| Netflix is testing cheaper subscriptions in Asia, Uber launches a rewards program and we've got dueling opinions on Amazon's new HQ2s. 1. Netflix is testing a mobile-only subscription to make its service more affordable Netflix is testing a mobile-only subscription with a reduced price as it explores new packages aimed at widening its appeal in Asia and other emerging markets. CEO Reed Hastings told Bloomberg last week that the company would test lower-priced packages, and it hasn't taken long for those experiments to come to light. The first reports are from Malaysia, where Netflix quietly rolled out a mobile-only tier priced at RM17, or around $4, each month. 
2. The great Amazon swindle One of the fun things about TechCrunch is that our writers can say exactly what they think, even if they disagree with each other. Case in point: Jon Shieber argues that in the selection of its enormous "HQ2" locations, Amazon "played everyone involved in the process," while Danny Crichton thinks that Jon is completely wrong. 3. Uber launches rider loyalty Rewards like credits and upgrades nine cities Riders earn points for all the money they spend on Uber and Uber Eats, and those points can get them credits, upgrades to nicer cars, access to premium support and even flexible cancellations. 4. Snap is being probed over its IPO because some investors are salty about losing money Snap went public last March, with shares popping over 40 percent to give it a valuation of $30 billion. Its market cap today is a more modest $8.9 billion, due to numerous factors — most notably, the efforts of Facebook to compete with Instagram. 5. Microsoft to acquire Xoxco as focus on AI and bot developers continues Xoxco was founded in 2009 and began working on bots in 2013. It's credited with developing the first bot for Slack to help schedule meetings. 6. Bain Capital Ventures has a fresh $1B to invest in startups Founded in 2001, BCV is known for its investments in LinkedIn, Rent the Runway, SurveyMonkey, SendGrid and DocuSign. Initially, the firm was more of a growth-stage investor, though it's warmed to early-stage companies. 7. We tried Amazon's bizarre Alexa microwave and weren't convinced Turns out pushing buttons on your microwave is a lot simpler than trying to talk to it. | 
No comments:
Post a Comment