Victoria Fox's Blog, page 166
December 10, 2023
Potential Spam Keeps Calling And Texting? What That Means (And What You Can Do About It)
The best robocall-blocking solutions, though, come in the form of smartphone apps. All three major American mobile carriers have some kind of anti-robocall app for their customers: Verizon Call Filter, AT&T ActiveArmor, and T-Mobile Scam Shield. At their hearts, they all have the same basic functionality of identifying spam calls and sending them directly to voicemail, but there are some additional bells and whistles, as well.
Verizon Call Filter assigns a specific risk level to each call, allowing you to filter by how far along the risk continuum it is, and also gives you the option of what it calls the “neighborhood filter.” This allows you to block numbers similar to yours and/or a specific area code and prefix/exchange combination. Meanwhile, for Scam Shield, T-Mobile claims to use “A.I., machine learning, and patented technologies” to block calls from bad actors, with its anti-spam database updated every six minutes.
For those looking for Android apps for blocking spam, Google’s dialer, Phone by Google, has anti-spam protections — as does its Messages app — but there are also various dedicated anti-spam apps for both Android and iPhones. We have our own round-up of the best anti-spam call apps from 2017 that you can check out, but some of the most highly recommended options include TrueCaller, Hiya, and Mr. Number.
Cruise faces fines, TuSimple exits the U.S. and a new reporter joins the TC transpo team
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Hello all! I’m back from the Chevy Blazer EV press drive and I have some thoughts! But you’ll have to wait until later this week to read about it.
There is one important news item that was gleaned during the press drive by former TC contributor turned InsideEVs editor Patrick George that I wanted to point out to y’all. Remember how GM killed the Chevy Bolt and Bolt EUV and then a few months later was like “nevermind!” we are going to bring it back under the new Ultium platform? OK, good. Well we now know that when it does come back it will only be the EUV. The smaller and original Bolt EV is done, dead, finito.
Which makes me wonder how this will eventually affect GM’s subsidiary Cruise, which uses an autonomous version of the Bolt? That is, if Cruise returns to operations in 2024.
A couple more important items to share. I am a regular on the Equity podcast with TC+ editor Alex Wilhelm and senior reporter Mary Ann Azevedo. Listen to the latest episode here.
And finally, am I excited to share this: we hired Sean O’Kane as a senior reporter covering all things transportation. O’Kane hails from Bloomberg by way of The Verge and I can’t gush enough about his investigative and storytelling skills. I will share his email next week once he officially starts. Please welcome him!
Want to reach out with a tip, comment or complaint? Email Kirsten at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or Rebecca at rebecca.techcrunch@gmail.com.
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Deal of the weekAutomakers love to talk about software-defined vehicles. That doesn’t mean automakers, which are keen to bring sophisticated digital platforms into vehicles, have actually delivered on this software-defined future, however. One startup is cashing in on that demand.
Cubic Telecom, which developed a networking system to make it easy for vehicles (and other devices) to link up with mobile networks, picked up €473 million ($513 million) from SoftBank Corp. Under the deal, Softbank Corp (not the Vision Fund or Softbank Group) is taking a 51% stake in the Dublin-based startup, valuing it at just over €927 million ($1 billion). As editor Ingrid Lunden wrote, this effectively makes Cubic Telecom a consolidated subsidiary of SoftBank.
Barry Napier will stay on as CEO and will have a seat on the board of the company. Daichi Nozaki, SoftBank’s SVP of global business, plus two other SoftBank-appointed people (still unnamed) will join the board, with the remaining three board seats occupied by existing Cubic Telecom investors, which include CARIAD (the Volkswagen Group) and Qualcomm.
One other fun note: Cubic Telecom participated in TechCrunch’s first Startup Battlefield in 2007!
Other deals that got my attention this week …
AM Batteries, lithium-ion dry-electrode technology startup, raised $30 million in a Series B round led by Toyota Ventures. Other new investors include Porsche Ventures, Asahi Kasei, RA Capital Management – Planetary Health, Wilson Sonsini, and Industry Ventures. Existing investors Anzu Partners, TDK Ventures, Creative Ventures, Doral Energy-Tech Ventures, Foothill Ventures, and Zeon Ventures also participated.
Generac Power Systems made a minority investment in EV charging and energy management company Wallbox. The minority investment, which was not disclosed, includes adding a seat on Wallbox’s board and a global commercial agreement to provide Generac’s residential and commercial customers with the next generation of energy management systems.
Foretellix, which builds verification and validation solutions to test driver assistance and autonomous vehicle systems, raised $42 million to close out its Series C at $85 million. The full round was led by Israeli VC 83North, with Singapore’s Temasek and Isuzu investing alongside Woven Capital (Toyota’s venture fund), Nvidia, Artofin and previous backers MoreTech, Nationwide, Volvo Group VC, Jump Capital, Next Gear Ventures and OurCrowd. The first close of this Series C was in May of this year at $43 million.
Stuart, a Paris-based last-mile delivery platform founded in 2015, was acquired by Munich-based private equity holding company Mutares. Terms were not disclosed.
Notable reads and other tidbits
Autonomous vehiclesThe Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Alliance for Automotive Innovation and others sent a letter to Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg imploring the agency to support the development of AVs or risk losing a competitive edge to China.
Cruise may face fines and sanctions after failing to disclose details of an October 2 incident — specifically that one of its vehicles dragged a pedestrian 20 feet, according to a ruling from the California Public Utilities Commission. The agency ordered Cruise to appear at a February 6 hearing to defend itself against accusations.
Ganesh Venkataramanan, who led Tesla’s Dojo supercomputer project the last five years, left the company. For the unfamiliar, the Dojo supercomputer is considered the critical technology behind its self-driving car efforts.
Kodiak Robotics showcased the autonomous vehicle borne out of a $50 million two-year contract awarded by the U.S. Department of Defense, and more specifically the U.S. Army. You’d be wrong if you guessed it was a semi truck. Nope, it’s a Ford F-150 pickup truck that the startup outfitted with its software and sensor stack. The DOD is using the vehicle to test autonomous surveillance and reconnaissance missions in off-road terrain, diverse operational conditions and GPS-challenged environments.
Torc Robotics and Uber Freight have formed a strategic partnership. Under the agreement, Torc will use data from Uber Freight’s logistics network to help it hone the design of its autonomous freight network and expansion strategy, including learning which lanes are optimal for deployment, how to prioritize the rollout of lanes and various operational design domains and balancing supply and demand across supply chains with autonomous trucks.
There was a time when self-driving truck developer TuSimple garnered a lot of buzz — not to mention investment and partnerships. Those days are over, at least in the United States. The publicly traded company is laying off the majority of its U.S. workforce and selling assets here as it exits the country for Asia. About 150 U.S. workers, or 75% of staff in the country, will be laid off. The remaining 50 workers will wind down TuSimple’s U.S. operations, including the sale of assets, and assist with the company’s shift to the Asia-Pacific region.
Electric vehicles, charging & batteriesScout, the VW Group spinoff aiming to launch EVs for North America, is still chugging along on development of a pickup truck and SUV. A few new details have emerged ahead of the debut that is supposed to occur in Q3 2024.
Stellantis partnered with battery swapping startup Ample to test the technology in the Fiat 500e city car. The two companies will start the first phase in Madrid, where 100 cars in Stellantis’ Free2move car-sharing service will be retrofitted to accept Ample’s modular batteries. TC reporter Tim de Chant muses that battery swapping could work well in fleets, but wonders if consumers are ready for the tech?
Speaking of the Fiat 500e, that diminutive EV will hit North American showrooms during the first quarter of 2024, starting with a Product Red model, in collaboration with the AIDS-fighting group co-founded by U2’s Bono. TC reporter Harri Weber calls the Fiat 500e the anti-Cybertruck. Will Americans buy it?
One more Stellantis item. The automaker will temporarily cut one shift at its Detroit assembly plant that builds Jeep sport utility vehicles because of California emissions regulations. What’s the connection? Stellantis sent a petition opposing the California Framework Agreement, which was formed in 2019 with four automakers (BMW, Ford, Honda, and Volkswagen). Stellantis argues that framework companies can use its total EV sales volume to comply with the state’s emissions rules while other OEMs may only use the sales volumes generated in states adhering to CARB rules. This has led Stellantis, which includes the Jeep brand, to have excessive plug-in hybrid inventories in California. Hence, a cutback in production.
Tesla’s lowest-priced vehicle, the rear-wheel-drive Model 3, won’t be eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit as of next year. Tesla isn’t alone in losing the full tax credit; the Ford Mustang Mach E is not expected to qualify for the tax credit starting January 1.
In other Tesla news, the automaker’s battle with Nordic unions is expanding from Sweden to Norway.
This iPhone Battery Trick On TikTok Isn’t All It’s Made Up To Be, Here’s Why
The video’s second part is where practical, useful battery advice comes in. It suggests that you dim your phone’s brightness to save battery. High display brightness is one of the foremost reasons your iPhone battery drains faster than it should.
The light your phone emits directly affects the device’s battery; the brighter it is, the more battery it drains. Therefore, turning your brightness to the lowest level is one of the best ways to save battery short of shutting down your phone. You should also turn off your iPhone’s auto-brightness so it doesn’t automatically increase brightness when it senses light.
As comments on the video suggest, combining a low white point and low dimness makes it almost impossible to use your phone in anything other than absolute darkness. Even if the low white point theory was true, you might as well turn off your phone’s display completely to maximize battery savings.
5 Of The Best Apps To Stay Connected With Friends And Family
Instagram is another part of Meta’s near-monopoly on messaging apps — though it does offer something a little different. It’s multi-platform, and connecting to people on Instagram is very easy. You can simply look up their unique username and follow them, plus they can choose to follow you back. In terms of functionality, Instagram’s messaging system is near-identical to Facebook Messenger — though there are some cosmetic differences. You can share videos, images, and text messages on the platform, set up a group chat, make video calls, and voice chat to your heart’s content.
It’s also an easy way to share the content the platform is famous for. If your “conversations” with certain individuals essentially amount to sending each other short clips of cats doing stupid things, then this is the perfect messaging platform for you. As with other Meta messaging apps, the messages are encrypted and if someone is annoying you, it’s easy to block them.
Beyond that, the app is a great way to share regular photos and other life events. Not every interaction needs to be a long conversation. A short comment or “like” on a picture of your lunch is still a form of interaction, and things like this can help you keep some form of connection with long-time acquaintances you don’t see much. You can also strategically use the app, a hotel stay, and a rented supercar, to make it look like you’re living an affluent lifestyle. This may fool folks who you went to high school with, but it will make those close to you think you’re a bit sad.
SumUp taps €285M more in growth funding to weather the fintech storm
SumUp — the fintech that provides payments and related services to some 4 million small businesses in Europe, the Americas and Australia — has picked up some growth funding to navigate the choppy waters of the current fintech market, waters that have tipped and swayed SumUp itself.
The startup, which has roots in Germany but is based in London, has raised €285 million (just under $307 million). It plans to use the money to continue growing its business organically launching more financial services — around the card readers and other point-of-sale tools, it offers invoicing, loyalty, business accounts and more. It’s also eyeing up more geographies beyond the 36 where it is currently active.
And it will also be turning its attention to inorganic growth — that is, M&A. The latter is something to watch: we are currently in a buyer’s market, with fintech startups facing a significantly tighter funding landscape, down by 36% globally in the last quarter, according to S&P.
(Sometimes an M&A deal might check a couple of strategic boxes: when SumUp acquired the loyalty startup Fivestars in 2021, that gave it a leg up in the U.S. and also introduced new services to the platform.)
Sixth Street Growth is leading this latest round, with previous backers Bain Capital Tech Opportunities, Fin Capital, and Liquidity Group also participating. SumUp has now raised around $1.5 billion, per PitchBook data.
Hermione McKee, who was appointed as SumUp’ CFO earlier this year, described the round as “mostly equity” but declined to give more exact figures. She also declined to give a specific valuation for SumUp, except to say that it’s higher than the $8.5 billion that SumUp reached in 2022 when it raised €590 million (half in equity; half in debt).
The company says that it has been “positive on an EBITDA basis since Q4 2022” (note: this is not the same as profitable). And that it has had over 30 percent “top line growth” year on year.
But on the other hand, there are other indications that business is tough right now. SumUp says that its customer base currently totals around 4 million, which is exactly the same figure it quoted two years ago.
And today’s funding news comes in the wake of some other rocky data points for the company. It was only a couple of months ago that Groupon disclosed that, as part of a larger group of secondary transactions between existing shareholders, it sold part of its stake in the company at a valuation of $4.1 billion. In other words, it made the sale at less than half what the company was worth in 2022.
That $8.5 billion valuation from 2022, meanwhile, was a major discount on the €20 billion ($21.5 billion) SumUp had been hoping to achieve, underscoring how hard it has been to raise big equity rounds. (And in line with that, SumUp’s last raise, in August, was for a $100 million credit facility.)
Payment tech businesses in Europe and the U.S. also faced some tough scrutiny and slower business.
PayPal and Square, two publicly-listed U.S. companies that compete directly with SumUp, have seen their share prices and market caps tank since 2022. (PayPal’s share price is currently less than $60/share, down from a peak of nearly $300/share. Square and parent company Block are trading at around 25% of its peak.) Stripe famously saw its valuation nearly halved to $50 billion this year.
Closer to home, publicly listed Adyen has also been in the financial doldrums after reporting sluggish growth. But as a measure of how volatile the market is right now, and how thirsty investors are for any signs of good news, Adyen’s mere statement of a turnaround plan (plan, not results) sent the company’s stock up 30%.
Klarna and Checkout have, so far, not been so lucky: Klarna’s valuation dropped some 85% the last time it raised money; Checkout had a $40 billion valuation when it raised $1 billion in January 2022, but since then it’s reportedly marked down that figure to $10 billion internally.
Now 11 years old and one of the biggest of the privately-held payments startups, SumUp is banking on its track record of longevity as a signal of its stability.
“For over a decade, SumUp has consistently delivered sustained growth and boldly entered and led entirely new product categories and markets,” said Nari Ansari, MD at Sixth Street Growth in a statement. “This… track record and culture of innovation combined with SumUp’s thoughtful approach to growth and efficiency are well-aligned with Sixth Street Growth’s investing strategy.”
Are ‘High Endurance’ MicroSD Cards Worth The Extra Cost?
Just like deciding on a laptop, you choose a microSD card based on what you plan to use it for. You could be using it just to save games on your Nintendo Switch, but you could just as easily be using one to store footage from a constantly running security camera. If you are someone in the latter category who plans to use these cards on an incredibly frequent basis, then perhaps the “High Endurance” variety is right for you.
For that 512GB SanDisk model, it boasts the ability to record up to 40,000 hours. The amount of space on the card doesn’t allow for that, so that means it holds up extremely well with constant writing and re-writing, which many cards don’t do. Taking it up a step further is the Max Endurance model, which can record up to 120,000 hours on its 256GB edition. Samsung even ups that number to 140,000 on its 256GB Pro Endurance card.
For those only using them on an occasional basis, you probably can save a couple of bucks and go with the base options. But if you need long-lasting cards for lots of recording, these “High Endurance” cards will stand up far better than your standard offerings.
Single DIN Vs Double-DIN Car Stereos, What’s The Difference?
When it comes to sound quality and power, double-DIN stereos are no better than a single-DIN radio. They have the same functions and can produce the same detail and sound clarity. Due to their bigger size, double-DIN stereos have specific advantages like touch-enabled screens, more bespoke features, smartphone integration (Apple CarPlay & Android Auto), built-in GPS navigation, compatibility with front and rear parking cameras, and more.
However, there are drawbacks to choosing a double DIN over a single DIN. Double-DIN radios are typically costlier and are more challenging to install with more wires and connectors. Moreover, upgrading from a single-DIN head unit to a double-DIN might require modifications to the center console. Not all vehicles are identical; some might require wiring adaptors and mounting kits to accommodate a double-DIN stereo.
Single-DIN radios are more affordable, compact, and easy to install. But upgrading to a double-DIN stereo is the next best step if you need more tech integrations like music streaming and smartphone connectivity in your car. Remember that installation or mounting kits and wiring adaptors are generally required when upgrading from a stock to an aftermarket car stereo. When in doubt, it’s always best to consult a professional.
Are You Being Tracked? Here’s How Your Android Device Might Be Monitoring You
The aforementioned Kaspersky blog post puts a heavy focus on the degree to which Google and OEMs collect the various unique identifiers that tie you to a specific handset. Most people probably wouldn’t mind data being collected that’s largely uniform across a specific model smartphone and can be used to troubleshoot problem apps, like basic hardware, firmware, and operating system specs, as well as related matters like battery drain. You want developers to be able to troubleshoot problem apps, after all. But unique identifiers are a different story.
The university study found that Android phones generally transmit the phone’s Google Advertising ID (which can be changed but generally isn’t by the vast majority of users), the device serial number, the radio module’s IMEI code, and the SIM card number. The serial and IMEI number being among the data collected means that you could change your phone number, factory reset the phone, and/or even install a custom Android ROM on it, but it could still theoretically be tied to you.
December 9, 2023
The Top 10 Reasons Why People Say They Prefer Android Over iPhone
One major benefit that keeps users faithful to Android is the ability to install apps from sources other than the official Google Play Store. Just as you can on a PC, you can simply download an Android app from anywhere online and install it using the APK file. However, on Apple’s side of the aisle, there is no legitimate way to install apps from outside the App Store. There are many useful apps, including system-wide ad and tracking blockers, that can’t be found in the Play Store but that Android users can still find and use. Of course, you need to be careful when installing APK files, but it’s still empowering to have that freedom.
Apple maintains that allowing iOS users to install apps from unverified sources is a security risk. While that’s technically true, it’s a risk that only affects those who choose to venture outside Apple’s walled garden. Understandably, Apple doesn’t want users who aren’t tech-savvy to accidentally load their devices with malware, but it’s not unreasonable to give that choice to the customer rather than patronizingly restricting the device they paid good money for.
Things may soon change, as Apple’s walled garden has been the target of lawsuits, including from “Fortnite” developer Epic Games. Meanwhile, the European Union, which recently forced Apple’s hand on putting USB-C in the iPhone 15, has introduced requirements that the company must allow apps to be installed from outside the App Store. Users may see these changes as soon as 2024.
Creating a better future one cloth bag at a time
Climate change took away the only source of income of 72 families in Paalaguttapalle village in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh about a decade ago and today it is climate action that is reviving their economy.
A slew of droughts between 2010 and 2015 caused incomes to decline in the largely agrarian village and put families in crisis. The women met often to discuss the way ahead. It was during one such meeting in 2016 that a few women, including Aparna Krishnan, a former software engineer who had moved to the village in 1996 after retirement, came up with the idea of banking on one of their skills—tailoring.
“A few of them had sewing machines and some knew how to stitch so they decided to make cloth bags with simple designs. The first order came from a friend of mine who placed one for 100 bags so that set them off,” Krishnan, who handles their social media and is a consultant tells Lounge.
Named after their village and started by nine women, Paalanguttapalle Bags has since grown to become a sustainable bag-making enterprise and the main source of income for their families which were heavily dependent on agriculture.
They began crafting cloth bags, often seen as an alternative to plastic and a means to reduce consumption and counter climate change, with Kalamkari artwork. As bigger orders came in, some customers wanted custom printing or images and the women realised they needed to learn screen printing but the training was expensive. “Through the venture’s Facebook page, some friends offered to teach them in Chennai so they travelled, learnt and brought the skill back to the village. There have been some helping hands to guide me through this journey,” explains Krishnan.
The grit and learning spirit of the women remain the driving force of the venture. From procurement of fabric to design, quality checking, and walking seven kilometres to the nearest post office to send out the products, the women handle each stage of the process. “They have poured their heart and soul. Making sure quality products reach the customers is the utmost concern and that’s something that made this enterprise into a community,” Krishnan says.
They started with cloth bags, and have moved to making sustainable alternatives for various products such as backpacks, gift pouches, saree bags, fridge bags, coasters, thoranams (hanging decorations), and upcycled products. Their tote bags often come with messages such as ‘Say No to Plastic Bags’. As people who have experienced how climate crisis can severely impact lives, the women are passionate about doing their bit to create awareness.
During the Covid-19 pandemic as face masks became a necessity, the women started making them using cloth—an eco-friendly option that could save waste from landfills. Now, they have expanded to making saree blouses and selling homemade pickles.
With this venture, the women became the breadwinners of the family. “We are able to not only sustain ourselves but also send our children to better schools. Often children come to their mothers when they want something, now we can be the person who can get that for them,” says N Anita, one of the co-founders.
It has also led to some changes in the dynamics within the family. Their husbands take over the cooking when there is a lot of work, Krishnan says. “These have important social implications,” she adds.
Along with financial relief and a positive shift in family dynamics, the enterprise has brought recognition for women and the village. The women not only sell bags across India but have also received orders from the US, UK and Canada. “It makes us happy that people worldwide have heard of our village because of our enterprise,” K Roopa says.
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