Google is announcing upgrades to Google Meet, Amazon is bringing its palm scanner to Whole Foods, and Microsoft is looking at the effect of video calling on our brains. This is your daily crunch for April 21, 2021.
The big story: Google Meet gets a new look and new functions
Google Meet is getting a number of updates, including a new user interface that should make the controls more visible (instead of hiding them in menus), the ability to pin multiple video feeds, auto zoom (automatically putting you in the center of the frame) and background replacement, starting with just a few scenes.
It sounds like these changes aren’t all happening at once, but will be rolled out gradually over the next few months. Google said the goal is to make online meetings “ more immersive, inclusive and productive. ”
The tech giants
Foxconn’s Wisconsin Factory Plans Dramatically Scaled Down – The Taiwanese manufacturing giant is scaling its investment from $ 10 billion to $ 672 million.
Amazon is bringing its Amazon One palm scanner to select Whole Foods as a payment option – That means Whole Foods customers can choose to scan their palm across the reader to pay for their purchases.
Instagram is launching tools to filter out abusive DMs based on keywords and emojis – It also allows users to proactively block people even if they try to connect from a new account.
Startups, financing and venture capital
Remote Hiring Startup Part Raises $ 156 Million at $ 1.25 Billion Valuation After 20x Growth by 2020 – Part wants to enable companies to “hire anyone, anywhere, in a compliant way.”
Cheap Grocery Store Startup Misfits Market Raises $ 200 Million – This round moves the startup known for selling “ugly” fruits and vegetables into unicorn territory.
AppOmni Raises $ 40 Million for Tools to Secure SaaS Apps for Business – The startup built a platform to monitor SaaS apps and their activity, provide guidance to warn or block when things can go wrong and issues if they arise.
Advice and analysis of Extra Crunch
Four Ways Martech Will Shift In 2021 – First of all, differentiation will be necessary.
Micromobility’s next big business is software, not vehicles – The days of the shared, dockless micromobility model are numbered, at least according to Puneeth Meruva of Trucks Venture Capital.
Dear Sophie: How can I get my startup off the ground and visit the US? – The latest edition of Dear Sophie, the advice column that answers immigration-related questions about working at technology companies.
(Extra Crunch is our membership program that helps founders and start-up teams move forward. Sign up here.)
All the rest
This Is Your Brain On Zoom – Microsoft has done a bit of brain research and found that yes, constant video calls increase your stress and brain noise.
New Privacy Act Would End Law Enforcement Practices to Buy Broker Data – A new bill known as the Fourth Amendment is not for sale would close a loophole that intelligence agencies and law enforcement agencies use to source a wealth of sensitive and identifying information to gain.
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