Welcome, people, to TechCrunch Week in Evaluate (WiR), a digest of the previous few days in tech happenings.
As I write this, snow’s gracing New York Metropolis — an more and more uncommon deal with because of our altering local weather. And that feels becoming in gentle of the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional’s imminent launch. In any case, one of many guarantees of headsets just like the Imaginative and prescient Professional is that they transport the wearer away from the stresses of on a regular basis life to extra optimistic realities — at the least for a spell.
Brian went hands on with the Imaginative and prescient Professional this week. His impressions? It’s transporting, all proper — however very dear.
There’s an honest chunk of stories to recap this week, so let’s get to it. However first, a reminder to sign up here to obtain WiR in your inbox each Saturday for those who haven’t already carried out so.
Information
“Quiet supersonic” jet: NASA and Lockheed Martin have lastly taken the wraps off the X-59, an plane which will form the way forward for each navy and civilian air journey, Devin writes.
Byju’s valuation cut: BlackRock has reduce the worth of its holding in Byju’s, slashing the implied valuation of the Indian startup to about $1 billion from $22 billion in early 2022.
Notion launches a calendar app: Notion, the extremely well-liked note-taking and challenge administration service, has launched a stand-alone calendar service. Frederic has the total story.
Samsung’s Galaxy S24: Samsung held a press convention this week the place it introduced its newest flagship telephones — all powered by AI in some kind or one other.
Layoffs at Google: After shedding over 1,000 employees throughout a number of divisions final week and chopping 100 jobs at YouTube, Google CEO Sundar Pichai despatched a memo to its employees warning extra layoffs are anticipated this yr.
Evaluation
CES chases off sex tech: Regardless of being an business that caters to a common human expertise, intercourse tech has all the time had an uneasy affiliation with CES, Haje writes. And this yr, the convention successfully managed to chase the intercourse tech business off its present flooring — for higher or worse.
Podcasts
On Equity, Alex and Mary Ann chewed by way of funding rounds galore from Pomelo, Tandem and Briq — and in addition mentioned how C-suite executives really feel about AI and the enterprise.
Found featured Magic Spoon co-founder and CEO Gabi Lewis. Magic Spoon creates cereal flavors that play on our nostalgia for Froot Loops and Cocoa Puffs with a grown-up high-protein twist.
And on Chain Reaction, Jacquelyn interviewed Monica Lengthy, the president of Ripple, the blockchain-based digital cost community and protocol.
TechCrunch+
TC+ subscribers get entry to in-depth commentary, evaluation and surveys — which you recognize for those who’re already a subscriber. For those who’re not, consider signing up. Listed below are just a few highlights from this week:
Unicorn club: Cowboy Ventures’ founder Aileen Lee penned a long-awaited follow-up to her authentic 2013 article by which she coined the time period “unicorn.”
Private equity in 2024: Alex and Anna write about how PE companies may very well be the final resort for startups struggling to exit.
Reddit, IPOing: Reddit may lastly go public this yr. Alex examines what that might imply for the corporate — and others trying IPOs this yr.
