Panasonic says it will buy US-based supply chain software provider Blue Yonder for $7.1B, in one of the Japanese company's biggest acquisitions. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

Amazon began piloting a tool last week that lets brands in its Brand Registry program in the US email marketing materials to customers who “follow” the brand. cnbc.com/2021/04/23/ama…

Lyft says it is selling its self-driving unit, called Lyft Level 5 with ~300 employees, to Toyota's Woven Planet Holdings subsidiary for $550M. techcrunch.com/2021/04/26/lyf…

Zoom officially launches Immersive View, which assembles up to 25 video conference participants in one scene, for all free and individual Pro Zoom accounts. venturebeat.com/2021/04/26/zoo…

Microsoft says Microsoft Defender for Endpoint now blocks cryptojacking malware using Intel's silicon-based Threat Detection Technology. bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/…

Spotify launches paid podcast subscriptions for creators in the US, at no cost to creators for two years and a 5% fee starting in spring 2023. techcrunch.com/2021/04/27/spo…

With iPhone's privacy changes, advertisers will get more ad-performance data for ads bought through Apple than via third parties, giving its ad business an edge. wsj.com/articles/apple…

US-based neobank Current raises $220M Series D led by a16z, roughly tripling its valuation in five months to $2.2B. techcrunch.com/2021/04/27/mob…

Sysdig, which offers enterprise tools to secure containers and apps, raises $189M Series F led by Third Point Ventures and Premji Invest at a $1.19B valuation. venturebeat.com/2021/04/28/sys…

Stripe acquires TaxJar for its cloud-based, automated sales tax tools; financial details not disclosed, but PitchBook data says TaxJar had been valued at $179M. techcrunch.com/2021/04/27/str…

Google says it's rolling out an update for Assistant that allows a user to train Assistant how to pronounce and recognize uncommon names, at first in English. engadget.com/google-assista…

Cryptocurrency derivatives exchange GlobeDX raises $18M seed from investors including Y Combinator, Pantera Capital, and Draper Dragon. newsbtc.com/news/company/g…

Netflix launches Play Something, an opt-in viewing mode that gives the service a more TV-like feel to fight viewers' decision fatigue. vulture.com/article/netfli…

Bibit, which runs robo-advisor services for mutual funds and invests users' money based on their risk profiles, raises $65M led by Sequoia Capital India. techcrunch.com/2021/05/02/bib…

Intel to invest $3.5B to upgrade its chipmaking plant in New Mexico, resulting in 700 new jobs over three years, as part of CEO Pat Gelsinger's turnaround plan. cnet.com/news/intel-inv…

Sony says Discord will be integrated into PlayStation Network starting early 2022; Sony will invest an undisclosed amount in Discord as part of the partnership. venturebeat.com/2021/05/03/pla…

Twitter opens Spaces, its live audio feature, to anyone with 600+ followers and details plans for Ticketed Spaces, reminders, co-hosting, accessibility, more. techcrunch.com/2021/05/03/twi…

Twitter buys Scroll, the $5/month service that removes ads from partner news sites; Scroll's Nuzzel email service will shut down on May 6. theverge.com/2021/5/4/22417…

A look at Atlanta's emergence as a tech startup hub, bolstered by the diverse entrepreneurial talent coming from regional colleges like Georgia Tech. techcrunch.com/2021/05/02/how…

LoanSnap, whose AI system analyzes users' finances and recommends a loan to improve their financial health, raises $30M Series B led by True Ventures. forbes.com/sites/rebeccas…