Network Support Blog

Kate Conger / New York Times: Uber and Lyft acknowledge prices are up and wait times are longer, citing a lack of drivers; research found prices rose 37% from March 2020 to March 2021  —  The companies say they are charging extra because they don't have enough drivers to match rebounding customer demand. https://bit.ly/3fB7Q1a

Virginia Hughes / New York Times: Maryland and Montana have passed the nation's first laws limiting forensic genealogy, the DNA matching technique that found the Golden State Killer in 2018  —  Maryland and Montana have passed the nation's first laws limiting forensic genealogy, the method that found the Golden State Killer. https://bit.ly/2SJDG2G

Sam Byford / The Verge: Xiaomi demos fully charging a 4,000mAh battery in eight minutes over a 200W “HyperCharge” system or in 15 minutes with 120W wireless charging  —  New ‘world records’ in wired and wireless charging  —  Xiaomi has shown off its latest fast charging tech demo … https://bit.ly/3uCkhOo

Kellie Mejdrich / Politico: As big financial industry players like Fidelity Investments push SEC to approve Bitcoin-linked ETFs, crypto lobbying efforts meet resistance from US lawmakers  —  A strong push by Wall Street to open up access to Bitcoin investment is meeting resistance from a bipartisan group of lawmakers … https://bit.ly/3i138vf

Manish Singh / TechCrunch: India's largest independent e-commerce logistics startup Delhivery has raised $277M led by Fidelity, valuing the startup at ~$3B  —  Delhivery, India's largest independent e-commerce logistics startup, has raised $277 million in what is expected to be the final funding round before the firm files for an IPO later this year. https://bit.ly/3vFfflM

Jim Dallke / Chicago Business Journal: Relativity, which helps law firms analyze large datasets, acquires Text IQ, an AI startup that helps businesses identify sensitive data, reportedly for $100M+  —  The deal is reportedly worth more than $100 million  —  Two months after landing an investment from Silver Lake at a $3.6 billion valuation … https://bit.ly/3vDh4zk

Doc Searls Weblog: Apple's claims about respecting privacy aren't fully serious, as the iPhone default doesn't disallow apps from tracking users, instead expecting users to do so  —  If you haven't seen it yet, watch Apple's Privacy on iPhone |  tracked ad.  In it a guy named Felix (that's him, above) … https://bit.ly/3uu37SZ

Tyler Sonnemaker / Insider: Court docs detail Google's user location data collection, efforts to hide an off toggle deep in Android settings, pressure on partners like LG to do the same  —  - Google made it nearly impossible for users to keep their location private, according to newly unredacted court documents. https://bit.ly/34sZKkC

Reuters: Wejo, which collects and analyzes real-time vehicle data, is going public via a SPAC merger to raise $330M, which will value Wejo at $800M including debt  —  Auto data startup Wejo, backed by General Motors Co (GM.N),will go public through a reverse merger with blank-check company Virtuoso Acquisition Corp … https://bit.ly/3vCCAEv

Chance Miller / 9to5Mac: In an email to podcasters, Apple says it is delaying the launch of its Podcasts Subscriptions and channels until June and plans improvements to its Podcasts app  —  Apple has announced in an email to podcasters today that it is delaying the launch of Apple Podcasts Subscriptions. https://bit.ly/3vJRwkt

Bloomberg: Sources: Apple tried to buy rap battle livestreaming service Verzuz before it was acquired in March by Triller  —  - Tech giant floated a lower price for Timbaland's platform  — Talks show Apple's continued interest in social music offering  —  Apple Inc. aimed to purchase … https://bit.ly/3ftlIKD

Bloomberg: Sources: Apple is planning redesigned AirPods for 2021 and 2nd-gen AirPods Pro for 2022, which will include updated motion sensors for fitness tracking  —  - Company preparing to overhaul its entry-level wireless earbuds  — Apple also discussing new colors for AirPods Max headphones https://bit.ly/3upQQ20

Eric Newcomer / Newcomer: Sources: TTYL, the company that created Poparazzi, raises $20M Series A led by Benchmark; Andreesen Horowitz also competed to lead the round  —  Benchmark tops Andreessen Horowitz in pursuit of buzzy photo sharing app.  —  Sources tell me that Benchmark has secretly scored a major consumer investing win. https://bit.ly/3ftOxqq

Joseph Cox / VICE: Sources detail Citizen's efforts to cash in on vigilantism, including flooding users with notifications to make them anxious enough to buy its premium service  —  Internal documents, messages, and roadmaps show how crime app Citizen is pushing the boundary of what a private, app-enabled vigilante force may be capable of. https://bit.ly/2SAyjTy

Kate Rooney / CNBC: Savings and investing app Acorns is merging with a SPAC to go public in a deal that values Acorns at roughly $2.2B, more than double its last private valuation  —  - Acorns will merge with with Pioneer Merger Corp., a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company. https://bit.ly/3usElmf

Bloomberg: ZipRecruiter closes at $21.10 per share after opening at $20, giving it a valuation of ~$2.8B, up from its 2018 valuation of ~$1.5B  —  - Shares in ZipRecruiter opened at $20 apiece Wednesday  — Company's direct listing follows Coinbase, Squarespace  —  ZipRecruiter Inc. rose … https://bit.ly/2QWjsSX

Hartley Charlton / MacRumors: Apple removes an app, discovered by a developer, that required at least a three-star review before people could use it  —  An app that demanded at least a three-star review to function got through the App Store review process, it has been found (via The Verge). https://bit.ly/3yG5CoH

Mary Ann Azevedo / TechCrunch: SpotOn, a payments startup focused on SMBs, raises $125M Series D led by a16z, tripling its valuation from last September to $1.875B  —  Certain industries were hit harder by the COVID-19 pandemic than others, especially in its early days.  —  Small businesses, including retailers and restaurants … https://bit.ly/3bVRn5z

Christine Hall / Crunchbase News: Contentsquare, which operates a customer experience analytics service, raises $500M Series E led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2, bringing its valuation to $2.8B  —  A year after its $190 million Series D, Contentsquare is back with an even bigger round, closing on $500 million in Series E financing to value the company at $2.8 billion. https://bit.ly/3oNRKUX

Mara Hvistendahl / The Intercept: A look at Oracle's effort to sell Endeca software to Chinese authorities beginning in 2012, and how Oracle touted its use in Chicago for predictive policing  —  As he helped plan massive demonstrations in Chicago to protest the 2012 NATO summit, Matt McLoughlin knew he was up against a formidable police force. https://bit.ly/3fmOz3v

Washington Post: In a first, DHS will issue mandatory rules regulating cybersecurity for pipelines, initially to require incident reporting, after Colonial's ransomware attack  —  Two directives will seek oversight of the industry after a ransomware attack upended gas availability in the southeast U.S. for 11 days. https://bit.ly/3hRuYtK

Nick Statt / Protocol: On final day of the Epic vs Apple trial, many topics were revisited including how to define the market in question; judge could now take months to reach verdict  —  The antitrust trial is now in the judge's hands after three weeks of courtroom testimony.  —  Epic v. Apple came to a close … https://bit.ly/3bTItp8

Gillian Tan / Bloomberg: Chia, a storage-based cryptocurrency founded by Bram Cohen, raises $61M with a16z among investors, more than doubling valuation to ~$500M, according to a source  —  Chia Network Inc., a blockchain and digital currency platform founded by BitTorrent creator Bram Cohen, has more than doubled … https://bit.ly/3uiPqpS

Ryan Weeks / The Block: Solidus Labs, which develops monitoring and compliance tools for identifying market manipulation in crypto, raises $20M Series A  —  Solidus Labs, a surveillance firm focused on monitoring market manipulation in crypto, has closed a $20 million Series A fundraise. https://bit.ly/3vjqBM2

Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge: Google's partnership with Samsung to merge Wear OS with Samsung's Tizen comes after years of Google failing to build a cohesive wearables strategy  —  Third time might not be the charm  —  Once again, Google is hitting the reset button, combining with Samsung's Tizen wearable operating system … https://bit.ly/3oI7EA0

Olivia Solon / NBC News: Pro-Palestinian activist campaign targets Facebook's app store ratings via 1-star reviews; Facebook's internal chats show Apple declined to remove the reviews  —  Pro-Palestinian activists are running a coordinated campaign to downgrade Facebook's app review ratings to protest … https://bit.ly/3unjalP

Jacob Kastrenakes / The Verge: Twitch launches a category for “Pools, Hot Tubs, and Beaches” streams, letting creators continue to stream them while letting advertisers and viewers avoid them  —  ‘Being found to be sexy by others is not against our rules’  —  Twitch is launching a dedicated category … https://bit.ly/349WP09

Aditya Kalra / Reuters: India's information technology ministry asks social media companies to take down any content that refers to an “Indian variant” of the coronavirus  —  India's information technology (IT) ministry has written to all social media companies asking them to take down any content that refers to an … https://bit.ly/3oNaGD9

Chris Metinko / Crunchbase News: oneNav, which is developing a GNSS receiver for L5 signals that are more accurate and reliable than the L1 signals used in GPS, raises $21M Series B led by GV  —  Palo Alto, California-based oneNav has closed a $21 million Series B, as the startup looks to take advantage of improvements coming to GPS. https://bit.ly/345KmL9

Mary Ann Azevedo / TechCrunch: Found, which wants to create a one-stop shop for business banking, bookkeeping, and taxes for self-employed, raises $12.75M led by Sequoia  —  If you've ever been self-employed you know what a pain it is to keep up with the hassles of running a business.  From bookkeeping to invoicing to paying taxes — it's one big headache. https://bit.ly/3faIuXR

New York Times: Biden administration says it will partner with popular dating apps including Tinder, OkCupid, Hinge, BLK, and Chispa to promote vaccinations against COVID-19  —  With a non-zero amount of awkwardness, the Biden administration on Friday highlighted a new plan to encourage more people to get vaccinated … https://bit.ly/3wpuGhH

Catherine Shu / TechCrunch: Indonesia-based TaniHub Group, which operates direct-to-consumer e-commerce, delivery, and financing services for farmers, raises $65.5M Series B  —  TaniHub Group, an Indonesian startup that helps farmers get better prices and more customers for their crops, has raised a $65.5 million Series B … https://bit.ly/3wojEcD

Alex Heath / The Verge: Snap has agreed to acquire WaveOptics, the supplier of the AR displays used in its new Spectacles glasses, for more than $500M  —  WaveOptics made the display in Snap's new Spectacles glasses  —  Snap has agreed to acquire WaveOptics, the supplier of the augmented reality displays that power … https://bit.ly/344OhaV

Maggie Fitzgerald / CNBC: Robinhood announces IPO Access, which will let retail investors buy shares of companies at their IPO price before trading begins on public exchanges  —  - Robinhood said it is giving retail investors access to IPO shares.  — Retail traders typically don't have a vehicle to buy … https://bit.ly/342wnWs

Alex Heath / The Verge: Snap unveils its first AR glasses, with four built-in microphones, two stereo speakers, and a touchpad, and says it will test them with some AR effects creators  —  The fourth-gen glasses have built-in AR displays  —  Snap's new Spectacles glasses are its most ambitious yet. https://bit.ly/3v8xb83

Bloomberg: Figure, which uses blockchain tech to provide home equity loans, raises $200M at a valuation of $3.2B; Figure is founded by ex-SoFi CEO Mike Cagney  —  - Blockchain-based startup raised $200 million from investors  — CEO Cagney says goal is for Provenance to supplant Ethereum https://bit.ly/2RyqBck

Ian King / Bloomberg: AMD announces a $4B stock buyback program, its first since 2001, representing about 4% of AMD's market value  —  Advanced Micro Devices Inc. unveiled a $4 billion stock buyback plan, its first repurchase authorization since 2001, underscoring the chipmaker's confidence in the future of its business. https://bit.ly/3fuAxf0

James Vincent / The Verge: At I/O, Google made AI systems a centerpiece but failed to address concerns over its handling of research about the dangers of AI, which has led to firing staff  —  The company has been accused of censoring critics of these same AI systems  —  Yesterday at Google's I/O developer conference … https://bit.ly/3yqOtzi

Rebecca Jennings / Vox: TikTok's algorithms reward mediocrity, the lowest common denominator of what people want to look at, driven by biases toward thinness, whiteness, and wealth  —  Or, how algorithms reward mediocrity.  —  This story is part of a group of stories called  —  When TikTok first launched … https://bit.ly/3ovmxpe

Kyle Bradshaw / 9to5Google: Google says Android now powers over 3B active devices worldwide, up from 2.5B in 2019 and 2B in 2017  —  During Google I/O's main keynote, the company has shared that their flagship operating system, Android, now powers over 3 billion devices worldwide.  —  While Android is of course … https://bit.ly/3ykQs81

Dieter Bohn / The Verge: Google details Android 12's new design, based on the flexible Material You system, with better widgets and buttons, more animation, privacy features, and more  —  There are new features, but it's the biggest design update in years  —  Google is announcing the latest beta for Android 12 today … https://bit.ly/2RtykZ9

Tom Warren / The Verge: Nvidia extends its crypto mining limits to newly manufactured GeForce RTX 3080, RTX 3070, and RTX 3060 Ti graphics cards, which will be labeled “Lite Hash Rate”  —  New Nvidia cards will be branded as Lite Hash Rate  —  Nvidia is extending its cryptocurrency mining limits … https://bit.ly/3fudxfY

Popular Information: Docs: Google's state policy manager attended a policy working group led by the Republican State Leadership Committee that worked on voter suppression proposals  —  Several large corporations that have recently issued public statements supporting voting rights — including Google, Deloitte … https://bit.ly/3ykUptF

Juli Clover / MacRumors: Apple confirms that the Bluetooth AAC codec used by AirPods Pro and AirPods Max does not support Apple Music's new lossless streaming  —  Apple today announced that starting in June, Apple Music songs will be available to stream in Lossless and Hi-Resolution Lossless formats … https://bit.ly/3uYdrDT

Sebastian Herrera / Wall Street Journal: Amazon announces WorkingWell, a new program to educate employees on avoiding injuries and improving mental health, expanding to 1,000 facilities by end of 2021  —  Online retailer rolls out safety videos, on-the-job stretching exercises and staff meditation zones https://bit.ly/3hxndsX

New York Times: Sources: long after his marriage, Bill Gates would pursue women at Microsoft, at times creating an uncomfortable workplace environment  —  Melinda French Gates voiced concerns about her husband's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and a harassment claim against his money manager. https://bit.ly/3w5d5LK

Manish Singh / TechCrunch: Clubhouse, which launched its Android app in beta in the US last week, to expand the app to Japan, Brazil, and Russia on Tuesday, and globally by Friday  —  Voice social network Clubhouse said on Sunday it will expand its Android app worldwide in a week, days after launching a beta version … https://bit.ly/2S2c604

Stephanie Chan / Sensor Tower Blog: After WhatsApp's privacy policy changes, in the first four months of 2021, Telegram's installs rose 98% YoY and Signal's first-time downloads were up 1,192% YoY  —  Popular mobile messenger WhatsApp encountered backlash in January when it was announced that users would need to accept … https://bit.ly/3fC40DV

Cecilia D'Anastasio / Wired: Top gamers are quitting esports to become Twitch and YouTube influencers as esports organizations and game publishers reallocate resources to streamers  —  Top players have left pro leagues to pursue streaming full-time as the industry veers more toward content creators. https://bit.ly/3eRlqgg

José Adorno / 9to5Mac: Researcher: Twitter is working on Twitter Blue, a $2.99/month subscription offering with “Collections” to organize favorite tweets and an “undo tweet” function  —  Twitter has been working on its subscription service for a while now. https://bit.ly/3fmMDqd

Kyle Bradshaw / 9to5Google: New Android beta APK for Apple Music describes two lossless audio options, “Lossless” and “High-Res Lossless”, at 24-bit/48 kHZ and 24-bit/192 kHz respectively  —  Earlier this month, our colleagues at 9to5Mac reported that Apple Music would be gaining “HiFi” streaming options, possibly with iOS 14.6. https://bit.ly/3tSfxnv