Samsung's new Galaxy phone is pretty good, Travis Kalanick announces a venture fund and there's even more Star Wars on the horizon. All that and more in The Daily Crunch for March 8, 2018.

1. Samsung Galaxy S9+ review

TechCrunch's Brian Heater says the Galaxy S9+ is mostly an evolution of its predecessor. So it's a good phone, but perhaps doesn't quite live up to the hype.

Bottom line: There's not enough here to compel most S8 owners to upgrade, but if you're due for a refresh, Samsung's handset is still the one to beat.

2. Travis Kalanick is launching a venture fund

According to an announcement on Kalanick's Twitter account, the new fund will focus on "large-scale job creation." Investment areas are to include real estate, e-commerce and emerging innovations in China and India.

3. The Tesla Model 3 is a love letter to the road

I would never write a love letter to the road. Maybe that's because I'm dead inside.

4. Jon Favreau is making a Star Wars show for Disney's streaming service

You will never run out of Star Wars ever again. (Also, if you're not a Favreau fan yet, I highly recommend watching Chef.)

5. All of Oculus's Rift headsets have stopped working due to an expired certificate

There's an official patch now, but boy, this is embarrassing: An expired certificate appears to have soft-bricked all of the company's Rift VR headsets yesterday.

6. Spotify's new 'Amplify' hub to highlight issues like gender equality, immigration, and LGBTQ rights

The Amplify Women selection offered starting today will feature a range of podcasts and playlists that represent various women's views, and will offer a dedicated "Amplify: Women of the World" playlist that's updated on a weekly basis.

7. Atom Tickets raises $60M Series C for its movie booking app

It's a rough time for the movie business, but Atom Tickets could give studios a much-needed new channel for marketing their theatrical releases.