Friday, May 31, 2019

Leap Motion waves goodbye

THE DAILY CRUNCH
FRIDAY, MAY 31 2019 By Anthony Ha

UltraHaptics acquires Leap Motion, Foursquare acquires Placed and Apple's big developer conference approaches. Here's your Daily Crunch for May 31, 2019.

1. Once poised to kill the mouse and keyboard, Leap Motion plays its final hand

Leap Motion raised nearly $94 million for its mind-bending demos of hand-tracking technology, but the company was ultimately unable to find a sizable customer base. Even as it pivoted into the niche VR industry, the startup remained a problem in search of a solution.

Now the nine-year-old company is being absorbed into the younger, enterprise-focused UltraHaptics.

2. Foursquare buys Placed from Snap Inc. on the heels of $150M in new funding

Foursquare just made its very first acquisition, with Placed founder and CEO David Shim becoming president of the location data company.

3. What to expect from Apple's WWDC 2019

The leaks of new iOS features have already started, and the big news so far is system-wide Dark Mode, following in the footsteps of MacOS.

4. 'Lion King' director Jon Favreau explains why he's remaking an animated classic

After sitting on it for 18 months, I can finally share an interview with the director of the new "Lion King" about how he used game engines and VR to visualize his film.

5. Uber Eats, micromobility services are growing faster than Uber's core ride-hailing business

In Uber's Q1 2019 earnings, the company reported gross bookings growth of 230% for its other bets, while ridesharing grew just 22% year-over-year.

6. If you use women as decorative objects, then I will assume your tech is from the 1950s, too

Just a reminder that "booth babes" are a toxic and outdated marketing gimmick.

7. The Slack origin story

Find out how a whimsical online game became an enterprise software giant. (Extra Crunch membership required.)

Get more stories at techcrunch.com 

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Thursday, May 30, 2019

Google Play has new rules for child apps

THE DAILY CRUNCH
THURSDAY, MAY 30 2019 By Anthony Ha

Google rolls out stricter policies for kids' apps, tech giants criticize a U.K. surveillance proposal and we climb aboard Disneyland's Millennium Falcon ride. Here's your Daily Crunch for May 30, 2019.

1. Following FTC complaint, Google rolls out new policies around kids' apps on Google Play

For starters, developers are being asked to consider whether children are a part of their target audience — and, if they're not, developers must ensure their app doesn't unintentionally appeal to them.

The changes were likely inspired by an FTC complaint filed in December, in which a coalition of 22 consumer and public health advocacy groups asked for an investigation of kids' apps on Google Play.

2. Apple, Google, Microsoft, WhatsApp sign open letter condemning GCHQ proposal to listen in on encrypted chats

An international coalition of civic society organizations, security and policy experts and tech companies has penned a critical slap-down to a surveillance proposal made last year by the U.K.'s intelligence agency, warning it would undermine trust and security and threaten fundamental rights.

3. I flew the Millennium Falcon and it was good

Matthew Panzarino checks out the marquee attraction of the new Star Wars: Galaxy Edge area in Disneyland.

4. Less than 1 year after launching its corporate card for startups, Brex eyes $2B valuation

Brex, which has taken the startup world by storm with its sought-after corporate card tailored for entrepreneurs, is raising millions in Series D funding less than a year after it launched.

5. FCC's broadband deployment report called 'fundamentally at odds with reality'

"The rosy picture the report paints about the status of broadband deployment is fundamentally at odds with reality," said Commissioner Geoffrey Starks in a lengthy dissenting statement.

6. Enterprise cybersecurity startup BlueVoyant raises $82.5M at a $430M+ valuation

Since launching its services in 2018, BlueVoyant has picked up 150 customers in industries like financial services, manufacturing, municipal government and education.

7. Fundraising 101: How to trigger FOMO among VCs

We talked to founders who have raised tens or hundreds of millions in VC funding to share specific strategies for raising money on their terms. (Extra Crunch membership required.)

Get more stories at techcrunch.com 

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