Welcome again to Week in Evaluation! We’ve bought tons of stories for you this week, together with a hack at Coinbase; YC thinks Google is a ‘monopolist’; layoffs at Microsoft; and way more. Have an ideal weekend!
Uh-oh: Coinbase says that prospects’ private data, together with government-issued IDs, was stolen in an information breach. The hackers demanded $20 million from the corporate, CEO Brian Armstrong mentioned in a submit on X. Coinbase mentioned it is not going to pay the hackers’ ransom.
IPO time, child: After submitting confidentially in December, Chime filed for an IPO this week. There are a ton of blanks within the S-1, so we didn’t get a lot data, like what number of shares insiders plan to promote as a part of the IPO. However we did study one tidbit: Chime entered a cope with the Dallas Mavericks in 2018, which gained it the Chime emblem on the workforce’s jersey, amongst different advertising and marketing 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. Finally, InventWood is planning to make use of wooden chips to create structural beams of any dimension that gained’t want ending.
That is TechCrunch’s Week in Evaluation, the place we recap the week’s greatest information. Need this delivered as a publication to your inbox each Saturday? Enroll right here.
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An enormous bowl of Granola: VCs and founders love speaking up the apps they’re utilizing. The newest case: Granola, an AI note-taking app that’s lately seen a lift in utilization, though it launched a 12 months in the past. And when there’s utilization, cash follows. The corporate introduced it has raised $43 million in a Sequence B funding spherical at a valuation of $250 million.
Alternative phrases: “Google has chilled unbiased 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 towards the search big. However YC isn’t calling for an entire breakup of Google.
Like to see it: Apple introduced a bunch of accessibility options, together with Accessibility Diet Labels that can inform customers of accessibility options inside apps and video games within the App Retailer; a brand new magnifier for Macs; a brand new Braille expertise; and extra.
Layoffs at Microsoft: The corporate 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 earnings earnings of $25.8 billion (up 28%). In Washington, round 40% of the two,000 folks laid off had been engineers.
Gemini in your automobile: On the Android Present — Google’s Android-only occasion per week forward of Google I/O — the corporate introduced that it’s bringing Gemini to automobiles that assist Android Auto. Drivers (and passengers) will be capable of ship texts, play music, and all the opposite issues a sensible 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 turned HBO Max, earlier than selecting Max, introduced this week that it’s as soon as once more altering its identify again to HBO Max.
Simply name it a bus: Uber is introducing Route Share, a commuter shuttle service that can decide up passengers at pre-set stops in 20-minute intervals. “You may see a pure extension of us having the ability to convey Route Share to autonomous automobiles as effectively,” Sachin Kansal, Uber’s chief product officer, advised us.
Wait, what? The New York Instances spoke with two buyers who mentioned they had been pitched a brand new startup that goals to ship “human well being optimization” utilizing blood testing. Sound acquainted? However wait until you hear who pitched the startup: Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes’ associate, Billy Evans. Perhaps it’ll work out higher this time?
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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, per week of reductions designed to spice up its subscription program and develop its position past transportation.
