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 […]
PAN-OS GlobalProtect Authentication Bypass under Active Exploit (CVE-2026-0257)
Rabi LakshmananMay 30, 2026Vulnerability/Network Security Palo Alto Networks has warned that a medium-severity security flaw affecting PAN-OS and Prisma Access has recently been disclosed and is being exploited in the wild. This vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2026-0257 (CVSS score: 7.8) and refers to a case of authentication bypass that can be exploited by a malicious […]
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: […]
Programmers are refusing to work without AI — and it could hurt them
In 2026, researchers discovered that AI coding tools cannot be pried out of developers’ vises. But other researchers warn that while AI is definitely helping programmers write faster code, it may not be making them write better code. And that can cause problems for them in the future. Specifically, in February 2026, the acclaimed AI […]
ChatGPhish vulnerability turns ChatGPT web summaries into phishing surfaces
Cybersecurity researchers have revealed details of a vulnerability in OpenAI ChatGPT. This vulnerability leverages an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant’s implicit trust in Markdown links and images to trigger a prompt injection and open the door to phishing attacks. The technology has been codenamed ChatGPhish by Permiso Security. “The chatgpt.com response renderer trusts Markdown links and […]
Greta Lee brings back the microbang trend
Micro bangs are more science than art, and are precisely trimmed between the hairline and the brow. Greta Lee opted for a mid-length fringe at the Toy Story 5 launch event in London on Thursday, celebrating the film’s long-awaited release on June 19 with castmates Tom Hanks (Woody), Tim Allen (Buzz Lightyear) and Joan Cusack […]
AI chip startup Groq reportedly raises $650 million after Nvidia’s $20 billion non-acquisition
Groq is focusing on its inference neocloud business, which relies on homegrown AI chips and systems, and is seeking to raise $650 million in new funding from existing investors, sources told Axios. In December, Groq reportedly inked one of its non-acquisition deals with Nvidia for $20 billion, which included the departure of some of Groq’s […]