Sarah Perez
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The Latest from Sarah Perez
Apple extends an in-app purchase exemption for some developers impacted by pandemic
The pandemic isn’t over yet, according to Apple. The iPhone maker has once again pushed back a Covid-era deferral of an App Store rule that allowed app developers to bypass Apple’s in-app
Recipe app Pestle helps you organize, plan, and cook hands-free or with friends on FaceTime
A newly launched recipe app called Pestle aims to do more than provide a place to save and organize your favorite recipes. The app, from indie developer Will Bishop, also helps you plan meals, create
Soona, a virtual photo shoot platform for e-commerce, raises $35 million Series B
Alongside the dramatic growth in e-commerce, in part fueled by the pandemic, there’s also increased demand for services that can help merchants more easily participate online. A startup called S
This Week in Apps: Commission battles, Twitter NFTs and Epic’s appeal begins
Welcome back to This Week in Apps, the weekly TechCrunch series that recaps the latest in mobile OS news, mobile applications and the overall app economy. The app industry continues to grow, with a re
Twitter launches NFT Profile Pictures — but only for Twitter Blue subscribers
Twitter today is introducing a new feature that will allow users to show off their NFTs, or non-fungible tokens — a way to certify digital assets stored on the blockchain. The company is rolling
Weavit’s new app wants to be a ‘Shazam for your thoughts’
A new app called Weavit wants to be a “Shazam for your thoughts” — that is, it wants to offer people a different way to quickly capture their thoughts in a note-taking tool with the
Instagram now allows creators to ‘remix’ any public videos, not just reels
Instagram announced today it will allow users to remix any video content on the app, not just short-form reels videos. The company officially launched Remix, its version of TikTok Duets, last March. T
Google Play Games for PC, which brings Android games to Windows, enters beta testing
Google today will begin rolling out a limited beta test of its newly announced Google Play Games for PC product in three overseas markets: Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan. The Google Play Games PC a
Disney’s streaming biz reorg includes an international content hub, plans to double Disney+ footprint
Disney announced today it plans on expanding its direct-to-consumer streaming business to more global markets and is creating a new International Content and Operations group to aid in this push. The
Instagram launches early test of creator subscriptions in the US
Instagram is giving creators more ways to make money with today’s launch of Instagram Subscriptions. The feature, which was spotted hitting the App Store back in November, is now officially in e
Filmhub, backed by $6.8M from a16z and others, helps filmmakers get their work streamed
As the streaming market grows, so has the demand for content. But even though it’s now easier than ever for filmmakers to create, distribution is still often controlled by traditional systems &#
Twitter expands misinformation reporting feature to more international markets
Last August, Twitter introduced a new feature in select markets, including the U.S., that invited users to report misinformation they encountered on its platform — including things like election
Block’s Cash App adopts Lightning Network for free bitcoin payments
Late last year, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey stepped down from his position in order to give his full attention to his other company, Square (now called Block), which had become increasingly invested in bl
This Week in Apps: Fortnite (sorta!) returns to iOS, PUBG Mobile maker sues over copycats, Apple plans for alternative payments in South Korea
Welcome back to This Week in Apps, the weekly TechCrunch series that recaps the latest in mobile OS news, mobile applications and the overall app economy. The app industry continues to grow, with a re
Meta shuts down its experimental video speed-dating service, Sparked
Meta is shutting down a video speed-dating service it had tested over a good part of last year, the company informed the service’s users via a recent email. Last April, the company formerly know
PUBG Mobile maker Krafton sues Apple, Google and rival game developer Garena over ‘clones’
Krafton, the developer behind PlayUnknown’s Battlegrounds,” and the maker of PUBG Mobile, last year’s No. 6 top-grossing mobile game on a global basis, is suing the app stores and a
US fintech Current introduces high-yield savings where customers earn a 4.00% APY
As competition amid digital banks heats up, U.S. fintech Current is rolling out a new product designed to make its banking service more appealing. The company announced this morning it’s launchi
Music app AmpMe lowers pricing after accused of being an App Store scammer
Around the same time Apple was touting its sizable App Store revenue growth this week, developer and noted App Store critic Kosta Eleftheriou brought to light what appeared to be yet another App Store
HomeValet launches its $499 Smart Box to keep your grocery deliveries cold and packages secure
HomeValet, a D.C. Metro area-based startup that has developed a temperature-controlled smart box for grocery deliveries, is now releasing its smart home product to the public and expanding its partner
Instagram, still benefiting from TikTok’s ban in India, again became the top app by downloads in Q4
Instagram is benefiting from TikTok’s ban in India, and has now reclaimed the top spot in terms of total global downloads as of the fourth quarter of 2021. According to new data published by app