Augmented reality has issues, Microsoft kicks off its Build conference and Nokia acquires an Internet of Things startup. All that and more in The Daily Crunch for May 7, 2018. 1. We love augmented reality, but let's fix things that could become big problems Founders Fund's Cyan Banister and Xperiel's Alex Hertel offer an overview of some the pitfalls that the augmented reality industry must avoid. But they also suggest that issues around identity, privacy and physical harm can be addressed through approaches like industry standards, strong feedback systems and responsible investment. 2. Microsoft says 700M devices now run Windows 10 A year ago, that number stood at 500 million. In addition, the company also said at Build that Office 365 now has 135 million monthly active commercial users, up from 120 million last October. 3. Nokia acquires SpaceTime Insight, adding AI to its Internet of Things business As a measure of the significance of the deal, Rob Schilling, who had been CEO of SpaceTime, will become the head of Nokia's IoT unit. 4. As Kubernetes grows, a startup ecosystem develops in its wake With each step in its growth, Kubernetes (the open source container orchestration tool that came out of Google) has created opportunities for companies to develop businesses on top. 5. Jiobit launches its more secure, modular child location tracker starting at $100 To date, child location trackers have failed to live up to consumer expectations. Jiobit, a company whose new location tracker launches today, addresses these problems by offering a fully encrypted device with a more modular form factor that makes better sense for small children. 6. Subscription hell On the one hand, it's important to pay for software and news and other content. On the other hand, all those monthly payments can be a serious drain on your wallet. TechCrunch's Danny Crichton looks at how subscription business models need to evolve. 7. Podcast Monday is a thing now Katie Roof says farewell to TechCrunch and the Equity podcast while recapping the latest earnings reports from Tesla, Apple and Spotify. Meanwhile, on Original Content, we review a new Netflix show about killer rain. |