China proposes strict control of algorithms

China is not done with curbing the influence local internet services have assumed in the world's most populous market. Following a widening series of regulatory crackdowns in recent months, the nation on Friday issued draft guidelines on regulating the algorithms firms run to make recommendatio

KKR to acquire New Zealand bus company Ritchies Transport at value of $347M

":flx" tabindex="1" role="textbox" contenteditable="true" spellcheck="false" aria-label="Message Body" aria-multiline="true"> Global investment firm KKR has plans to acquire a New Zealand bus and coach company with an 86-year heritage, Ritchies Transport. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, bu

Indiagold raises $12 million for its gold-focused digital alternative credit platform

India has a unique fascination for gold. The households in the South Asian market are estimated to have a stash of over 25,000 tons of the precious metal whose value today is about half of the country's nominal GDP. But much of this gold has been sitting idly in lockers in big metal wardrobes f

Apple will now let App Store developers talk to their customers about buying direct

Apple announced today it has reached a proposed settlement (embedded below) in a lawsuit filed against it by developers in the United States. The agreement, which is still pending court approval, includes a few changes, the biggest one being that developers will be able to share information on how

Cruise is buying solar energy from California farmers to power its electric, self-driving fleet

Cruise, the self-driving car company under General Motors, has launched a new initiative called Farm to Fleet that will allow the company to source solar power from farms in California’s Central Valley. The San Francisco Chronicle was the first to report the news that Cruise is directly purch

Daily Crunch: Copenhagen-based Leapwork lands $62M Series B co-led by KKR and Salesforce Ventures

To get a roundup of technewss's biggest and most important stories delivered to your inbox every day at 3 p.m. PDT, subscribe here. 'Ello and welcome to Daily Crunch for August 26, 2021. Or as someone called it recently, Friday Jr. We have lots and lots of news today, with a slight bias to

Twitter starts to roll out paid Ticketed Spaces on iOS

Twitter announced today that some hosts on Spaces, its live audio feature, will now be able to sell access to Ticketed Spaces. Applications for Ticketed Spaces first opened in June for users who are over 18, hosted three Spaces in the last 30 days and have at least 1,000 followers. “We’

Zendesk acquires AI automation startup Cleverly to advance customer service

Zendesk is looking to grow its customer service capabilities, and today it announced the acquisition of early-stage artificial intelligence startup Cleverly. Financial terms of the deal are not being publicly disclosed at this time and Cleverly has not been entirely public about the size of its fun

Boox tablets are welcome options in the growing oversize e-reader niche

When it comes to e-paper devices, the Kindle is of course the first brand people think of, though I’ve done my best to spread the Kobo and reMarkable gospel as well. Chinese e-reader maker Boox is a relatively new entrant to the space, and its devices are experimental but useful options in th

Popcorn’s new app brings short-form video to the workplace

A new startup called Popcorn wants to make work communication more fun and personal by offering a way for users to record short video messages, or “pops,” that can be used for any number of purposes in place of longer emails, texts, Slack messages or Zoom calls. While there are plenty o

Netflix begins testing mobile games in its Android app in Poland

Netflix today announced it will begin testing mobile games inside its Android app for its members in Poland. At launch, paying subscribers will be able to try out two games, “Stranger Things: 1984” and “Stranger Things 3” — titles that have been previously available on

Curio Wellness rebrands retail biz, expands its cannabis retail franchises to new states

Curio Wellness announced its innovative franchise program in 2020, and today it's bringing the program across the United States. The company is now accepting franchise applications in 10 states, including Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri, New Jersey, Florida, Massachusetts, Mich

Facebook will reportedly launch its own advisory group for election policy decisions

Facebook is looking to create a standalone advisory committee for election-related policy decisions, according to a new report from The New York Times. The company has reportedly approached a number of policy experts and academics it is interested in recruiting for the group, which could give the c

You can’t hack your YC application, but here’s what to avoid

The Y Combinator application season is upon us. I have been through YC a couple of times and have reviewed thousands of applications as a volunteer in later years. Typically, you hear advice focused on ways to improve your YC application so it gets accepted. Here are some tips on what not to do and