AppLovin’s bid to acquire Unity is a landmark moment: Whether the $17.5 billion deal goes through or not, there is no stopping the coming integration of ads in games.
Roblox isn’t growing: The young-skewing gaming/metaverse platform reported lower net bookings than Q2 2021.
Disney+ gets out in front of Netflix: When it comes to launching and announcing pricing for its ad-supported tier, that is.
The great disconnection: Google is imploring Apple to enable cross-platform messaging between iPhones and Android devices. But the blue bubble is the crown jewel of its walled garden.
Chipotle pays the price for violating workers’ rights: The fast-food chain will pay NYC workers $20 million in the largest fair workweek settlement in the US.
Advertiser pullback weighs on Nextdoor: Neighborhood platform projects sales for current quarter that trail analysts’ estimates.
The RealReal’s worker shortage is hurting its ability to grow: The resale platform missed Q2 revenue expectations due to lack of inventory, while its labor-intensive model could complicate its efforts to break even by 2024.
Google’s expanding cloud: Weeks after announcing its Latin America expansion, Google Cloud set its sights on Thailand, Malaysia, and New Zealand. Cloud providers are racing for coverage in the APAC region.
For the love of bots: Economic uncertainty and continued supply chain angst aren’t stopping the robotics sector from making science fiction a reality. With bots permeating society, ethics battles will follow.
Self-scanning stores are about to get a lot more common: 7-Eleven, Dollar General, and Best Buy are among the US merchants that are bullish on self-checkout services.
The number of financial services deals declined 31% compared to Q1.
It expanded its Visa Direct integration so US customers can send payments to eligible Visa cardholders in six countries.
The digital currency mixer allegedly laundered $7 billion. Even as it’s taken down, another will likely rise to replace it.
It will let the bank’s customers share their information with third-party financial tools without providing login credentials.
Digitally native brands focus on physical expansion, but costs are mounting: Allbirds, Warby Parker, and Glossier are shedding workers and expanding retail partnerships to grow sales and stay afloat.
Quality-of-life features don’t amount to privacy changes: Meta is introducing user privacy features to WhatsApp that fail to address longstanding data privacy concerns.
On today's episode, we discuss the most important figures from Meta's Q2 earnings, the biggest challenges for the company, and how much of a competitor TikTok really is. "In Other News," we talk about the new social media app BeReal, its impact on the space, and what changes we can expect to see as Gen Z takes over social media from millennials. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Debra Aho Williamson.