Techmeme
January 20, 2022, 12:45 AM

Top News

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Instagram Subscriptions launches as an alpha, initially letting 10 US creators offer their followers paid access to exclusive Instagram Live videos and Stories  —  Instagram is giving creators more ways to make money with today's launch of Instagram Subscriptions.
Emma Roth / The Verge:
AT&T begins its 5G C-band rollout in eight US metro areas, including Austin and Chicago, after delaying rollouts around airports due to safety concerns  —  The company is lighting up towers in just eight locations amidst pushback from airlines  —  AT&T is lighting up its expanded 5G service …
Wall Street Journal:
Ryne Hager / Android Police:
Google launches a limited beta of Google Play Games, which brings Android games to Windows 10 and Windows 11, in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan  —  You'll need a relatively powerful computer for now.  And for once, the US isn't getting a Google thing first
Sean Lyngaas / CNN:
Red Cross says a cyberattack on a vendor for over 60 Red Cross and Red Crescent societies compromised the personal data of 515,000+ “highly vulnerable people”  —  (CNN)A cyberattack on a contractor used by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has compromised …
Abner Li / 9to5Google:
Google says it will transition organizations using G Suite legacy free edition to an upgraded Google Workspace paid subscription starting on July 1  —  In 2020, G Suite became Google Workspace as part of a mass reorganization of the company's apps for the “future of work.”
Bloomberg:
Crypto.com confirms it suffered a cybersecurity breach, says it reimbursed the ~400 affected customer accounts, and plans to share more in the coming days  —  Crypto.com has not received any “outreach” from regulators following a cybersecurity breach earlier this week of about 400 customer accounts …
Andrew Asmakov / Decrypt:
Dustin Volz / Wall Street Journal:
Biden signs a memorandum expanding the NSA's role in protecting sensitive government networks, and mandating cybersecurity practices at DoD and spy agencies  —  White House order mandates cybersecurity practices at Defense Department, spy agencies, contractors
Lucas Matney / TechCrunch:
Autograph, an agency co-founded by Tom Brady that helps celebrities get involved with NFTs, raises a $170M Series B co-led by a16z and Kleiner Perkins  —  Autograph, an NFT agency co-founded by athlete Tom Brady with a particularly deep bench of star power, has banked new funding …
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: in recent weeks, CEO Bobby Kotick suggested Activision Blizzard make an acquisition, including of trade publications like Kotaku and PC Gamer  —  After a lawsuit and a Journal report, the company's stock was falling, board members were getting anxious—and the tech giant was ready to take a gamble
Microsoft:
Bloomberg:
Steve Dent / Engadget:
Opera unveils Crypto Browser Project, a beta browser for Windows, Mac, and Android, with a crypto wallet, access to crypto/NFT exchanges, dApps, and more  —  Opera has launched its Web3 “Crypto Browser” into beta with features like a built-in crypto wallet, easy access to cryptocurrency/NFT exchanges …
Carly Page / TechCrunch:
Password management service 1Password raises a $620M Series C led by Iconiq Growth at a $6.8B valuation and says it now has 100K+ paying customers  —  Password management platform 1Password has closed a massive $620 million Series C funding round that raises the company's valuation to $6.8 billion.
Dean Takahashi / VentureBeat:
South Africa-based mobile games publisher Carry1st raises a $20M Series A extension led by a16z, the firm's first investment in an Africa-headquartered startup  —  Carry1st has raised $20 million in funding from marquee investors for its mobile game publishing platform targeted at unlocking demand in the African market.
Mack DeGeurin / Gizmodo:
This summer the IRS will require users to log in via ID.me, which uses facial recognition in its authentication process, to file taxes, make payments, and more  —  Users will have to submit sensitive government documents, their social security number, credit history, and a facial scan to third-party company ID.me.
Rebecca Torrence / FierceHealthcare:
Lyra Health, a mental health service used by employees at companies like Uber and Morgan Stanley, raises a $235M Series F led by Dragoneer at a $5.85B valuation  —  Employer-focused Lyra Health snagged $235 million in series F funding, sending the health tech unicorn's valuation to $5.85 billion …
Aisha Malik / TechCrunch:
Mantra Health, which provides virtual mental health care services to college and university students in the US, raises a $22M Series A led by VMG Partners  —  Mantra Health, a digital mental health startup focused on young adults, has raised $22 million in Series A funding led by VMG Partners.

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