Daily Crunch - Tesla targeted in ransomware attack

TechCrunch Newsletter

Friday, August 28, 2020 • By Anthony Ha

The Justice Department reveals a thwarted malware attack on Tesla, Facebook tests linking your news subscriptions to your social network account and Xiaomi has plans for under-screen cameras. This is your Daily Crunch for August 28, 2020.

The big story: Tesla targeted in ransomware attack The Justice Department released a complaint Thursday describing a thwarted malware attack against an unidentified company in Sparks, Nevada, where Tesla has a factory. And Elon Musk confirmed in a tweet that Tesla was the target: “This was a serious attack.” In the complaint, the Justice Department alleged that Russian national Egor Igorevich Kriuchkov attempted to recruit and bribe a Tesla employee to introduce malware in the company's network — specifically ransomware, which encrypts a victim's files and, in this case, would also have exfiltrated the data to the hacker's servers. Read more Image Credits: Smnt / Wikimedia Commons under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

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The tech giants Facebook tests linking your FB account to your news subscriptions — Once you’re linked, if you encounter a paywalled article on Facebook, you’ll be able to read it without hitting the paywall or having to log in again. Xiaomi plans to bring under-screen cameras to its smartphones next year — The company says it's been able to effectively double the pixel density of competing technology, letting light through to the camera without sacrificing the uniformity of the screen. Image Credits: Bryce Durbin / TechCrunch

Startups, funding and venture capital Railsbank is buying Wirecard Card Solutions, the UK arm of the disgraced fintech — Wirecard collapsed into insolvency earlier this year after facing a huge accounting scandal and subsequently failing to make payments on $1.5 billion in loans. Steno raises $3.5 million led by First Round to become an extension of law offices — Steno’s first offering lines up court reporters and pays them, removing both potential headaches from lawyers' to-do lists. Femtech poised for growth beyond fertility — That’s according to an analyst note from PitchBook, which identifies opportunities for entrepreneurs in broadening out from a traditional focus on reproductive health. Image Credits: Towfiqu Photography / Getty Images

Advice and analysis from Extra Crunch SaaS stocks survive earnings, keeping the market warm for software startups, exits — We're on the other end of nearly every single SaaS earnings report that you can name (with the exception of Slack). Podcast is social: How China's Lizhi makes audio interactive — “I learned from my days working in radio that interaction is the best monetization model in the audio business,” founder Marco Lai told us. What does GPT-3 mean for the future of the legal profession? — Rudy DeFelice of Keesal Propulsion Labs argues that GPT-3 might be a game changer in legal and other knowledge-focused organizations. (Reminder: Extra Crunch is our subscription membership program, which aims to democratize information about startups. You can sign up here.) Image Credits: Nigel Sussman

Everything else GM shifts Corvette engineering team to its electric and autonomous vehicle programs — Specifically, the team responsible for the the mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette. Android security bug let malicious apps siphon off private user data — App security startup Oversecured found the flaw in Google's widely used Play Core library. Laura Deming, Frederik Groce, Amish Jani, Jessica Verrilli and Vanessa Larco are coming to Disrupt — They’re just five of this year’s Startup Battlefield judges. Image Credits: GM

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Newest Jobs from Crunchboard Growth Marketer at Stepsize (London, UK) A.I. Sports Startup seeks talented iOS engineer [remote position] at Sparrow (Anywhere) Senior Product Manager at Property Meld (Anywhere) DIGITAL SW DEVELOPER API, WEB, MOBILE SR at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian (Newport Beach, CA, USA) Head of Product at KitBash3D (Los Angeles, CA, USA) See more jobs on CrunchBoard Post your tech jobs and reach millions of TechCrunch readers for only $200 per month.

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Daily Crunch - TikTok's CEO resigns

TechCrunch Newsletter

Thursday, August 27, 2020 • By Anthony Ha

Turmoil continues at TikTok, Salesforce lays off 1,000 people and Warby Parker is now valued at $3 billion. This is your Daily Crunch for August 27, 2020.

The big story: TikTok's CEO resigns Kevin Mayer, the former Disney executive who joined TikTok as CEO just over 100 days ago, announced yesterday that he’s resigning. While Mayer was likely brought on to reassure U.S. legislators about the app’s Chinese owners, it seems he wasn’t expecting this level of conflict, with President Donald Trump signing an executive order that would ban TikTok in the U.S. unless it’s sold to another company. "We appreciate that the political dynamics of the last few months have significantly changed what the scope of Kevin's role would be going forward, and fully respect his decision,” a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement. “We thank him for his time at the company and wish him well.” As for which company might acquire TikTok, Walmart has confirmed that it’s interested in teaming up with Microsoft to acquire the popular video app. Read more Image Credits: Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney

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The tech giants Salesforce confirms it's laying off around 1,000 people in spite of monster quarter — Salesforce says it’s “reallocating resources to position the company for continued growth.” Google Assistant app now uses your searches to make personalized recommendations — Those recommendations could include podcasts, restaurants, recipes and more. Facebook isn't happy about Apple's upcoming ad tracking restrictions — The company says Audience Network revenue could decline by more than 50%. Image Credits: Ron Miller/TechCrunch

Startups, funding and venture capital Warby Parker, valued at $3 billion, raises $245 million in funding — The eyewear startup has launched a telehealth service for New York customers, allowing them to extend an existing glasses or contacts prescription. Instacart faces lawsuit from DC attorney general over 'deceptive' service fees — The suit alleges that Instacart misled customers into thinking the 10% service fee was a tip for the delivery person. Narrative raises $8.5 million as it launches a new data marketplace — The goal is to make buying data as easy as buying something on Amazon. Image Credits: Warby Parker

Advice and analysis from Extra Crunch Alexa von Tobel: Eliminating risk is the key to building a startup during an economic downturn — Von Tobel says that one of the most important exercises in forming LearnVest was writing out a business plan. To reach scale, Juni Learning is building a full-stack edtech experience — The startup’s path to $10 million in annual recurring revenue is inspired by Peloton, not Kumon. What can growth marketers learn from lean product development? — Andrea Fryrear argues that marketers should begin creating minimum viable campaigns. (Reminder: Extra Crunch is our subscription membership program, which aims to democratize information about startups. You can sign up here.) Image Credits: Alexa von Tobel

Everything else A faster, easier, cheaper way of going public — The latest episode of Equity discusses direct listings and SPACs. Here's how you can get a second shot at Startup Battlefield — Your second chance comes in the form of two Wild Card entries for the upcoming Battlefield at Disrupt.

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Newest Jobs from Crunchboard A.I. Sports Startup seeks talented iOS engineer [remote position] at Sparrow (Anywhere) Senior Product Manager at Property Meld (Anywhere) DIGITAL SW DEVELOPER API, WEB, MOBILE SR at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian (Newport Beach, CA, USA) Head of Product at KitBash3D (Los Angeles, CA, USA) Embedded QA Engineer at Brivo Systems LLC (Bethesda, Maryland, USA) See more jobs on CrunchBoard Post your tech jobs and reach millions of TechCrunch readers for only $200 per month.

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Daily Crunch - Spotify is testing virtual events

TechCrunch Newsletter

Wednesday, August 26, 2020 • By Anthony Ha

Spotify explores virtual concerts, Twitter tests a “quotes” count and Google’s Nest Hub becomes more hotel-friendly. This is your Daily Crunch for August 26, 2020.

The big story: Spotify is testing virtual events We can’t have real-world concerts at the moment, so the popular music streaming service is exploring virtual alternatives. The feature isn’t live yet, but reverse-engineering scoopster Jane Manchun Wong tweeted out photos of an “Upcoming Virtual Events” section. Spotify already highlights upcoming concerts from artists you like through various ticketing partners, and the screenshots show Songkick as the ticketing partner. Presumably, Spotify would be able to support virtual events with only minor changes to its bargaining agreement. And how big can these events be? K-pop megastars BTS raised nearly $20 million for a single show — but it’s probably safe to assume that most events will fall far short of that. Read more Image Credits: Getty Images

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The tech giants Twitter experiments with adding a 'Quotes' count to tweets — This engagement metric would sit alongside the tweet's existing retweets and likes counts. Instagram Guides may soon allow creators to recommended places, products and more — The feature, which launched in May, has allowed select organizations and experts to share resources related to managing your mental health. Google is pushing to get the Nest Hub in more hotel rooms — A new update is tailored for the hotel experience, with key features like wake-up calls, weather and local businesses. Image Credits: Twitter

Startups, funding and venture capital SpaceX will launch Masten's first lander to the moon in 2022 — Masten's first lunar mission is set to take place in 2022 if all goes according to plan. Here are the 94 companies from Y Combinator's Summer 2020 Demo Day 2 — So many companies! Course Hero, a profitable edtech unicorn, raises rare cash — A Series B extension of $70 million, to be more specific.

Advice and analysis from Extra Crunch Synthetic biology startups are giving investors an appetite — Impossible Foods is only the most public face of a growing trend in bioengineering. Funding for mental health-focused startups rises in 2020 — As wellness startups drift generally, VC hotspots emerge. (Reminder: Extra Crunch is our subscription membership program, which aims to democratize information about startups. You can sign up here.) Image Credits: Bloomberg / Getty Images

Everything else GM teases two new all-electric Chevy Bolt models — Both vehicles will go into production in summer 2021, according to GM. Learn how to scale social impact startups at Disrupt with Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins and Jessica O. Matthews — Uttering the words "making the world a better place" isn't the same as doing it, or doing it well. Image Credits: GM/ Photo by Steve Fecht

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Newest Jobs from Crunchboard DIGITAL SW DEVELOPER API, WEB, MOBILE SR at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian (Newport Beach, CA, USA) Head of Product at KitBash3D (Los Angeles, CA, USA) Embedded QA Engineer at Brivo Systems LLC (Bethesda, Maryland, USA) Chief Experience Officer at University of California Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, CA, USA) Remote Senior Software Engineer - Back End at Eleanor Health (Waltham, MA 02453, USA) See more jobs on CrunchBoard Post your tech jobs and reach millions of TechCrunch readers for only $200 per month.

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