The 10 best TV episodes of 2021 (so far)
When the clock struck midnight on 2021, the year looked uncertain for many. But TV remained a constant and a comfort with continued lockdowns around the world, and the prospect...
Happs raises $4.7 million for a multicast livestream platform creator community – TechCrunch
Happs, an app that lets creators stream live video simultaneously across social platforms, has raised $4.7 million in a post-seed round. The product originally began as a platform for independent...
Facebook officially launches Live Audio Rooms and podcasts in the U.S. – TechCrunch
In April, Facebook announced a series of planned investments in new audio products, including a Clubhouse live audio competitor as well as new support for podcasts. Today, Facebook is officially...
Instagram’s TikTok rival, Reels, rolls out ads worldwide – TechCrunch
Instagram Reels are getting ads. The company announced today it’s launching ads in its short-form video platform and TikTok rival, Reels, to businesses and advertisers worldwide. The ads will be...
Spotify launches its live audio app and Clubhouse rival, Spotify Greenroom – TechCrunch
In March, Spotify announced it was acquiring the company behind the sports-focused audio app Locker Room to help speed its entry into the live audio market. Today, the company is...
Mobile game spending hits record $1.7B per week in Q1 2021, up 40% from pre-pandemic levels – TechCrunch
The COVID-19 pandemic drove increased demand for mobile gaming, as consumers under lockdowns looked to online sources of entertainment, including games. But even as COVID-19 restrictions are easing up, the...
Uberall raises $115M, acquires MomentFeed to scale up its location marketing services – TechCrunch
Location-based services may have had their day as a salient category for hot apps or innovative tech leveraging the arrival of smartphones, but that’s largely because they are now part...
Apple Podcasts Subscriptions go live worldwide – TechCrunch
Apple Podcasts Subscriptions are now live across more than 170 countries and regions, Apple announced this morning. First unveiled this spring, subscriptions allow listeners to unlock additional benefits for their...
UK’s CMA opens market study into Apple, Google’s mobile “duopoly” – TechCrunch
The UK’s competition watchdog will take a deep dive look into Apple and Google’s dominance of the mobile ecosystem, it said today — announcing a market study which will examine...
Messenger adds Venmo-like QR codes for person-to-person payments in the U.S. – TechCrunch
This spring, Facebook confirmed it was testing Venmo-like QR codes for person-to-person payments inside its app in the U.S. Today, the company announced those codes are now launching publicly to...