TechCrunch Industry News
3,850 episodes — Page 18 of 77
Google Cloud now has a dedicated cluster of Nvidia GPUs for Y Combinator startups
Google Cloud is giving Y Combinator startups access to a dedicated, subsidized cluster of Nvidia graphics processing units and Google tensor processing units to build AI models. It’s part of Google Cloud’s effort to cozy up with promising early-stage AI startups, in hopes some of them will evolve into massive, compute-hungry business Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Vast plans microgravity lab on its Haven-1 private space station
Commercial space station company Vast is building a private microgravity research lab as part of its wider Haven-1 station plans. The module is set to launch no earlier than the second half of 2025, the company said Thursday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Bumble and Hinge allowed stalkers to pinpoint users’ locations down to 2 meters
Badoo, Bumble, Grindr, happn, Hinge and Hily all had the same vulnerability that could have helped a malicious user to identify the near-exact location of another user, according to the researchers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Controversial internet bill KOSA passed by Senate
The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) has passed in the Senate after Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) pushed the internet bill to a vote. Proposed in 2022, KOSA requires that online platforms take reasonable steps to protect users from harm, and could become the most significant children’s online safety legislation to take effect since COPPA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Zoe, a microbiome-focused nutrition company, raises $15 million to expand in the U.S.
Zoe sends customers at-home testing materials to collect blood or feces to test blood fat, blood sugar, and gut microbiome health. Following those results, the company scores every food (on a scale from 0 to 100), so people can make better choices of what to eat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Disinformation may ‘go nuclear’ rather than ‘go viral,’ researchers say
We say something “goes viral” because we tend to think of rumors and disinformation spreading the way that an infection spreads. But these days it may be more accurate to say something “goes nuclear,” according to a new paper that models disinfo as a form of fission reaction Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A tale of two foldables
Samsung is still foldables’ 500-pound gorilla, but the company successes have made the category significantly less lonely in recent years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
UK’s Zapp EV plans to expand globally with an early start in India
Zapp is launching its urban electric two-wheeler in India in 2025 as it plans to expand globally. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Data breach exposes US spyware maker behind Windows, Mac, Android and Chromebook malware
Exclusive: The Minnesota-based spyware maker Spytech snooped on thousands of devices before it was hacked earlier this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Lodestar’s robotic arm will be an orbital ‘first responder’ for satellites in need
Satellites are among our most critical infrastructure, providing everything from GPS to disaster coordination, yet their inherent inaccessibility leaves them vulnerable to relatively simple technical issues or attacks. London-based Lodestar is looking to change that with a “first responder” service in space using advanced robotic sentries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
GM-backed Addionics aims to make lithium-ion batteries cheaper with wavy foil
The startup has developed a way to create copper and aluminum foils that are laced with tiny holes and riddled with undulating peaks and valleys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Spotify CEO says company is in ‘early days’ of hi-fi audio plans
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek says the streaming service is still in the “early days” of its plans to bring hi-fi support to the platform. During the company’s earnings call on Tuesday, the executive offered details about an upcoming deluxe tier. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How to prevent your software update from being the next CrowdStrike
There is no fool proof way to prevent a buggy update like CrowdStrike's, but there are best practices that could mitigate the fallout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Rosotics wants to manufacture massive orbital shipyards using 3D printing
Mesa, Arizona-based Rosotics has kept a low profile. From the startup’s website, one would think they are solely focused on selling large metal 3D printers to aerospace and defense customers. For the past three years, the company’s been quietly architecting plans that involve launching multiple massive spacecraft, each containing dozens of smaller spacecraft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Former Tesla humanoid head launches a robotics startup
In spite of maintaining stealth until now, Mytra has already drummed up interest with big names. The startup has a pilot with grocery giant Albertsons, among others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Linx emerges from stealth with $33M to lock down the new security perimeter: Identity
Identity management is one of the most common fulcrums around which security breaches have pivoted in the last several years, and one of the main reasons it’s the gift that keeps on giving to malicious hackers is that it’s a nightmare for organizations to track. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Pesa unlocks new markets to keep remittances flowing to emerging economies
Founders of Pesa, a remittance fintech, know too well how costly, inaccessible and unreliable remittance services drive people to opt for risky informal channels — like WhatsApp groups — to transfer money. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Waymo wants to bring robotaxis to SFO
Waymo would need a ground transportation permit to operate at SFO, which has yet to be approved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apple Vision Pro debuts immersive content featuring NBA players, The Weeknd and more
Apple on Thursday announced its upcoming lineup of immersive video content for the Vision Pro. The list includes behind-the-scenes footage of the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend, an immersive performance by The Weeknd, new series, films, concerts and more. The headset launched in February with more than 150 3D movies and immersive titles Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NASA cancels $450M Viper moon mission, dashing ice prospecting dreams
The now-scrapped moon mission would have been the U.S. space agency's first resource-mapping mission off planet Earth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Ford’s EV plans are in flux once again as it invests $3B into its biggest trucks
Ford is still pushing forward on electrification, notably by increasing hybrid options. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Shaped raises $8M Series A and launches its self-serve recommendations and search service
Whether it’s an online marketplace, store, or social media platform, virtually every site today uses some kind of recommendation service to personalize its offerings. Shaped, which is announcing an $8 million seed funding round today, wants to make it easier for businesses of all sizes to combine the data they already have with large language models. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Way app offers a chance to meditate alongside a Zen Master
A new app called The Way is aiming to help people explore the deeper side of meditation through a single, structured path guided by an authorized Zen Master. Founded by uncle-and-nephew duo Henry Shukman and Jack Shukman, The Way wants to help people move beyond modern mindfulness practices offered by popular meditation apps like Headspace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Ultrahuman’s smart ring gets FDA-approved AFib detection
The smart ring has long played second fiddle to the smart watch. While tech giants like Apple and Google duked it out over wrists for years, the ring has been significantly quieter, a space where plucky startups have a chance to make their mark. Things are quickly changing, however. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Kaspersky to shut down US operations
The Russia-based security software maker said its U.S. business is "no longer viable" following a U.S. Commerce Department sales ban. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Google reportedly in talks to acquire cloud security company Wiz for $23B
Google’s parent company Alphabet might be on the verge of making its biggest acquisition ever. The Wall Street Journal reports that Alphabet is in advanced talks to acquire Wiz for around $23 billion. While the deal isn’t finalized, the WSJ says it could come together soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Whistleblowers accuse OpenAI of ‘illegally restrictive’ NDAs
Whistleblowers have accused OpenAI of placing illegal restrictions on how employees can communicate with government regulators, according to a letter obtained by The Washington Post. Lawyers representing anonymous whistleblowers sent the letter to Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Amazon AI chatbot Rufus is now live for all U.S. customers
Amazon’s AI-powered shopping assistant, named “Rufus,” is now live for all U.S. customers in the Amazon mobile app, the retailer announced on Friday. The assistant, which lives on the bottom right of the app’s main navigation bar, is designed to offer customers help with finding products, performing product comparisons, and getting recommendations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Archer’s vision of an air taxi network could benefit from Southwest customer data
Archer Aviation and Southwest Airlines are teaming up to figure out what it will take to build out a network of electric air taxis at California airports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
FTC study finds ‘dark patterns’ used by a majority of subscription apps and websites
Dark patterns refer to a range of design techniques that can subtly encourage users to take some sort of action or put their privacy at risk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
More ex-military officials are becoming VCs as defense tech investment reached $35 billion
As venture capitalists continue to pour money into defense tech startups, they’re turning to a new hiring pool: ex-military officials. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Anthropic’s Claude adds a prompt playground to quickly improve your AI apps
Prompt engineering became a hot job last year in the AI industry, but it seems Anthropic is now developing tools to at least partially automate it. Anthropic released several new features on Tuesday to help developers create more useful applications with the startup’s language model, Claude, according to a company blog post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Whataburger app becomes unlikely power outage map after Houston hurricane
Fast food chain Whataburger’s app has gone viral in the wake of Hurricane Beryl, which left around 1.8 million utility customers in Houston, Texas without power. Hundreds of thousands of those people may remain without power for days as Houston anticipates a heat wave, with temperatures climbing into the mid-90s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Data workers detail exploitation by tech industry in DAIR report
The essential labor of data work, like moderation and annotation, is systematically hidden from those who benefit from the fruits of that labor. A new project puts the lived experiences data workers around the world in the spotlight, showing firsthand the costs and opportunities of tech work abroad. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Quora’s Poe now lets users create and share web apps
Poe, Quora’s subscription-based, cross-platform aggregator for AI-powered chatbots like Anthropic’s Claude and OpenAI’s GPT-4o, has launched a feature called Previews that lets users create interactive apps directly in chats with chatbots. Previews allows Poe users to build data visualizations, games and even drum machines Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
YouTube and LinkedIn have games now, and here’s how you can play them
Here are the latest companies venturing into the gaming scene and details about each offering, including pricing, examples of titles and supported devices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Waymo robotaxi pulled over by Phoenix police after driving into the wrong lane
A police officer pulled over a self-driving Waymo vehicle in Phoenix after it ran a red light and pulled into a lane of oncoming traffic, according to dispatch records. The incident took place on June 19, but local media including Arizona Republic released bodycam footage of the traffic stop this week, showing the vehicle weaving. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Noplace, a mashup of Twitter and MySpace for Gen Z, hits No. 1 on the App Store
Aiming to bring the “social” back to “social media,” a new app called noplace has surged to the top of the App Store as it launches out of invite-only mode Wednesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fizz, the anonymous Gen Z social app, adds a marketplace for college students
Teddy Solomon just moved to a new house in Palo Alto, so he turned to the Stanford community on Fizz to furnish his room. “Every time I show up to buy something from somebody, I grill them about the marketplace, because I’m really curious about their experience,” Solomon, a co-founder of Fizz, told TechCrunch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Epic Games calls out Apple for rejecting its Games Store in the EU
Fortnite maker Epic Games has hit a stumbling block in its plans to bring the company’s alternative app store, the Epic Games Store, to the EU. As now permitted by the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), Epic Games announced earlier this year it planned to bring both the digital storefront and its flagship game, Fortnite. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
X weighs adding a downvote button to replies — but it doesn’t want to emulate Reddit
Code references found in the X iOS app indicate that the company could be considering adding downvotes for replies only to improve how they're ranked. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Twitter/X alternative Mastodon appeals to journalists with new ‘byline’ feature
Mastodon, the open source, decentralized alternative to X (formerly Twitter), is today rolling out a new feature meant to make the app more appealing to those who use it to keep up with news and information from writers and journalists Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Google’s environmental report pointedly avoids AI’s actual energy cost
Google totally dodges the question of how much energy is AI is using — perhaps because the answer is "way more than we'd care to say." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Figma disables its AI design feature that appeared to be ripping off Apple’s Weather app
Figma CEO Dylan Field says the company will temporarily disable its “Make Design” AI feature that was said to be ripping off the designs of Apple’s own Weather app. The problem was first spotted by Andy Allen, the founder of NotBoring Software, which makes a suite of apps that includes a popular, skinnable Weather app Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Anthropic looks to fund a new, more comprehensive generation of AI benchmarks
Anthropic is launching a program to fund the development of new types of benchmarks capable of evaluating the performance and impact of AI models, including generative models like its own Claude. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
MIT’s soft robotic system is designed to pack groceries
RoboGrocery combines computer vision with a soft robotic gripper to bag a wide range of different items. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Meta changes its label from ‘Made with AI’ to ‘AI info’ to indicate use of AI in photos
After Meta started tagging photos with a “Made with AI” label in May, photographers complained that the social networking company had been applying labels to real photos where they had used some basic editing tools. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
MagicSchool thinks AI in the classroom is inevitable, so it’s aiming to help teachers and students use it properly
These days, when you hear about students and generative AI, chances are that you’re getting a taste of the debate over the adoption of tools like ChatGPT. Are they a help? (Yay! Great for research! Fast!) Or are they a harm? (Boo! Misinfo! Cheating!). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Zuckerberg disses closed-source AI competitors as trying to ‘create God’
In the conversation, Zuckerberg said there needs to be a lot of different AIs that get created to reflect people's different interests. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Directo turns a TikTok travel hack into a deal-finding Chrome extension
A travel hack that went viral on TikTok teaches users how to save money on hotels and Airbnbs by booking directly with the properties themselves. Now, a new startup, Directo, will help travelers find those same deals with the help of a Chrome extension that points you to the property’s website, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices