Technology
- BusinessTechCrunch
China's $47B semiconductor fund puts chip sovereignty front and center
China has closed a third state-backed investment fund to bolster its semiconductor industry and reduce reliance on other nations, both for using and for manufacturing wafers — prioritizing what is called chip sovereignty. China's National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, also known simply as 'the Big Fund,' had two previous vintages: Big Fund I (2014 to 2019) and Big Fund II (2019 to 2024). The latter was significantly larger than the former, but Big Fund III is larger than both at
4 min read - TechnologyTechCrunch
Apple's Design Awards nominees highlight indies and startups, largely ignore AI (except for Arc)
With its list of Apple Design Awards finalists, Apple is celebrating indie apps and startups over bigger tech firms — including those offering AI chatbots. At a time when its App Store model has been called into question by legislators and regulators alike, Apple's annual list of what it considers the best and most technically innovative software available on its platform is turning its attention to the little guy. There's no ChatGPT to be found on Apple's list of finalists, for example.
3 min read - BusinessTechCrunch
Spyware maker pcTattletale shutters after data breach
The founder of the spyware app pcTattletale said his company is "out of business and completely done" following a data breach over the weekend. The shutdown comes days after a hacker defaced the spyware maker's website and published links containing large amounts of data from pcTattletale's servers, including databases of customers' information and some victims’ stolen data. The now-defunct app had 138,000 customers who had signed up to use the service, per data breach notification site Have I
3 min read - BusinessBloomberg
Ex-OpenAI Director Says Board Learned of ChatGPT Launch on Twitter
(Bloomberg) -- Helen Toner, a former OpenAI board member, said that the board didn’t know about the company’s 2022 launch of its chatbot ChatGPT until afterward — and only found out about it on Twitter.Most Read from BloombergWall Street Returns to T+1 Stock Trading After a CenturyTreasuries Hit as US Sales Struggle to Lure Buyers: Markets WrapFor Private Credit’s Top Talent, $1 Million a Year Is Not EnoughIsraeli Airstrike and Egyptian Guard’s Death Ratchet Up TensionsCatering to the Ultra-Rich
3 min read - BusinessYahoo Finance
Nvidia stock leaps to latest record — thanks to Elon Musk
The increase of AI investment has continued to boost optimism over Nvidia's growth as the chipmaker continues its record-setting stock rally.
2 min read - BusinessYahoo Finance
Stock market today: Nvidia, Nasdaq reach record highs as AI rally continues
Wall Street is starting the holiday-shortened week in a muted mood as the wait for the Fed's favorite inflation data begins.
1 min read - LifestyleTechCrunch
AI models have favorite numbers, because they think they're people
AI models are always surprising us, not just in what they can do, but what they can't, and why. An interesting new behavior is both superficial and revealing about these systems: they pick random numbers as if they're human beings. This is actually a very old and well known limitation we, humans, have: we overthink and misunderstand randomness.
4 min read - TechnologyEngadget
VR classics Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator come to Apple Vision Pro
Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator have been released for the Apple Vision Pro. This is a version developed specifically for the platform with optimized hand-and-eye tracking.
2 min read - LifestyleEngadget
Ooni's larger, dual-zone Koda 2 Max pizza oven is now available for pre-order
Ooni's largest pizza oven yet allows you to monitor food and ambient temps from your phone. It's now available for pre-order and ships in July.
2 min read - WorldGizmodo
Japan Unveils New Robot for Cleaning Radioactive Fuel at Fukushima
The operators of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan demonstrated a new robot to help clean up melted fuel debris on Tuesday, according to a report from the Associated Press. The robot won’t actually start working until October, but it underscores just how much there is to do 13 years after a 9.0 earthquake caused the plant’s meltdown.
2 min read - LifestylePopular Mechanics
Say Goodbye to Grimy Dishes With the Best Cheap Dishwashers
These dishwashers may have fewer features than pricier models, but there’s no compromise on cleaning. Here are the best cheap dishwashers from top brands.
6 min read - BusinessYahoo Finance
Musk's Tesla pay package is 'excessive' and should be voted down, shareholder advocate says
Proxy adviser firm Glass Lewis weighed in on Tesla’s upcoming shareholder proposals and once again said CEO Elon Musk’s pay package is a problem.
3 min read - BusinessTechCrunch
Anthropic hires former OpenAI safety lead to head up new team
Jan Leike, a leading AI researcher who earlier this month resigned from OpenAI before publicly criticizing the company's approach to AI safety, has joined OpenAI rival Anthropic to lead a new "superalignment" team. In a post on X, Leike said that his team at Anthropic will focus on various aspects of AI safety and security, specifically "scalable oversight," "weak-to-strong generalization" and automated alignment research. In many ways, Leike's team sounds similar in mission to OpenAI's recent
1 min read - BusinessBloomberg
Ex-OpenAI Safety Leader Leike to Join Rival Anthropic
(Bloomberg) -- Jan Leike, the former co-head of an OpenAI safety team focused on long-term risks, is joining its artificial intelligence rival Anthropic, Leike said in a post on X Tuesday. Most Read from BloombergWall Street Returns to T+1 Stock Trading After a CenturyTreasuries Hit as US Sales Struggle to Lure Buyers: Markets WrapFor Private Credit’s Top Talent, $1 Million a Year Is Not EnoughIsraeli Airstrike and Egyptian Guard’s Death Ratchet Up TensionsCatering to the Ultra-Rich Is a Booming
1 min read - BusinessAssociated Press
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman pledges to donate most of his wealth to improve the 'scaffolding of society'
The Giving Pledge announced Tuesday that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has joined its list of wealthy philanthropists committed to donating over half their fortunes. The move comes after a tumultuous six months for Altman, the co-founder of the San Francisco-based company behind ChatGPT and a venture capitalist who Forbes says amassed much of his $1 billion through investments. Now Altman, who initially founded his company as a nonprofit research lab dedicated to safely building AI for humanity's bene
2 min read - BusinessTechCrunch
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.
17 min read - WorldPopular Mechanics
After 2,100 Years, Archaeologists Found the Missing Head of an Ancient Greek Statue
Ruins of Laodicea reveal Hygieia’s head, the goddess of health.
3 min read - BusinessTechCrunch
OpenAI's new safety committee is made up of all insiders
OpenAI has formed a new committee to oversee "critical" safety and security decisions related to the company's projects and operations. Altman and the rest of the Safety and Security Committee -- OpenAI board members Bret Taylor, Adam D’Angelo and Nicole Seligman as well as chief scientist Jakub Pachocki, Aleksander Madry (who leads OpenAI's "preparedness" team), Lilian Weng (head of safety systems), Matt Knight (head of security) and John Schulman (head of "alignment science") -- will be respo
5 min read - USAssociated Press
Bette Nash, recognized as the world's longest-serving flight attendant, dies at 88
Bette Nash, recognized as the world's longest-serving flight attendant, has died. “Bette was a legend at American and throughout the industry, inspiring generations of flight attendants,” American wrote on Facebook. According to the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, which also shared a tribute to Nash online, Nash began her flight-attendant career with Eastern Airlines in 1957.
2 min read - BusinessEngadget
T-Mobile to acquire majority of US Cellular, further consolidating carrier market
T-Mobile will acquire most of US Cellular in a $4.4 billion deal. The company hopes to use the acquisition to provide better coverage in rural areas.
1 min read - BusinessBloomberg
T-Mobile to Buy US Cellular Assets for Roughly $2.4 Billion
(Bloomberg) -- T-Mobile US Inc., the second-largest mobile carrier in the US, has agreed to buy US Cellular Corp.’s wireless operations and some of its spectrum assets for about $2.4 billion.Most Read from BloombergWall Street Returns to T+1 Stock Trading After a CenturyTreasuries Hit as US Sales Struggle to Lure Buyers: Markets WrapFor Private Credit’s Top Talent, $1 Million a Year Is Not EnoughIsraeli Airstrike and Egyptian Guard’s Death Ratchet Up TensionsCatering to the Ultra-Rich Is a Boomi
3 min read - BusinessTechCrunch
Skej's AI meeting scheduling assistant works like adding an EA to your email
Unlike other scheduling solutions, like Calendly, Skej doesn't require you to browse through someone's availability to find a time to meet. In fact, if someone sends you a Calendly link, Skej will scan the link to find slots where both of you have mutual availability and then put a meeting on your calendars. "I've never met anyone in my life who loves scheduling meetings," says Skej co-founder and CEO Paul Canetti.
5 min read - TechnologyGizmodo
The Best Features on Chromebook Plus Have Nothing to Do With AI
The biggest monoliths in tech can’t stop talking about “Plus” as of late. Google had its own Chromebook Plus laptops introduced last year, and just this week, Microsoft revealed its new Copilot+ PCs, promising some of the fastest ultra-thin PC performance yet with new ARM-based chips.
13 min read - BusinessTechCrunch
Faircado raises $3M to nudge people to buy pre-owned goods
Thrift shopping is always a gamble. Berlin-based Faircado has built a browser extension that aims to solve that exact problem. The company wants to become the discovery layer for pre-owned goods, and has raised €3 million in a round led by World Fund.
3 min read - BusinessTechCrunch
Félix Pago raises $15.5 million to help Latino workers send money home via WhatsApp
Remittances from workers in the U.S. to their families and friends in Latin America amounted to $155 billion in 2023. With such a huge opportunity, banks, money transfer companies, retailers and fintechs are all trying to make transfers more convenient on both sides of the transaction. Fast-growing startup Félix Pago is one of these players, and recently raised a $15.5 million Series A round of funding to grow its presence in Latin America and the U.S., TechCrunch learned exclusively.
5 min read - TechnologyEngadget
Google is bringing a slew of AI-powered software features to Chromebook Plus laptops
Google has a host of new AI-powered features coming to its Chromebook Plus models.
7 min read - TechnologyEngadget
Acer, ASUS and HP all have new Chromebook Plus laptops with Google's built-in AI features
Google announced a host of new AI features for Chromebooks, and Acer, ASUS and HP have new models to showcase them.
5 min read - BusinessTechCrunch
LumApps, the French 'intranet super app,' sells majority stake to Bridgepoint in a $650M deal
Big news today for LumApps, the French startup that describes itself as an “intranet super app” with a platform for building and provisioning internal communications and apps for workforces. The company, used by some 5 million people across 700 organizations, said private equity firm Bridgepoint is taking a majority stake in the company in what it is describing as a $650 million deal and strategic investment. As part of the transaction, all of LumApps’ existing investors — including the growth
3 min read - BusinessBloomberg
Ex-DeepMind Trio Bring Algos, AI Poker Prowess to Tower Research
(Bloomberg) -- A systematic-trading startup founded by three alumni from Google DeepMind is bringing its algorithms to Tower Research Capital — including a little AI poker-playing prowess. Most Read from BloombergWall Street Returns to T+1 Stock Trading After a CenturyTreasuries Hit as US Sales Struggle to Lure Buyers: Markets WrapFor Private Credit’s Top Talent, $1 Million a Year Is Not EnoughIsraeli Airstrike and Egyptian Guard’s Death Ratchet Up TensionsCatering to the Ultra-Rich Is a Booming
3 min read - BusinessAssociated Press
T-Mobile to buy almost all of U.S Cellular in deal worth $4.4 billion with debt
T-Mobile is buying U.S. Cellular's wireless operations and certain spectrum assets in a deal valued at $4.4 billion, and further consolidating the industry. T-Mobile would get more than 4 million new customers and control of U.S. Cellular’s wireless operations and about 30% of spectrum assets across several spectrum bands. T-Mobile will also enter into a new master license agreement on more than 2,000 towers and extend the lease term for the approximately 600 towers where T-Mobile is already a
3 min read - TechnologyEngadget
Opera is adding Google's Gemini AI to its browser
Opera ha teamed up with Google to integrate its Gemini AI models into its Aria AI browser assistant.
1 min read - BusinessAssociated Press
OpenAI forms safety committee as it starts training latest artificial intelligence model
OpenAI says it's setting up a safety and security committee and has begun training a new AI model to supplant the GPT-4 system that underpins its ChatGPT chatbot. The San Francisco startup said in a blog post Tuesday that the committee will advise the full board on “critical safety and security decisions" for its projects and operations. The safety committee arrives as debate swirls around AI safety at the company, which was thrust into the spotlight after a researcher, Jan Leike, resigned and
2 min read - LifestylePopular Mechanics
Stay Cool With One of These Editor-Approved Cantilever Umbrellas
More versatile than standard patio umbrellas, these sturdy, offset umbrellas add shade to even hard-to-reach areas in your outdoor space.
9 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Hong Kong police arrest 6 people accused of violating the city's new national security law
Hong Kong police on Tuesday arrested six people, including a former organizer of the city’s decades-long annual vigil that commemorated China’s Tiananmen Square crackdown, for allegedly publishing seditious social media posts, in what were the first publicly known arrests under the city’s new national security law. Secretary for Security Chris Tang said Chow Hang-tung, a former leader of the group behind the vigil, alongside five others, used a Facebook page to anonymously publish the posts. T
3 min read - BusinessTechCrunch
More neobanks are becoming mobile networks — and Nubank wants a piece of the action
Nubank is taking its first tentative steps into the mobile network realm, as the NYSE-traded Brazilian neobank rolls out an eSIM (embedded SIM) service for travelers. The service will give customers access to 10GB of free roaming internet in more than 40 countries without having to switch out their own existing physical SIM card or eSIM. The launch comes shortly after news first emerged that Brazil's National Telecommunications Agency (ANATEL) had quietly greenlit plans for Nubank to become a
7 min read - BusinessTechCrunch
MARS doubles down on India's Infra.Market with new $50M investment
Infra.Market, an Indian startup that helps construction and real estate firms procure materials, has raised $50 million from MARS Unicorn Fund as it looks to expand operations overseas, the companies told TechCrunch on Tuesday. MARS Unicorn Fund, a joint venture between AI-driven fund Liquidity Group and Japanese bank MUFG, is an existing backer of the Mumbai-headquartered startup, having invested $50 million in it in 2022. Infra.Market is attempting to transform the way small businesses in In
2 min read - BusinessTechCrunch
Adani looks to battle Reliance, Walmart in India's e-commerce, payments race, report says
India's energy and infrastructure giant Adani Group is plotting a move into digital payments and e-commerce, according to a Financial Times report, as the conglomerate seeks to diversify its portfolio and compete with Mukesh Ambani's Reliance, Amazon and Walmart's Flipkart and PhonePe. Adani is considering applying for a license to operate on India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and is also finalizing plans for a co-branded credit card with banks, the report said.
2 min read - TechnologyTechCrunch
Ledger starts shipping its high-end hardware crypto wallet
Ledger, a French startup mostly known for its secure crypto hardware wallets, has started shipping new wallets nearly 18 months after announcing the latest Ledger Stax devices. The updated wallet features an E-Ink display and has been designed in partnership with Tony Fadell, one of the main designers behind the iPod. After fulfilling all preorders, the company will list the Ledger Stax on its website once it has more stock available.
3 min read - BusinessAssociated Press
Stock market today: Most of Wall Street slips in quiet trading after returning from a 3-day weekend
Most U.S. stocks fell in a quiet day of trading Tuesday after a tick higher in bond yields tightened the screws a bit on Wall Street. The Nasdaq composite rode the strength of tech stocks to rise 99.09 points, or 0.6%, to 17,019.88 and added to its latest all-time high set on Friday. It’s still riding a wave created by its latest blowout profit report from last week, which calmed some of the worries that Wall Street’s frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology has inflated expectations
4 min read - BusinessBloomberg
China Chipmakers Catching Up Fast in AI, SenseTime’s Xu Says
(Bloomberg) -- China’s domestic AI chipmakers are making fast progress in closing the gap on international leaders, according to SenseTime Group Inc. co-founder Xu Bing.Most Read from BloombergWall Street Returns to T+1 Stock Trading After a CenturyTreasuries Hit as US Sales Struggle to Lure Buyers: Markets WrapFor Private Credit’s Top Talent, $1 Million a Year Is Not EnoughIsraeli Airstrike and Egyptian Guard’s Death Ratchet Up TensionsCatering to the Ultra-Rich Is a Booming Business in Austral
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Russia will build Central Asia's first nuclear power plant in an agreement with Uzbekistan
Russia and Uzbekistan signed an accord Monday for Moscow to build a small nuclear power plant in the Central Asian country, as Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in the Uzbek capital with Uzbekistan leader Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Mirziyoyev hailed the project as “vital” in remarks after the talks, noting that Uzbekistan has “its own large reserves of uranium.” Putin, in turn, vowed to “do everything in order to work effectively on Uzbekistan's (nuclear energy) market.”
1 min read - BusinessTechCrunch
EU's ChatGPT taskforce offers first look at detangling the AI chatbot's privacy compliance
A data protection taskforce that's spent over a year considering how the European Union's data protection rulebook applies to OpenAI's viral chatbot, ChatGPT, reported preliminary conclusions Friday. The top-line takeaway is that the working group of privacy enforcers remains undecided on crux legal issues, such as the lawfulness and fairness of OpenAI's processing. Watchdogs can also order non-compliant processing to stop.
11 min read - LifestyleEngadget
Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max is better as a retro gaming device than a streamer
Every cheap streaming stick kind of sucks. I’ve been thinking about this since buying Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max a couple of months ago. But I'm not using it to stream TV and movies, like most people do. Instead, I’m using it to emulate old video games, which is forever the easiest path to my heart.
6 min read - BusinessTechCrunch
LatAm startups: Apply to Startup Battlefield 200
Startup Battlefield 200 (SB 200) is the leading global startup competition showcasing 200 of the most promising, impactful early-stage startups. TechCrunch vets all applicants and handpicks the participants.
3 min read - LifestylePopular Mechanics
These Anti-Snoring Devices Can Help You (and Your Partner) Get a Night of Uninterrupted Sleep
Snoring can be caused by a variety of factors like lifestyle, side sleeping, and nasal congestion, but these handy remedies can help you sleep through the night.
5 min read - LifestylePopular Mechanics
Crank Out Auto Repairs and DIY Projects With These Editor-Recommended Torque Wrenches
A torque wrench is essential for automotive work and some DIY repairs. Our expert recommends manual and digital models from Tekton, GearWrench, and more.
13 min read - BusinessTechCrunch
Onyx Motorbikes was in trouble — and then its 37-year-old owner died
James Khatiblou, the owner and CEO of Onyx Motorbikes, was watching his e-bike startup fall apart. Onyx was being evicted from its warehouse in El Segundo, near Los Angeles. A shipment of around 100 CTY2 dirt bikes from Chinese supplier Suzhou Jindao was delayed, and customers were starting to demand refunds -- a major problem considering Khatiblou already owed both lenders and shareholders a lot of money.
15 min read - TechnologyTechCrunch
Iyo thinks its GenAI earbuds can succeed where Humane and Rabbit stumbled
While even the firm’s biggest cheerleaders didn’t expect the Ai Pin to change the world in such a short timeframe, few of its many detractors expected things to go so sideways, so quickly. The excitement ahead of both devices’ launch is proof-positive that there is interest in a new form factor that leverages LLMs (large language models) in a way that is genuinely useful in our daily lives. Iyo represents a third form factor in the push to deliver standalone generative AI devices.
5 min read - TechnologyTechCrunch
Women in AI: Arati Prabhakar thinks it's crucial to get AI 'right'
To give AI-focused women academics and others their well-deserved — and overdue — time in the spotlight, TechCrunch has been publishing a series of interviews focused on remarkable women who’ve contributed to the AI revolution. Arati Prabhakar is director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the science adviser to President Joe Biden. Previously, she served as director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) — the first woman to hold the position
5 min read - TechnologyTechCrunch
Doly lets you generate 3D product videos from your iPhone
AniML, the French startup behind a new 3D capture app called Doly, wants to create the Photoroom of product videos, sort of. If you're selling sneakers on an online marketplace or need to create Instagram ads for your direct-to-consumer wares, Doly helps you generate 3D models with your phone and turn them into professional-looking product videos. While video creation is notoriously hard, generating a 3D model is even harder.
3 min read
