Apple releases its annual best apps list, a self-driving truck startup raises $350 million and the BioNTech\/Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine gets emergency approval in the United Kingdom. This is your Daily Crunch for December 2, 2020.
\nThe big story: Apple announces its best apps of 2020
\nThere were different winners \u2014 all selected by App Store editors \u2014 for different devices. Home workout app Wakeout! was named the iPhone App of the Year, Disney+ was the Apple TV App of the Year and the productivity app Fantastical was the Mac App of the Year. As for the iPad App of the Year, it went to perhaps the most obvious choice: Zoom.<\/p>\n
As far as user popularity goes, Apple said that Zoom was the biggest free iPhone app, followed by TikTok and Disney+ (which must qualify as free on a technicality), while the most popular free iPhone game was Among Us.
\nThe tech giants
\nLoon\u2019s stratospheric balloons are now teaching themselves to fly better thanks to Google AI \u2014 Alphabet\u2019s Loon has been using algorithmic processes to optimize the flight of its stratospheric balloons for years, but the company is now deploying a new navigation system.
\nApple\u2019s MagSafe Duo charger is now available \u2014 The MagSafe Duo appeared yesterday on Apple\u2019s own store and has delivery estimates as soon as this week.
\nGoogle says its News Showcase will add free access to paywalled stories \u2014\u00a0So far, Google News Showcase has launched in countries including Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, France, U.K. and Australia.
\nStartups, funding and venture capital
\nSelf-driving trucks startup TuSimple raises $350M from US rail, retail and freight giants \u2014 TuSimple was one of the first autonomous trucking startups to emerge in what has become a small-yet-bustling industry.
\nVirta Health\u2019s behavioral diabetes treatment service is now worth over $1B \u2014\u00a0Virta aims to reverse the presence of type 2 diabetes and other chronic metabolic conditions by changing a user\u2019s diet and exercise.
\nSpace Perspective raises $7M for its plan to ferry tourists to the edge of space \u2014\u00a0Spaceship Neptune is designed to carry up to eight passengers on a six-hour journey that will include two hours spent at the upper edge of Earth\u2019s atmosphere.
\nAdvice and analysis from Extra Crunch
\nFrom surviving to thriving as a hardware startup \u2014 Six strategies from Minut CEO Nils Mattisson.
\nA roundup of recent unicorn news \u2014\u00a0So much for a December news slowdown.
\n(Extra Crunch is our membership program, which aims to democratize information about startups. You can sign up here.)
\nEverything else
\nThe U.K. approves the BioNTech\/Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use \u2014\u00a0The U.K. is the first country to approve the vaccine for widespread use.
\nDiscovery will launch its own streaming service on January 4 \u2014\u00a0Discovery is the latest media company to launch a standalone streaming service, and the latest to adopt the simple naming strategy of just adding a plus sign.
\nGift Guide: The best books for 2020 recommended by VCs and TechCrunch writers (Part 1) \u2014 Includes lots of good books for tech and business readers, plus my recommendation for the non-new, non-tech, yet extremely good novel \u201cJonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.\u201d
\nThe Daily Crunch is TechCrunch\u2019s roundup of our biggest and most important stories. If you\u2019d like to get this delivered to your inbox every day at around 3pm Pacific, you can subscribe here.<\/p>\n