Welcome again to Week in Review! We’ve received tons of stories for you this week, together with a hack at Coinbase; YC thinks Google is a ‘monopolist’; layoffs at Microsoft; and rather more. Have an incredible weekend!
Uh-oh: Coinbase says that prospects’ private info, together with government-issued IDs, was stolen in a knowledge breach. The hackers demanded $20 million from the corporate, CEO Brian Armstrong stated in a submit on X. Coinbase stated it won’t pay the hackers’ ransom.
Stock Launch time, child: After submitting confidentially in December, Chime filed for an Stock Launch this week. There are a ton of blanks within the S-1, so we didn’t get a lot info, like what number of shares insiders plan to promote as a part of the Stock Launch. But we did be taught one tidbit: Chime entered a cope with the Dallas Mavericks in 2018, which gained it the Chime emblem on the staff’s jersey, amongst different advertising advantages.
Knock on wooden: This story has been popping off all week — InventWood created wooden referred to as “Superwood” that’s as sturdy as metal. Ultimately, InventWood is planning to make use of wooden chips to create structural beams of any dimension that gained’t want ending.
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News
An enormous bowl of Granola: VCs and founders love speaking up the apps they’re utilizing. The most up-to-date case: Granola, an AI note-taking app that’s not too long ago seen a lift in utilization, although it launched a yr in the past. And when there’s utilization, cash follows. The firm introduced it has raised $43 million in a Series B funding spherical at a valuation of $250 million.
Choice phrases: “Google has chilled impartial companies like YC from funding and accelerating progressive startups that would in any other case have challenged Google’s dominance,” YC wrote in an amicus temporary it submitted within the U.S.’ antitrust case in opposition to the search big. But YC isn’t calling for a whole breakup of Google.
Love to see it: Apple introduced a bunch of accessibility options, together with Accessibility Nutrition Labels that can inform customers of accessibility options inside apps and video games within the App Store; a brand new magnifier for Macs; a brand new Braille expertise; and extra.
Layoffs at Microsoft: The firm is reportedly shedding 3% of its workforce, or round 6,500 folks, affecting all ranges, areas, and groups. This follows a strong quarter for Microsoft, with $70.1 billion in income (up 13%) and internet revenue income of $25.8 billion (up 28%). In Washington, round 40% of the two,000 folks laid off had been engineers.
Gemini in your automobile: At the Android Show — Google’s Android-only occasion every week forward of Google I/O — the corporate introduced that it’s bringing Gemini to automobiles that help Android Auto. Drivers (and passengers) will be capable of ship texts, play music, and all the opposite issues a wise assistant does, however utilizing pure language.
LOL: What as soon as was referred to as HBO Go earlier than it modified its identify to HBO Now, which later grew to become HBO Max, earlier than deciding on Max, introduced this week that it’s as soon as once more altering its identify again to HBO Max.
Just name it a bus: Uber is introducing Route Share, a commuter shuttle service that can choose up passengers at pre-set stops in 20-minute intervals. “You can see a pure extension of us having the ability to convey Route Share to autonomous autos as effectively,” Sachin Kansal, Uber’s chief product officer, instructed us.
Wait, what? The New York Times spoke with two traders who stated they had been pitched a brand new startup that goals to ship “human well being optimization” utilizing blood testing. Sound acquainted? But wait until you hear who pitched the startup: Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes’ associate, Billy Evans. Maybe it’ll work out higher this time?
Analysis
And talking of Uber: In 2022, senior reporter Rebecca Bellan wrote an article titled “The Amazonification of Uber” about how the corporate was changing into extra of a closed loop to maintain prospects engaged. Now the corporate is taking it a step additional, introducing Uber One Member Days, every week of reductions designed to spice up its subscription program and broaden its position past transportation.
