Zeus Goes Bust, TikTok's Latest Matchmaking Hack, and It's a Bird! - SVC 11/8/23

Zeus Goes Bust, TikTok's Latest Matchmaking Hack, and It's a Bird!

Meta, politics, teens, security, iMessage, AI, proptech, TikTok, Signal, China, FTX

Zeus Living, a proptech startup backed by Airbnb, has reportedly shut down after raising $150 million in funding. The company is the latest VC-backed startup to go bust in recent months.

In more positive news, TikTokers are buzzing about the "bird test" - holding your hands together like a bird and seeing if your partner opens them like a book. If they do, congrats - they're supposedly "the one"! The latest viral hack shows TikTok's increasing influence as "Google for kids".

Speaking of kids, newly released court documents suggest Mark Zuckerberg repeatedly rejected proposals to improve teen wellbeing on Facebook and Instagram, claiming the proof threshold was too high. More bad news for Meta as they announce rules requiring political campaigns to disclose AI use in ads.

On the security front, a severe flaw in Atlassian's Confluence received the highest vulnerability rating. And encrypted messaging app Signal is testing usernames to avoid sharing phone numbers. However, major Chinese VCs are reportedly still investing in US AI startups despite security concerns.

Finally, Sergey Brin's giant airship is patrolling Silicon Valley skies, the fight for FTX's remnants continues, and a delightful 8K video captures the recent annular eclipse. Coffee lovers are also buzzing about a $700 Japanese pourover machine. Just another week in the Valley!

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