A new clinical trial is testing a stem cell-derived patch to replace damaged cells in the eye. The goal is not just to stop vision loss from macular degeneration, but to actually reverse it. Early results showed 27% of patients had some vision improvement.
The controversial anonymous messaging app NGL, which was fined $5 million by the FTC and banned from minors, has been acquired. Its new owner is Mode Mobile, a startup that makes money by bombarding its users with advertisements.
Starbucks has hired Amazon’s grocery technology and supply chain leader, Anand Varadarajan, as its new Chief Technology Officer. He starts January 19, 2025, as the coffee chain pushes a major restructuring and focuses on its digital order systems.
TikTok has finalized a deal to spin off its U.S. operations into a new joint venture. Oracle, Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi’s MGX will each own 15%, with ByteDance retaining a 19.9% stake. The move aims to resolve longstanding national security concerns.
Google is rolling out a surprise second software update for Pixel phones this December, following the regular monthly patch. The small size suggests it’s a critical fix, while a separate engineer comment confirms a long-awaited “pocket mode” is coming soon.
Theorycraft Games, founded by former Riot developers, is pulling the plug on its debut title Supervive. The game will shut down permanently on February 25th, 2026, after failing to retain players post-launch.
Sony and Tencent have settled their legal dispute over the game Light of Motiram, which Sony claimed copied its Horizon franchise. The game has been removed from digital stores, and the lawsuit is dismissed permanently.
Apple is expanding ads in App Store search beyond the single top spot. Starting next year, you’ll see sponsored results further down the page, with Apple claiming relevance will trump the highest bid.
The legal battle between Sony and Tencent over the alleged Horizon Zero Dawn clone, Light of Motiram, has ended in a confidential settlement. The game has been pulled from Steam and the Epic Games Store, signaling its likely cancellation.
Paul Singer’s Elliott Investment Management is rallying other investors in Japan against Toyota’s proposed $30 billion buyout of Toyota Industries. Elliott, holding a 5% stake, argues the offer doesn’t reflect true value ahead of a tender offer starting in February.
