorenz , @brandyzadrozny , @taylorlorenz , @j...
Bipartisan group of US lawmakers re-introduce a bill that will let news organizations negotiate collectively with Google, Facebook, and others
- News media could band together under bill to bargain with tech — Australia law marked a major victory for news publishers
Israel-based Optibus, whose SaaS service optimizes public transportation using AI, raises $107M Series C, bringing its total raised to $160M
Israeli public transportation optimization company Optibus announced a Series C $107 million funding round co-led by Bessemer Venture Partners and Insight Partners on Wednesday.
YouTube says more than 120M Americans streamed YouTube and YouTube TV on their TVs in December 2020, up from 100M in March 2020
YouTube is again touting the living-room TV as the fastest-growing screen in its device matrix, angling to get more advertisers to spend money on the platform.
Sonos introduces Roam, a $169 portable speaker, now available for preorder; Sonos also sets a goal of $2.25B in annual revenue by FY 2024
Mark Gurman / Bloomberg :
Biden appoints Clare Martorana as US CIO; she was formerly OPM's CIO and is a veteran of the USDS and formerly an executive at WebMD and Everyday Health
no, I mean REALLY — good. https://www.fastcompany.com/ ... @erie : WOW. @ClareMartorana is one of the smartest, most thoughtful, focused people I've ever had the pleasure of working with. We are so, s...
DataGrail, which helps companies deal with privacy regulations around the world including GDPR and CCPA, raises $30M Series B, bringing its total raised to $39M
Join Transform 2021 for the most important themes in enterprise AI & Data. Learn more. — DataGrail, a data privacy startup …
Via, a software and operations platform for cities, buys Remix, which makes mapping software for city transport planning, for $100M in cash and equity
Remix, the startup that developed mapping software used by cities for transportation planning and street design, was born out of a hackathon during a Code for America fellowship.
Dutch and Belgian police say they shut down Sky ECC, a messaging service allegedly popular with criminals, after infiltrating it in Feb, leading to 100+ arrests
Catalin Cimpanu / The Record :
Source: 800+ Amazon staffers are now working on its voice command-enabled home robot with multiple cameras, codenamed Vesta, that's the size of “two small cats”
everything you need to know Brittany A. Roston / SlashGear : Amazon's long-rumored Vesta home robot project details leak Gavin Phillips / MUO : Report: Amazon Is Building a Home Robot Powered by Alexa...
Real estate software and data company VTS acquires Rise Buildings, which develops a mobile app for managing properties, sources say for about $100M
Q&A with Kayvon Beykpour, Twitter's head of consumer product, on focusing on growth, deciding what to prioritize, paying for tweets, Clubhouse, and more
Nilay Patel / The Verge :
Sources: Grab is exploring going public in the US through an SPAC merger
- Grab has been exploring a traditional IPO in the U.S. — Merging with a SPAC could accelerate Grab's listing plans — Grab Holdings Inc. is exploring going public in the U.S. through a merger …
Twitch API changes suggest it is testing a system that automatically rates streamers on a “Brand Safety Score” to pair them with advertisers
LA-based NuOrder, a B2B fashion service that helps brands process orders and operate virtual showrooms, raises $45M, source says at an ~$800M valuation
- Round is said to value company at about $800 million — Bright Park Capital, Imaginary Ventures lead $45 million round
Epic Games sues Google in Australia, arguing Google forces developers to use its payments system, expanding on lawsuits in US and UK against Google and Apple
Epic gave Fortnite players on iOS and Google Play a choice between Apple/Google payment … Isobel Asher Hamilton / Insider : Epic Games, the maker of “Fortnite,” has filed yet another lawsuit in its fi...
Flutterwave, provider of payment services for companies operating in Africa, raises $170M Series C led by Tiger Global, valuing the company at $1B+
The crackdown on Jack Ma risks backfiring on Xi's master plan for Chinese tech as founders and investors show concern over heavy-handed suppression
In barely 40 years, China has dramatically opened up its economy and become one of the world's primary growth engines. Tweets: @retailprophet . Thanks: @pelstrom Tweets: Doug Stephens / @retailprophet...
London-based Wefarm, which offers a social network for farmers that is popular in East Africa, extends its Series A by $11M to $24M and says it has 2.5M users
The vast majority of startups remain focused on consumers, knowledge workers and the opportunities to provide services …
Current and former tech workers of color say companies' “diversity theater” and pledges of support provide cover for hypocritical actions by their superiors
A look at Dr. B, a service that will algorithmically match US providers of COVID-19 vaccines who have extra doses with people who want them, now in 30 states
Riley Griffin / Bloomberg :
Aqua Security, which offers a security service for container platforms like AWS, raises $135M Series E led by ION Crossover Partners at a $1B valuation
Frederic Lardinois / TechCrunch :
Zego, an insurance provider for gig economy workers that uses telematics-based driver behavior data for pricing, raises $150M Series C at a $1.1B valuation
Israel-based Optibus, which develops an SaaS service to optimize public transport using AI, raises $107M Series C, sources say at a $400M-$500M valuation
Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch :
Leading French startup association files a privacy complaint against Apple alleging that the latest iOS is collecting users' data without their permission
Chris O'Brien / Sifted :
Google will make it free for hotels and travel companies to appear in hotel booking links on google.com/travel, after doing the same for Shopping and Flights
Corvus Insurance, which uses AI to analyze data from insurance policyholders to predict and prevent losses, raises $100M Series C led by Insight Partners
Larry Dignan / ZDNet :
Q&A with Stripe's Patrick Collison on the future of technology, speeding up innovation, how research funding can be reformed, US-China competition, and more
Snyk, which helps fix vulnerabilities in open source dependencies and container images, raises $300M at a $4.7B valuation, 4x its value since start of 2020
Katie Roof / Bloomberg :
Spain-based Jobandtalent, a marketplace matching temps with employers needing casual labor, raises €100M Series D from SoftBank's Vision Fund 2
Jobandtalent, a Madrid, Spain-based workforce marketplace … Amy Thomson / Bloomberg : SoftBank and BlackRock Invest $218 Million in Jobandtalent
Investing app M1 Finance, which says it has surpassed $3.5B in assets under management, raises $75M Series D; CEO says they have yet to use money from Series C
New Jersey-based Pathlock, which offers app security tools for businesses, raises $20M
Kyle Wiggers / VentureBeat :
Qualtrics reports FY 2020 revenue of $763.5M, up 29% YoY, and Q4 revenue of $213.6M, up 24% YoY, in its first quarterly report since its IPO
Tiernan Ray / ZDNet :
Sources: no deep integration between Facebook and Gojek nine months after the $300M investment; source says Gojek's planned merger with Tokopedia is a factor
Mercedes Ruehl / Financial Times :
Source: TikTok has 3000+ staff in Europe, up from 1600 since September, with plans for 3 London offices, despite calling off London as its global HQ last July
Shopify's new AI commerce stack
Their VP of Product digs into just-launched products to help entrepreneurs and developers build with the latest AI and tech.
Email fatigue is real: Here's how smart email tools help you regain control
Picture this: It's Monday morning. You walk into the office feeling energized and ready to take on the week.
Protecting your Cloud Applications Data
Backing up Office 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox & Box data is critical to preventing data loss or corruption, complying with laws and avoiding critical downtime in case of a disaster.