What happens in Vega$: steroids, swimmers, and a billion-dollar hustle
I am sitting in the sweltering Nevada heat watching a man struggle to lift a bar over his head. If the man manages to do it, he will win $250,000. The man is Boady Santavy — a two-time Olympic weight-lifting contestant from Canada — and he has muscles that look culled from the Marvel Cinematic Universe: […]
Get lifetime access to all Babbel languages at a special price
TL;DR: Get Babbel Lifetime Subscription for $159 using code LEARN. Language learning apps have a reputation for teaching you phrases that would never come up in a real conversation, leaving you confused the moment someone responds, and many of the apps that have switched to AI tutors have been useless. Babbel takes a more human […]
This weekend’s two big movies were both directed by YouTubers
The pipeline from YouTube to premium horror is looking very strong this weekend. The No. 1 spot at the box office went to Backrooms, a feature film adaptation of Kane Parsons’ series of YouTube videos featuring creepy found footage of mysterious, physics-defying office spaces (taken from 4chan threads). Parsons’ “Backrooms” grossed $38 million on Friday […]
“What a joke”: Github Copilot’s new token-based billing causes confusion among developers
The golden age of Microsoft’s Github Copilot appears to be over, at least for this little guy. The company is switching its pricing structure from a flat subscription fee to a token-based system that could potentially charge users significantly higher fees. While large businesses may still have that extra headroom, small businesses and their employees […]
Meta is reportedly developing an AI pendant.
Meta is developing an AI-powered pendant and plans to begin testing it next year, according to a memo seen by The Information. The device will likely build on the work of Limitless, an AI device startup acquired by Meta in late 2025. The startup has developed an AI pendant that allows users to record conversations […]
I put Google’s 24/7 AI assistant Gemini Spark to work, and it’s actually quite useful.
Gemini Spark is Google’s new 24/7 agent assistant designed to help you “navigate your digital life.” That means finishing things you need to do online, summarizing things you don’t have time to read (like your entire inbox), and organizing things that take up screen time and are too manual, like spreadsheets for your personal expenses. […]
Groupthink boom: What three top VCs really think about the AI craze
At TechCrunch’s StrictlyVC event in Athens this week (part of the city’s ongoing Panatenea Festival), I spoke with Niko Bonatsos of Verdict Capital, Andreas Stavropoulos of Threshold Ventures, and Ben of Aomico. We spoke with Blume about the current state of venture investing, the wave of huge IPOs SpaceX is about to embark on, and […]
TikTok’s path to becoming a super app
TikTok is widely described as a social media giant, but it is gradually surpassing that category. Over time, the video app added a TikTok shop, maps for local discovery, powerful search, games, and more. Currently, it has recently added a hotel reservation function and is aiming to obtain a fintech license. TikTok appears to be […]
As the browser wars heat up, here are the hottest alternatives to Chrome and Safari in 2026
The web browser market is currently dominated by Google Chrome and Apple’s Safari, with Chrome gaining a larger share thanks to the tech giant’s continued innovations, especially the integration of generative AI into its search functionality. However, users looking for alternatives will find a variety of browsers aimed at competing with these industry giants. To […]
I went to the so-called ‘steroid Olympics,’ to understand why Silicon Valley is obsessed with peptides
I am sitting in the sweltering Nevada heat watching a man struggle to lift a bar over his head. If the man manages to do it, he will win $250,000. The man is Boady Santavy — a two-time Olympic weight-lifting contestant from Canada — and he has muscles that look culled from the Marvel Cinematic Universe: […]