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1. Another high-flying, heavily funded AR headset startup is shutting down
In an email obtained by TechCrunch, Daqri — which built enterprise-grade AR headsets — told its customers that it’s pursuing an asset sale and will be shutting down its cloud and smart-glasses hardware platforms by the end of September.
Daqri is the latest heavily funded, enterprise-focused augmented reality startup to struggle or shut down recently, with Osterhout Design Group unloading its AR glasses patents earlier this year and Meta selling its assets after it ran out of cash.
2. Apple introduces a ‘grace period’ for lapsed App Store subscriptions
Previously, any lapse in payment could cut off the customer from an app’s subscription-based features. Now, Apple says developers will have the option to offer a “grace period,” giving Apple more time to collect payment.
3. SmileDirectClub makes its debut on the public market
Teeth-straightening company SmileDirectClub rang the opening bell at Nasdaq yesterday, marking its first day of trading as a public company.
4. Element AI raises $151M on a $600-700M valuation to help companies build and run AI solutions
Element AI has built an artificial intelligence systems integrator of sorts, designed to help other companies develop and implement AI solutions.
5. Walmart’s Vudu adds Family Play feature so viewers can skip sex, violence and substance abuse
Vudu viewers can turn filters on and off for sex/nudity, violence, substance abuse and language. In the first three instances, Vudu will skip the relevant scenes, and in the case of strong language, it will mute the dialog.
6. Sidewalk Labs spins out urban data-gathering tool Replica into a company
The Replica tool grew out of Model Lab, a project started two years ago to investigate modeling as a way to address urban problems — specifically the fact that public agencies don’t have all the information needed to understand the connections between transportation and land use.
7. How the Valley can get philanthropy right with former Hewlett Foundation president Paul Brest
When he was named president of the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, Brest applied the rigor of a legal scholar, not just to his own institution’s practices, but to those of the philanthropy field at large. (Extra Crunch membership required.)
