Tech Funding and Innovation Highlights

It’s actually a nutso butso news day. Spotify is launching a Clubhouse competitor. Amazon is spinning up a new line of custom silicon. Big updates to Google Maps. We know the dates for WWDC. Amazon seems to be doing some Twitter sock puppetry. A bunch of new phones from Xiaomi. Substack is raising another big round. And that’s not all. There’s so much that happened today in the world of tech, that I can’t even promo it all, so let’s just get to it.

Sponsors:

• TinyCapital.com
• Metalab.com

Links:

• Spotify is launching its own Clubhouse competitor (The Verge)
• Spotify acquires Betty Labs, creator of live audio app Locker Room (Axios)
• Amazon Steps Up Silicon Ambitions With New Networking Chip (The Information)
• Google is making some big upgrades to directions in Google Maps (The Verge)
• Apple officially announces virtual WWDC 2021 for June, iOS 15 and more expected (9to5Mac)
• Amazon is sending employees into the trenches on Twitter as it battles its first union vote and reports about workers peeing in bottles (Insider)
• There's Something Fishy About Amazon's Anti-Union Twitter Army [Updated] (Gizmodo)
• Cameo Aims to Connect Celebrities With Fans and It’s Now Valued at $1 Billion (WSJ)
• Volvo and Aurora team up on fully autonomous trucks for North America (The Verge)
• Xiaomi announces the Mi Mix Fold, its first folding phone (The Verge)

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