Brendan Wallace has a lot on his mind lately. Wallace is the co-founder of Fifth Wall Ventures, a nine-year-old proptech venture firm with $3.2 billion in assets under management. He’s also a homeowner in L.A., which continues to battle raging wildfires. While his place remains intact, many of his friends haven’t been so lucky. Wallace…
Category: Global IT News
Apps, bytedance, Donald Trump, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Media & Entertainment, oracle, Social, TikTok
Trump administration reportedly negotiating an Oracle takeover of TikTok
The Trump administration is negotiating a deal that would see Oracle take over TikTok alongside new U.S. investors, according to a report in NPR. Lawmakers passed a bill last year forcing Chinese parent company ByteDance to either sell TikTok or see it banned in the U.S. The app briefly went dark before the law took…
Global IT News, Global Security News
UK competition authority to investigate Apple and Google mobile ecosystems
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched investigations to determine if Apple and Google have strategic market status (SMS) in their mobile ecosystems, including operating systems, app stores and mobile browsers.
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Gretel, mark weatherford
Will states lead the way on AI regulation?
2024 was a busy year for lawmakers (and lobbyists) concerned about AI — most notably in California, where Gavin Newsom signed 18 new AI laws while also vetoing high-profile AI legislation. And 2025 could see just as much activity, especially on the state level, according to Mark Weatherford. Weatherford has, in his words, seen the…
Elon Musk, fitbit, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, openai, Social, Week in Review
OpenAI wants to take over your browser
Welcome back to Week in Review. This week we’re diving into OpenAI’s newly released AI agent, called Operator. We also look at where TikTok stands after being resuscitated, whether it’s time to go back to Tumblr, and more! Let’s get into it. OpenAI launched a research preview of Operator, a general-purpose AI agent that can…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Media & Entertainment, paul mccartney
Paul McCartney calls on UK government to protect artists from AI
Legendary musician Paul McCartney is warning against proposed changes to UK copyright law that would allow tech companies to freely train their models on online content unless the copyright holders actively opt out. In excerpts of an interview with the BBC, McCartney said the government needs to do more to protect musicians and other artists.…
Global IT News, Global Security News, Social
Wall Street banks plan sale of X debt at a discount
Bankers are reportedly gearing up to offload debt used to fund Elon Musk’s social network, for which he paid $44 million in 2022 including $13 billion in financing. Morgan Stanley is leading the charge, hoping to sell senior debt at between 90 and 95 cents on the dollar, reports the WSJ. As notes the outlet,…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, LLMs, openai, sam altman, Startups
Retro Biosciences, backed by Sam Altman, is raising $1 billion to extend human lifespan
Sam Altman-backed Retro Biosciences is raising $1 billion to develop drugs that extend human lifespan by 10 years, the FT reports. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
cyberattack, Cybersecurity, data breach, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, Ransomware, Security, UnitedHealth
UnitedHealth confirms 190 million Americans affected by Change Healthcare data breach
The number of individuals confirmed to be affected by the data breach is almost double the company’s previous estimate. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, Apps, chatbot, filing, generative ai, Global IT News, Global Security News, lawsuit, motion to dismiss
In motion to dismiss, chatbot platform Character AI claims it is protected by the First Amendment
Character AI, a platform that lets users engage in roleplay with AI chatbots, has filed a motion to dismiss a case brought against it by the parent of a teen who committed suicide, allegedly after becoming hooked on the company’s technology. In October, Megan Garcia filed a lawsuit against Character AI in the U.S. District…
AI, Anthropic, federal lobbying, generative ai, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government, Government & Policy, lobbying, openai, Policy
AI companies upped their federal lobbying spend in 2024 amid regulatory uncertainty
Companies spent significantly more lobbying AI issues at the U.S. federal level last year compared to 2023 amid regulatory uncertainty. According to data compiled by OpenSecrets, 648 companies spent on AI lobbying in 2024 versus 458 in 2023, representing a 141% year-over-year increase. Companies like Microsoft supported legislation such as the CREATE AI Act, which…
AI, eleven labs, Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Iconiq Growth
ElevenLabs has raised a new round at $3B+ valuation led by ICONIQ Growth, sources say
Companies that want to build AI voice into their products are rushing to work with ElevenLabs, the startup that develops synthetic voice technology like voice cloning and dubbing tools. Now ElevenLabs is turning up the volume on its business with a huge series C raise, just a year after a sizable series A. The New…
Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, short video, Social, X
X expands its vertical video feed to global users
X has started expanding its dedicated vertical video feed to users outside the U.S., TechCrunch has exclusively learned and confirmed with the company. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Space, Startups, TC, TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 tickets now on sale: Lowest rates ever
We’re kicking things off earlier than ever! TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 tickets are officially on sale. Don’t miss your chance to snag them at the lowest rates of the year! Immerse yourself in the epicenter of tech innovation at Disrupt 2025! From October 27 to 29, Moscone West in San Francisco transforms into the global hub…
autonomous vehicles, Global IT News, Global Security News, robotaxis, TC, Transportation, Waymo
Waymo lobbyist activity in SF skyrocketed in 2024
Waymo lobbyists had a busy 2024. A recent review of lobbyist disclosure data by the San Francisco Examiner revealed Waymo paid lobbyists to meet with San Francisco government officials 348 times last year, more than double the 137 times it reported in 2023. The pop in lobbyist activity is in sync with Waymo’s expansion in…
Apps, federated apps, fediverse, Global IT News, Global Security News, Instagram, loops, Meta, open social, open social web, open source, pixelfed, Social, social media, Sup, TikTok
Open source alternatives to Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp raise funds on Kickstarter
The developer behind Pixelfed, Loops, and Sup, open source alternatives to Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp, respectively, is now raising funds on Kickstarter to fuel the apps’ further development. The trio is part of the growing open social web, also known as the fediverse, powered by the same ActivityPub protocol used by X alternative Mastodon. The…
AI, Climate, Global IT News, Global Security News, openai, oracle, renewable energy, SoftBank Group, Solar Power
Stargate will use solar and batteries to power $100B AI venture
Solar farms can be completed far faster than nuclear reactors and natural gas power plants. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Apple, Apple Intelligence, Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Hardware, iOS, ios 18, iPad
iOS 18 hits 68% adoption across iPhones, per new Apple figures
Apple released new figures Friday, highlighting user adoption of iOS 18. Released in public form back in September 2024, the mobile operating system is now installed on 68% of compatible devices. That number jumps to 78% on iPhones released in the last four years. As for the remaining iPhones out there, 19% are running iOS…
Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, newsletter, Startups, Startups Weekly, venture capital
Neko Health’s unicorn-sized Series B is larger than some Series C rounds
Welcome to Startups Weekly — your weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. Want it in your inbox every Friday? Sign up here. This week was supposed to be a short one in the U.S., as it started with a holiday. But Inauguration Day kept some founders busy, and the…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, pressure, Research, researchers, stress
The AI industry’s pace has researchers stressed
To outside observers, AI researchers are in an enviable position. They’re sought after by tech giants. They’re taking home eye-popping salaries. And they’re in the hottest industry of the moment. But all this comes with intense pressure. More than half a dozen researchers TechCrunch spoke with, some of whom requested anonymity for fear of reprisals,…
AI, coding, Global IT News, Global Security News, programming
People are benchmarking AI by having it make balls bounce in rotating shapes
The list of informal, weird AI benchmarks keeps growing. Over the past few days, some in the AI community on X have become obsessed with a test of how different AI models, particularly so-called reasoning models, handle prompts like this: “Write a Python script for a bouncing yellow ball within a shape. Make the shape…
Apps, china, Global IT News, Global Security News, rednote, Social, social media, TikTok, TikTok Ban
US users dumped RedNote after Trump paused the TikTok ban
In the days leading up to the TikTok ban in the U.S. on Sunday, U.S. users flooded the Chinese app RedNote, which offered a similar experience to their favorite short-form video app. The app, which is listed in the U.S. App Store under its Chinese name Xiaohongshu, quickly became the No. 1 free app in…
Global IT News, Global Security News, Hardware, Startups
French e-bike startup Angell nears bankruptcy
Angell, a French smart electric bike startup, has announced in an email to customers that the company is declaring insolvency and approaching a court to ask for judicial liquidation. “It’s over for Angell,” said company co-founder and CEO Marc Simoncini on Instagram. (He also happens to be a judge on the French version of “Shark…
Global IT News, Global Security News, Kodiak Robotics, off-road autonomous vehicles, Startups, Transportation
Kodiak has made its first driverless truck deliveries to customer Atlas Energy
Kodiak Robotics has officially handed off two autonomous trucks to customer Atlas Energy Solutions, marking the startup’s first commercial launch. Atlas, a provider of proppant (i.e., sand) and oilfield logistics, received its first Kodiak-equipped trucks in December and began driverless operations in an off-road environment in West Texas’s remote Permian Basin shortly after. The company…
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News
Threads is testing ads in the U.S. and Japan
Meta’s X rival Threads said Friday that it is now testing ads with select brands in the U.S. and Japan. Instagram head Adam Mosseri said that the company will listen to feedback before expanding this experiment in other markets. “We know there will be plenty of feedback about how we should approach ads, and we…
AI, ai agent, Global IT News, Global Security News, sam altman, World, Worldcoin
Sam Altman’s World now wants to link AI agents to your digital identity
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman took the technology world by surprise on Thursday with the release of Operator, his company’s first AI agent that can act autonomously on the web. But OpenAI is not Altman’s only venture that’s trying to capitalize on the popularity of AI agents. Altman’s World project now wants to create tools that…
channel, cloud computing, Global IT News, Global Security News
Benefits of Multi-Cloud: Why Your Customers Need a Multi-Cloud Strategy
Organizations are increasingly adopting multi-cloud strategies and multi-cloud solutions. By adopting multi-cloud, enterprises can run applications where needed without adding complexity. Multi-cloud results from enterprises using cloud computing services from at least two cloud providers to run their applications. This environment allows organizations to be private, public, or a combination of the two models. What…
Apps, Flip, Global IT News, Global Security News, Social, social commerce
Flip, the TikTok Shop rival, launches a creator fund that grants up to $100M of equity
Flip is a social commerce app that lets shoppers become creators. They can share honest reviews and earn cash based on engagement on the platform. As Flip competes with TikTok Shop and other platforms in a highly competitive market, it has introduced a new creator fund that offers a unique opportunity to help it stand…
AI, generative ai, Global IT News, Global Security News, In Brief, investment, Mark Zuckerberg, report
Mark Zuckerberg says Meta will have 1.3M GPUs for AI by year-end
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that the company plans to significantly up its capital expenditures this year as it aims to keep pace with rivals in the cutthroat AI space. In a Facebook post Friday, Zuckerberg said that Meta expects to spend $60 billion-$80 billion on capex in 2025, primarily on data centers and growing…
AI, data centers, Donald Trump, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, In Brief, mgx, openai, oracle, president donald trump, Softbank, Trump, Venture
OpenAI’s Stargate project reportedly doesn’t have the money it needs
Stargate — the massive infrastructure project to build data centers for OpenAI in the U.S. — lacks a fully developed plan and hasn’t secured funding yet, according to a report from the Financial Times. Backed by OpenAI, SoftBank, Middle East AI fund MGX, and others, Stargate would funnel around $100 billion — and upward of…
Apple, Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, In Brief, Transportation
Apple admits next-gen CarPlay is late, but still in development
Though Apple rarely misses self-imposed deadlines, it’s done so with the next-generation CarPlay. The company originally teased the update back in 2022. With this new version, CarPlay will integrate seamlessly with the instrument cluster to provide information on speed, climate control, and other car data. Apple had promised an initial rollout for a limit set…
Amazon, Commerce, fake reviews, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, Government & Policy
Google commits to combatting fake reviews in the UK after 5-year probe
The U.K.’s antitrust regulator has reached an agreement with Google to counter the scourge of fake online reviews. The internet giant has committed to several remedies. Bogus endorsements have blighted the web since the creation of user reviews, which is why regulators around the world have been upping the ante on tech companies to put…
Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups, Venture
Foyer unlocks $6.2M to help people save up to buy homes
Landy Liu knows how hard it is to save for a home. While working at mortgage startup Better.com, he spent years dealing with first-home home buyers who felt overwhelmed when it came to shopping for homes. By the time it was his turn in 2022, mortgage rates had nearly doubled, and he found himself in…
Biotech & Health, Global IT News, Global Security News, GV, hormones, Index Ventures, Startups, women's health
Allara lands $26M to expand women’s hormone telehealth
Growing up with an OB-GYN father, Rachel Blank assumed that most women received excellent gynecological care. She regularly witnessed her dad’s patients thanking him for delivering their child when they would bump into him around town. But Blank realized that not all women’s health issues are treated equally when, at the age of 21, she…
Global IT News, Global Security News, LG Electronics, robotics
LG Electronics takes majority stake in Bear Robotics, reportedly valuing startup at $600M
LG Electronics is betting on robotics as its next big growth driver. The South Korean electronics company said on Friday that it has agreed to acquire an additional 30% stake in Bear Robotics, a California-based startup it previously backed that is building AI-powered server robots for restaurants. The deal gives LG a majority ownership of…
app store, Apple, Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, in-app purchase
Apple introduces a new API to support more in-app purchase formats
Apple announced on Thursday a new API called the Advanced Commerce API to support more in-app purchase formats, such as subscriptions and content add-ons. The company added that it is not changing the commission structure to support these use cases. “The App Store facilitates billions of transactions annually to help developers grow their businesses and provide a world-class…
Cybersecurity, Global IT News, Global Security News, North Korea, Security, us government
US indicts five individuals in crackdown on North Korea’s illicit IT workforce
The multi-year scheme saw the defendants generate hundreds of thousands in revenue. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Apple, Global IT News, Global Security News, India, pegatron, Venture
Tata acquires 60% stake in Apple-partner Pegatron’s India unit
Tata Electronics has acquired a controlling stake of 60% in Pegatron’s unit in India, less than a year after acquiring Wistron’s local business as the salt-to-software conglomerate expands its iPhone manufacturing capacity in the South Asian market. Pegatron is a key assembly partner for Apple. The Taiwanese firm operates an iPhone production plant near Chennai…
Amazon, Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Madrona Ventures, Snowflake, Venture
Madrona just announced its biggest fund ever, closing on $770M as other venture funds grow smaller
Seattle-based Madrona Capital is celebrating its 30 years in business by raising $770 million in fresh capital. This is the firm’s largest fundraise to date, exceeding $690 million across two funds Madrona closed in 2022. While an 11% capital pool upsize may not seem significant, any increase at a time when many venture outfits are…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, India, Mukesh Ambani, reliance industries, Reliance Retail
Reliance plans world’s biggest AI data centre in India, report says
Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance is planning to build what could become the world’s largest data center in Jamnagar, India, with a capacity of three gigawatts to capitalize on surging AI demand. The facility would dwarf the current largest data center, Microsoft’s 600-megawatt site in Virginia, Bloomberg reported Friday. The project could cost between $20 billion to…
AI, Benchmark, generative ai, Global IT News, Global Security News, In Brief
Even some of the best AI can’t beat this new benchmark
The nonprofit Center for AI Safety (CAIS) and Scale AI, a company that provides a number of data labeling and AI development services, have released a challenging new benchmark for frontier AI systems. The benchmark, called Humanity’s Last Exam, includes thousands of crowdsourced questions touching on subjects like mathematics, humanities, and the natural sciences. To make…
Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, JetBrains, junie
JetBrains launches Junie, a new AI coding agent for its IDEs
JetBrains, the company behind coding tools like the IntelliJ IDE for Java and Kotlin (and, indeed, the Kotlin language itself), on Thursday launched Junie, a new AI coding agent. This agent, the company says, will be able to handle routine development tasks for when you want to create new applications — and understand the context…
Crypto, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Trump
Trump orders formation of working group to evaluate crypto stockpile
President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered the formation of a working group to propose federal regulations for “digital assets” — including cryptocurrencies, digital tokens, and stablecoins — and evaluate a national crypto stockpile. Ex-PayPal COO and founder of VC firm Craft Ventures David Sacks, Trump’s pick for crypto an AI ‘czar,’ will lead the working…
AI, Apps, ChatGPT, Global IT News, Global Security News, openai, operator, privacy, Security
OpenAI says it may store deleted Operator data for up to 90 days
OpenAI says that it might store chats and associated screenshots from customers who use Operator, the company’s AI “agent” tool, for up to 90 days — even after a user manually deletes them. OpenAI has a similar deleted data retention policy for ChatGPT, its AI-powered chatbot platform. However, the retention period for ChatGPT is only…
Apps, Employer.com, Global IT News, Global Security News, Jimmy Donaldson, MrBeast, TikTok
Everyone wants MrBeast on their TikTok bid, but he hasn’t committed yet
MrBeast is in talks to join a number of bids to buy TikTok, but he hasn’t chosen any of them exclusively yet. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, Anthropic, api, Apps, developers, generative ai, Global IT News, Global Security News, hallucinations
Anthropic’s new Citations feature aims to reduce AI errors
In an announcement perhaps timed to divert attention away from OpenAI’s Operator, Anthropic Thursday unveiled a new feature for its developer API called Citations, which lets devs “ground” answers from its Claude family of AI in source documents such as emails. Anthropic says Citations allows its AI models to provide detailed references to “the exact…
fitbit, Gadgets, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, Government & Policy, Hardware, ionic
Fitbit fined $12M over Ionic smartwatch burns
Fitbit has settled with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) over a longstanding defeat that caused some wearers to sustain burns. The deal finds the Google-owned fitness company paying a $12.25 million penalty for the issues surround its Ionic smartwatch. The issue dates back to 2018, continuing on into 2020. Fitbit agreed to recall…
Apps, Creators, Global IT News, Global Security News, Social, social media, Threads, tools
Threads rolls out a post scheduler, ‘markup’ feature, and more
While Meta lures TikTok creators to Instagram and Facebook with cash bonuses, its X competitor Instagram Threads is now making things easier for creators, brands, and others who need more professional tools to manage their presence on the app. On Thursday, Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced a small handful of new features coming to Threads,…
Crypto, fitness, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups, tom brady
Tom Brady’s Autograph merges with digital fitness company Future
Autograph, the $3.1 billion valuation NFT company co-founded by Tom Brady, is merging with the digital fitness company Future. As part of the merger, Brady will join the board of directors of Future and serve as co-chair of the company. Brady co-founded Autograph in 2021 to find ways to connect athletes and artists with fans,…
Cybersecurity, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, hacking, infosec, Security, Transportation, Waymo
Hidden Waymo feature let researcher customize robotaxi’s display
Security researcher Jane Wong found a hidden feature that let her change the top display of a Waymo robotaxi. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Global IT News, Global Security News
How to Improve Employee Training on New Platforms
GUEST OPINION: Incorporating new software products and platforms into your organization can boost productivity and morale, solving some of your biggest problems in the process. However, it’s important to train your employees effectively, or they won’t be able to use these products to their fullest potential.
Global IT News, Global Security News
How Agency Management Software Increases Profitability
GUEST OPINION: Maximizing profitability while managing complex operations can be challenging. Thankfully, agency management software offers a solution that streamlines workflows, enhances collaboration, and provides real-time insights.
Climate, data centers, energy impact partners, Fundraising, geothermal, Global IT News, Global Security News, hvac, Sustainable Future Ventures, Titanium Ventures
Bedrock Energy wants geothermal to make data centers cooler and offices more comfortable
To cut costs and minimize geothermal’s footprint, Bedrock drills deeper. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Global IT News, Global Security News
Google Cloud Security Threat Horizons Report – Evolving Ransomware and Data Theft Risks in the Cloud
Google Cloud Security has released the H1 2025 Threat Horizons Report
Apps, Epic Games, Gaming, Global IT News, Global Security News, iOS
Epic brings third-party titles to its mobile game store
Epic Games is adding third-party games to its mobile app store, and helping developers cover associated iOS fees. The company is launching a free games program, and will cover the cost for all titles from developers that participate in the program on iOS or iPadOS devices. With this program, Epic will roll out new free games…
AI, data centers, generative ai, Global IT News, Global Security News, In Brief, Infrastructure, mgx, openai, report, Softbank
OpenAI and SoftBank are reportedly putting $19B each into Stargate
We may now know roughly how much money SoftBank and OpenAI are contributing toward Stargate, the massive infrastructure project to build data centers for OpenAI across the U.S. SoftBank and OpenAI each plans to commit $19 billion of capital to Stargate, according to The Information. The two companies would then both own 40% of the…
Global IT News, Global Security News
The Future of AI in the Retail Industry: Trends to Watch
GUEST OPINION: The retail landscape is undergoing a remarkable transformation fueled by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). From physical storefronts to digital platforms, AI is revolutionizing the industry, reshaping operations, and redefining customer experiences. But what lies ahead for the future of AI in the retail industry?
Android, Apps, Gadgets, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google
Android 16’s first beta version brings iOS-style live notifications
After releasing two developer beta versions last year, Google introduced the first public beta for Android 16 on Thursday. New features include live updates on the lock screen (like Live Activities on iOS), Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec for high-quality video recording, and a framework for developers to make their apps adaptable for different screen…
Global IT News, Global Security News, Social, Substack
Substack introduces a $20M funding guarantee to entice creators to migrate to its platform
Substack on Thursday announced the launch of its Creator Accelerator Fund, which provides a $20 million funding guarantee aimed at helping creators grow their audience and move their paid subscribers from another subscription-based platform to Substack. The company says the fund is designed to ensure that creators will retain all of their current revenue during…
Global IT News, Global Security News
Online Store Development: A Comprehensive Guide to Success
GUEST OPINION: The retail landscape is shifting dramatically, with traditional brick-and-mortar stores giving way to the dynamic world of e-commerce. If you’re planning to start a business or transition from offline to online, mastering the fundamentals of online store development is essential.
Canoo, Ford, Global IT News, Global Security News, GM, Government & Policy, Rivian, techcrunch mobility, Transportation
Canoo craters and Trump comes for EVs
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! We’re just a few days into a new Trump administration, and it’s already a firehose of executive orders, declarations, and even pardons. A few have crossed into…
Crypto, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups
After pivoting from crypto to payroll, Rollfi gets acquired
Kirubha Perumalsamy co-founded Rollfi during crypto’s heyday in 2021 to help companies process digital payments. When crypto crashed, Rollfi pivoted to become an embedded payroll company, partnering with financial services companies to offer payroll and benefits services to their clients. The pivot was enough of a success for Rollfi to be acquired for an undisclosed…
AI, ai agent, ChatGPT, Global IT News, Global Security News, openai
OpenAI launches Operator, an AI agent that performs tasks autonomously
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman kicked off this year by saying in a blog post that 2025 would be big for AI agents, tools that can automate tasks and take actions on your behalf. Now, we’re seeing OpenAI’s first real attempt. OpenAI announced on Thursday that it is launching a research preview of Operator, a general-purpose…
AI, Gadgets, generative ai, Global IT News, Global Security News, Hardware, piano, ROLI, roli piano
Roli releases a 49-key educational keyboard and generative AI play
Roli on Thursday announced its latest educational product at the NAAM audio show in Anaheim. The simply named Roli Piano builds on products like the Roli Airwave and Piano M, more than doubling the latter’s key count to 49. The Piano is much like its predecessor in most ways, with MIDI keys that light up…
AI, Android, Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Perplexity, perplexity assistant
Perplexity launches an assistant for Android
AI-powered search engine Perplexity has launched an “agent,” of sorts, called Perplexity Assistant, which Perplexity says uses reasoning, search, and apps to help with daily tasks. Perplexity Assistant, which is available for Android devices as of Thursday in the Perplexity app, can take “multi-app actions,” the company says, like hailing a ride or searching for…
Global IT News, Global Security News, IPO, Space, spacetech, TC
Spacetech Voyager is aiming for a multi-billion valuation IPO
Voyager Technologies has reportedly filed its confidential paperwork to go public, hoping for a $2 billion to $3 billion valuation. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, search engines, search ranking
Brave will allow you to tune search results with upvotes and downvotes
Brave Search said Thursday that it is adding a new feature called Rerank that will allow users to tune search results by upvoting or downvoting certain websites. The feature, which will be available to all users, will appear on the top right of the search results page. When users open the panel, they will be…
Careers, Channel Insider, Cybersecurity, eSecurity Planet, Global IT News, Global Security News, infosec, IT, Katie Bavoso, Partner POV, Podcast, Technology, Video
Video: Davin Jackson: The Cheat Code To A Career In Cybersecurity
Davin Jackson, cybersecurity media personality for eSecurity Planet , joins host Katie Bavoso for this week’s Channel Insider: Partner POV. Jackson explains what drew him to pursue a career in cybersecurity, but says he didn’t always feel like he belonged. He says he didn’t see cybersecurity experts that looked like him until he met his mentor.…
Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, keepass, passbolt, password management, Security, Venture
Passbolt raises $8M for its open source password manager for teams
Password managers have become commonplace at this point. But businesses often have different needs than consumers. Teams, after all, often have to share credentials to access resources, all while IT and security teams need ways to control who has access to them. Passbolt, which is announcing an $8 million seed round Thursday, aims to become…
Global IT News, Global Security News, privacy, subaru, Transportation
Hackers found a way to remotely unlock, start, and track millions of Subarus
As long as employees have access to such data, that information is vulnerable to evolving methods of hacking. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, Facebook, generative ai, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, robotics, Yann LeCun
Meta’s Yann LeCun predicts a ‘new AI architectures paradigm’ within 5 years and ‘decade of robotics’
Meta’s chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun, says that a “new paradigm of AI architectures” will emerge in the next three to five years, going far beyond the capabilities of existing AI systems. LeCun also predicted that the coming years could be the “decade of robotics,” where advances in AI and robotics combine to unlock a…
AI, Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT, Global IT News, Global Security News
ChatGPT suffered a major outage this morning, but OpenAI says it’s back up
OpenAI’s AI chatbot platform, ChatGPT, suffered a major outage Thursday. Early this morning, ChatGPT users started reporting issues accessing ChatGPT on the web and other platforms. According to the ChatGPT status page on OpenAI’s website, OpenAI acknowledged the problem at 5:12 a.m. Pacific, and identified the root cause a little under an hour later. “[We]…
AI, AI agents, Enterprise, enterprise tech, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups, TC, VC, venture capital, Waymo, Y Combinator
Coval evaluates AI voice and chat agents like self-driving cars
What do AI voice agents and self-driving cars have in common? Their performance can be evaluated in the same way, argues Brooke Hopkins, a former tech lead at Waymo. Coval, Hopkins’ new startup, looks to do just that. “When I left Waymo, I realized a lot of these problems that we had at Waymo were…
api, Exclusive, Fintech, Funding, Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, method, startup, Startups
Method is helping fintech companies like SoFi build repayment functionality into their apps
It can be challenging for developers of fintech apps to integrate repayment, balance transfer, and bill pay functionality. Devs often have to deal with a patchwork of brittle screen-scraping APIs to extract data from users’ financial institutions — or worse, tools to process mounds of physical checks and paperwork. Three friends and entrepreneurs — Jose…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Hugging Face, models, multimodal models, open models, open source ai, SmolVLM, vlms
Hugging Face claims its new AI models are the smallest of their kind
A team at AI dev platform Hugging Face has released what they’re claiming are the smallest AI models that can analyze images, short videos, and text. The models, SmolVLM-256M and SmolVLM-500M, are designed to work well on “constrained devices” like laptops with under around 1GB of RAM. The team says that they’re also ideal for…
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Snap, Snapchat, Social
Snap launches a new way to reward AR creators, rolls out student pricing for Spectacles
Snap announced on Thursday that it’s introducing a new “Challenge Tags” rewards program for AR developers to win cash prizes for submitting Lenses. The company also announced that it’s launching educational pricing and a student discount for Spectacles, its developer-focused AR glasses. The theme of the first Challenge Tag is humor and is open through…
business, channel, Global IT News, Global Security News, News and Trends, services
Azul Launches DORA Compliance Tools for EU Businesses
Java enablement platform company Azul recently announced the launch of its new compliance support offering. The suite of solutions addresses the compliance needs of organizations now under the mandate of the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) across the European Union. New tools address complex needs as DORA takes effect Effective Jan. 17, DORA applies to…
Global IT News, Global Security News, Space, spacetech
Y Combinator grad Spaceium raises oversubscribed $6.3M for space re-fueling
The company raised a $6.3 million seed round led by Initialized Capital © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, Exclusive, Funding, fundraise up, Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, startup, Startups
Fundraise Up claims its AI can boost nonprofit donations
Many nonprofits are stuck with outdated, expensive, and limited tech that hinders their ability to fund their mission or cause. While most consider adopting tech to be a priority, they’re faced with a number of blockers, including siloed data and issues with integration. Peter Byrnes, the co-founder of Fundraise Up, a Brooklyn-based fundraising platform for…
Enterprise, Everstone, Global IT News, Global Security News, India, Venture, Wingify
Everstone acquires bootstrapped Indian startup Wingify for $200M
Private equity firm Everstone has reached a deal to acquire a majority stake in Wingify, one of India’s earliest bootstrapped software-as-a-service success stories, for about $200 million, three sources familiar with the matter told TechCrunch. The deal, finalized this week, marks a significant exit for Wingify’s founder Paras Chopra, who built the SaaS startup without…
Global IT News, Global Security News
New KnowBe4 report highlights ‘critical need for cyber insurance’ amid escalating digital threats
The research reveals a rise in cyber insurance claims, highlighting the need for integrated cybersecurity, employee training and strategic insurance partnerships COMPANY NEWS: KnowBe4, the world-renowned cybersecurity platform that comprehensively addresses human risk management, today announced the release of an in-depth research paper titled “Cyber Insurance and Security: Meeting the Rising Threat.” This research delves…
Africa, Exclusive, Fintech, Global IT News, Global Security News, investment, moniepoint, visa
African fintech Moniepoint gets Visa backing, plans to work on contactless payments
Visa has joined African fintech Moniepoint as a new investor. The business banking and payments platform confirmed to TechCrunch that it received a “strategic investment” from the global payments giant as both companies look to drive financial inclusion and support the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Africa. Sources close to the deal…
AI, ChatGPT, Global IT News, Global Security News, openai, operator
OpenAI may preview its agent tool for users on the $200 per month Pro plan
We may see OpenAI’s agent tool, Operator, released sooner rather than later. Changes to ChatGPT’s code base suggest that Operator will be available as an early research preview to users on the $200 Pro subscription plan. The changes aren’t yet publicly visible, but a user on X who goes by Choi spotted these updates in…
Apple, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, Government & Policy, SMS
UK probes Apple and Google over ‘mobile ecosystem’ market power
The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is launching so-called “strategic market status” (SMS) investigations into the mobile ecosystems of Apple and Google. The investigations constitute part of the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA) which passed last year and came into effect in January. The Act includes provisions for digital markets regulation…
Global IT News, Global Security News, India, Meta, privacy, Social, WhatsApp
WhatsApp wins reprieve in India over user data sharing
An Indian tribunal on Thursday suspended restrictions that would have barred WhatsApp from sharing user data with its parent company Meta, delivering a significant victory for Mark Zuckerberg’s social media empire in its largest market by users. The ruling by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal temporarily lifts a five-year ban imposed by India’s antitrust…
AI, Biotech & Health, Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Healthcare, Neko Health, preventative healthcare, TC
Neko, the body-scanning startup co-founded by Spotify’s Daniel Ek, snaps up $260M at a $1.8B valuation
Stockholm startup Neko Health has made a big bet on consumers wanting to learn about their state of health and how to prevent things going wrong. Now, investors are making a big bet on Neko. The startup has raised a fresh $260 million in funding, a Series B that values Neko at $1.8 billion post-money,…
AI, deepseek, Global IT News, Global Security News, ogopenai.com, open source ai, openai
Someone bought the domain ‘OGOpenAI’ and redirected it to a Chinese AI lab
A software engineer has bought the website “OGOpenAI.com” and redirected it to DeepSeek, a Chinese AI lab that’s been making waves in the open source AI world lately. Software engineer Ananay Arora tells TechCrunch that he bought the domain name for “less than a Chipotle meal,” and that he plans to sell it for more.…
Gadgets, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, HTC, HTC Vive
Google buys part of HTC’s XR business for $250 million
Google has agreed to acquire a part of HTC’s extended reality (XR) business for $250 million, expanding its push into virtual and augmented reality hardware following the recent launch of its Android XR platform. The deal involves transferring some of the HTC VIVE engineering staff to Google and granting non-exclusive intellectual property rights, according to…
a16z, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, PropTech, Real estate, Startups
Some shareholders of a16z-backed Divvy Homes may not see a dime from $1B sale
The $1 billion acquisition of rent-to-own startup Divvy Homes, which was announced Wednesday, is expected to leave some shareholders without a payout, according to sources familiar with the deal. The terms — and Divvy’s journey from buzzy startup to acquisition target — reflects the rollercoaster ride the proptech industry has endured over the past decade.…
Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, saronic, Venture
Raymond Tonsing’s Caffeinated Capital seeks $400M for fifth fund
Caffeinated Capital, a San Francisco venture firm started by a solo capitalist Raymond Tonsing, is raising a fifth fund of $400 million, according to a regulatory filing. The firm, an early investor in software company Airtable and defense startup Saronic, has already raised $160 million toward the fund. If Caffeinated hits its target, it will…
Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, India, NGP capital, robotics, Walden Catalyst
Ati Motors raises $20M as India’s robotics industry grows
Ati Motors, an Indian startup building AI-powered autonomous mobile robots, has raised $20 million in a Series B round. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Global IT News, Global Security News, M12, Microsoft, Venture
Microsoft’s head of venture has resigned
Chris Young, Microsoft’s head of of business development and its venture unit, M12, resigned from his role on Wednesday, the company said. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Media & Entertainment, Social, TikTok, TikTok Ban, tumblr, tumblr tv, Video, video feed
Nearly 10 year later, Tumblr TV launches to all as a TikTok alternative
In 2015, the blogging site Tumblr launched a GIF discovery feature called Tumblr TV as an experimental product. Now, with the U.S. TikTok ban leaving the fate of the short-form video app uncertain, Tumblr has decided it’s finally time to launch Tumblr TV, which has since evolved to support video, to all its users as…
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Media & Entertainment, Social, TikTok, TikTok Ban, tumblr, tumblr tv, Video, video feed
Nearly 10 years later, Tumblr TV launches to all as a TikTok alternative
In 2015, the blogging site Tumblr launched a GIF discovery feature called Tumblr TV as an experimental product. Now, with the U.S. TikTok ban leaving the fate of the short-form video app uncertain, Tumblr has decided it’s finally time to launch Tumblr TV, which has since evolved to support video, to all its users as…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, labor practices, LLMs, Scale AI, Startups
Scale AI is facing a third worker lawsuit in about a month
In this suit, workers are claiming they suffered PTSD from disturbing content. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Apps, evergreens, Facebook, Global IT News, Global Security News, Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Social, Threads
How to delete Facebook, Instagram, and Threads
In the wake of Meta’s decision to remove its third-party fact-checking system and loosen content moderation policies, Google searches on how to delete Facebook, Instagram, and Threads have been on the rise. People who are angry with the decision accuse Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg of cozying up to the Trump administration at the expense of…
Global IT News, Global Security News, PropTech, Real estate, Real Estate Tech, Startups
Rent-to-own startup Divvy Homes selling to Brookfield for about $1 billion
After a turbulent few years for proptech, Divvy Homes announced Wednesday that it is selling to a division of Brookfield Properties for about $1 billion. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Marc Benioff, Microsoft, openai, Salesforce, TC
Microsoft’s relationship with OpenAI cracked when it hired Mustafa Suleyman, rival Marc Benioff says
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said that the two AI leaders, Sam Altman and Mustafa Suleyman do not care for each other. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Crypto, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News
AngelList, CoinList partner to help crypto startups raise and manage funds
Crypto is making such a big comeback that AngelList and CoinList are launching a way to help raise capital for crypto-specific founders using crypto coins. They are teaming up to launch Crypto special purpose vehicles (SPVs) and Crypto roll-up vehicles (RUVs), the companies shared with TechCrunch exclusively on Wednesday. The partnership, they said, will give…
galaxy s25 edge, Global IT News, Global Security News, Hardware, Samsung, samsung galaxy s25, samsung galaxy s25 edge
Samsung Unpacked: Samsung teased an extra-thin S25 model at Unpacked
Samsung Unpacked’s “one more thing” was a bit of a weird one. After the presentation ended, the company rolled a brief pre-packaged video of the Galaxy Edge — not to be confused with the “Star Wars” theme park of the same name. Though limited, the reveal was confirmation of earlier rumors that the hardware giant…