Techcrunch blog!: Pitch your tent now for Apple’s Vision Pro sale

Monday, January 08, 2024

Those of you waiting patiently for the sale of Apple's Vision Pro have something to celebrate today. Brian reports that the long-awaited headset goes on sale February 2 for $3,500. It will feature over 1 million compatible apps and over 250 games. Also, check out what Darrell has to say about whether the Vision Pro launch will be a Groundhog Day for immersive computing.

Next, another African fintech is throwing its hat into the fintech ring. Tage writes that Cleva, currently going through Y Combinator, is creating a banking platform for individuals and businesses to receive international payments by opening U.S. accounts. This one is founded by Stripe and AWS alums and just claimed $1.5 million in pre-seed funding. Read more.

Coming back to Apple . . . Ivan reports that the consumer electronics giant is at odds again with email service Hey. This time it is over the rejection of Hey's new calendar app from the App Store. Get the scoop.

And CES 2024 kicked off today in Las Vegas. Not only do we help you watch it live, but we also have a roundup of everything announced so far in case you don't have time to tune in. Some of the big stories you'll see include:

Volkswagen is bringing ChatGPT into its cars and SUVs

CES brings us another wave of overpriced 'smart' cookware

Bosch thinks in-car eye-tracking can be used for more than safety

Image Credits: Brian Heater

More top reads

Funding ahead: Venture debt is not for everyone, and not everyone is a fan. Enter fintech company Arc Technologies, which wants to make the concept popular again with its venture debt marketplace targeting Silicon Valley companies. Read more.

More layoffs, and a pivot: German startup Pitch, a company that offers presentation software for businesses, switches to a new CEO and lays off two-thirds of its workforce. Get the scoop.

Amazon delivers: We have a pair of Amazon announcements for you. First, Amazon taps into artificial intelligence to help customers find clothing that fits when shopping online. The delivery giant also has a new initiative on the healthcare front called Health Condition Programs. It’s a digital health benefits program to help people manage chronic conditions.

To the moon . . . almost: At first, Astrobotic’s lander was on its way to the moon after a successful launch. However, it has since encountered some issues that will likely make a moon landing not possible. Learn more.

We see HUE: Health in Her HUE, a digital health app focused on women of color, closes on $3 million in seed funding to reduce health disparities. Meet founder Ashlee Wisdom.

Look over here, not over there: Microsoft Copilot has been a big fixture in the news lately. Now we get some news that despite free access to GPT-4, Microsoft's Copilot app hasn't impacted ChatGPT installs or revenue. Here's why.

Navigating a fork in the road: As you've most likely read in the past few months, the sales of electric vehicles are doing okay, depending on the company. However, even though there were strong results in the fourth quarter, Tim writes that they could have been stronger. (TC+)

Hacked: LoanDepot is trying to return to its normal business operations after a suspected ransomware attack took the company offline. Read more.

Weekend warriors you may have missed:

Carta, the cap table management outfit, is accused of unethical tactics by a prominent startup

Tulsa's tech scene remains resilient amid state's anti-DEI efforts

Deal Dive: A Stripe secondary deal worth paying attention to (TC+)

Vietnam EV maker VinFast plans $2B investment in India

Image Credits: Arc Technologies / Don Muir, co-founder and CEO of Arc Technologies

On the pods

On today's Equity, Alex got into stocks and crypto, including Bitcoin ETFs. He also explores how ULA managed to get a rocket into the sky and what’s going on at Carta. Listen here.