More top reads Speaking of Google: Aside from the layoffs, there was a bit of Google news today, including the removal of 17 "underutilized" features in Google Assistant, no more fees for transferring data out of Google Cloud and new generative AI tools for retailers. CES 2024: We're continuing to bring you highlights from CES 2024 in Las Vegas. Here are a few of your favorites from today: Taking a closer look at the Rownd tabletop CNC lathe Hyundai's hydrogen Hail Mary (TC+) Moustrap wants to bring some loving luxury to your mousing about EyeQ takes a fresh look at video call eye contact Car talk: First, Munich startup Finn is now valued at $658 million after raising $109 million to accelerate its car subscription platform that is gearing up for more electric vehicles. Next, Lucid Motors built over 8,000 luxury electric sedans in 2023, but it didn't sell all of them. Lucid, meet Finn. Finn, meet Lucid. No more middleman: Overmoon emerged from stealth with a part Airbnb, part hotel marketplace that teams up travelers with vacation rental property owners. Overmoon owns the homes, and as a result, has more control over the quality and maintenance of the properties. It's the best of both worlds. Meet Pier: The startup is building a "Stripe for credit" product. Developers add Pier's APIs with a few lines of code, and the company then manages the credit life cycle from end to end, including origination, underwriting, compliance and servicing. Learn more. Is India done with crypto?: When cryptocurrency went mainstream, reports predicted India would be at the forefront of those who wanted to participate. My, how the tides have turned. That old familiar tune: In Meta's continued bid to keep tracking and profiling users of Facebook and Instagram in Europe, in spite of the bloc's comprehensive data protection laws, the social media giant faces yet another challenge from a privacy rights advocacy group. Find out more. Takes a licking and keeps on ticking: iPhones always seem to fall in just the right way to crack the screen. So it's worth checking out how some iPhones from the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 managed to survive a 16,000-foot drop. Even more for your Thursday: BlackRock cuts Byju's valuation by 95% to $1 billion FlutterFlow attracts cash for its low-code mobile app dev platform State-backed hackers are exploiting new Ivanti VPN zero-days — but no patches yet The United States' $1 trillion startup liquidity gap needs to be filled soon (TC+) | 
