A new challenge for AI labs: Are you trying to make money?
We are at a unique time for AI companies to build their own foundational models. First, there are generations of industry veterans who made their names at large technology companies and are now independent. There are also legendary researchers with vast experience but vague commercial aspirations. It’s clear that at least some of these new […]
How PopWheels helped food carts eliminate generators for e-bike batteries
Food carts are a staple of New York City dining, serving up everything from dosas and doner kebabs to dogs and dim sum in short order. But no matter how appealing the aroma of the food on the cart, customers can be turned off by the smelly gas generators that keep the lights on. Cart […]
Legal AI giant Harvey acquires Hexas as competition intensifies in the legal tech field
Harvey, a fast-growing legal AI startup, has acquired Hexus as it continues to aggressively expand in the fiercely competitive legal tech market. Hexus is a two-year-old startup that develops tools to create product demos, videos, and guides. Hexus founder and CEO Sakshi Pratap, who previously held engineering roles at Walmart, Oracle and Google, told TechCrunch […]
TikTok users outraged by app’s ‘immigration status’ collection — What does this mean?
With TikTok’s ownership change, TikTok users in the U.S., who were informed of the change through an in-app message, are collectively upset by the company’s privacy policy update. The revised document details the terms and conditions for your use of the service, including certain location information that may be collected by the U.S. joint venture. […]
Who is behind Yann LeCun’s “world model” startup, AMI Labs?
Yann LeCun’s new venture, AMI Labs, has received intense attention since the AI scientist left Meta to form it. This week, the startup finally revealed what it’s building. And some important details are hidden in plain sight. On its newly launched website, the company revealed plans to develop “world models” to “build intelligent systems that […]
Waymo faces investigation by National Transportation Safety Board over illegal activities on school buses
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into Waymo after its robot taxis were repeatedly spotted illegally passing stopped school buses in at least two states. The NTSB said in a post to X on Friday that it was specifically focused on more than 20 incidents in Austin, Texas. “Investigators will travel […]
The Rippling/Deal corporate spying scandal may have taken another outrageous turn.
The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into Deal, a human resources and payroll startup, for allegedly hiring corporate spies to leak information about its biggest rival, Rippling, the Wall Street Journal reported. In an emailed statement to TechCrunch, Deal said: “We are not aware of any investigation. We will always cooperate with relevant […]
What you need to know about Netflix’s groundbreaking acquisition of Warner Bros.
Just when you thought 2025 couldn’t get any crazier, the streaming world had one more surprise in store for you before the year was out. Netflix, already the largest streaming platform with over 325 million subscribers, has taken the bold step of acquiring Warner Bros. Also includes film and television studios, HBO, HBO Max, and […]
Researchers claim Russian government hackers were behind Poland’s attempted power outage
A failed December effort to take down parts of Poland’s energy grid was the work of Russian government hackers known for causing energy disruptions in the past, according to a security research firm that investigated the incident. Poland’s Energy Minister Milos Motyka told reporters last week that hackers targeted two thermal power plants in attempted […]
Google Photos’ latest feature lets you meme yourself
Google Photos now lets you create memes using your own images. Google on Thursday introduced a new AI-powered generation feature called “Me Meme.” This will allow you to generate meme images by combining photo templates with your own images. The new feature, which will be available to US-based users first, was originally discovered during development […]
