All I can see is you — iOS 16 users enjoy new photo background removal feature • ProWellTech

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Fridaaaay!

Today, we will mostly be listening to this delightful end-of-week gratitude meditation, and contemplating all the weird and wonderful things that have happened this week. Because, by golly, has there been a lot of weird. And, for that matter, a lot of wonderful.

One thing we are grateful for is you, our dear readers. Have a beautiful weekend. Get some rest, charge those batteries, and let’s get back on it next week. — Christine and He came

The ProWellTech Top 3

• Cut.it.out: We mean pictures, not reading this newsletter. We enjoyed seeing how creative some iOS 16 users were in utilizing the new background removal feature for photos. Ivan has more and even created a shortcut of his own.
• Uber eats? More like Uber defeats: That notification you got asking for you to unlock your Uber account was actually something to be alarmed about. The ride-hailing giant is investigating its cybersecurity processes after a hacker got in, Carly reports.
• Don’t fear the hyphen: Polywork raised $28 million to help you embrace all the job title hyphens you have. Natasha M even tried it out herself.

Startups and VC

Shervin Pishevar, an investor who left Silicon Valley for Miami after being accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women in 2017, has resurfaced as the “vice chairman” of Yeezy, the consumer brand controlled by Kanye West, Connie reports.

In gig economy land, things are about to get interesting. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is looking into the complex and potentially unfair economics and policies of the gig economy for “deceptive, unfair, and otherwise unlawful acts and practices.” Whether it’s forced arbitration, labor misclassification, or algorithmic pay and job distribution, the agency says it will go after any dubious tactics that hurt workers, Devin reports.

And for your final piece of startup drama today, Natasha M and Becca report the Launch House community reacts to media reports of alleged misconduct and harassment.

Okay, fine, a few more:

• Over the moon with Loona: Consumer robot Loona is Anki’s spiritual successor, and just went live on Kickstarter with some impressive moves. It’s totes adorable, and Brian’s piece includes a video to prove it.
• It goes how fast?!: He came checked out the Apollo Pro, and the company’s CTO says he wants the new scooter to be “the Cybertruck of scooters.”
• Edtech at a discount: Ingrid reports that General Atlantic buys out SoftBank’s 15% stake in edtech Kahoot, now valued at about $152 million — that’s $63 million less than the valuation SoftBank invested at two years ago.
• In a way, aren’t we all squid- or octopus-like humanoids in a post-apocalyptic world?: Amanda celebrated her 420th post on ProWellTech by covering Splatoon, a video game version of those ASMR-like “oddly satisfying” videos.
• The highs and lows of scooter land: He came also had a pair of stories about the scooter company Unagi. It announces it isn’t going to manufacture the Model Eleven scooter after all, even though it raised more than $700,000 via Indiegogo to bring the micromobility product to market. Instead, it launches the updated Model One Voyager, and offers its crowdfunding backers some of those scooters instead.

3 investors explain why earned wage access startups are set to cash more checks

Image Credits: Lia Galimzianova (opens in a new window) / Getty Images

Workers with low-wage jobs often experience cash-flow problems.

Because so many don’t have access to credit or savings, a growing number that once depended on predatory lenders can now tap into their wages before payday via earned wage access (EWA).

“The potential for this model is huge, but the industry is still very much in its early stages,” reports Karan Bhasin, who interviewed three active EWA investors to learn more about where the industry is headed:

Jennifer Ho, partner at Integra Partners

Aris Xenofontos, partner at Seaya Ventures

Aditi Maliwal, partner at Upfront Ventures

(ProWellTech+ is our membership program, which helps founders and startup teams get ahead. You can sign up here. Use code “DC” for a 15% discount on an annual subscription!)

Big Tech Inc.

For you Apple Watch enthusiasts, Brian packs in the puns and postulates about the Series 8 (“The new features aren’t flashy, but some of them might save your life”) and the SE (“The SE is the Apple Watch for people on a somewhat tighter budget, who recognize that they don’t need absolutely every annual addition to the device”). He talks a lot about choice — which one will you choose?