Hello! We’re back with another edition of Week in Review, our quick breakdown of the top stories from the past 7 days to hit TC. Want it in your inbox? Register here.
our read the most This week’s story is about Stable Diffusion, a “new open-source AI image generator capable of generating photorealistic pictures from any text prompt,” which is rapidly making its way into more projects. However, as Kyle Wiggers points out, the “unfiltered nature of the system means that not all usage is completely above board”.
other things
T-Mobile + Starlink: Will Elon’s Starlink satellites keep your phone connected even when there are no cell towers around? That’s the thinking behind the newly formed alliance between SpaceX and T-Mobile. If feasible, T-Mobile phones should be able to send messages (but probably not calls) over the Starlink network in a pinch, albeit with a delay of up to 30 minutes.
Google’s noise-cancelling AI: Smartphones are getting better and better at low-light photos, but at one point the roadblock to further improvement is…well, physics. Are algorithms that use “AI magic” (as Haje puts it) to remove visual noise and “find out what a shot ‘should’ look like” the only answer in the end? Don’t know, but the examples are pretty impressive.
DoorDash is broken: Remember the Twilio hack a few weeks ago? The chain reaction continues. DoorDash disclosed this week that hackers were able to gain access to internal DoorDash tools, gaining access to “the names, email addresses, shipping addresses and phone numbers of DoorDash customers.”
Meta’s new account: If you have a Quest VR headset and don’t want to tie it to a Facebook or Instagram account, then this is the one for you. If you’re still using an old Meta Oculus account, please note that support for these accounts will end on the first day of 2023.
eBay acquires TCGplayer: If you’re a collector of any collectible card game – think Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic, etc. – you’ve probably heard of TCGplayer, which eBay is buying “for a whopping $295 million” .” We’ll discuss the deal (and why eBay wants it) with TC writer Aisha Malik in the Author Spotlight below.
Image Source: Getty Images
audio stuff
Commuting? cooking? Just wearing headphones to stop people talking to you? Come hang out with us in the land of Podcasts!this week Equity Team Jordan and Darrell speak to comedian/Super Trooper Jay Chandrasekhar on ongoing legal battle over Black Girls Code His application on Foundand chain reaction team Catch up with two investors from relatively new web3-focused firm Haun Ventures.
extra stuff
What’s behind the TC+ paywall? Here are some of the most read of the week. Want more? Sign up for TC+ here and use code “WIR” to save 15% off your annual pass.
Manchin’s ultimatum: Could the Inflation Reduction Act and Generous Tax Credits Help “Turn America into a Battery Powerhouse”? Tim De Chant explores the possibilities.
Should this metric be your team’s North Star?: The team at Battery Ventures recommends that each employee’s ARR (or “APE” as they call it) should be your team’s guiding light.
3 views of Flow: Last week we found out that WeWork founder Adam Neumann is back with something new and has raised over $350 million from the likes of a16z. good idea? bad idea? Tim De Chant, Dominic-Madori Davis, Amanda Silberling share their views.
Writer Spotlight: Aisha Malik
Image Source: Aisha Malik
As noted last week, we’re trying to highlight a TechCrunch writer’s thoughts in each newsletter to get a feel for them and what they’ve been thinking lately. This time we’re catching up with the brilliant Aisha Malik, it’s been almost a year since she wrote her first TC post.
Who is Aisha Malik? What do you do at TechCrunch?
Hi, I’m a veteran consumer news writer and the second Canadian on the TechCrunch team! I write about the latest changes to platforms and applications and how they affect the average consumer. My team and I also discovered the upcoming app features ahead of the official launch. I also had the opportunity to discuss their app launch and latest funding round with the founders.
What’s interesting about your current beat? What trends should we be aware of?
One of the things we’re seeing and will likely continue to see is how often applications replicate each other. Just this week, we found out that Instagram is testing a BeReal clone feature that challenges people to post candid photos in under two minutes. Over the past year, we’ve seen Instagram copy many of TikTok’s features, we’ve seen TikTok copy Snapchat’s Stories feature, and we’ve seen Twitter copy Instagram’s chums “circles” feature.
Similar examples abound. It will be interesting to see how this trend develops. People are already calling for Instagram to go back to its roots, so what happens when every app tries to be like another? At some point, these apps will be overcrowded with features that may not be what consumers want.
correct? ! This is ridiculous. Who wants to build the next cool thing when the giants of the app world will clone your key functionality once it starts to catch on?
Since you’re part of the consumer/app team: what are the most used apps on your phone that don’t come pre-installed? What is draining battery power every day?
I’m not ashamed to admit it (okay, maybe just a little bit), but the answer is TikTok.
When I want to take a break or don’t want to watch an episode of a movie or TV show, but still want some kind of entertainment, I find myself opening the app. I know people who haven’t downloaded the app claim it’s full of dancing videos, but the truth is, if that’s something you’re really interested in, you’ll only end up with dancing videos. TikTok has made it’s “For You” page that’s based on your interests, so I think it’s a great way to discover and engage with content you care about. As someone who loves to bake and read, most of what I see on TikTok revolves around baking recipes and book recommendations.
I also think TikTok has clearly had an impact on culture, whether it’s memes, music, or political movements. It may appear first on TikTok. I think the app is a fun and easy way to keep you updated on trends.
I get it. I had to delete TikTok from my phone – every time I opened it my eyes were on Hypnotoad and then I just disappeared, only to get out of it after 20 mins/100 videos.The algorithm is also OK It feels like the ultimate boss of the internet; the algorithm in its most evolved/efficient form. I may be overgrown with weeds here. Back to the question!
One of the most read stories of the week is your post about eBay’s acquisition of TCGplayer. What is TCGplayer and why does eBay want it?
TCGplayer is one of the largest online marketplaces for collectible card games. The acquisition essentially marks eBay’s latest foray into the trading card market, which has seen a huge boom during the pandemic. eBay said that transaction cards are currently showing significant growth.
To put that in perspective, eBay said the transaction card category is growing significantly faster than its total market, and that the category reached $2 billion in transactions in the first half of 2021. Considering eBay has long been a destination for trading card enthusiasts to buy and sell, acquiring one of its biggest competitors better cements the company’s position as the go-to marketplace for finding these collectibles.
It’s been a bit crazy how much collectibles have proliferated throughout the pandemic — perhaps because a lot of people are spending more time at home with their stuff. Collectibles-focused companies like Whatnot just became popular, from seed round Valuation in billions two years. Are you a collector of something, trading cards or otherwise?
Does the stone count? [Laughs]
Yes!
I have a small collection of rocks and stones from whatever I have collected from beaches and forests I have visited in Canada and the US. I just thought collecting them was a great way to connect with specific places I love to visit!
excellent. Thanks, Elsa!
