Facebook Messenger desktop app has been discontinued
RIP to the Facebook Messenger desktop app. The native apps for Mac and Windows will no longer be available to users starting today, December 15, 2025, and existing users will be directed to the Facebook website to continue using the popular messaging service. Messenger’s desktop app originally launched at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, […]
Tesla begins testing robotaxi without safety driver in Austin
Just about six months after Tesla began testing its nascent robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, the company is now driving the cars around the city without safety monitors. Removing the human safety monitor allows the company to take an important step closer to its goal of launching an actual commercial robotaxi service, a step that […]
How iRobot got lost on his way home
There’s something painfully American about the story of iRobot, the company that taught vacuum cleaners to get around furniture. The company, founded in 1990 in Bedford, Mass., by MIT roboticist Rodney Brooks and his former students Colin Angle and Helen Greiner, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Sunday, ending a 35-year run that took it […]
Mesa closes credit card that rewards cardholders for mortgage payments
Fintech startup Mesa has shut down its Home Owner’s Card, which gave cardholders points for mortgage payments. A message on Mesa’s website states that as of Dec. 12, “all Mesa Homeowners Card accounts have been closed,” adding, “All credit cards have been deactivated and are no longer eligible for new purchases or the ability to […]
Understanding the risky Netflix and Warner Bros. deal
Whether Netflix’s $82.6 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. goes through or not, the deal represents a difficult moment for Hollywood as the entertainment business is increasingly overshadowed by the tech giant. On the latest episode of the Equity Podcast, Kirsten Kolosek and I discussed the deal’s implications for both Netflix and the larger Hollywood ecosystem. […]
TechCrunch Mobility: Rivian’s survival plan involves more than just cars
Welcome to TechCrunch Mobility. A central hub for news and insight on the future of transportation. To receive this in your inbox, sign up for free here. Just click on TechCrunch Mobility. Senior reporter Sean O’Kane stopped by Palo Alto to check out Rivian’s Autonomy and AI Day. According to some insiders, this will be […]
India’s Spinney plans to raise $160 million to buy Go Mechanic, sources say
Indian online used car marketplace Spinny has raised about $160 million to acquire auto services startup GoMechanic, TechCrunch has learned. The Series G round, which combines primary and secondary deals, would give the 10-year-old startup a post-money valuation of about $1.8 billion, three people familiar with the matter said, roughly in line with its previous […]
DoorDash driver faces felony charge after allegedly spraying customer’s food
An Evansville, Indiana, woman faces a felony charge after allegedly spraying food with a substance that caused customers to vomit during a DoorDash delivery. The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release that it was contacted on Dec. 7 by a man who said he and his wife vomited and felt a burning […]
AI data center boom could be bad news for other infrastructure projects
As data center construction accelerates, improvements to roads, bridges and other infrastructure could take a hit, according to Bloomberg. In 2025, state and local governments reportedly sold record amounts of bonds for the second year in a row, and strategists predict an additional $600 billion in sales next year. Most of that money is expected […]
Rivian embarks on race for autonomy
In the cafeteria of Rivian’s Palo Alto office, the robot bypasses a shelf decorated with cold canned coffee until it runs out. Five minutes later, as the man carefully pushed the droid out of everyone’s way, the words “Stuck” flashed yellow on the poor droid’s screen. It’s an inauspicious start to Rivian’s Autonomy & AI […]