Howdy, other people, welcome to Week in Evaluation (WiR), TechCrunch’s common publication that recaps the week in tech that was once. And, boy, was once it per week. So much took place — let’s dig in.
As layoffs in tech picked up, the Imaginative and prescient Professional, Apple’s strive at an AR headset, introduced with masses of apps proper out the gate. Taylor Swift enthusiasts struck again after particular deepfakes of the famous person flooded X, the platform previously referred to as Twitter. And the Pokémon Corporate mentioned that it will examine Palworld, the viral online game hit, over possible plagiarism and uncanny resemblance to its IP.
Information
Tech layoffs soar: Tech redundancies have scaled to a three-quarter top as companies shed staff en masse. This week, Okta fired 400 staff; Block laid off round 1,000 other people; and PayPal let move “1000’s” of staffers. As Alex and Anna write for TechCrunch+, sure, tech layoffs are accelerating — and it’s affecting corporations large and small.
iOS 18: Apple’s upcoming iOS 18 tool replace is also “the largest” within the corporate’s historical past, writes Aisha. It might deliver — amongst different issues — a made over Siri, advanced autocomplete in Messages and even perhaps reinforce for RCS.
Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional: Apple’s first “spatial computing” software has arrived with ~600 apps and video games in tow. Brian’s been giving it a spin for the simpler a part of the week — you should definitely learn his preliminary ideas and impressions. And in the event you’re taking a look to pick out one up your self, right here’s what you’ll be expecting.
Swifties unite: Nonconsensual deepfake porn of Taylor Swift went viral on X remaining week. In lieu of significant motion from the platform past fundamental key phrase filtering, Taylor Swift enthusiasts got here in combination to make the musician’s deepfakes as tough to seek out as conceivable.
Palworld below hearth: The Pokémon Corporate mentioned it hasn’t granted any permission to “every other corporate” — relating to viral new sport Palworld-developer Pocketpair — to make use of Pokémon IP or property and “intends to research and take suitable measures” in opposition to the fast-growing survival sport operator.
Research
A SaaS revolution: Writing for TC+, Julien Codorniou, a SaaS investor at Felix Capital, says that he sees a chance for savvy tool marketers to construct the Microsoft or Salesforce of the frontline staff’ global.
Podcasts
On Fairness, Alex spoke with Anshu Sharma, the CEO of knowledge privateness corporate Skyflow, who riffed on rates of interest, industry cycles and the Imaginative and prescient Professional — in addition to how the Imaginative and prescient Professional fares in opposition to a idea Sharma just lately blogged about for TechCrunch+.
In the meantime, Discovered featured Carly Zakin and Danielle Weisberg, co-founders and co-CEOs of the Skimm, a virtual media corporate devoted to succinctly giving ladies the ideas they wish to make assured choices.
And over on Chain Response, Jacquelyn interviewed Chris Dixon, common spouse at VC company Andreessen Horowitz. Dixon has been on the company since 2012 and based and leads a16z’s crypto group, which invests within the web3 global via 4 mega-funds with over $7 billion below control.
TechCrunch+
Equity and equality: Rebecca writes about how pitch competitions assist degree the enjoying box for underrepresented founders — however that it isn’t sufficient.
Ethereum makes a comeback: Ethereum developer passion hit new all-time highs in 2023 regardless of a undergo marketplace, Jacquelyn studies. Solana, Polygon, Optimism and different blockchains additionally noticed an uptick in dev task.
Bonus spherical
“Die gradual motherf*ckers”: Y Combinator president Garry Tan printed a menacing tweet — a questionable lyrical connection with famed West Coast rapper Tupac Shakur — earlier than deleting it and later apologizing.
