Monthly Archives: August 2022

GM’s Super Cruise will cover 400,000 miles of roads in North America, doubling coverage

Super Cruise, the “hands-free” advanced driver-assist system (ADAS) from General Motors, will soon be available on a lot more roads in North America. GM announced today that, later this year, the ADAS system will be able to operate on 400,000 miles of roads, including non-divided highways — which would essentially double Super Cruise’s current coverage…

U.K provisionally approves $8.1B NortonLifeLock-Avast merger, citing competition from Microsoft

The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has provisionally greenlighted the proposed $8.1 billion merger of cybersecurity companies NortonLifeLock and Avast, with Microsoft emerging as an unlikely ally as the two companies seek to push the deal over the line. The merger has been hanging in the balance since the two companies first announced their…

Playstudios launches blockchain gaming division and $10M web3-focused fund

Playstudios, a publicly-traded mobile gaming platform and developer, is venturing into the web3 world with a new blockchain division and investment fund. The gaming entity, which owns popular mobile apps like Tetris, is now launching a new blockchain-focused sector, which will use “rewarded play” to leverage blockchain technology and deliver more rewarding experiences to users…

Aisera lands $90M to automate customer service requests with AI

Aisera, a startup developing what it describes as an “AI-driven” support ticketing system, today announced that it raised $90 million in Series D funding led by Goldman Sachs with participation from True Ventures, Menlo Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners, Icon Ventures, Khosla Ventures, First Round Capital and others. CEO Muddu Sudhakar said the new cash will…

German semiconductor giant Semikron says hackers encrypted its network

Semikron, a German manufacturer that produces semiconductors for electric vehicles and industrial automation systems, has confirmed it has fallen victim to a cyberattack that has resulted in data encryption. “Semikron is already in the process of dealing with the situation so that workflows and all related processes can continue without disruption for both employees and…

Salesforce shutters Hong Kong office, leans on Alibaba in China

Salesforce is repositioning itself in China as it looks to expand the reach of its customer relationship management software in the country. The company is “accelerating” its strategic partnership with Alibaba, a Salesforce spokesperson told TechCrunch. In 2019, Alibaba became the exclusive provider of the American giant’s software across Greater China. As a result of…