Newly released internal documents reveal how much the Los Angeles Unified School District spent on tech to facilitate remote learning for students as the pandemic forced schools to suspend in-person teaching. Reporter Sarah Favot writes that the district spent $390.5 million in equipment and services in the span of 13 months. Among the biggest recipients of that money were companies like Apple, Verizon, T-Mobile and a COVID testing company. Read more...
Here's what else we're reading in the news:
- Sinclair Broadcasting Group, the nation's second-largest TV broadcaster, was hit with a ransomware attack Monday morning.
- ViacomCBS has partnered with Miami-based tech company Recur Forever to produce NFTs.
- Zillow, which acquired more than 3,800 homes in the second quarter, is taking a break from buying homes.
- Foxconn, the manufacturer of iPhones, has unveiled its first electric vehicle prototype after it agreed to make EVs for L.A.-based Fisker.
- Roku has acquired the series "Children Ruin Everything" for its first exclusive streaming release.
- Go inside the L.A. mansion these YouTube creators are renting out for $43,700 a month.
How LAUSD Spent $390.5 Million in 13 Months
Of the $390.5 million that LAUSD spent on tech in that 13-month window, $51.3 million went to SummerBio, a Silicon Valley COVID testing company. But the big chunk of it, $227.6 million, went to tech companies: $51.3 million to Apple, $2 million to Amazon, $6.7 million to Edgenuity, $6.1 million to Verizon, and the list goes on and on.
Q&A: Bobacino CEO His Case for Food Automation
Food automation is here, and it is not slowing down. Bobacino, a Santa Monica-based startup that makes food-making robots, is poised to enter the market even as the industry grapples with an inevitable byproduct of automation: job losses. Its CEO, Darian Ahler, makes his case for more robots in the kitchen.
Hollywood Crews Reach Tentative Deal to Avoid a Strike
Over the weekend, the union representing Hollywood production crews announced it has struck a tentative deal with the alliance representing major studios and giants in tech.
Scopely Gets Sony's Free-to-Play Games for $1 Billion
Through the acquisition, Sony Pictures will become a minority shareholder in Scopely, and the startup will take control of mobile titles like "Wheel of Fortune Slots" and "Solitaire TriPeaks." Culver City-based Scopely was valued at $3.4 billion about a year ago.
Amazon to Add 150K Seasonal Workers
Amazon said Monday that it is adding 150,000 seasonal jobs to bolster the ranks of its operations network during the busy holiday season.