Don't miss these Apple may catch a break: Apple may get a full reprieve from the sales bans surrounding its newest Apple Watches thanks to a plan to disable pulse oximetry features on the devices. We don't think users will particularly mind the loss too much, but you can never tell how much Reddit will complain. For Apple, we're guessing being able to sell the Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches is probably more important than that. Spot Technologies raises $2M: El Salvador-based Spot has raised funding to build a software solution that turns security cameras into intelligent gadgets that can analyze consumer purchase and theft behaviors. Deep learning in security cameras? Welcome to the present, I suppose. Kuda's secret 2023 raise: It appears Nigerian neobank Kuda quietly raised $20 million last year at a flat valuation to its last 2021 price tag ($500 million). TechCrunch snagged some fascinating performance data from the company as well, showing that pursuing fintech can still make for a growth story. It's also not a small achievement for a fintech company to defend a valuation from the crazy good times of 2021, we reckon. For founders: If you are building a startup, we have lots for you this morning: How your customer acquisition costs can help determine whether you should launch a new product; the latest on climate tech incentives and capital flows; why micro funds are not doomed; and how to build a resilient SaaS company. Closing out CES 2024: Another CES is behind us, so to send us off, here are TechCrunch's notes on age tech, and all the future of transport technology that stood out at the convention. Just don't look for anything sex-tech related — it makes CES blush. You should definitely also read Mary Ann Azevdo's great interview with investor Jenny Fielding about startups' flight to quality. Also check out this Chain Reaction episode featuring Michael Sonnenshein, CEO of Grayscale, about the bitcoin spot ETF news. And then there's FedEx's new e-commerce platform, which feels either very early, or very late. | 
