Daily Crunch - Apple announces AirPods Max headphones

Apple unveils new high-end headphones, Calm raises more funding and Cyberpunk 2077 faces criticism. This is your Daily Crunch for December 8, 2020.

The big story: Apple announces AirPods Max headphones

These are Apple’s first over-ear headphones under the AirPods brand (it also owns Beats), and at $549 they’re priced significantly higher than previous AirPods.

Other features include active noise cancellation, transparency mode, spatial audio and Adaptive EQ, a feature that adjusts the sound based on the fit and seal of the headphones. The headband is made of stainless steal, and it also includes a digital crown for adjusting the volume, skipping tracks and more.

Pre-orders start today, with the first headphones shipping on December 15.

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The tech giants

Tesla files to sell $5B in stock while its shares are richly valued — Tesla is striking while its share price is hot.

SAP is the latest enterprise software giant to offer low-code workflow — SAP Cloud Platform Workflow Management enables people with little or no coding skills to build operational workflows.

Apple Fitness+ launches on December 14 — The service will include 10 workout types at launch, including High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), strength, yoga, dance, core, cycling, indoor walking and running.

Startups, funding and venture capital

Calm raises $75M more at $2B valuation — The round was anticipated after the company was reported to be hunting for up to $150 million at a valuation of $2.2 billion.

New York-based indoor ag company Gotham Greens raises $87M — The company already sells its greens in more than 40 states and operates greenhouses in Chicago, Providence, Rhode Island, Baltimore and Denver.

Rivian is building its own EV charging network, but with an adventurous twist — The electric automaker is starting to build out a network of electric vehicle charging stations throughout the United States.

Advice and analysis from Extra Crunch

Making sense of Klarna — The Swedish fintech sensation is currently Europe’s most valuable private tech company.

China watches and learns from the US in AR/VR competition — There’s a young generation of Chinese entrepreneurs uniquely positioned to build world-class hardware.

Is 2020 bringing more edtech rounds than ever, or does it simply feel that way? — Venture capital activity is at a high, but not all sectors are equally busy.

(Extra Crunch is our membership program, which aims to democratize information about startups. You can sign up here.)

Everything else

Cyberpunk 2077 draws criticism for seizure-inducing sequence with no warning or mitigation — Developer CD Projekt Red is already under fire for an early game sequence with the potential to induce seizures.

Christopher Nolan calls HBO Max the ‘worst streaming service’ — The director isn’t happy about WarnerMedia’s plans to bring its 2021 movies straight to streaming.

Nielsen plans to combine traditional and digital TV ratings — While the firm has long provided the standard measure for TV audiences, things are more fragmented when it comes to digital viewing.

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