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Showing posts from June, 2024

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. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/GEAgBcf

AI-powered scams and what you can do about them

This is by no means a complete list, just a few of the most obvious tricks that AI can supercharge. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/ZbhjvOJ

Identity.vc is bringing capital and community to Europe’s LGBTQ+ venture ecosystem

Identity.vc writes checks that range from €250,000 to €1.5 million into companies from the pre-seed to Series A stages. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/Ucy4BS1

Robot cats, dogs and birds are being deployed amid an ‘epidemic of loneliness’

In the early 1990s, a researcher at Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology began work on what would become Paro. More than 30 years after its development, the doe-eyed seal pup remains the best-known example of a therapeutic robot for older adults. In 2011, the robot reached the zenith of pop cultural […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/hUSEVfT

Apple finally supports RCS in iOS 18 update

Welcome back to TechCrunch’s Week in Review — TechCrunch’s newsletter recapping the week’s biggest news. Want it in your inbox every Saturday? Sign up here. This week, Apple finally added support for Rich Communication Services (RCS) to Messages as part of the second developer beta of iOS 18. Until now, iPhone users could only send […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/iY4O3L2

SAP, and Oracle, and IBM, oh my! ‘Cloud and AI’ drive legacy software firms to record valuations

There’s something of a trend around legacy software firms and their soaring valuations: Companies founded in dinosaur times are on a tear, evidenced this week with SAP‘s shares topping $200 for the first time. Founded in 1972, SAP’s valuation currently sits at an all-time high of $234 billion. The Germany-based enterprise software provider was valued […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/yYDNlCT

Women in AI: Sarah Bitamazire helps companies implement responsible AI

Sarah Bitamazire is the chief policy officer at the boutique advisory firm Lumiera. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/8D01B4C

IRS finalizes new regulations for crypto tax reporting

Crypto platforms will need to report transactions to the Internal Revenue Service, starting in 2026. However, decentralized platforms that don’t hold assets themselves will be exempt. Those are the main takeaways from new regulations that the IRS and U.S. Department of Treasury finalized Friday — essentially implementing a provision of the Biden Administration’s Infrastructure Investment and […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/5hKFskG

The White House will host a conference for social media creators

President Joe Biden’s administration is doubling down on its interest in the creator economy. In August, the White House will host the first-ever White House Creator Economy Conference, which will invite a group of influential social media personalities and industry professionals to discuss issues like data privacy, fair pay, AI and mental health with senior […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/aZuhVsD

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

Google’s trying to make waves with Gemini, its flagship suite of generative AI models, apps and services. So what’s Google Gemini, exactly? How can you use it? And how does Gemini stack up to the competition? To make it easier to keep up with the latest Gemini developments, we’ve put together this handy guide, which […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/eU5SZLJ

TechCrunch Minute: Reddit is taking a stand against AI crawlers

Reddit is taking a stand against AI companies — or at least asking them to pay up. Earlier this week, Reddit announced that it’s changing its Robots Exclusion Protocol, also known as its robots.txt file. This dry-sounding edit is part of a larger negotiation/battle between the AI companies that are hungry for content they can […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/jcbKLmQ

Dream Chaser spaceplane is off the manifest for ULA’s second Vulcan launch

Sierra Space said that despite the slip, its first Dream Chaser spaceplane is still on track for its maiden mission before the end of the year. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/noAYI4M

Google improves search experience in the Chrome mobile app

Facing new competition from startups like Arc, Google announced on Wednesday that it’s bringing five new features to the Chrome browser on mobile devices, each designed to enhance the search experience. These include new shortcuts for local search results, a refreshed address bar for easier navigation, trending search suggestions, live sports cards for fans, and […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/wj3UImk

Persona’s founders are certain the world can use another humanoid robot

At this early stage, Persona’s pitch doesn’t stray far from the various humanoid firms with which it’s set to compete. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/EpkQqA9

VW to invest up to $5B into Rivian in software deal

VW Group invest $1 billion into EV startup Rivian as part of a software development deal that could expand to as much as $5 billion. The deal, which was announced Tuesday afternoon, sent Rivian’s shares up more than 36% in after-hours trading. The two companies will create a joint venture focused on next-generation electrical architecture […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/Q36mlHd

Reddit’s upcoming changes attempt to safeguard the platform against AI crawlers

Reddit says the update shouldn't affect the majority of users or good faith actors, like researchers and organizations, such as the Internet Archive. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/JVbFPOR

The RIAA’s lawsuit against generative music startups will be the bloodbath AI needs

Unfortunately for Udio and Suno, the RIAA has a few thousand smoking guns in the lawsuit: songs it owns that are clearly being regurgitated by the music models. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/gW1APOo

India’s Zyod raises $18M to expand its tech-enabled fashion manufacturing to more countries

The Gurugram-based startup works with Indian factories to help them manufacture fashion wear for global brands. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/58wvBeQ

TechCrunch Space: Building (and testing) for the future

It's becoming a habit to open each TechCrunch Space newsletter with a bit of an update on Boeing's Starliner mission, so bear with me. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/yHiqrub

A comprehensive list of 2024 tech layoffs

The tech layoff wave is still going strong in 2024. Following significant workforce reductions in 2022 and 2023, this year has already seen 60,000 job cuts across 254 companies, according to independent layoffs tracker Layoffs.fyi. Companies like Tesla, Amazon, Google, TikTok, Snap and Microsoft have conducted sizable layoffs in the first months of 2024. Smaller-sized […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/XYPVRjH

Experts say Telegram’s ’30 engineers’ team is a security red flag

Telegram's founder Pavel Durov says his company only employs around 30 engineers. Security experts say that raises serious questions about the company's cybersecurity. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/ce2HBwt

​​What Vinod Khosla Says He’s ‘Worried About the Most’

Vinod Khosla is more popular than ever right now. The Sun Microsystems co-founder turned prominent investor — first at Kleiner Perkins and, for the last 20 years, at his venture firm Khosla Ventures — has always been sought after by founders thanks to his no-nonsense advice and his firm’s track record, including bets on Stripe, […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/AtRFJC4

Meta makes its AI chatbot available to all users in India

After a few months of testing during the general elections, Meta is making its Llama-3-powered AI chatbot available to all users in India. However, Meta AI currently only supports English and no other local languages. The company started testing Meta AI in India across WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, and Facebook in April by rolling it out […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/XcnxvkQ

Streaming execs think TV’s future looks a lot like its past

We’re at a transitional moment in streaming — user growth is slowing and major players are looking to consolidate, but the long-promised dream of profitability finally seems within reach (especially if you’re Netflix). The perfect time, then, for The New York Times to interview many of the industry’s big names — including Netflix co-CEO Ted […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/wAXGepI

Women in AI: Anika Collier Navaroli is working to shift the power imbalance

Anika Collier Navaroli is working to shift the power imbalance. She is known for her research and advocacy work within technology. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/h2FspE8

X still has a Verified bot problem — this time they came for TechCrunch writers

Really, X should have learned its lesson by now. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/ydBAiIO

OmniAI transforms business data for AI

OmniAI is a set of tools that transform unstructured enterprise data into a something that data analytics apps and AI can understand. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/6qZMfcg

Women in AI: Charlette N’Guessan is tackling data scarcity on the African continent

Charlette N'Guessan is the Data Solutions and Ecosystem Lead at Amini, a deep tech startup leveraging space technology and artificial intelligence to tackle environmental data scarcity in Africa and the global South. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/1q9GtM6

Dot’s AI really, really wants to get to know you

Dot is a new AI companion and chatbot that thrives on getting to know your innermost thoughts and feelings. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/yfe7goU

Fisker faced financial distress as early as last August

Fisker was facing “potential financial distress” as early as last August, according to a new filing in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding, which the EV startup initiated earlier this week. The admission provides a clearer picture of Fisker’s troubles in 2023 as it struggled to ramp up deliveries of its flagship Ocean SUV, despite CEO […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/bczZAkV

Influencer shopping app LTK gets an automatic direct message tool

LTK (formerly LiketoKnow.it and RewardStyle), the influencer shopping app with 40 million monthly users, announced on Thursday the launch of a free direct message tool for creators to instantly share pre-set responses with followers.  The new tool, called LTK DM, is integrated into the posts section of the LTK app. When a creator shares an […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/rDlfwVx

YouTube confirms crackdown on VPN users accessing cheaper Premium plans 

YouTube appears to be taking a firm stance against Premium subscribers who attempt to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to access cheaper subscription prices in other countries. This week, a number of users took to Reddit to express their frustration after their Premium plans were canceled for using a VPN to purchase the subscription […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/SO45WKP

France leads the pack for Generative AI funding in Europe, London has 3X the number of GenAI startups

Like it or hate it, artificial intelligence – especially generative AI – is the technology story of 2024. OpenAI, with its rollouts of viral services like ChatGPT and billions in funding, may have gobbled up the lion’s share of attention and money so far. But according to a new report out from top VC Accel […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/WYTum85

C12, the French quantum computing startup founded by two twin brothers, raises $19.4 million

C12 is announcing that it recently raised an €18 million funding round ($19.4 million at today’s exchange rate). Originally founded in 2020 as a spin-off from the Physics Laboratory of the École Normale Supérieure, the company has been working on a unique process to create quantum computers based on carbon nanotubes. While the concept of […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/Yl1pbEQ

Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI’s former chief scientist, launches new AI company

Ilya Sutskever, one of OpenAI’s co-founders, launches Safe Superintelligence (SSI), just a month after leaving OpenAI. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/KnpSIrt

Internal SpaceX documents show the sweet stock deals offered to investors like a16z, Gigafund

Like many highly valued startups, SpaceX sometimes allows its employees to cash out some of their shares by selling to company-authorized outside investors. TechCrunch has gotten a peek at an internal SpaceX document about such a tender offer from May 2022. Musk posted on X last month that SpaceX holds such sales for employees about […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/4DTthOo

FTC refers TikTok child privacy case to Justice Department

The agency was investigating the company over potential violations of the Children's Online Privacy Act. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/0dEHmOu

iOS 18 could ‘sherlock’ $400M in app revenue

Apple's changes may affect apps that today have an estimated $393 million in revenue and have been downloaded roughly 58 million times over the past year. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/eGjBDcf

Snap previews its real-time image model that can generate AR experiences

At the Augmented World Expo on Tuesday, Snap teased an early version of its real-time, on-device image diffusion model that can generate vivid AR experiences. The company also unveiled generative AI tools for AR creators. Snap co-founder and CTO Bobby Murphy said on-stage that the model is small enough to run on a smartphone and […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/9ZvpXwa

Security bug allows anyone to spoof Microsoft employee emails

A researcher has found a bug that allows anyone to impersonate Microsoft corporate email accounts, making phishing attempts look credible and more likely to trick their targets.  As of this writing, the bug has not been patched. To demonstrate the bug, the researcher sent an email to TechCrunch that looked like it was sent from […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/5Yd2otq

Apple kills Pay Later feature ahead of Affirm integration

Apple announced at last week's WWDC 2024 that users would be able to access loans through third-party app Affirm through Apple Pay. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/EyWoviP

Astroscale’s space junk inspection satellite snaps a close-up photo of a discarded rocket stage

Astroscale’s space junk observation satellite has moved within striking distance to a discarded rocket upper stage that’s been floating around Earth for nearly twenty years, taking close-up pictures — preliminary to actually deorbiting the object in a future mission. The company released an image captured by its satellite from a distance of just 50 meters […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/46mqfvK

DeepMind’s new AI generates soundtracks and dialogue for videos

DeepMind says that it sees the tech, V2A (short for "video-to-audio"), as an essential piece of the AI-generated media puzzle. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/aCBSbVF

YC-backed Hona looks to reduce the communication friction between law firms and their consumer clients

When Manny Griffiths worked with a personal injury lawyer after his wife’s car accident, he was surprised by the lack of information and communication from their lawyer regarding their claim. The couple sometimes wouldn’t hear from their lawyer for months and found the entire process to be really opaque. Griffiths dug deeper and learned that […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/4rYxInj

Tinybird raises another $30 million to transform data into real-time APIs

Tinybird is not so tiny anymore. The enterprise data startup TechCrunch first covered three years ago has been growing at a rapid pace and recently raised a $30 million Series B funding round. According to a source, the company is now valued at $240 million. Originally from Madrid and now also based in New York, […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/9A6uftR

India’s Oyo, once valued at $10B, finalizes new funding at $2.5B valuation

Oyo, the Indian budget-hotel chain startup, is finalizing a fresh fundraise of about $100 million to $125 million that slashes its valuation to $2.5 billion, two people familiar with the matter told TechCrunch.  That’s a steep decline in the Gurgaon-headquartered startup’s value, which was worth $10 billion in 2019. The startup, struggling to raise from […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/jRSKCcs

YouTube is testing another way to combat ad blockers

YouTube continues its efforts to circumvent ad blockers. Earlier this week, ad blocker SponsorBlock posted that the Google-owned video service is testing out server-side ad injection with a limited number of users. Essentially, this means that both the ad is injected into the video before it arrives on your device (in contrast to client-side ad […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/S7mOyPA

Subscription vitamin company Care/of is shutting down

Care/of, a company offering personalized subscription vitamin packs, says it will be canceling all subscriptions as of Monday, June 17 and will no longer be accepting new orders. The news doesn’t come completely out of the blue, as Care/of had previously disclosed in a New York Department of Labor filing that it planned to lay […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/xl7kpOH

Apple ushers in a new era with Apple Intelligence

Welcome back to TechCrunch’s Week in Review — TechCrunch’s newsletter recapping the week’s biggest news. Want it in your inbox every Saturday? Sign up here. Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference had a sizable focus on AI. Apple unveiled its generative AI offering, Apple Intelligence, which will be available in iOS later this year. iOS 18 will […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/5hHryRx

Apple joins the race to find an AI icon that makes sense

No one knows what AI looks like, or even is supposed to look like. It does everything, but looks like nothing. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/mO01tXy

Albedo takes Earth observation up close and personal from very low Earth orbit

Satellite imagery startup Albedo is preparing for its up close and personal debut. Albedo’s first satellite will take to orbit next spring as the company looks to turn the commercial Earth observation industry upside down with its novel approach and ultra-high resolution cameras.  The satellite, called Clarity, will hitch a ride to very low Earth […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/gG5hDWp

Startups Weekly: Clash of the AI titans, and Europe is firing on all cylinders

Welcome to Startups Weekly — Haje’s weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Friday. Hold on to your Apple Watches, folks! At WWDC 2024, Apple finally decided to give Siri a brain transplant with something they’re calling “Apple Intelligence” (AI—get […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/Qe4r0BX

Apple gives developers a way to nominate their apps for editorial consideration on the App Store

From a new Nominations dashboard in App Store Connect, developers will be able to create their nominations, either one by one or by uploading a spreadsheet to nominate apps in bulk. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/hHjJlCu

Spotify announces an in-house creative agency, tests generative AI voiceover ads

Spotify announced on Thursday that it’s venturing further into the ad space with its first in-house creative agency called Creative Lab, helping brands create custom marketing campaigns. It will also begin testing generative AI ads, the company said. The launch of Creative Lab shows that Spotify is ramping up its efforts to attract advertisers to […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/iYZcyJu

Tesla shareholders sue Musk for starting competing AI company

Tesla shareholders are suing CEO Elon Musk and members of the automaker’s board of directors over Musk’s decision to start xAI, which they say is a competing AI company, and then divert talent and resources from Tesla to the new startup.  The lawsuit is one of the most direct challenges to Musk’s decision to start […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/uRYD6mj

Generative AI takes robots a step closer to general purpose

The push to produce a robotic intelligence that can fully leverage the wide breadth of movements opened up by bipedal humanoid design has been a key topic for researchers. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/1WNPJxF

Fintech Brex abandons co-CEO model, talks IPO, cash burn and plans for a secondary sale

Since fintech startup Brex’s inception in 2017, its two co-founders Henrique Dubugras and Pedro Franceschi have run the company as co-CEOs. But starting today, the pair told TechCrunch in an exclusive interview, the San Francisco-based corporate credit card and expense management company is shifting to a more traditional — and what they say should be […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/t7GeXPs

TikTok comes for Google as it quietly rolls out image search capabilities in TikTok Shop

After leading the social media landscape, TikTok appears to be interested in challenging Google’s dominance in search. The company confirmed to TechCrunch that it’s testing the ability for users to take or upload a photo to find similar products in TikTok Shop. The feature, which was first spotted by X user Jonah Manzano, is available […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/LdpchGT

At last, Apple’s Messages app will support RCS and scheduling texts

These messaging features, announced at WWDC 2024, will have a significant impact on how people communicate every day. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/BFs4hXW

Apple revamps its Photos app for iOS 18

Apple says the new design will lead to less time searching for photos. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/An8iOl7

After hits like Reddit and Scopley, Collaborative Fund easily raised a $125M fund to tackle climate, health and food

“We were motivated to fundraise because we think the ’24 vintage is going to be a good one,” founder Craig Shapiro said. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/XPuleNM

Sources: Wasoko-MaxAB e-commerce merger faces delays amid headwinds in Africa

The merger has yet to close due to extended due diligence amid ongoing restructuring and macroeconomic headwinds across multiple countries. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/crePvsS

With €50 million to invest, Italian Founders Fund looks for entrepreneurs with global ambitions

While funding for Italian startups has been growing, the country still ranks eighth in Europe by VC investment, according to Dealroom. Newly created Italian Founders Fund (IFF) hopes to help with the catching up, both in quantity and in quality. With €50 million to invest into 25 companies, it also positions itself as a sector […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/UYsNZrP

William Anders, astronaut who took the famous ‘Earthrise’ photo, dies at 90

William A. Anders, the astronaut behind perhaps the single most iconic photo of our planet, has died at the age of 90. On Friday morning, Anders was piloting a small plane that dove into the water near Roche Harbor, Wash. His son Greg confirmed his death. Anders retired from the Air Force Reserve as a […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/EHdGa6g

Cat-sitting startup Meowtel clawed its way to profitability despite trouble raising from dog-focused VCs

Dogs are the most popular pet in the U.S.: 65.1 million households have one, according to the American Pet Products Association. But while cats are not far off, with 46.5 million households with one, a lot of innovation in the pet category has focused exclusively on dogs. And even if the service serves both species, […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/FwtnDdC

Anterior grabs $20M from NEA to expedite health insurance approvals with AI

Anterior, a company that uses AI to expedite health insurance approval for medical procedures, has raised a $20 million Series A round at a $95 million post-money valuation led by NEA, according to two people familiar with the deal. Existing investors Sequoia, which led Anterior’s $3.2 million seed round last September, and Neo, an accelerator […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/zSnC6Xf

How India’s most valuable startup ended up being worth nothing

Welcome back to TechCrunch’s Week in Review — TechCrunch’s newsletter recapping the week’s biggest news. Want it in your inbox every Saturday? Sign up here. There’s more bad news for Byju’s. In a research note, HSBC estimates that the Indian edtech giant, once valued at $22 billion, is now worth nothing. The write-down in its […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/L4fENUi

Bereave wants employers to suck a little less at navigating death

If death and taxes are inevitable, why are companies so prepared for taxes, but not for death? “I lost both of my parents in college, and it didn’t initially spark this interest to go start a business around my experience,” said Bereave co-founder Elijah Linder. In the immediate aftermath of Linder’s loss, founding a company […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/15zqNp2

NASA puts $10M down on Mars sample return proposals from Blue Origin, SpaceX and others

It turns out the space industry has a lot of ideas on how to improve NASA’s $11 billion, 15-year plan to collect and return samples from Mars. Seven of these proposals have caught the agency’s attention.  Announced today, NASA has awarded $1.5 million contracts to seven companies to further develop their plans for the revamped […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/5exOYU8

Watch Apple kick off WWDC 2024 right here

The keynote will be focused on Apple's software offerings and the developers that power them, including the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS and watchOS. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/0XjF1Z3

Startups Weekly: Ups, downs, and silver linings

Welcome to Startups Weekly — Haje’s weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. Anna will be covering for him this week. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Friday. Most interesting startup stories from the week As the end of 0% interest rates keeps taking its toll, […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/4UkIcV6

Apple’s Design Awards winners highlight indies and startups

Apple's annual list of what it considers the best and most innovative software available on its platform is turning its attention to the little guy. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/bAkmi4z

TikTok is testing Snapchat-like streaks

TikTok is testing streaks that are similar to Snapchat's in order to boost engagement, including how long people stay on the app. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/e2PbroG

Fearless Fund’s Arian Simone coming to Disrupt 2024

TechCrunch has kept readers informed regarding Fearless Fund’s courtroom battle to provide business grants to Black women. Today, we are happy to announce that Fearless Fund CEO and co-founder Arian Simone will speak at the Disrupt 2024 Builders Stage in a fireside chat discussing her organization’s fight for racial equity. Fearless Fund was sued last […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/EwrOAvh

Bluesky and Mastodon users can now talk to each other with Bridgy Fed

Bridgy Fed is one of the efforts aimed at connecting the fediverse with the web, Bluesky and, perhaps later, other networks like Nostr. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/icxsKMJ

Stability AI releases a sound generator

Called Stable Audio Open, the generative model takes a text description and outputs a recording up to 47 seconds in length. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/Oy7FkQZ

A comprehensive list of 2024 tech layoffs

The tech layoff wave is still going strong in 2024. Following significant workforce reductions in 2022 and 2023, this year has already seen 60,000 job cuts across 254 companies, according to independent layoffs tracker Layoffs.fyi. Companies like Tesla, Amazon, Google, TikTok, Snap and Microsoft have conducted sizable layoffs in the first months of 2024. Smaller-sized […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/FWC4lzV

What to expect from WWDC 2024: iOS 18, macOS 15 and so much AI

Apple is hoping to make WWDC 2024 memorable as it finally spells out its generative AI plans. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/mux8cvt

The votes are in: Meet the Disrupt 2024 audience choice roundtable winners

We just announced the breakout session winners last week. Now meet the roundtable sessions that really “rounded” out the competition for this year’s Disrupt 2024 audience choice program. With five stellar sessions securing their spot among thousands of votes from across the globe, these finalists proved they’ve got what it takes to make things happen. […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/gf1wjaY

TikTok acknowledges exploit targeting high-profile accounts

The malicious attack appears to have involved malware transmitted through TikTok's DMs. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/5EI2NfJ

After raising $100M, AI fintech LoanSnap is being sued, fined, evicted

The company has been sued by at least seven creditors, including Wells Fargo. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/EUwG68J

Sonos Ace review: A high-priced contender

The Ace are a contender in a crowded market, but they're still in search of that magic bullet to truly let them stand out from the pack. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/xKC3y5G

Inside Apple’s efforts to build a better recycling robot

Last week, TechCrunch paid a visit to Apple’s Austin, Texas manufacturing facilities. Since 2013, the company has built its Mac Pro desktop about 20 minutes north of downtown. The 400,000 square foot facility sits in a maze of industry parks, a quick trip south from the company’s in-progress corporate campus. In recent years, the capital […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/rcfepZt

Binit is bringing AI to trash

Early attempts at making dedicated hardware to house artificial intelligence smarts have been criticized as, well, a bit rubbish. But here’s an AI gadget-in-the-making that’s all about rubbish, literally: Finnish startup Binit is applying large language models’ (LLMs) image processing capabilities to tracking household trash. AI for sorting the stuff we throw away to boost […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/1EbAnGX

Temasek and Fidelity value Lenskart at $5 billion in $200 million stake purchase

Temasek and Fidelity have purchased shares worth $200 million in Indian eyewear startup Lenskart, financial advisor Avendus said in a statement Monday.  The transaction valued Lenskart, which leads the Indian market and is increasingly expanding overseas, at $5 billion, the startup’s founder and chief executive Peyush Bansal told TechCrunch in a text message.  Temasek is […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/5p0IyPa

French startup ten ten finds viral success and controversy in reinventing walkie-talkies

Less than one year after its iOS launch, French startup ten ten has gone viral with a walkie talkie app that allows teens to send voice messages to their close friends — even when their phone is locked.  © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/70KsNtu

WTF is AI?

What is AI? We've put together this non-technical guide to give anyone a fighting chance to understand how and why today's AI works. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/lSVX6op

President Biden vetoes crypto custody bill

President Joe Biden has vetoed H.J.Res. 109, a congressional resolution that would have overturned the Securities and Exchange Commission’s current approach to banks and crypto. Specifically, the resolution targeted the SEC’s Staff Accounting Bulletin 121, which presents rules around how banks can handle customers’ crypto assets — in effect, they must treat those assets as […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/Ro1l89k

Industries may be ready for humanoid robots, but are the robots ready for them?

How large a role humanoids will play in that ecosystem is, perhaps, the biggest question on everyone’s mind at the moment. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/rFk1cvq