Monthly Archives: July 2022

Amazon shuts down its personal file storage service to focus on photos

Amazon’s consumer-focused storage service, Amazon Drive, will wind down over the next year, Amazon announced today. In an email to users, the company said that it was taking the opportunity to “more fully focus” its efforts on Amazon Photos, Amazon’s answer to iCloud Photos and Google Photos. Amazon Drive customers have until December 31, 2023…

Lemonade closes on acquisition of insurtech Metromile, promptly lays off about 20% of its staff

Publicly traded Lemonade has laid off about 60 employees of Metromile, the auto insurtech company it recently acquired – adding to the volatility the technology sector has seen over the past 18 months. In an emailed statement, a Lemonade spokesperson told TechCrunch that it was “able to offer a role at Lemonade to about 80%…

After dominating the short video market, TikTok may be considering a music service

TikTok parent company ByteDance filed a trademark application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in May for a service called “TikTok Music.” First spotted by Business Insider, the filing indicates that the trademark could be applied to a mobile app that would allow users to purchase, play, share and download music. The short-form video…

Web3 darling Helium has bragged about Lime being a client for years. Lime says it isn’t true.

Helium is often heralded as one of the largest success stories in the Web3 space, even landing a coveted article in The New York Times earlier this year. Since 2019, the decentralized wireless network service, which bills itself as a peer-to-peer network for the Internet of Things, has touted rideshare company Lime as one of…

Google Play Store is blocking full-screen ads, VPN hijacking

Google has announced new Play Store policies for Android developers in an effort to crack down on full-screen ads, VPNs, and fake apps impersonating genuine software. Coming into effect from September 30, 2022, the Play Store will require developers to stop showing “Full-screen interstitial ads,” for example those that show during gameplay or during an…

After a rocky start, Apple’s streaming service is becoming harder and harder to ignore

Adam Scott stars as Mark in “Severance.” Apple TV+ Apple TV+ has become a must-have streaming service after a shaky start. It reflects the growth of Apple’s services business in recent years. The streamer doesn’t have a library of licensed content, but its originals are stellar. Apple TV+ has evolved to become a must-have streaming…