wp-plugin-hostgator
domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init
action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home4/scienrds/scienceandnerds/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114ol-scrapes
domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init
action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home4/scienrds/scienceandnerds/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114Source:https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2023\/07\/01\/netflix-axes-its-basic-plan-in-canada-irl-shuts-down-and-sheins-influencer-stunt-backfires\/<\/a><\/br> It\u2019s that time of week again, folks. Welcome to Week in Review (WiR), TechCrunch\u2019s regular digest of the past week in tech. New here? Not to worry \u2014 sign up here<\/a> to get WiR in your inbox every Saturday, then read on for the week\u2019s recap.<\/p>\n This week, we\u2019re covering Netflix quietly<\/a> axing its basic plan in Canada, the IRL social app shutting down<\/a> after it was discovered that most of its users were fake and the blockbuster sales<\/a> of the Flipper hacking device. Also in store, TC has reporting on Lenovo\u2019s Yoga Book 9i dual-screen laptop<\/a>, DeepMind\u2019s next chatbot to rival<\/a> ChatGPT and Robinhood acquiring<\/a> a credit card startup. Phew.<\/p>\n Netflix axes basic plan \u2014 in Canada:<\/a> <\/strong>Netflix has quietly killed the $9.99 CAD per month basic plan in Canada for new subscribers. This simplifies the streaming company\u2019s offering but leaves a big gap between the ad-supported plan and the standard plan, Ivan writes.<\/p>\n A unicorn social app shuts down:<\/strong><\/a> Ironically, the social app IRL<\/a>\u2018s users don\u2019t exist in real life. An internal investigation by IRL\u2019s board of directors found that 95% of the app\u2019s reported 20 million users were automated or from bots. So, after raising more than $200 million in venture capital, IRL is shutting down.<\/p>\n A laptop, but double:<\/strong><\/a> Lenovo\u2019s Yoga Book 9i drew both appreciative and skeptical stares at CES earlier this year when it made its official debut. With two 13-inch OLED screens attached with a central hinge, it\u2019s one of the most unusual laptop designs to ever make it into actual production. And, according to Darrell, it\u2019s the first that proves the dual-screen paradigm can work \u2014 and work really well \u2014 for a lot of people.<\/p>\n Flipper sells like hotcakes:<\/a> <\/strong>You may have stumbled across the\u00a0Flipper Zero hacking device<\/a> that\u2019s been doing the rounds, which includes a bunch of ways to manipulate the world around you \u2014 including RFID card systems, remote keyless systems, key fobs, barriers to entry and more. The company claims that it\u2019s on track to sell $80 million worth of products this year after selling almost $5 million worth as Kickstarter preorders<\/a> \u2014 and claims it sold $25 million worth of the devices last year.<\/p>\n Robinhood acquires X1:<\/strong><\/a> Robinhood announced on Thursday that it would acquire no-fee credit card startup X1<\/a> for $95 million in cash. X1, which offers an income-based credit card with rewards, has raised a total of $62 million in venture-backed funding from investors like Soma Capital, FPV, Craft Ventures and Spark Capital since its 2020 inception.<\/p>\n Shein\u2019s stunt backfires:<\/strong><\/a> As Shein eyes an IPO, the company\u2019s image needs a serious makeover. From stealing indie designers\u2019 work to violating local labor laws, Shein has fallen out of vogue on social media \u2014 so the company invited a group of influencers to tour one of its factories in Guangzhou, China. Critics point out that it was a highly curated brand trip wherein influencers were offered free travel opportunities and gifts, encouraging them to promote a favorable image of the company.<\/p>\n Databricks acquires MosaicML: <\/strong><\/a>This week, Databricks announced<\/a> that it\u2019ll pay $1.3 billion to acquire MosaicML, an open source startup with neural networks expertise that built a platform for organizations to train large language models and deploy generative AI tools based on them. Prior to that, MosaicML had raised just under $64 million from investors, including Atlas, Playground Global and Samsung Next.<\/p>\n ChatGPT gets Bing:<\/strong><\/a> ChatGPT<\/a> on mobile can now surf the web. But only via Bing \u2014 for better or worse. This week, OpenAI announced<\/a> that subscribers to ChatGPT Plus, the premium version of the company\u2019s AI-powered chatbot, can use a new feature on the ChatGPT app called Browsing that lets users use ChatGPT to search Bing for answers to questions.<\/p>\n Hunting for a podcast to while away the hours? You\u2019ve come to the right place. TC has you covered.<\/p>\n On Equity<\/a>, the crew kicked things off with Honey Homes\u2019 recent funding and Gusto\u2019s teaming up with Remote; they then dove deep into the latest wave of M&A, from Visa\u2019s purchase of Pismo to Databricks\u2019 deal with MosaicML.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Found<\/a> featured the founders of Spout,\u00a0a startup that makes a device that can pull fresh drinking water out of the air.<\/p>\n Over at Chain Reaction<\/a>, this week\u2019s episode welcomed Jack Lu, co-founder and CEO of NFT marketplace Magic Eden, to discuss the state of the crypto market.<\/p>\n And The TechCrunch Podcast<\/a> covered Shein inviting several fashion influencers to its facilities in China. The internet didn\u2019t take kindly to the stunt.<\/p>\n TC+ subscribers get access to in-depth commentary, analysis and surveys \u2014 which you know if you\u2019re already a subscriber. If you\u2019re not,\u00a0consider signing up<\/a>. Here are a few highlights from this week:<\/em><\/p>\n M&A is back:<\/strong><\/a> It\u2019s been a quiet year when it comes to tech M&A. But suddenly this week, it\u2019s as though the M&A floodgates finally opened and we started to see some movement.<\/p>\n Big Tech embraces generative AI:<\/a><\/strong> As the race to build generative AI tools for the enterprise devolves into a battle royale, Big Tech companies are busy wielding their most powerful weapons: checkbooks. Will the trend continue? That\u2019s an open question.<\/p>\n When companies have more influence than countries:<\/a> <\/strong>According to the CIA\u2019s World Factbook<\/a>, if Apple were a country, its revenue would be No. 50 on the list of countries ranked by GDP. While it\u2019d lag the likes of the U.S., France and Egypt, as a country, Apple would produce more wealth than Norway, Portugal or Greece, and only slightly less than Hong Kong, Peru or Israel. Should it be this way? Haje explores.<\/p>\n Get your TechCrunch fix IRL. Join us at Disrupt 2023 in San Francisco this September to immerse yourself in all things startup. From headline interviews to intimate roundtables to a jam-packed startup expo floor, there\u2019s something for everyone at Disrupt. Save up to $600 when you buy your pass now through August 11, and save 15% on top of that with promo code WIR. Learn more<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/br><\/br><\/br><\/p>\n
\nNetflix axes its basic plan in Canada, IRL shuts down and Shein\u2019s influencer stunt backfires<\/br>
\n2023-07-02 21:37:41<\/br><\/p>\nMost read<\/h2>\n
Audio<\/h2>\n
TechCrunch+<\/h2>\n
\n