Graduation goes virtual, more details emerge about the U.K.’s contact tracing app and Shopify launches a mobile commerce app.
Here’s your Daily Crunch for April 28, 2020.
1. Facebook will stream a virtual graduation ceremony featuring Oprah and Miley Cyrus
Here’s some consolation for the Class of 2020: a virtual graduation ceremony, which kicks off at 11AM PT/2PM ET on May 15 via the Facebook Watch App. Oprah Winfrey will be giving the commencement address, while Awkwafina, Jennifer Garner, Lil Nas X and Simone Biles will all be giving speeches. And Miley Cyrus is set to perform.
Other sites are holding similar events — and many schools are also planning their own, less star-studded events to celebrate graduations remotely.
2. UK’s coronavirus contact tracing app could ask users to share location data
More details have emerged about a coronavirus contact tracing app being developed by U.K. authorities. NHSX CEO Matthew Gould said today that future versions of the app could ask users to share location data to help authorities learn more about how the virus propagates.
3. Shopify launches Shop, a new mobile app
The app is actually an update and rebrand of Arrive, an app for tracking packages from Shopify merchants and other retailers — in addition to package tracking, Shop allows consumers to browse a feed of recommended products, learn more about each brand and make purchases using the one-click Shop Pay checkout process.
4. Okta hires ex-Symantec executive as new chief security officer
David Bradbury, a security veteran with more than two-decades of security experience and recently served as chief security officer at Symantec, takes over from Yassir Abousselham, who departed for Splunk in February.
5. Five top gaming investors explain how the pandemic is reshaping MMOs and social games
This month, when we asked 17 VCs how this era would impact consumer startups, gaming was one of the top verticals they named. We wanted to learn more about how the venture community thinks about the future of this sector, so we asked five experienced gaming investors about where they do — and don’t — see new opportunities within this trend. (Extra Crunch membership required.)
6. DJI’s mini Mavic Air gets an upgrade with improved camera and battery life
The original Mavic Air’s 21 minutes of life was among Brian Heater’s key frustrations with the product. The company says the new drone should be able to get up to 34 minutes on a charge.
7. Partech raises $100 million seed fund
The firm is looking for companies at the very early stage, from pre-seed to pre-Series A. Partech can invest as little as a few hundred thousands dollars and as much as several million dollars, depending on the stage of the startup.
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