Month: June 2019

Apple CEO Tim Cook gave a speech to Stanford graduates this weekend. In addition to the usual motivational stuff, he attacked other big tech companies in a not-so-subtle way. He painted a stark picture of Silicon Valley, saying it’s responsible for too many mistakes.

“Today we gather at a moment that demands some reflections. Fueled by caffeine and code, optimism and idealism, conviction and creativity, generations of Stanford graduates and dropouts have used technology to remake our society,” Cook said.

“But I think you would agree that lately the results haven’t been neat or straightforward. In just the four years that you’ve been here, things feel like they’ve taken a sharp turn. Crisis has tempered optimism. Consequences have challenged idealism. And reality has shaken blind faith.”

In order to counterbalance that statement, Cook named a few great inventions that were born in Silicon Valley, from Hewlett Packard’s oscillator to the iPhone, social media, shareable videos and Snapchat stories — YouTube and Facebook weren’t named directly.

“But lately it seems this industry is becoming better known for a less noble innovation — the belief that you can claim credit without accepting responsibility. We see it every day now with every data breach, every privacy violation, every blind eye turned to hate speech, fake news poisoning our national conversation, the false miracles in exchange for a single drop of your blood,” he continued.

“It feels a bit crazy that anyone has to say this, but if you built a chaos factory, you can’t dodge responsibility for the chaos. Taking responsibility means having the courage to think things through,” he added later.

Cook then focused on privacy, a topic that is dear to his heart. “If we accept as normal and unavoidable that anything in our lives can be aggregated, sold or even leaked in the event of a hack, then we lose so much more than data. We lose the freedom to be human,” he said. “The chilling effect of digital surveillance is profound and it touches everything.”

Sure, it’s easier to say that as the CEO of Apple. The company still generates the vast majority of its revenue from hardware. And Apple can be criticized for many business practices as well. But it’s hard to disagree with Cook on this topic.

Adobe’s upcoming drawing and painting app has an official name: Adobe Fresco. Inspired by the classic technique of applying pigment to wet plaster, the app is intended “to inspire spontaneous creativity.”

The app has been in development under the codename ‘Project Gemini’ and debuted at Adobe’s Max conference in 2018. It will first be available as an iPad app and later for other devices that use touch and stylus inputs.

Fresco will replicate how real-world mediums such as watercolor and oil paints interact with surfaces and each other. These tools are called Live Brushes.

Artists will also be able to use Photoshop brushes such as those created by Kyle Webster (who was hired by Adobe in 2017). For vector enthusiasts, Fresco includes vector brushes to create infinitely scalable drawings in combination with the aforementioned pixel-based brushes.

The app will include layer, masking and selection tools. Files can be manipulated in Photoshop and exported to PDF for editing in Illustrator.

Adobe hasn’t said exactly when it’ll be released, but does say to expect it “soon.”

SoftBank’s Vision Fund may be facing some challenges when it comes to restocking its massive reserves, but the firm famous for cutting big checks is leading a sizeable round for Collective Health. This startup focused on enterprise employee healthcare management announced a $205 million Series E raise today, brining its total funding to $434 million since its founding in 2013. Its last raise was a $110 million round in February, 2018.

Collective Healths’ client list includes Red Bull, Pinterest, Zendesk and more, and it counts GV, NEA, DFJ Growth and Sun Life among its financial backers. Its platform is an integrator for the various insurance and benefit providers that large employers offer to the their employees, and provides access to info, as well as claims filing, eligibility checks and data sharing across vendors. The funding will also help with additional engineering hires to continue to build out the platform.

The funding will help the company add more partner providers, a process that’s key to continued growth as it seeks to expand its footprint and ensure that it can serve customers and their employees across the U.S. In addition to the Vision Fund, this round included new investors PSP Investments, DFJ Growth, G Squared, as well as new participation from existing investors.

Domino’s really emphasizes its commitment to ‘innovation,’ but even if it’s a marketing tactic, the global pizza brand does indeed walk the walk. Case in point: It’s launching a new pilot for self-driving pizza delivery in Houston in partnership with Nuro.

Autonomous driving tech startup Nuro was founded by Dave Ferguson and Jiajun Zhu, two veterans of Google’s self-driving car project (which became Waymo), and now includes a team of self-driving engineers with experience at Waymo, Apple, Uber, GM and Tesla. The company’s ability to book such tremendous talent as a startup probably has a lot to do with the nearly $1 billion investment from SoftBank it announced in February. Or vice versa, I suppose.

Domino’s will make use of Nuro’s felt of autonomous test vehicles to deliver pizzas to people in Houston who order through their app or online, and the pizzas will be delivered using Nuro’s R2 vehicle, a second generation of its fully autonomous electric test car which will go into service later this year. Participating will be opt-in, with customers presented the self-driving option at check-out, and they’ll be given a PIN to unlock the doors and get at that sweet, sweet pizza once it rolls up to their delivery address.

This isn’t Domino’s first foray into self-driving pizza, as weird as that sounds: Ford ran a limited pilot with the pizza company in 2017, which was designed as a test to figure out the basics around consumer expectations for interacting with such a service.

Domino’s really emphasizes its commitment to ‘innovation,’ but even if it’s a marketing tactic, the global pizza brand does indeed walk the walk. Case in point: It’s launching a new pilot for self-driving pizza delivery in Houston in partnership with Nuro.

Autonomous driving tech startup Nuro was founded by Dave Ferguson and Jiajun Zhu, two veterans of Google’s self-driving car project (which became Waymo), and now includes a team of self-driving engineers with experience at Waymo, Apple, Uber, GM and Tesla. The company’s ability to book such tremendous talent as a startup probably has a lot to do with the nearly $1 billion investment from SoftBank it announced in February. Or vice versa, I suppose.

Domino’s will make use of Nuro’s felt of autonomous test vehicles to deliver pizzas to people in Houston who order through their app or online, and the pizzas will be delivered using Nuro’s R2 vehicle, a second generation of its fully autonomous electric test car which will go into service later this year. Participating will be opt-in, with customers presented the self-driving option at check-out, and they’ll be given a PIN to unlock the doors and get at that sweet, sweet pizza once it rolls up to their delivery address.

This isn’t Domino’s first foray into self-driving pizza, as weird as that sounds: Ford ran a limited pilot with the pizza company in 2017, which was designed as a test to figure out the basics around consumer expectations for interacting with such a service.

Spotify is taking the next big step in terms of building out its podcast business: it’s now offering the ability for advertisers to target listeners based on what types of podcasts they’re streaming. The company says brands will be able to reach Spotify Free listeners who stream from specific podcast categories, including Comedy, Lifestyle & Health, and Business & Technology.

This option is being launched across 10 global markets, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Australia.

Spotify shared the news on Friday with a handful of ad trade publications, but didn’t make a broad announcement, we understand.

Currently, the new ad targeting option is being tested by several brands such as Samsung, which is marketing its Galaxy Buds, and 3M — the official sponsors of the Spotify Original podcast Dope Labs. 

The ad targeting launch is the latest in a series of investments Spotify has made into its podcast business in recent months which have included deals for exclusive content, acquisitions, and new features.

The company picked up podcast businesses Gimlet, Parcast, and Anchor for a combined $400 million, and has been steadily expanding its lineup of exclusive content which now includes shows like The Joe Budden Podcast, Stay Free: The Story of the Clash, Jemele Hill Is Unbothered, and Amy Schumer Presents, among others. It also recently landed a deal with Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company Higher Ground, and on Friday announced the third season of the of Rob Riggle and Sarah Tiana’s sports podcast Riggle’s Picks will now stream exclusively on Spotify.

The company also sells its own podcast ads.

Meanwhile, in an effort to gain more podcasts listeners across its service, Spotify just launched its first playlist that combines music with podcast programming, and redesigned its app to place podcasts only a swipe away from music.

Spotify believes in the potential for podcasts — and the ad dollars they could bring in — based on the trends it sees in its own data as well as those across the broader industry.

According to Edison Research, 51 percent of U.S. consumers have listened to podcasts at some point, and 62 million listen weekly. On Spotify itself, podcast consumption hours grew by 250% year-over-year in 2018, with 49% of millennial listeners tuning in each week. Spotify also cited WARC’s Global Ad Trends report, which estimated that podcasts could account for 4.5% of global audio ad spend by 2022, or $1.6 billion.

“Over time, we aspire to develop a more robust advertising solution for podcasts that will allow us to layer in the kind of targeting, measurement, and reporting capabilities we have for ads that run alongside other content experiences like music and video,” a spokesperson said.

Spotify is taking the next big step in terms of building out its podcast business: it’s now offering the ability for advertisers to target listeners based on what types of podcasts they’re streaming. The company says brands will be able to reach Spotify Free listeners who stream from specific podcast categories, including Comedy, Lifestyle & Health, and Business & Technology.

This option is being launched across 10 global markets, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Australia.

Spotify shared the news on Friday with a handful of ad trade publications, but didn’t make a broad announcement, we understand.

Currently, the new ad targeting option is being tested by several brands such as Samsung, which is marketing its Galaxy Buds, and 3M — the official sponsors of the Spotify Original podcast Dope Labs. 

The ad targeting launch is the latest in a series of investments Spotify has made into its podcast business in recent months which have included deals for exclusive content, acquisitions, and new features.

The company picked up podcast businesses Gimlet, Parcast, and Anchor for a combined $400 million, and has been steadily expanding its lineup of exclusive content which now includes shows like The Joe Budden Podcast, Stay Free: The Story of the Clash, Jemele Hill Is Unbothered, and Amy Schumer Presents, among others. It also recently landed a deal with Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company Higher Ground, and on Friday announced the third season of the of Rob Riggle and Sarah Tiana’s sports podcast Riggle’s Picks will now stream exclusively on Spotify.

The company also sells its own podcast ads.

Meanwhile, in an effort to gain more podcasts listeners across its service, Spotify just launched its first playlist that combines music with podcast programming, and redesigned its app to place podcasts only a swipe away from music.

Spotify believes in the potential for podcasts — and the ad dollars they could bring in — based on the trends it sees in its own data as well as those across the broader industry.

According to Edison Research, 51 percent of U.S. consumers have listened to podcasts at some point, and 62 million listen weekly. On Spotify itself, podcast consumption hours grew by 250% year-over-year in 2018, with 49% of millennial listeners tuning in each week. Spotify also cited WARC’s Global Ad Trends report, which estimated that podcasts could account for 4.5% of global audio ad spend by 2022, or $1.6 billion.

“Over time, we aspire to develop a more robust advertising solution for podcasts that will allow us to layer in the kind of targeting, measurement, and reporting capabilities we have for ads that run alongside other content experiences like music and video,” a spokesperson said.

Procrastinate much? Then give thanks to Saint Expeditus, the patron saint of speedy causes, because now you have an extra week to save $100 on your pass to TC Sessions: Mobility 2019 on July 10, in San Jose, Calif.

Do not shillyshally, dillydally or otherwise drag your feet on this last-chance opportunity. Buy your ticket right now before the early-bird clock runs out at 11:59 p.m. (PT) on Friday, June 21.

TC Sessions: Mobility, a day-long intensive experience, explores the current and future states of mobility and transportation. More than 1,000 attendees — founders, technologists, thinkers, makers and investors — will explore the potential gains and the growing pains inherent with revolutionary technology and rapidly evolving industries.

Check out just some of the presentations and demos we have waiting for you. Don’t forget to check out the day’s jam-packed agenda:

• Demo with Jay Giraud: Damon Motorcycles CEO and founder Jay Giraud will bring a motorcycle onstage to demonstrate the company’s rider protection system that combines radar, camera and other sensors to track the speed, direction and velocity of up to 64 objects at a time.
• Will Venture Capital Drive the Future of Mobility? Leading early-stage investors, Michael Granoff, Ted Serbinski and Sarah Smith will debate the uncertain future of mobility tech and whether VC dollars are enough to push the industry forward.
• Building Mobility-First Cities: What does moving around the city of the future look like? We’ll talk with Avery Ash, head of autonomous mobility at INRIX and Seleta Reynolds, GM of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation to figure it out.

Things get even more interesting when you demo your early-stage startup at TC Sessions: Mobility 2019. Display your genius in front of the most targeted, influential audience you could possibly hope to find — mobility-minded founders, investors, technologists and media.

TC Sessions: Mobility 2019 takes place on July 10 in San Jose, Calif. Don’t disappoint Saint Expeditus. Act now and buy your ticket. Your chance to save $100 ends on Friday, June 21 at 11:59 p.m. (PT).

Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at TC Sessions: Mobility? Contact our sponsorship sales team by filling out this form.

Procrastinate much? Then give thanks to Saint Expeditus, the patron saint of speedy causes, because now you have an extra week to save $100 on your pass to TC Sessions: Mobility 2019 on July 10, in San Jose, Calif.

Do not shillyshally, dillydally or otherwise drag your feet on this last-chance opportunity. Buy your ticket right now before the early-bird clock runs out at 11:59 p.m. (PT) on Friday, June 21.

TC Sessions: Mobility, a day-long intensive experience, explores the current and future states of mobility and transportation. More than 1,000 attendees — founders, technologists, thinkers, makers and investors — will explore the potential gains and the growing pains inherent with revolutionary technology and rapidly evolving industries.

Check out just some of the presentations and demos we have waiting for you. Don’t forget to check out the day’s jam-packed agenda:

• Demo with Jay Giraud: Damon Motorcycles CEO and founder Jay Giraud will bring a motorcycle onstage to demonstrate the company’s rider protection system that combines radar, camera and other sensors to track the speed, direction and velocity of up to 64 objects at a time.
• Will Venture Capital Drive the Future of Mobility? Leading early-stage investors, Michael Granoff, Ted Serbinski and Sarah Smith will debate the uncertain future of mobility tech and whether VC dollars are enough to push the industry forward.
• Building Mobility-First Cities: What does moving around the city of the future look like? We’ll talk with Avery Ash, head of autonomous mobility at INRIX and Seleta Reynolds, GM of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation to figure it out.

Things get even more interesting when you demo your early-stage startup at TC Sessions: Mobility 2019. Display your genius in front of the most targeted, influential audience you could possibly hope to find — mobility-minded founders, investors, technologists and media.

TC Sessions: Mobility 2019 takes place on July 10 in San Jose, Calif. Don’t disappoint Saint Expeditus. Act now and buy your ticket. Your chance to save $100 ends on Friday, June 21 at 11:59 p.m. (PT).

Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at TC Sessions: Mobility? Contact our sponsorship sales team by filling out this form.