Welcome, people, to Week in Review (WiR), TechCrunch’s common publication masking this week’s noteworthy happenings in tech.
TikTok’s destiny within the U.S. appears unsure after President Joe Biden signed a invoice that included a deadline for ByteDance, TikTok’s mum or dad firm, to divest itself of TikTok inside 9 months or face a ban on distributing it within the U.S. Ivan writes about how the impression of TikTok bans in different international locations may sign what’s to return stateside.
Meanwhile, fallout from the Change Healthcare hack continues. Change, a subsidiary of medical insurance large UnitedHealth, confirmed this week that the ransomware assault focusing on it earlier this yr resulted in an enormous theft of Americans’ non-public well being data, probably masking “a substantial proportion” of Americans.
And Tesla income dropped 55% because the EV firm contends with elevated stress from hybrid carmakers. The automaker’s development plan is centered round mysterious cheaper EVs scheduled to launch subsequent yr — in addition to maybe a robotaxi. But a recall on the Cybertruck for defective accelerator pedals definitely gained’t assist in the interim.
Lots else occurred. We recap all of it on this version of WiR — however first, a reminder to enroll to obtain the WiR publication in your inbox each Saturday.
News
Amazon grocery plan: Amazon launched a brand new limitless grocery supply subscription within the U.S. The plan, which prices $9.99 per 30 days for Amazon Prime customers, comes with free deliveries for grocery orders over $35 throughout Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market and different native grocery retailers.
California drones grounded: In extra Amazon information, the tech large confirmed that it’s ending Prime Air drone supply operations in Lockeford, California. The Central California city of three,500 was the corporate’s second U.S. drone supply web site after College Station, Texas; Amazon didn’t provide any particulars across the setback.
Fisker plans layoffs: Fisker says it’s planning extra layoffs lower than two months after chopping 15% of its workforce, because the EV startup scrambles to lift money to remain alive. Fisker expects to hunt chapter safety inside the subsequent 30 days if it could actually’t provide you with the cash.
Stripe growth: Among a slew of different bulletins at its Sessions convention in San Francisco, Stripe stated that it’ll be de-coupling funds from the remainder of its monetary companies stack. Given that Stripe beforehand required companies to be funds clients as a way to use any of its different merchandise, that’s a giant change.
Analysis
Rabbit arms on: Brian writes concerning the R1, the primary gizmo from AI startup R1. The $199 worth level, touchscreen and funky aesthetic from storied design agency Teenage Engineering make the R1 way more accessible than Humane’s Ai Pin, he concludes.
Lab-grown diamonds: Pascal, an Andreessen Horowitz-backed startup, claims it could actually make high-end jewellery accessible by utilizing lab-grown diamonds chemically and bodily akin to pure diamonds however that price one-twentieth of the worth.
AI poetry: An experiment known as the Poetry Camera — an precise, bodily digital camera — combines open supply expertise with playful design and creative imaginative and prescient. Instead of merely capturing photographs, the Poetry Camera arranges thought-provoking, AI-generated stanzas based mostly on the visuals it encounters.
Rippling deep dive: Connie interviewed Parker Conrad, the CEO of workforce administration startup Rippling, on the corporate’s new $200 million funding spherical, new San Francisco lease (the second largest to be signed within the metropolis this yr) and extra.
