Bluesky opens its doors to everyone, Rivian unveils new SUV and government exploits iPhone

Image credits: Marco Bello and Eva Marie (Knight Foundation)

Welcome everyone to Week in Review (WiR). TechCrunch’s regular newsletter covering the past few days in tech.

This week, the social network Bluesky opened for everyone to join. This feels appropriate given the sunshine and unseasonable warmth we enjoy here in New York. For those who value spending time indoors and are considering purchasing the Vision Pro, Brian has published a review. Please read it. He doesn’t mince words.

Other events include the Rivian SUV rollout, government hackers targeting iPhone owners, and Meta blocking third-party access to Facebook groups. We’ll cover all of that in more detail in this edition of His WiR, but before we get into that, let me remind you to sign up to receive his WiR newsletter in your inbox every Saturday.

news

Nothing but Blue Sky: Bluesky, the up-and-coming microblogging platform backed by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, is now publicly available after nearly a year as an invite-only app.

Rivian’s new vehicles: Rivian will unveil its next generation vehicle on March 7, a small, inexpensive electric SUV known as the R2. announced Monday morning.

Government targeting iPhone: According to Google, government hackers last year exploited three unknown vulnerabilities in Apple’s iPhone operating system to target victims with spyware developed by a European startup.

Metaserver group access: Meta recently announced that it will soon be retiring the Facebook Groups API. This is causing confusion for some businesses and social media marketers, Sarah writes.

WeWork is back: Adam Neumann, who infamously co-founded flexible workspace provider WeWork in 2010 and resigned nine years later, is reportedly trying to buy the company out of bankruptcy.

Chinese hacker inside: Chinese-backed hackers maintain access to critical U.S. infrastructure for “at least five years” with a long-term goal of launching “destructive” cyberattacks, a coalition of U.S. intelligence agencies warned on Wednesday. .

analysis

Apple Vision Pro review: In his review of the Vision Pro, Brian writes that the $3,500 headset is still in development and offers a glimpse into the future, which will live or die depending on the developer.

Joe Rogan is released: Amanda writes about why it’s a good thing for Spotify that Joe Rogan’s podcast is no longer exclusive.

podcast

upon capital, the crew delved into numerous startup fundings, including new funding for software-as-a-service verticals, fintech, and edtech. How SUMA Wealth is growing rapidly. And why is Blue Sky flying so high?

meanwhile, found Featuring Beatrice Dixon, co-founder of plant-based vaginal wellness brand The Honey Pot.

and, Chain reaction, Jacqueline interviewed Devin Finzer, CEO of NFT marketplace OpenSea. He co-founded his OpenSea in 2017, and it quickly became one of the most well-known and well-funded NFT marketplaces.

TechCrunch+

AI, reliable: Alex writes that the market seems willing to accept that software that incorporates new AI features will cost more. So software companies of all sizes will have new things to upsell to existing customers and acquire new ones.

Breaking up fast fashion: Fast fashion is an industry embroiled in labor and copyright issues, and has a huge impact on the environment through wastewater and carbon emissions. That’s why VCs need to rethink, writes Rebecca.

bonus round

Sidewalk robot success stories: Sidewalk delivery robot services seem to be stalling left and right. But Starship Technologies, which pioneered the concept, says it is profitable and is currently raising capital to scale to meet market demand.