Spotify partners with record labels to develop ‘artist-first’ AI music products
Spotify on Thursday announced a series of deals with major record labels to develop new AI products designed to ensure fair compensation and put artists and songwriters at the center of the experience. The streamer said it is partnering with Sony, Universal, Warner and Merlin to develop “responsible AI” products that allow artists to choose […]
Jack & Jill raises $20 million to bring conversational AI to job hunting
Between endlessly scrolling job boards and the mysterious rise in fake applicants using AI to mass apply, job hunting has quickly become one of the most bewildering experiences the internet has to offer. If the request goes unanswered, the listing is posted and reposted on various platforms, creating a flood of spam-like activity on both […]
Zepto raises $450 million at $7 billion valuation as India’s quick commerce market heats up
Indian quick-commerce startup Zept has announced that it has raised $400 million in a funding round led by new investor, US-based pension fund California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS). The round is a combination of primary and secondary investments, with participation from existing investors including Avenir, Avra, Lightspeed, Glade Brook, The Stepstone Group, and Nexus […]
India’s Kuku nabs $85 million as mobile content wars heat up
Kuku, the Google-backed Indian storytelling platform, has raised $85 million in fresh funding as it aims to expand its audio and video content offerings as competition intensifies in the South Asian country’s mobile-first content market. The Series C round, led by Granite Asia (formerly GGV Capital), more than doubles Kuku’s previous valuation to about $500 […]
Seoul considers approving high-resolution map requests from Google and Apple
South Korea is nearing a decision on whether to allow Google and Apple to export high-resolution geographic map data to servers outside the country. Detailed maps using a scale of 1:5,000 show roads, buildings, and alleys in far more detail than is currently available on these platforms. However, some regulatory and security hurdles remain unresolved. […]
Discover Spotify working on ‘SongDNA’ feature to introduce you to the people behind your favorite music
Spotify has been spotted developing a ‘SongDNA’ feature that will allow users to discover music through credits (writers, collaborators, vocalists, engineers, lyricists, producers, composers, etc. who worked on a particular track or album). This feature was discovered in the app’s code by reverse engineer Jane Manchun Wong, who was able to generate screenshots of how […]
Apple adds 650 megawatts of renewable energy in Europe, also deploys renewable energy in China
Apple announced Tuesday that it has signed a deal for 650 megawatts of renewable power in Europe. This includes wind and solar power projects that are currently in operation or will be in operation soon. A large portion of the electricity they produce is used to offset the energy used by Apple’s customers. The use […]
Eightfold Co-Founder Raises $35M for Viven, AI Digital Twin Startup Contacts Missed Colleagues
Employees spend much of their day communicating and coordinating projects, but this effort is often undermined by the availability of certain individuals. If a colleague with critical information is unavailable, whether on vacation or in another time zone, the rest of the team must slow down progress until that colleague responds. Ashutosh Garg and Varun […]
Apple upgrades iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, Vision Pro with new M5 chip
Apple on Wednesday announced its new M5 chip and new iPad Pros, MacBook Pros, and Vision Pros powered by the new chip. These devices are available for pre-order now, with shipping and in-store availability scheduled for October 22nd. The M5 chip allows the new device to run faster than previous devices. Apple claims this chip […]
Group chats added to Threads as Messaging rolls out to the EU
Shortly after adding direct messages this summer, Instagram Threads added support for group messaging with up to 50 people. The Meta-owned X competitor currently has more than 400 million monthly active users, and starting today, group chats will be available to users around the world. We also plan to bring the messaging experience to users […]