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Showing posts from January, 2024

Podcast app Castro now owned by indie developer Bluck Apps

Nearly two months after Castro, the third-party podcast app, announced it was seeking new ownership, the company revealed today that it has officially been bought by Bluck Apps, an independent app studio that developed Android podcast app Aurelian. In November, Castro’s future was questioned when a former employee, Mohit Mamoria, posted on X that the […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/yYRXlzd

Cerulean empowers ocean pollution watchdogs with orbital observation

The vastness of the ocean allows polluters to evade detection in all but the most egregious violations. SkyTruth aims to change that with Cerulean, an orbital monitoring platform for coastal waters that spots not just oil slicks but the ships that produce them faster and with more certainty than ever before. The nonprofit organization has […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/ELjWoip

Heart failure monitoring startup, Acorai, turns heads with oversubscribed seed

Swedish medical device startup Acorai is pairing proprietary sensing hardware and machine learning software with the goal of putting a non-invasive heart pressure monitoring tool in the hands of clinicians — starting with doctors in the US. Patients hospitalized with heart failure typically need to undergo an invasive procedure, such as catheterization or having an […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/gwAbzvD

TikTok tests a feature that would bring TikTok Shop links to more videos

TikTok is experimenting with a feature that has the ability to make all posts on the app shoppable, as first reported by Bloomberg. The move is part of the company’s plans to turn TikTok Shop into a multi-billion dollar e-commerce business in the United States. TikTok confirmed that the feature is currently in limited testing, […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/aWmFXgs

Zoom debuts its app for Vision Pro, featuring digital personas, 3D files and more

Ahead of the launch of Apple’s Vision Pro on Friday, Zoom revealed today its upcoming visionOS app, which is set to release on February 2. The new app brings capabilities such as “persona” support for users to use a digital avatar during calls, 3D object sharing, its chat feature “Team Chat” and more. Apple’s Persona […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/iwxr9Fl

Apple’s iOS 18 may be ‘the biggest’ software update in iPhone history, report says

Apple’s upcoming iOS 18 software update may be “the biggest” in the company’s history, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. iOS 18 is expected to be announced at Apple’s annual WWDC event in June. “I’m told that the new operating system is seen within the company as one of the biggest iOS updates–if not the biggest–in […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/o5zM73S

India’s Uber-rival BluSmart pumps up EV charging with $25M investment

BluSmart, an Indian ride-hailing startup that competes with Uber and homegrown rival Ola with its all-electric fleet, is looking to boost its battery charging infrastructure as the South Asian nation currently has limited charging stations but aims to expand its electric vehicle (EV) base. The Gurugram-based startup has received fresh funding of $25 million from […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/h7506Ot

Indian state government fixes website bugs that exposed residents’ sensitive documents

An Indian state government has fixed security issues impacting its website that exposed the sensitive documents and personal information of millions of residents. The bugs existed on the Rajasthan government website related to Jan Aadhaar, a state program to provide a single identifier to families and individuals in the state to access welfare schemes. The […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/50pQqSn

What went wrong at Cruise, a pivot at Vroom and a home for Tesla’s Dojo supercomputer

TechCrunch Mobility is a weekly newsletter dedicated to all things transportation Sign up here — just click TechCrunch Mobility — to receive the newsletter every weekend in your inbox. Subscribe for free. Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility – the same weekly newsletter you’ve been reading, but with a new name and a few changes. As I mentioned […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/Jo7q08m

Inside Brex’s efforts to burn less cash

Welcome to TechCrunch Fintech (formerly The Interchange)! In this edition, I’m going to look at Brex’s latest round of layoffs, the state of fintech investing in 2023 and more! I may be taking some time off in coming weeks but never fear, TechCrunch Fintech isn’t going away. We’ll be back soon! To get a roundup […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/8abrw46

Startups must strategize and budget for AI-assisted software development in 2024

Enterprises need to understand how much to budget into AI tools, how to weigh the benefits of AI vs. new recruits, and how to ensure their training is on point. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/JTqblXO

Disney’s VR treadmill, OpenAI fixes ‘lazy’ GPT-4, and Apple rolls out stolen device protection

Hey, folks, and welcome to Week in Review (WiR), TechCrunch’s regular newsletter covering notable happenings in tech over the past few days. On the agenda for this edition is Disney’s innovative VR treadmill, OpenAI fixing its “lazy” AI and MIT’s high-capacity, fast-charging organic battery tech. We also cover Apple’s new stolen device protection feature, AI […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/g6E4U1p

Can AI do ugly?

Some thoughts on AI aesthetics, the challenge of uninsurability, and how to pitch a biotech startup to non-experts. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/eq4dREp

Opera to launch new AI-powered browser for iOS in Europe following Apple’s DMA changes

Opera revealed today that it will launch a new AI-powered browser built on its own engine for iOS in Europe. The Norway-based company announced the change following the news that Apple is going to allow alternative browser engines to run on iOS as a result of the requirements of the European Digital Markets Act (DMA). […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/n6iudgL

Deck.blue brings a TweetDeck experience to Bluesky users

With over 3 million users and plans to open up more broadly in the months ahead, Bluesky is still establishing itself as an alternative to Twitter/X. However, that hasn’t stopped the developer community from embracing the project and building tools to meet the needs of those fleeing the now Elon Musk-owned social network, formerly known […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/zUjMt8Y

Taking the long view on crypto

“It’s the single best time to invest in [crypto] companies,” according to 10T Holdings and 1RoundTable Partners’ CEO, Dan Tapiero. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/N2hC6Qc

Beat the clock to save $300 on passes to TechCrunch Early Stage 2024

Tick tock, it’s now o’clock. You have less than one day left to get your ticket to TechCrunch Early Stage — April 25 in Boston — at the lowest price. Do your budget and your startup dream a solid: Buy your pass by January 26 at 11:59 p.m. PT and save $300* on Founder and […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/7KeUnw9

Apple reveals big App Store and iOS changes incoming in EU on DMA day

Apple has announced a raft of changes incoming to iOS in the European Union as the iPhone maker prepares to roll out its response to the bloc’s ex ante competition reform, the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Back in September, the EU designated Apple as one of six so-called “gatekeepers” subject to the DMA, listing the […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/j2ix5GL

Researchers showcase a speedy new approach to printing metal

Metal 3D printing is already a multibillion-dollar global industry. The additive manufacturing approach is poised to disrupt many facets of construction, and will only continue to grow for the foreseeable future. The technology isn’t homogenous, however. Much like plastic printing, there are several different approaches, each with their own pluses and minuses. A new method […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/fDYPI7U

Soon you’ll be able to play Dungeons & Dragons in VR… if you want

Wizards of the Coast and Resolution Games have announced their collaboration to bring Dungeons & Dragons to virtual reality. The decades-old tabletop roleplaying game has become increasingly popular over the last several years, in large part due to third-party content creators like Critical Role and Dimension 20, in which ensemble casts play D&D to create […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/XqMVUPL

1RoundTable bets on ‘long-term, less volatile’ strategy with new growth-stage crypto fund

The past couple of years have been challenging, and sometimes deadly, for many crypto and web3 startups, but Dan Tapiero, CEO, CIO and managing partner of 10T Holdings and 1RoundTable Partners, is not worried. In fact, in the midst of raising the firm’s fourth fund, he seems to be positively cheery about the state of […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/bUen5oH

Only 150+ apps have been designed specifically for Apple’s Vision Pro, so far

It’s not just Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube that don’t have apps for Apple’s Vision Pro at launch. New App Store data indicates the new mixed reality headset and Apple’s foray into virtual reality has so far seen only a tepid response from app developers. As of this weekend, the AR/VR device’s App Store has just […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/71VYJkI

Exxon throws a fit over shareholders exercising their rights

The oil supermajor filed a lawsuit in federal court asking for permission to ignore a shareholder resolution, sidestepping the SEC. © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/dqG2inr

Terraform Labs files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy 

Singapore-based Terraform Labs (TFL), the company behind digital assets TerraUSD (UST) and Luna, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware following the collapse of its cryptocurrencies in 2022.  Terraform Labs, which confirmed its Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing, said the filing is “a strategic step that will enable it to continue its operations and support litigation […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/Akx4nQJ

Kenyan agtech Shamba Pride raises $3.7M to grow its merchant network

Shamba Pride has since 2016 worked to enhance last-mile distribution for farm inputs and tackle price exploitation and quality issues for farmers through its merchant network dubbed digishops. The agtech has, so far, built a network of 2,700 merchants (agro-dealers) extending across 24 counties in Kenya, which represents just over half of the country. It […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/shREycv

Flexport taps Shopify for cash, behind the wheel of the Kia EV9 and where Amazon wants to invest

TechCrunch Mobility is a weekly newsletter dedicated to all things transportation Sign up here — just click TechCrunch Mobility — to receive the newsletter every weekend in your inbox. Subscribe for free. Welcome to TechCrunch Mobility – the same weekly newsletter you’ve been reading, but with a new name and a few changes. Don’t worry, this […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/d2pGFjH

It’s fun watching fintech startups grow

Covering companies' growth from the seed stage gives reporters a glimpse of what investors must feel like. © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/6RKkidx

A new supersonic jet, Notion launches a calendar app, and CES chases off sex tech

Welcome, folks, to TechCrunch Week in Review (WiR), a digest of the past few days in tech happenings. As I write this, snow’s gracing New York City — an increasingly rare treat thanks to our changing climate. And that feels fitting in light of the Apple Vision Pro’s imminent launch. After all, one of the […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/thxo35e

The two faces of AI

We all make mistakes. But sometimes we forget that technology does, too — especially when it comes to AI, which is still in its early days in many respects. © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/9Jt5FlT

How to activate auto scroll on TikTok

TikTok has been experimenting with an auto scrolling mechanic for months now, allowing you to watch TikTok hands-free. To use the auto scroll feature, you hold down on a video on TikTok’s For You page – similar to if you want to repost a video – and click the auto scroll button. Your feed will […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/j7VzFZY

Forget Apple Vision Pro – rabbit r1 is 2024’s most exciting launch yet

The year is off to a quick start in terms of new product launches and availability, even leaving aside the usual mid-tier smorgasbord that is CES. Apple just started pre-sales of its Vision Pro mixed reality headset, with shipments beginning in early February; meanwhile Samsung debuted the next generation of the only viable iPhone competitor […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/abpmz7F

Private equity could be the last resort for startups struggling to exit

Startups are in a difficult spot. But the good news is that some untraveled and overgrown exit paths have a chance of opening up this year. © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/Yl4Auv8

BMW’s future growth depends on EVs, and it’s finally going all in

The German automaker previously wavered on EVs. But after posting strong EV sales in 2023, it's appears to have made up its mind. © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/cRfJEQv

Web monitors say Gaza week-long internet outage is longest yet

Internet monitoring firms say a near-total internet blackout in Gaza is reaching its seventh day, the longest outage of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict so far. Doug Madory, the director of internet analysis at Kentik, told TechCrunch in a Signal message that this is the “longest internet blackout ever and longer than all of the previous […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/nfi8sV4

Google adds AI-powered overviews for multisearch in Lens

In addition to a new gesture-powered search feature for Android devices, Google today also introduced an AI-powered addition to its visual search capabilities in Google Lens. Starting today, users will be able to point their camera or upload a photo or screenshot to Lens, then ask a question about what they’re seeing to get answers […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/hdJnWoc

Samsung’s Galaxy S24 will feature Google Gemini-powered AI features

Gemini, Google’s cutting-edge generative AI model family, is coming to Samsung’s new flagship smartphone — the Galaxy S24. Google and Samsung made the announcement to coincide with the Galaxy S24’s unveiling this afternoon. On Galaxy S24 phones, Gemini — specifically Gemini Pro, a mid-range model designed for a range of tasks  — will power components […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/U1J0CL9

Fancy founder returns with $1000-per-month luxury shopping startup, Long Story Short

A new luxury goods e-commerce startup dubbed Long Story Short has a provocative concept: it’s $1,000 per month to join for the privilege of shopping its curated collection. Shocking as that sounds, founder Joseph Einhorn believes he understands this sliver of the e-commerce market, and why many online luxury ventures to date have failed to […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/UlNX0cr

Infield wants to make open-source dependency management trivial

Virtually every application today relies on dozens — and sometimes hundreds — of open-source components. Many of those get updated at a rapid clip in order to introduce new features and to fix security issues (or the maintainers stop updating them, leaving security holes unfixed), but that also often means that they introduce breaking changes. […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/0XUGnqD

Transportation tech trends at CES 2024, another micromobility merger and Waymo robotaxis hit the highway

The Station is a weekly newsletter dedicated to all things transportation. Sign up here — just click TechCrunch Mobility — to receive the newsletter every weekend in your inbox. Subscribe for free. Hi folks, I’m back from CES 2024 and ready to share what I saw and heard! But first, big changes are coming to this weekly transportation […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/W8Cku1f

Microsoft launches a Pro plan for Copilot

Microsoft evidently envisions Copilot, the umbrella brand for its portfolio of AI-powered, content-generating technologies, becoming a significant future revenue line-item. And that’s perhaps not far off base; according to the company, more than 40% of the Fortune 100 participated in its Copilot early access program. But given the enormous cost of running GenAI models in […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/6daLi0g

Elon’s Tesla robot is sort of ‘ok’ at folding laundry in pre-scripted demo

Elon Musk’s Optimus humanoid robot from Tesla is doing more stuff — this time folding a t-shirt on a table in a development facility. The robot looks to be fairly competent when it comes to this task, but moments after Musk shared the video, he also shared some follow-up information which definitely dampens some of […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/f0sCyAr

Apple’s fix for the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 sales ban is disabling a useless feature

Apple is readying a more permanent fix for the ITC ruling that ended up temporarily blocking sales of its Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Series 9 models in the U.S. (which are both now back on sale — though again, potentially temporarily). The proposed solution, discovered in a brief legal filing (via 9to5Mac) by the […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/9eZMXP7

Spot Technologies, now with $2M, will see AI security tech go into Mexico Walmarts

Spot’s flagship product, VisionX, taps into deep learning and computer vision technologies to analyze consumer and theft behaviors. © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/Bg6itTa

FedEx announces its own commerce platform for merchants

Logistics company FedEx announced its own commerce platform called FDX today. The platform will likely compete against Amazon by offering merchants services like demand generation, fulfillment, tracking, and post-purchase experiences including returns. The company said that FDX is currently in private preview with plans for a wider launch in fall 2024. Businesses can register their […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/YFgjlSG

LG opens its first US EV charging factory in Texas 

LG Electronics has opened its first electric vehicle (EV) charger facility outside of South Korea — in Fort Worth, Texas — to capture a share of North America’s competitive EV charging market.  Its new EV charging station factory, spanning 59,202 square feet, has the capacity to produce more than 10,000 chargers per year, LG said […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/lOEqbeh

CES has almost fully succeeded in chasing sex-tech off its show floors

CES has long been a launchpad for innovation and cutting-edge technology. However, at this year’s event, there was a conspicuous void: the near-absence of sex tech. Despite being an industry that caters to a universal human experience, sex tech has always had an uneasy association with CES. This year, its conspicuous absence begs the question: […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/caZwovu

Look at your startup’s CAC to decide if you should launch another product

Rodrigo Fernandes Contributor Share on X Rodrigo Fernandes is a professor at Fundação Dom Cabral and is the CFO at Pingback, a Brazilian startup that provides a comprehensive solution for digital creators. Daniel McCarthy Contributor Share on X Daniel McCarthy is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta School of Business and co-founder […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/NQXGRU7

All the future of transportation tech that stood out at CES 2024

Another CES has come and gone and transportation was still one of the central actors on one of the world’s largest tech stages. It wasn’t just electric cars either that captured our attention at CES 2024. Companies and startups focused on automated driving, EV charging, software (and more specifically AI), sensors, aviation, boats, drones, micromobility […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/c54XTro

Carta takes heat, Samsung unveils an upgraded Ballie, and Volkswagen brings ChatGPT to cars

In this edition of TechCrunch's Week in Review (WiR) newsletter, we cover the recent Carta controversy, Samsung's Ballie and Volkswagen cars with chatbots. © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/FxH2Ldk

Age tech at CES was much more than gadgets

CES was definitely worth watching closely, if only just for the rise of age tech. © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/zWOdBLb

How to build a solid — and profitable! — AI startup

After a year of people throwing money at AI companies, investors are now looking for startups that are more solid and viable. © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/EZqk9H3

Hertz is selling its EVs because it botched the rollout for ride-share drivers

Hertz said in an SEC filing that it would be selling 20,000 of its EVs and replacing them with fossil fuel-powered vehicles. © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/T9sA4Lh

Nasdaq CEO’s comments about IPOs portend sunny skies ahead for the tech industry

More than 100 companies are getting ready to go public on Nasdaq after filing confidentially with the SEC, Barron's quoted Nasdaq's CEO Adena Friedman as saying. © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/0fH4hsD

Alaska Airlines Flight 1282: How could iPhones survive a 16,000-foot drop?

X user Seanathan Bates documented how he had found an iPhone on the side of the road that came from an Alaska Airlines passenger and had seemingly survived the 16,000-foot drop "perfectly intact." © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/G0bw89E

ChefPaw makes it easy to cook healthy food for your fluffy friend

ChefPaw is an machine designed to prepare homemade dog food. The appliance aims to provide an alternative to store-bought dog food, focusing on fresh ingredients tailored to individual pet dietary needs – and saving a ton of money along the way. It turns out that fresh-ingredient food for your four-legged furbaby is hella expensive, and […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/jC2RyTx

Mirantis’ new CEO is once again its old CEO

Mirantis, the enterprise infrastructure startup that has gone through its share of evolutionary cycles since it launched back in 1999. That has included a number of leadership changes, including a CEO swap in 2018 which saw co-founder and CEO Alex Freedland step down and co-founder Adrian Ionel taking on the CEO role (after Ionel and […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/uOUT9IL

Female-founded startup Diem wants to be the go-to social search engine for women and non-binary folks

A startup called Diem wants to tackle the problem of “search engine gender bias,” where results can produce default male information, making many women feel unsatisfied by the answers they receive to taboo or personal questions online. The company’s social search engine aims to provide a space for women and non-binary individuals to share personal […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/7jdeG6K

What Babbel co-founder has learned over 20 years in the language learning industry

This week Becca and Dom are joined by Markus Witte, the co-founder of the language learning platform Babbel. © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/5uFRqGU

Amazon adds Matter casting to its smart displays and TVs

Amazon might never formally endorse AirPlay or Google’s media-casting tech. But the company will be the first to support Matter Casting, the video- and audio-beaming feature of the Matter smart home standard, on its smart displays and smart TVs, Amazon announced this morning at CES 2024. Once Matter casting comes to Amazon’s Prime Video app for Android […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/HYG4JxM

Duolingo cut 10% of its contractor workforce as the company embraces AI

Duolingo is the latest company to cite AI as a reason for job cuts. The company confirmed it cut around 10% of its contractor workforce at the end of 2023, as it turns to AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4 to streamline content production and translations. The broad application of ChatGPT and other large language models […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/Dvs0G4a

LoanDepot hit by suspected ransomware attack

Mortgage and loan giant LoanDepot said Monday it is experiencing a cyberattack and that it’s “working diligently to restore normal business operations as quickly as possible.” The Irvine, Calif.-based company said in a brief statement on its cybersecurity incident page that it has “taken certain systems offline” and is “working quickly to understand the extent […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/AHMdq42

CES 2024: Everything revealed so far, from NVIDIA and AI to Samsung to foldable screens

One of the year’s biggest tech events has kicked off in Las Vegas, and we’re here to bring all the reveals before the show floor opens. © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/1t0qYgT

Google Gemini: Everything you need to know about the new generative AI platform

Google’s trying to make waves with Gemini, a new generative AI platform that recently made its big debut. But while Gemini appears to be promising in a few aspects, it’s falling short in others. So what is Gemini? How can you use it? And how does it stack up to the competition? To make it […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/O4NRe3o

Carta, the cap table management outfit, is accused of unethical tactics by a prominent startup

Carta, an ambitious 12-year-old Silicon Valley outfit, has gone through numerous iterations over time, originally inviting investors, startups, and employees to use its software to manage their cap tables and later aspiring to evolve into a “private stock market for companies,” as founder Henry Ward once told TechCrunch. As he explained back in 2019: “Now […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/QTXxWhG

CES 2024: Samsung’s bigger, foldier, more rollable displays

Consider this a preview of a preview. It’s an opportunity to take advantage of the brief Sunday morning news lull before the deluge kicks into full effect Monday. Tomorrow is, after all, when Samsung will host its CES 2024 press conference along with other big names like Sony and LG. This weekend, however, the company […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/qdp3zUu

Invoxia has a new smart collar suitable for both cats and dogs

CES never disappoints when it comes to gadgets for pets. And Invoxia is going all out by releasing a new smart collar called Invoxia Minitailz that is suitable for both cats and dogs. The company said that this gadget is an upgrade from last year’s Invoxia Smart Dog Collar, which measured both location and biometrics […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/0VSpmDi

Harvard’s robotic exoskeleton can improve walking, decrease falls in people with Parkinson’s

If you follow the world of robotic exoskeletons with any frequency, you’re no doubt aware of the two primary categories. The first is aimed firmly at workers with strenuous or repetitive jobs such as lifting and transporting packages. The second is assistive, largely focused at individuals with mobility impairments. The latter category is often the […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/vlOB48m

A CES 2024 preview, 23andMe victim blaming and MIT’s obesity-fighting pill

Welcome, folks, to Week in Review (WiR), TechCrunch’s regular newsletter that recaps the week in tech that was. Hope the holidays were restful for those who observed them. We at TC, for our parts, are gearing up for an eventful next week at CES in Las Vegas — while keeping an eye on the news […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/dOQy0PH

What if the metaverse had legs?

I would be lying if I said that mixed reality and generative AI were two of my favorite things. And yet, a Christmas Day TV special made me unexpectedly bullish about them. © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/0cNz5iA

Netflix considers adding in-app purchases and ads to games, report says

For two years, Netflix subscribers have been able to download tons of mobile games, all included for free with their subscription. Netflix has developed more than 75 mobile games, boasting popular IPs like Grand Theft Auto, Love Is Blind, Monument Valley and Oxenfree, among many others. Now, Netflix could potentially be exploring ways to generate […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/reQiIXq

CES 2024: Follow along with TechCrunch’s coverage from Las Vegas

CES 2024 is almost upon us, and a team of TechCrunch reporters and experts will be on the ground in Las Vegas to give you the biggest news out of the consumer electronics show.  Though CES’s influence has ebbed and flowed over the years, we’re still expecting a bunch of announcements, especially when it comes […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/BV4Jvqk

Investors are optimistic about 2024

After a mediocre 2023, investors are optimistic about exit and M&A activity picking back up in 2024. Some think we will see the IPO market bounce back. © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/v5zGh24

Google outlines new methods for training robots with video and large language models

2024 is going to be a huge year for the cross-section of generative AI/large foundational models and robotics. There’s a lot of excitement swirling around the potential for various applications, ranging from learning to product design. Google’s DeepMind Robotics researchers are one of a number of teams exploring the space’s potential. In a blog post […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/LkOJgM7

This startup is bringing a ‘voice frequency absorber’ to CES 2024

CES has always been the place for weird, out-there gadgets to make their debuts, and this year’s show is no exception. Skyted, a Toulouse, France-based startup founded by former Airbus VP Stéphane Hersen and acoustical engineer Frank Simon, is bringing what look like a pair of human muzzles to CES 2024. Called the “Mobility Privacy […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/XG4y7Jc

For just $139, this startup turns your iPhone into a BlackBerry-era relic

Clicks Technology is today unveiling the Clicks creator keyboard for the iPhone. It’s less “the future” than an unpleasant glance back to a world we thought we had left behind, in a nostalgia-tinged flashback to the days of BlackBerry and Nokia, where pressing physical buttons was the pinnacle of mobile communication. “We use keyboards on […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/nMKG4kW

Urbanista integrates Powerfoyle tech with solar-powered headphones

The subject of solar-powered tech rouses a bit of deserved skepticism among consumers. At the end of the day, I suspect most folks would love more sustainable gadgets they never have to charge, but on the whole, the actual technology rarely — if ever — lives up to expectation. Next week at CES, Exeger is […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/6HFuULG

I broke my wrist: Meta Quest 3 and Supernatural helped me through

A few weeks ago, I broke my wrist (in a very stupid way, e-scooters are bad) and the prospect of a protracted recovery period with extremely limited mobility in that arm was really not something I was looking forward to. Generally, I’m an extremely active person who primarily enjoys weight training, and it’s a key […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/mAixbls

Roku announces new lineup of high-end TVs to launch this spring

A year after announcing its own lineup of Roku-branded TVs, the hardware company revealed today a new range of high-end televisions. Roku also introduced Roku Smart Picture, an AI-powered feature that automatically adjusts picture and audio quality. The Roku Pro Series TVs feature a thinner design than its Roku Select and Plus Series TVs, with […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/3nBufqj

Terran Orbital receives key payment from Rivada Space, adjusts year-end cash balance

Terran Orbital has updated its anticipated financial results for the years-end after the company received a long-awaited payment from its largest customer, Rivada Space Networks. The news, announced today, confirms earlier reports from TechCrunch that Terran CEO Marc Bell was expecting at least some payment from Rivada before the close of the year. Rivada, a […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/nHdNIk0

Why Puma is sticking to its web3 bets as crypto shakes off a long-held winter

While some brands moved away from web3 in 2023 during a long crypto winter, Puma stayed the course and its head of emerging technology Ivan Dashkov told TechCrunch+ it has no intentions of leaving. After two years working with web3, Puma’s tech revenues remain modest, but the sportswear manufacturer intends to be ready for a more […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/AVnKc64

Great, now we have to become digital copyright experts

When news broke last year that AI heavyweight OpenAI and Axel Springer had reached a financial agreement and partnership, it seemed to bode well for harmony between folks who write words, and tech companies that use them to help create and train artificial intelligence models. At the time OpenAI had also come to an agreement […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/aXEMVN4

Public domain Mickey Mouse is the first meme of 2024

The new year marks the nerdiest holiday you maybe didn’t know about: Public Domain Day. But this year’s celebration is extra special. After years of legal battles, “Steamboat Willie,” a 1928 Walt Disney short featuring Mickey Mouse, is now public domain. No, that doesn’t mean that you can take the character of Mickey Mouse as […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/jRmgV2O

OpenAI moves to shrink regulatory risk in EU around data privacy

While most of Europe was still knuckle deep in the holiday chocolate selection box late last month, ChatGPT maker OpenAI was busy firing out an email with details of an incoming update to its terms that looks intended to shrink its regulatory risk in the European Union. The AI giant’s technology has come under early […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/idgrjFR

Fidelity marks down X to almost a third of the investment price

Mutual fund company Fidelity has marked down its investment in X holdings — the parent company of X (formerly Twitter) owned by Elon Musk — by 71.2% from the original valuation of shares, according to a new disclosure. Fidelity spent $19.2 million to acquire a stake in X back in October 2022. The fund manager […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/kcrE9Jt

Meta cuts prices for Quest 2 headset and accessories

Months after Meta launched its Quest 3 headset, the company is slashing prices for its older Quest 2 headset by $50 permanently. The 128GB version drops from $299 to $249 and the 256GB version drops from $349 to $299. Notably, the headset has been on sale at the new prices since Black Friday. However, Meta […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/fDUAWoy

Try these apps to reach your New Year’s resolutions in 2024

As the new year approaches, many of us are reminded of all the things we accomplished this year — getting a promotion, being more productive or even showing up to places on time — as well as things we failed to do. (There may or may not be a barely used foldable WalkingPad collecting dust […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/eKfgwu7

Climate tech might be the hot job market in 2024

While much of the tech world has been besieged by layoffs, climate tech continued to hire. Next year looks no different. © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/2evWfYQ