Google upgrades Search, Shopping and Maps with more data, AR and accessibility

TechCrunch Newsletter [TechCrunch logo]( [The Daily Crunch logo]( By [Christine Hall]( Thursday, November 17, 2022 Hello! You’ve got one more day of just me before I take a well-deserved Friday off and [Kyle]( fills in, so I have decided to make an extra-large version of Daily Crunch. We hope many of you are hanging out with the cryptocurrency gang down in Miami for [TC Sessions: Crypto](. As you can see, a few stories have come out of it already and I’m sure there is more to come. Oh, and if you have 30 minutes of downtime, I think you’ll enjoy [Alex](’s [interview with some corporate comms experts]( on the ins and outs of working with startups and public companies. Also, check out [Haje](’s [Pitch Deck Teardown of Sateliot](, which has a lot going for it, but needs last names for its team members. Let’s dig into today’s news! — [Christine]( [ image] Image Credits: Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket / Getty Images The TechCrunch Top 3 - [Feature dump](: For those of you who love to use Google Maps, Google Search and Google Shopping, boy, does the company have some new features for you. [Aisha]( breaks them down. - [Putting money where your mouth is](: Index Ventures is betting that the economic downturn will inspire the creation of more startups and is putting $300 million on that horse to win, [Mike]( writes. - “[A goal without a plan is just a wish](”: Mozilla released its “State of Mozilla” report today, and [Frederic]( has a look at how the search engine giant sees its next chapter. [SOC 2 in 2 weeks. Only with Vanta.]( Sponsored by [Vanta]( [We built Vanta so you can speed through security reviews and close deals faster. The primary way startups do this is with a SOC 2 report. Now, we're running a pilot for select companies where we'll work with you to get a SOC 2 Type I in just 14 days.]( [Learn More]( Startups and VC More cybersecurity M&A happening here as [Ingrid]( reports that [Palo Alto Networks is buying Cider Security]( in a deal said to be valued at up to $300 million. This is a move that she writes has been rumored for a bit, but now some pieces have fallen into place, including telling investors, that make it more apt to be happening. [Mary Ann]( spoke with some crypto-focused venture capitalists who told her that they were already proceeding with caution when it came to deploying their funds into cryptocurrency but are now worried that fallout from FTX’s collapse may make it [harder to get limited partners on board for future funds](. And we have six more for you: - Driving more than deliveries: General Motors’ e-delivery van subsidiary BrightDrop says it is [on the road to reaching $1 billion in revenue]( next year. [Jaclyn]( has more. - Adventure is out there!:[Gravitics raises $20 million]( and wants to be the go-to source for standard parts that will enable us to live and work in space,[Aria]( reports. - Learn from someone who’s also been in the trenches: [Mike]( was covering the Slush conference this week and writes up comments from Atomico CEO Niklas Zennström, who says [it’s time for founders and VCs to be okay with down rounds](. - Don’t read anything into this: Contracts are the way of the world, but also a good way to make your head spin. Enter Terzo, which [Kyle]( reports raised $16 million to [extract key data from contracts]( so you can save the aspirin for another day. - Bringing some pizzazz back to corporate retreats: Remote work got us all over the place, but[BoomPop designs high-end offsites]( so that even the most far-flung employee can feel connected, [Connie]( reports. - Making history: In case you missed it, [Christine]( wrote about how Upside Foods was the first cultivated meat company to essentially receive a blessing from the FDA and that its [cell-cultured chicken production method was safe.]( [SaaS startups that ignored VC advice to cut sales and marketing were better off this year]( Many VCs advised founders to dial back their sales and marketing outlays to preserve runway this year. And, as it turns out, many VCs have been giving the wrong advice. According to data from Capchase, a fintech that offers startups nondilutive capital, “companies that didn’t cut spending on sales and marketing were in a better financial and growth position now than those that did when the market started to dip in 2022,” reports [Rebecca Szkutak](. Of the 500 companies surveyed, bootstrapped firms showed the strongest growth, said Miguel Fernandez, Capchase’s co-founder and CEO: “What we have seen in this case, and what is most interesting, is the best companies have actually cut every other cost except sales and marketing.” Three more from the TC+ team: - Overindulging in all that glory might have been your undoing: When someone gives you the chance to work on something big, you don’t question it. However, in FTX’s case, [Alex]( writes that maybe the beleaguered company[“was the real poster child for 2021’s startup excess.”]( - Slow adoption: [Service 1st Financial grabbed $20 million]( to sell homeowners on better ways to upgrade their HVAC systems. [Tim]( has more. - The aftermath: [Jacquelyn]( examines how FTX’s collapse affected [market makers and funds](. [TechCrunch+]( is our membership program that helps founders and startup teams get ahead of the pack.[You can sign up here](. Use code “DC” for a 15% discount on an annual subscription! [Read More]( [SaaS startups that ignored VC advice to cut sales and marketing were better off this year image] Image Credits: Andriy Onufriyenko / Getty Images Big Tech Inc. Please enjoy [Brian](’s extra-large [Actuator newsletter]( today, where he breaks down Boston’s tech scene, going all over the city, talking to Tye Brady, getting in some work with robotics, and taking “a field trip to some of Boston’s best startups.” For those of you who like to tweet in threads, Twitter is working on a feature for you that will [divide long text into a thread automatically](, [Ivan]( reports. This move will reduce the need to break up all of your carefully curated word vomit into 280-character segments. Meanwhile, over in Binance land, co-founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao, also known as CZ, spoke with [Anita]( this morning at [TC Sessions: Crypto](, and [Romain]( grabbed some of the highlights, including CZ’s thoughts on FTX: [“We were the last straw that broke the camel’s back.”]( Then [Manish]( pulled out some of CZ’s comments as they relate to [Binance’s business viability in India](. Namely, there is none. Today, there are six more we thought you should read: - On cloud nine:[Apple’s iCloud website]( is a little different now with apps that look like widget-styled tiles instead of icons,[Ivan]( writes. - More layoffs:[Roku says it is also cutting jobs](, citing economic conditions for why 200 U.S. employees will be let go,[Lauren]( writes. - Controlling misinformation:[PR software giant Cision acquired Factmata](, which, if you don’t know, is fighting fake news, [Ingrid]( reports. - Car porn:[Toyota’s new all-electric SUV concept]( has a sleek look and plant-based seating,[Jaclyn]( reports. - Surprise, surprise, surprise: Blizzard Activision shocked us all by [suspending most of its games in China](, citing expiration of licensing agreements with NetEase.[Rita]( has more. - Hello, my name is…: We’ve been following the Meta India departures, but now have some news that [Meta appointed a new India head](,[Manish]( reports. [Read more stories on TechCrunch.com]( Newest Jobs from Crunchboard - [Solutions Architect at Knowing Technologies (Redwood City, CA, USA)]( - [Database Engineer at New Mexico State University Foundation (Las Cruces, NM, USA)]( - [E-Commerce Technology Project Manager at Social Imprints (San Francisco, CA, USA)]( - [Information Systems Compliance Analyst II at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic (Pearland, TX, USA)]( - [Service Desk Consultant at Next7 IT (Cranberry Twp, PA, USA)]( [See more jobs on CrunchBoard]( [Post your tech jobs]( and reach millions of TechCrunch readers for only $200 per month. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Youtube]( [Instagram]( [Flipboard]( [View this email online in your browser]( [Privacy Policy]( | [Terms of Service]( | [Unsubscribe]( © 2022 Yahoo. All rights reserved. 110 5th St, San Francisco, CA 94103