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Hantavirus in 2026: Should The World Be Worried About The Next Global Pandemic?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 May 2026 18:16:00 +0000

In the shadow of the COVID-19 era, another virus is suddenly making headlines—hantavirus. Following a deadly 2026 outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, public concern has surged worldwide. Is this the beginning of another pandemic… or a dangerous but containable outbreak?

As an evidence-based medical review, here’s what we know right now as of May 8, 2026.

What Is Hantavirus?

Hantavirus is a group of viruses primarily spread through contact with infected rodent urine, droppings, or saliva. Humans usually become infected when contaminated particles become airborne and are inhaled.

The disease can cause:

High fever
Severe muscle pain
Nausea and vomiting
Rapid progression to respiratory failure
Kidney failure in some strains

The most severe form is Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), which can become life-threatening within hours of breathing difficulty beginning. The U.S. CDC notes hantaviruses can cause serious disease worldwide.

How Many People Are Infected Right Now?

Confirmed 2026 outbreak numbers (as of May 8, 2026):

The ongoing MV Hondius outbreak involving the rare Andes strain has:

5 confirmed cases
8 total suspected cases
3 confirmed deaths

These are the most current internationally confirmed figures from WHO-linked reporting and Reuters coverage as of May 7–8, 2026.

Historical context

In the United States alone, 864 cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome were reported between 1993 and 2022.

So while global case numbers remain low compared with COVID, hantavirus is not new—it has existed for decades.

Countries Currently Affected in the 2026 Outbreak

Passengers from the infected cruise ship have now triggered monitoring or confirmed cases across multiple nations.

Confirmed or under active health monitoring:

Argentina (suspected source region)
Chile (natural Andes virus region)
Netherlands
Germany
Switzerland
South Africa
United States
United Kingdom
Spain (Canary Islands quarantine operations)
Denmark
Cape Verde

Passengers originated from at least 12 countries, with contact tracing underway internationally.

Is Hantavirus More Dangerous Than COVID-19?

This is where hantavirus becomes medically alarming.

Factor	COVID-19	Hantavirus (Andes strain)
Fatality rate	~1–3% globally (varied)	Can approach 35–40%
Human-to-human spread	Very efficient	Extremely rare
Airborne spread	Yes	Usually no
Global transmissibility	Very high	Low
Treatment	Antivirals, vaccines	No specific cure

The Andes strain involved in this outbreak is notable because it is the only hantavirus known to occasionally spread between humans through prolonged close contact. WHO says its public risk remains low.

Bottom line:

Per individual infection, hantavirus can be deadlier than COVID.

As a pandemic threat, it is currently far less transmissible than COVID.

How Long Would It Take to Spread Globally?

Based on what we know from virology and current outbreak investigations:

If the virus mutated to allow efficient human-to-human transmission, international air travel could spread it globally in 2–6 weeks, similar to early COVID patterns.

However—and this matters—there is currently no evidence that the 2026 outbreak shows sustained community transmission.

WHO’s current assessment:

“Public risk remains low.”

WHO also stated this outbreak is “not the start of a pandemic.”

Will There Be Another Pandemic?

From a medical and epidemiological standpoint:

Could hantavirus cause one?

Possible—but currently unlikely.

For hantavirus to become pandemic-level, it would likely need:

Genetic changes that improve human transmission
Sustained spread beyond close-contact clusters
Silent transmission before symptoms
International seeding without early detection

Right now, none of those conditions appear established.

The current outbreak looks more like:

A contained cluster
A rare Andes strain event
Intensive international contact tracing

Not a COVID-scale event—at least based on today’s evidence.

Should You Be Concerned?

Reasonable concern is warranted—but not panic.

Your real-world risk today remains very low unless you:

Handle rodents or rodent-infested materials
Work in farms, cabins, warehouses, wilderness camps
Had direct exposure to known cases

For the general public, health agencies currently consider risk low while surveillance continues.

Final Medical Verdict

Hantavirus is deadlier than COVID per case, but far less contagious.

As of May 8, 2026:

5 confirmed cases
8 suspected cases
3 deaths
12+ countries monitoring contacts

At present, this is a serious outbreak—not a pandemic.

But in a post-COVID world, every rare human-transmissible virus deserves close watching.

If Drake Maye and A.J. Brown Unite in New England… Could The Patriots Win Super Bowl LXI?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 May 2026 17:26:00 +0000

There are offseason stories… and then there are franchise-altering stories.

Right now, nothing in the NFL feels bigger than the possibility of second-year star Drake Maye teaming up with one of football’s most physically dominant receivers, A.J. Brown, in Foxborough.

It’s still speculation—but if it happens?

The rest of the AFC may have a serious problem.

Reports this week suggest the Patriots remain aggressive in pursuing Brown, with team executives “keeping the door open” on a possible blockbuster move. Multiple outlets indicate trade discussions remain alive heading into the summer.

And if you watched New England in 2025, you already know why.

Drake Maye Is No Longer “The Future”—He’s Already Here

Most rookie quarterbacks flash potential.

Maye did something far more dangerous:

He won.

In 2025, Maye led New England all the way to Super Bowl LX, throwing for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns, and only 8 interceptions while finishing second in MVP voting. He earned All-Pro honors and helped return the Patriots to championship relevance.

At just 23 years old, he’s already doing things that usually take quarterbacks five years to learn:

Reading disguised coverages
Manipulating safeties
Throwing with elite anticipation
Delivering under pressure

But during the Super Bowl loss to Seattle, one weakness became impossible to ignore:

New England still lacks an elite alpha receiver.

That’s where Brown changes everything.

Why A.J. Brown Would Be the Perfect Weapon

Brown isn’t just a receiver.

He’s a matchup nightmare.

At 6’1”, 226 pounds, Brown combines power, route precision, and after-catch explosiveness that few defenders can handle.

Put him with Maye, and suddenly:

Third-and-8 becomes manageable
Red-zone efficiency skyrockets
Play-action becomes lethal
Defensive coordinators lose sleep

Even Patriots analysts are calling a Brown acquisition a move that could make New England’s offense “a nightmare” for the rest of the NFL.

And they’re not exaggerating.

What This Offense Could Look Like

Imagine this lineup:

QB: Drake Maye
WR1: A.J. Brown
HC: Mike Vrabel
Defense: Already championship caliber

This wouldn’t be a rebuilding team.

This would be a team built to win right now.

New England already reached the Super Bowl in 2025 under Vrabel’s leadership before falling to Seattle, proving the foundation is already in place.

Brown might be the missing piece.

Can They Actually Win Super Bowl LXI?

As an NFL analyst, here’s my honest projection:

Current Patriots (without Brown)

Super Bowl odds: 12–15%

They’re contenders—but still vulnerable against offensive juggernauts like:

Kansas City Chiefs
Buffalo Bills
Baltimore Ravens

Patriots with Brown

Super Bowl odds: 22–28%

That’s not just playoff contention.

That’s championship territory.

Because when you pair a rising franchise quarterback with a true WR1 before he reaches his prime…

Dynasties start.

The Verdict

If A.J. Brown lands in Foxborough, the New England Patriots won’t just be chasing another playoff run.

They’ll be chasing another era.

And with Drake Maye under center…

The NFL may be watching the birth of the next great Patriots dynasty.

Watch Live Stream of Oklahoma City Thunder vs Los Angeles Lakers

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 May 2026 16:54:00 +0000

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Watch Live Stream of Detroit Pistons vs Cleveland Cavaliers

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America Wakes Up to Chaos: Oil Tankers, Military Threats, and a White House UFC Announcement

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 May 2026 06:52:00 +0000

America Wakes Up to Chaos

On what already felt like an unstable week in global politics, the United States woke up to a series of headlines that sounded more like a political thriller than reality.

Reports of U.S. military action involving an Iranian-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz instantly sent shockwaves through financial markets, social media platforms, and governments around the world. Within hours, gas prices surged, military analysts warned of escalation, and Americans began wondering whether the country was moving closer to another major conflict in the Middle East.

But the day would only get stranger.

As fears of war dominated television screens, another headline suddenly exploded online: President Donald Trump announced plans for a future UFC event on the White House grounds as part of America’s upcoming 250th anniversary celebration.

The contrast between possible military conflict and a proposed championship fight outside the White House created one of the most surreal news cycles Americans have seen in years.

Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most strategically important waterways on Earth. Nearly a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through the narrow shipping route connecting the Persian Gulf to global markets.

According to early reports, U.S. forces engaged an Iranian-linked tanker after rising tensions and military movements in the region. While official details remain limited, the situation escalated rapidly enough to trigger immediate reactions from oil traders and defense officials worldwide.

The possibility of a wider conflict immediately raised alarms because any disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could impact:

global oil supplies,
gasoline prices,
international shipping,
stock markets,
and economic stability worldwide.

Energy analysts warned that even temporary instability in the region could create ripple effects felt far beyond the Middle East.

Gas Prices Begin Rising

Americans quickly felt the consequences.

Reports from several states showed fuel prices climbing within hours of the breaking news. In California, some stations reportedly crossed the $6-per-gallon mark again, reviving fears of inflation and supply shortages.

On social media, drivers posted photos of gas station signs while hashtags related to oil prices and possible war began trending nationwide.

For many Americans, the sudden spike brought back memories of previous global crises where overseas conflict directly affected daily life at home.

Financial Markets Swing Wildly

Wall Street reacted almost instantly.

Markets fluctuated throughout the day as investors tried to interpret conflicting reports. Some analysts believed negotiations between the U.S. and Iran could still prevent escalation, while others warned the situation remained extremely fragile.

Oil prices initially surged before retreating slightly amid rumors of behind-the-scenes diplomatic talks.

Investors, businesses, and ordinary consumers all found themselves trapped in a cycle of uncertainty:
Would tensions cool down — or spiral into something much larger?

Gunfire Near Washington Adds to the Fear

As the Middle East crisis unfolded, another alarming incident shook the nation’s capital.

Authorities responded to reports of gunfire near the Washington Monument, triggering a rapid Secret Service response and temporary lockdowns around parts of Washington, D.C.

Witness videos quickly spread online, adding to the atmosphere of anxiety already dominating the news cycle.

Although officials later stated the situation was contained, the incident contributed to a growing sense that the country was experiencing multiple crises simultaneously.

Then Came the UFC Announcement

Just when the news cycle could not seem any stranger, social media erupted over a completely unexpected announcement.

President Trump revealed plans to host a UFC event on White House grounds as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebration.

Within minutes:

memes flooded X and TikTok,
sports commentators reacted live,
comedians joked about “the most American headline ever,”
and millions of users debated whether the idea was brilliant, bizarre, or both.

The announcement instantly became one of the most viral stories online, largely because of its timing.

As headlines warned about military escalation and economic instability, Americans were simultaneously discussing the possibility of championship fights taking place beside one of the world’s most iconic political buildings.

Social Media Turns the Crisis Into a Spectacle

Modern crises unfold differently than they once did.

Instead of waiting for evening news broadcasts, Americans experienced today’s events through:

livestreams,
memes,
TikTok explainers,
viral reaction videos,
and nonstop commentary on X and Reddit.

Within hours, the internet transformed the day’s events into a strange blend of fear, satire, confusion, and entertainment.

Some users expressed genuine concern about the possibility of war. Others mocked the surreal combination of military threats and UFC branding. Many simply struggled to process how quickly global tension and internet culture now collide in real time.

A Day That Felt Unreal

Whether tensions ease or escalate in the coming days, this moment may be remembered as one of the strangest modern American news cycles.

A possible international crisis.
Surging gas prices.
Military warnings.
Gunfire near Washington.
And a White House UFC event announcement — all unfolding within the same day.

For millions of Americans scrolling through their phones, it felt less like reality and more like a scripted political drama playing out live across the internet.

Yet behind the memes and viral reactions lies a serious truth:
events in distant parts of the world can still reshape economies, politics, and everyday life almost instantly.

And in 2026, those moments spread faster than ever before.

Today in History: The Birth of Sony and the End of World War II in Europe

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 May 2026 06:24:00 +0000

History has a way of connecting moments that shape the future in completely different ways. On May 7, the world witnessed two events that would forever influence modern civilization: the official surrender of Nazi Germany, ending World War II in Europe, and the founding of Sony, a company that would revolutionize global technology and entertainment.

One marked the conclusion of one of humanity’s darkest chapters. The other marked the beginning of a technological empire born from the ashes of war.

The End of World War II in Europe (1945)

On May 7, 1945, Nazi Germany officially signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Reims, France. The agreement ended World War II in Europe after nearly six years of devastating conflict.

The surrender was signed by German General Alfred Jodl in the presence of Allied representatives. The war had destroyed entire cities, displaced millions of people, and caused unimaginable loss across Europe and beyond.

The following day became known as VE Day — Victory in Europe Day — as crowds filled the streets in celebration from London to New York. Church bells rang, soldiers embraced civilians, and nations exhausted by war finally saw hope for peace.

Why the Surrender Was Historic

The end of WWII in Europe changed the course of global history forever:

Nazi Germany collapsed.
Europe began rebuilding from massive destruction.
The United Nations would soon emerge to promote international peace.
The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union would eventually begin.
Millions of soldiers and civilians could finally return home.

The surrender also marked the beginning of a new technological and political era. Radar, aviation, rocketry, and communication technologies developed during the war would later shape the modern world.

Japan After the War: A Nation Rebuilding

While Europe celebrated victory, Japan was still facing the final months of the war. Cities had been heavily damaged, industries destroyed, and the economy shattered.

Yet from this difficult period emerged a generation determined to rebuild Japan through innovation and technology.

One of the most important examples appeared just one year later.

The Birth of Sony (1946)

On May 7, 1946, a small company called Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation was founded in Japan by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita.

The company started in a partially damaged department store building in Tokyo with only a handful of employees. Resources were limited, but the founders shared a bold vision: create innovative electronic products that could compete globally.

Years later, the company adopted a simpler international name — Sony.

Sony’s Early Innovations

Sony quickly became known for breakthrough consumer technology:

Japan’s first tape recorder
Portable transistor radios
Compact cassette players
Walkman portable music players
CD and DVD technology
PlayStation gaming consoles
Professional cameras and televisions

Sony transformed how people listened to music, watched movies, and played video games.

The company became a symbol of Japan’s economic recovery and technological leadership during the second half of the 20th century.

From War to Innovation

The contrast between these two May 7 events is remarkable.

In 1945, the world was ending a devastating global conflict. Entire nations were focused on survival and rebuilding.

By 1946, companies like Sony represented something new: creativity, progress, and the rise of modern consumer technology.

This transition from destruction to innovation shows how quickly human societies can rebuild and reinvent themselves after crisis.

Why These Events Still Matter Today

Both stories continue to influence modern life in powerful ways.

The End of WWII Still Shapes Global Politics

Many modern international institutions and alliances were created because of lessons learned during World War II:

The United Nations
NATO
International human rights agreements
Postwar reconstruction programs

The war also reshaped borders, economies, and military strategies that still affect world affairs today.

Sony Still Influences Modern Technology

Sony remains one of the most recognized technology and entertainment brands in the world. From professional filmmaking equipment to gaming and music, its innovations continue to shape modern culture.

Products like the PlayStation became cultural icons for generations of gamers worldwide.

Final Thoughts

May 7 is a reminder that history often contains moments of both endings and beginnings.

The surrender of Nazi Germany ended one of the deadliest conflicts in human history. At the same time, the founding of Sony symbolized the resilience and creativity that would help rebuild a shattered world.

One event closed a tragic chapter. The other opened the door to a technological future that still impacts our daily lives today.

History is not only about wars and destruction — it is also about recovery, innovation, and humanity’s ability to move forward.

Watch Live Stream of San Antonio Spurs vs Minnesota Timberwolves

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Watch Live Stream of New York Knicks vs Philadelphia 76ers

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Aurora Partners With McLane For Driverless Trucks To Officially Enter The Freight Mainstream In Texas

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 May 2026 16:46:00 +0000

The future of freight officially moved from testing grounds to real highways this week.

Self-driving technology company Aurora Innovation announced a commercial partnership with McLane Company that will put fully autonomous trucks on one of America’s busiest freight corridors: the route between Dallas and Houston.

And yes—these trucks are operating without a human driver behind the wheel.

According to reports released on May 6, Aurora’s trucks will now haul restaurant and retail supplies across Texas using the company’s autonomous driving platform. While a “human observer” may still ride in the cab under agreements with truck manufacturer Paccar, that person does not control the vehicle. The truck drives itself.

From Pilot Program to Real Business

This didn’t happen overnight.

Aurora and McLane began testing autonomous freight operations in 2023 with safety operators onboard. Since then, Aurora says its trucks have logged over 280,000 autonomous miles and delivered more than 1,400 loads with 100% on-time performance—strong enough for McLane to approve full driverless operations.

What began as a pilot is now running seven days a week between Dallas and Houston.

How It Actually Works

Aurora’s system focuses on the “middle mile”—the long highway portion of the journey.

The autonomous truck handles interstate travel, then at terminals near Dallas and Houston, a McLane driver takes over for local deliveries to restaurants, convenience stores, and other customers.

It’s a hybrid model: AI for the long haul, humans for the final mile.

Why This Matters

Last year, Aurora became the first company to launch commercial driverless heavy-duty trucks on public U.S. roads. Now, this McLane deal shows the business model is moving beyond experimentation and into revenue-generating logistics.

Aurora says it plans to expand these autonomous routes across the U.S. Sun Belt before the end of 2026.

That means Texas may just be the beginning.

The Bigger Question

If autonomous trucks can safely move freight 24/7 without fatigue, mandatory breaks, or driver shortages…

What happens to the future of long-haul trucking?

For now, Aurora’s answer seems clear:

Not replacing humans entirely—yet.

But the wheel is no longer in human hands.

The End of Traditional Restaurants? Marc Lore Says AI Will Soon Let Anyone Launch a Food Brand in Under a Minute

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 May 2026 16:04:00 +0000

Imagine waking up tomorrow with an idea for a restaurant…

Maybe it’s a Filipino-Korean fusion brand. Maybe it’s a healthy meal concept for gym enthusiasts. Maybe it’s a food brand inspired by your favorite movie, your YouTube channel, or your personal fitness program.

Now imagine launching that restaurant—not in six months… not in six weeks…

But in under one minute.

That’s the bold future envisioned by entrepreneur Marc Lore, who believes artificial intelligence is about to completely redefine how restaurants are created, launched, and scaled.

Speaking at the Wall Street Journal’s Future of Everything conference this week, Lore revealed that his company, Wonder, is developing an AI-powered platform called “Wonder Create” that could allow virtually anyone to build their own restaurant brand simply by typing a prompt.

“Type It. Build It. Launch It.”

According to Lore, the process will feel similar to creating a website on Shopify—except instead of building an online store, you’re building an entire restaurant.

Users will type something like:

"Create a high-protein Asian bowl brand for fitness enthusiasts."

Within seconds, AI could generate:

The restaurant name
Branding and logo concepts
Product photos
Menu descriptions
Pricing strategies
Nutrition information
Complete recipes
Marketing copy

And once approved, that restaurant could instantly go live across Wonder’s kitchen network.

The Rise of “Restaurant Factories”

This isn’t just software.

Wonder already operates 120 “programmable cooking platforms” across the United States—tech-enabled kitchens capable of preparing meals for multiple brands from a single location. Lore says that number is expected to grow to 400 locations next year.

Inside these kitchens, robotics, conveyors, and automated cooking systems work alongside human staff to prepare meals with precision and consistency.

The company even boasts a library of over 700 ingredients, allowing AI-generated brands to mix, match, and experiment with countless culinary combinations.

In other words…

Wonder isn’t building restaurants.

They’re building restaurant factories.

Why This Could Change Everything

For decades, opening a restaurant has been one of the most expensive and risky business ventures.

Entrepreneurs had to worry about:

Real estate
Equipment
Staffing
Supply chains
Branding
Marketing
Delivery logistics

And despite all that effort, many restaurants fail within their first year.

Marc Lore believes AI can remove most of those barriers.

Instead of spending millions, future entrepreneurs may only need creativity—and the right prompt.

A fitness coach could launch custom meal bowls.

A content creator could create a branded food line.

A nonprofit could launch a cause-driven food campaign.

Even entertainment brands could launch themed food experiences tied to movies or events.

Lore’s message is simple:

"Anybody can make a restaurant."

But Can AI Really Replace Human Creativity?

Not everyone is convinced.

The restaurant industry has seen similar experiments before through “ghost kitchens,” many of which struggled with inconsistent food quality and weak customer loyalty.

Online restaurant communities continue to debate how far AI should go in hospitality, with many operators arguing that technology can streamline operations—but authentic food experiences still depend on human creativity and trust.

Lore acknowledges that robotics still have limitations. Tasks like hand-stretched pizza dough or sushi preparation remain difficult to automate.

For now, Wonder is focused on meals that can be standardized—burgers, bowls, fried chicken, wings, and other high-demand categories.

The Bigger Question

If Marc Lore is right, the restaurant of the future may not start in a kitchen…

It may start on a laptop.

And the next billion-dollar food brand might not be created by a celebrity chef…

But by someone with an idea, an internet connection, and a well-written prompt.

The question is no longer “Can AI help restaurants?”

The real question is:

When AI can build one in under a minute… what happens to the traditional restaurant industry?

America’s 48-Hour Mission That Shook the World

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 May 2026 09:28:00 +0000

In just two days, the United States launched one of its boldest military operations of the year… and then suddenly hit pause.

It began with a mission code-named Project Freedom.

The objective sounded straightforward: escort trapped commercial vessels through the volatile waters of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most strategically important shipping lanes on Earth. Nearly 20% of the world’s oil supply passes through this narrow corridor. When tensions in the region intensified, hundreds of ships—and thousands of sailors—were caught in limbo.

Then came the American response.

U.S. military assets moved into position. Escort operations began. Markets reacted immediately. Oil prices climbed. Headlines exploded across the globe.

For a brief moment, it looked like Washington was preparing for a major long-term maritime campaign.

Then—less than 48 hours later—everything changed.

President Donald Trump announced that Project Freedom would be paused, citing “progress in negotiations.” The sudden reversal stunned analysts, allies, and investors alike. Was this a tactical pause… or the beginning of a larger diplomatic breakthrough?

Meanwhile, the economic shockwaves continued.

Gasoline prices in parts of America surged to their highest levels since 2022. Shipping insurers raised premiums. Traders on NYSE watched every development with nervous intensity.

But beyond markets and military strategy lies a deeper question:

Is America showing strength… or uncertainty?

With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, every decision in Washington now carries global consequences.

And if history has taught us anything—

Sometimes the missions that last only 48 hours leave the biggest mark.

May 6 in History: The Day Humans Redefined “Impossible”

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 May 2026 09:16:00 +0000

May 6, 1954. A cool afternoon in Oxford, England. Spectators gathered around a simple running track, unaware they were about to witness one of the greatest moments in sports history.

At exactly that moment, a young medical student named Roger Bannister stepped onto the track with a mission many experts believed was beyond human capability—to run one mile in less than four minutes.

For years, athletes had chased this barrier. Doctors, coaches, and even scientists questioned whether the human body could survive such speed over that distance. Some believed the heart or lungs simply could not handle it.

But Bannister believed otherwise.

As he crossed the finish line, the clock stopped at 3:59.4.

In that instant, history changed.

What makes this story so powerful is that Bannister was not a full-time professional athlete—he was a medical student balancing studies, training, and competition. His achievement proved that many limitations exist first in the mind before they exist in reality.

Today, more than seventy years later, May 6 reminds us of a timeless lesson:

The impossible often remains impossible—until someone proves otherwise.

Who wants a new iPad?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 May 2026 08:24:01 +0000

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By Christine Hall

Monday, May 6, 2024

Good afternoon, and welcome back to TechCrunch PM. Today, Stack Overflow finally succumbs to OpenAI's power, Intrinsic favors Nvidia and we tell you the best place for your deep tech startup to get a boost. Also, prepare yourself for more than you needed to know about Apple iPads, coming at you tomorrow. I'll be manning the roundup article while my colleagues give you the scoops. Enjoy!

TechCrunch Top 3

Image Credits: Apple

Apple iPad event 2024: A new chip, a new iPad and a new keyboard are some of the rumors the TechCrunch team is waiting to learn more about at Tuesday's Apple iPad event. Stay right here for all the coverage. Read More

OpenAI and Stack Overflow become friends: A partnership between OpenAI and Stack Overflow will soon yield new generative AI integrations on the Stack Overflow platform. Kyle Wiggers writes that working with OpenAI "is a remarkable reversal for Stack Overflow, which initially banned responses from ChatGPT on its platform over fears of spammy responses." Read More

Intrinsic leverages Nvidia tech in its robotics: The Alphabet-backed company is teaming up with Nvidia to use its grasping technology (grabbing and picking up objects), which is one of the key modalities for both manufacturing and fulfillment automation. The systems are trained on large datasets, with the goal of executing tasks that work across hardware (i.e., hardware agnosticism) and with different objects. Read More

Afternoon must-reads

Image Credits: Thiago Prudencio/SOPA Images/LightRocket / Getty Images

Summarize this: Aria, Opera's in-browser AI product, can now summarize text-based web pages on Android by quickly condensing news articles, blog posts or research papers in a short summary that typically fits on one screen. Read More

LockBit is back: An international coalition of police agencies brought the dark web site of the notorious LockBit ransomware gang back into the light. This is a website the police seized earlier this year, teasing new revelations about the group. Read More

Where to set up shop: In the wide world of startups, going from academia to the real world means finding a place to hang your hat during the R&D process. Emily Knight, president of The Engine Accelerator, gives some tips for how deep tech companies can find a startup program. Read More

Around the web

Image Credits: Getty Images/Patra Kongsirimongkolchai / EyeEm

The SEC is watching Robinhood: Robinhood shares are down Monday after its cryptocurrency unit received warnings from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission regarding alleged securities violations, The Verge reports. Simply put, the SEC believes the assets Robinhood lists are securities and Robinhood doesn't. Read More

More layoffs at Tesla: Tesla sent out another round of pink slips Sunday night, Business Insider reports. Read More

Advice from the other side: Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is taking to LinkedIn to give his successor some words of wisdom after the coffee chain giant reported less-than-stellar quarterly earnings. The Wall Street Journal reports some of this included that "Starbucks executives and board members needed to spend more time working in cafes, and help to reinvigorate the chain's mobile ordering and payment systems. Starbucks needs to invest in coffee-focused drinks when it comes to new products to stand out among competitors and highlight its premium spot in the marketplace." I have a great place for them to start — put the ingredients that are supposed to be in the drink actually in the drink. Read More

TechCrunch Minute

Newchip, Techstars, and what happens when startup accelerators fail: Building a startup is hard. Building a company that helps startups is similarly difficult. That's the takeaway from recent TechCrunch reporting on Techstars and Newchip. With Newchip in liquidation and Techstars pushing ahead with its revamp, we are likely closer to the end of the accelerator shakeup than its beginning. Hit play and let's chat!

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Apartment dwellers want to charge, too

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 May 2026 08:23:48 +0000

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By Christine Hall

Wednesday, May 15, 2024

Good afternoon, and welcome to TechCrunch PM, the most important startup, tech and venture capital news in a single package. I've got a lot of great stuff for you, including an update on what went down at Google I/O, so many venture funding stories and a new head of product at Anthropic. Enjoy!

TechCrunch Top 3

Image Credits: Orange Charger

This is what happens when you lose a bet: Nicholas Johnson built the Orange Charger so apartment dwellers can charge their electric vehicles. This came after losing a bet that he couldn't go six months without charging his EV with nothing more than a Level 1 outlet. Read more

Restaurant tech is still hot: Restaurant365 retains its unicorn status and then some after raising $175 million. The company provides software so restaurants can manage their businesses. Read more

Layer takes on QuickBooks: It's a lofty goal, but Layer is going after those big, legacy accounting and bookkeeping platforms by enabling those who work with thousands of the small businesses to build their own accounting tools to keep them on one platform. Read more

Afternoon must-reads

Image Credits: Rebecca Bellan

Uber Shuttle is coming to America: The ride-hail and delivery giant plans to launch a shuttle service in certain U.S. cities this summer. The goal? To eventually cater to events like concerts and sports games, as well as airport pickups and drop-offs. Read more

Google I/O 2024: Catch up with everything announced at the conference. We also go into all of the top AI announcements from these past two days and why Google could run into some issues with its call-scanning technology. Read more

Fay gets a shot in the arm from Ozempic users: The dietitian startup has been booming from Ozempic patients and emerges from stealth with $25 million from top investors, like General Catalyst and Forerunner. Read more

Heat pump gets a makeover: Quilt's heat pumps sport the sort of sleek and intuitive designs you'd expect from veterans from Apple, Nest, Google, and Tesla. Each unit is intended to heat and cool a single room, and there's an app and a thermostat-like Dial from which customers can set temperatures throughout their home. Plus, you can customize the outside of the unit to your warm heart's content. Read more

Anthropic's new head of product: Meet Mike Krieger, who is joining Anthropic as the company's first chief product officer. His name may seem familiar because he is one of the co-founders of Instagram and, more recently, the co-founder of personalized news app Artifact, a startup TechCrunch corporate parent Yahoo recently acquired. Read more

Apple's new accessibility features: Now iPad and iPhone users get some new features designed to cater to a diverse range of user needs. These include the ability to control your device with eye-tracking technology, create custom shortcuts using your voice, experience music with a haptic engine and more. Read more

Venture capitalists advocate for standardized data collection: A group of VCs formed the Diversity Data Alliance in hopes of simplifying the process of collecting data by creating a framework that firms can use to gather information about founders and funders. It hopes to also work toward creating a centralized data pool to better track and understand funding trends in the industry. This is especially important for marginalized founders, who still receive little to no venture funding. Read more

Alkira grabs $100 million: Tiger Global jumps in to lead a $100 million investment into Alkira and its "network infrastructure as a service," which lets users virtualize and orchestrate hybrid cloud assets to manage them as a whole. Read more

Weka secures Series E: Data is always a big theme, and that is no different with Weka, which raised $140 million in new capital to build data pipelines to manage a range of data sources, types, and sizes. Read more

Newchip's bankruptcy is a cautionary tale for founders: Newchip's bankruptcy has threatened the cap tables of thousands of startups. TechCrunch's Equity podcast has the details on how founders are trying to buy their companies back, and what this means for the broader accelerator landscape. Listen here

Money, money, money

Meet PayHOA, a profitable and once-bootstrapped SaaS startup that just landed a $27.5 million Series A. Read more

Portuguese VC firm Shilling launches €50 million opportunity fund to back growth-stage startups. Read more

LanceDB, which counts Midjourney as a customer, is building databases for multimodal AI. Read more

Berlin-based trawa raises €10 million to use AI to make buying renewable energy easier for SMEs. Read more

Around the web

Image Credits: Getty Images/Patra Kongsirimongkolchai / EyeEm

TikTok has a well-heeled suitor: The Hill follows billionaire Frank McCourt's bid to buy TikTok. He's best known for being the former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and executive chair of investment firm McCourt Global. Read more

As quickly as it went up, GameStop stock fell: GameStop shares declined 30% in early trading Wednesday as the meme stock faces its 15 minutes of fame, Yahoo! Finance reports. Read more

Meanwhile, is "Roaring Kitty" the internet's Warren Buffett? The Wall Street Journal experts ponder. Read more

Intel makes a Thunderbolt: The Verge covers Intel's new Thunderbolt Share, which the company will license to computer and computer accessory manufacturers. Two computers with the technology can then be connected via Thunderbolt cable and share a mouse, keyboard, screens, storage, etc. Read more

TechCrunch Minute

Google I/O becomes Google AI: It's true. We wrote about Google mentioning the term "AI" over 120 times on Tuesday during the initial presentation. But the company isn't just rolling out new products with AI — it's also integrating them into its core services. For example, Gmail and search. Hit play and let's chat!

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How hackers actually steal one-time passwords

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 May 2026 08:23:48 +0000

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By Rebecca Bellan

Monday, May 13, 2024

Welcome to TechCrunch AM! I'm Rebecca Bellan, and I'll be accompanying you and your morning coffees going forward. I'm devastated that Alex has moved on and left massive (metaphorical) shoes to fill, but I'm super excited to start the morning with you all!

Today, we have a deep dive into how cybercriminals are targeting boomers, notes on Permira dropping a huge wad of cash for Squarespace, why sustainability is actually just about money, and how Google is tapping telecom companies for cloud coverage. Onward! — Rebecca

TechCrunch Top 3

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin / TechCrunch

1. 'Got that boomer!' PSA: If PayPal's security team tells you they've detected unusual activity on your account, do NOT give that person the six-digit security code sent to your phone. A hacking operation called Estate has enabled its members to make thousands of automated phone calls and trick victims into giving out their one-time passcodes. We got our hands on Estate's unencrypted backend database for a rare insight into how this type of scam works. Read More

2. Permira drops $6.9B for Squarespace: Website builder Squarespace is being taken private in a $6.9 billion all-cash deal by U.K.-based private equity firm Permira. The private equity firm says it sees potential in the company's business, especially as it has begun integrating genAI into its solutions. CEO Anthony Casalena will stay on post-acquisition. Read More

3. Gatekeeping.com: Booking.com has been designated a gatekeeper under the EU's Digital Markets Act, which means it will now be regulated under the bloc's competition rules. The travel platform has six months to comply, and the European Commission hopes its decision will give consumers more choice and hotels more business opportunities. Read More

A MESSAGE FROM STATSIG

A/B Talks: NYC on May 16th!

Join Statsig for an event discussing the latest trends in product development with past leaders from Facebook, Instagram, Rec Room
and Snap!

Morning Must Reads

Image Credits: SAP

Companies are not going to magically grow a conscience: SAP's chief sustainability officer, Sophia Mendelsohn, feels we can't wait around for companies to become altruistic overnight. No, she thinks you need to hit them where it hurts – their wallets. Ron Miller has a great interview showing us how Mendelsohn thinks about sustainability efforts: it's a balancing act that involves incentivizing companies, keeping investors happy, paying working workers fairly and not charging consumers too much. Read More

Wait, what did I note down?: Voicenotes is the latest AI-powered transcription tool, but with a little extra oomph: You can ask its AI assistant questions about your past notes taken. The new app, built by creator-tipping platform Buymeacoffee's founder, Jijo Sunny, and his wife Aleesha, has a free tier that lets you record up to 1-minute voice notes, or you can pay $10 per month to unlock better models and unlimited note-taking. Read More

Indian businesses get more cloud cover: Airtel, a major telco in India, and Google Cloud are teaming up to develop and deliver cloud and generative AI products to Airtel's extensive business customer base. We are sensing a trend here: Other tech giants like Microsoft and Apple are also sniffing around the telecom industry for the troves of data generated by the billions of phone users worldwide. Read More

Listen to women in AI: As part of a series on women in AI, TechCrunch interviewed Dar'shun Kendrick, a member of the Georgia House of Representatives. She talks about passing legislation around the upcoming election and political deepfakes, why women need to show up in AI, and why fraud is the biggest issue in the sector. Read More

You don't need to throw the baby clothes into the trash: Baby equipment is one of the worst industries for fast consumption and waste generation, as babies keep growing and needing more stuff. Or so we think. Alora Baby is trying to shift the narrative to a greener and more sustainable manufacturing option, starting with bedside cribs. Read More

Apple workers go on strike: Apple is getting some blowback from its workers… sort of. A union at one Apple store in Maryland authorized a strike over the weekend. But over in New Jersey, another store voted against forming a union. Read More

Around the Web

Intel wants some fish 'n chips: Intel is reportedly close to a deal with Apollo Global Management for a $11-billion partnership to build a chip manufacturing plant in Ireland, the Wall Street Journal reports. The deal comes as every ambitious country in the world tries to grab a piece of the crucial semiconductor manufacturing market. Read More

The sun is messing with farmers: The solar storm that brought the aurora borealis to the U.S. this weekend also broke vital GPS and precision farming functionality in tractors and agricultural equipment, The Verge reports. Farmers have had to fully stop their planting operations during a critical point in the season. We're pretty sure they don't think the northern lights were worth it. Read More

Pointing lasers at planes is bad: The U.S. Army has shipped a pair of high-energy laser weapons overseas to defend its troops and allies against enemy drones, Wired reports. Called the Palletized High Energy Laser (P-HEL), the weapons are developed by BlueHalo, and can actively blast threats out of the sky. Yes, your tiny handheld laser won't bring down aircraft, but it's still not good to point lasers at planes! Read More

Before You Go

Image Credits: Netflix

Bots need love, too: What in the Black Mirror is Bumble's founder Whitney Wolfe Herd talking about? Oh, that's right – checks notes – using bots to date. Herd is imagining a near future where users can talk to an AI dating concierge to weed through the filth and help you find The One™. After all, AI is bringing efficiency to our work lives. Why not our romantic lives, too? Read More

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See what Apple did to the iPads

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 May 2026 08:23:48 +0000

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By Christine Hall

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Hello, and welcome back to TechCrunch PM. Today's Apple iPad Event was quite quick, so if you missed it, we have all you need to know in one pretty package. Also, Wiz grabs a whopping $1 billion in new funding, we learn more about Wayve's outlook on autonomous things and Mercury is taking on Brex and Ramp with some new payments software. Enjoy!

TechCrunch Top 3

Image Credits: Apple

Behold, the new iPads: Apple's iPad lineup got a face-lift today, with one of the most important additions being that it now comes in two display sizes: 11 inch or 13 inch. That's right, your iPad can be the same size as a small Mac laptop. You'll definitely need the keyboard that goes with it. And the pencil. Read More

Wiz now valued at $12 billion: It's not every day that a company gets $1 billion in new funding in this venture capital environment, but here comes Wiz, the buzzy startup building an all-in-one cloud security platform. It's on an acquisition march to expand its business quickly en route to an IPO. And yes, there is artificial intelligence involved. Read More

Motional brakes: The autonomous vehicle startup backed by Hyundai and Aptiv is pausing its commercial operations and delaying plans to launch a driverless taxi service as it undergoes a restructuring. That's not the only change it is making, and unfortunately that means layoffs. Read More

Afternoon must-reads

Image Credits: James R.D. Scott / Getty Images

Whale ABCs: We always knew that whales can speak with each other. Now researchers say they have unlocked a kind of sperm whale "alphabet" with the aid of machine learning technologies. We just need an app to help us learn what the sperm whales are saying? Read More

Give a little Wayve: The U.K.-based autonomous vehicle startup started life as a software platform loaded into a tiny electric "car" called Renault Twizy. Today it's an AI model company that plans to sell its autonomous driving model to a variety of auto OEMs as well as to makers of new autonomous robots. Read More

Robert Khan isn't surprised by the internet challenges we have today: Here's what the co-creator of the internet has to say about crypto AI, "knowbots," connected devices and other things. Read More

Yabba dabba doo!: Amazon is launching a new tool that Fred Flintstone would be happy to own. It's called Bedrock Studio and is designed to let organizations experiment with generative AI models, collaborate on those models, and ultimately build generative AI-powered apps. Read More

The man behind "LockbitSupp:" He's a 31-year-old Russian named Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev, and the U.S. Department of Justice charged him with several computer crimes, fraud, and extortion. And in the process, the feds also revealed some details about LockBit's past operations. Read More

Jumia is back!: The African e-tailer saw its orders and gross merchandise volume increase in the first quarter of 2024, despite a reduction in quarterly active customers. Read More

Google had to come out with something, too: Brian Heater writes that the dock was what made the Pixel Tablet interesting. Now Google says you don't have to buy it if you don't want to. Read More

Nintendo Switch 2 is coming: After two years of rumors, Nintendo unceremoniously confirmed that the Switch 2 console is on the way. Read More

Mercury's fintech temperature is rising: We learned exclusively that the digital banking startup is putting itself more into the territory of fintech rivals Brex and Ramp, with a new layer of software for its bank accounts. This gives its business customers the ability to pay bills, invoice customers and reimburse employees. Read More

Money, money, money

India's Oyo, once valued at $10 billion, seeks new funding at a 70% discount. Read More

Daloopa trains AI to automate financial analysts' workflows. Read More

Rad AI, a startup that helps radiologists save time on report generation, raises a $50 million Series B from Khosla Ventures. Read MoreLegion's founder aims to close the gap between what employers and workers need. Read More

Around the web

Image Credits: Getty Images/Patra Kongsirimongkolchai / EyeEm

Suitors are circling Peloton: CNBC reports that some private equity firms are considering the connected fitness company as their next acquisition target as a way to help turn the company around. Read More

Elizabeth Holmes gets her sentence reduced again: This time, it was reduced by four months, meaning the former Theranos founder will be out just before the new year in 2032, The Guardian reports. Read More

Another SPAC: Oklo, a developer of advanced nuclear systems, was approved to go public via a special purchase acquisition company, Bloomberg reports. Oklo, which is backed by OpenAI's Sam Altman, will combine with AltC Acquisition Corp., also backed by Altman. Read More

TechCrunch Minute

Audible deploys AI-narrated audiobooks: Who wants to hear Michelle Williams tell the tale of Britney Spears when AI can do it? Audible is making it easy for authors to generate AI-narrated audiobooks, and as in many cases of AI showing up in an established industry, there's worry that the creative folks are going to get squeezed out by the robots. Can it replace the human touch? Hit play and let's chat!

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Amazon gets green light for more drone deliveries

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 May 2026 08:22:30 +0000

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By Christine Hall

Thursday, May 30, 2024

Welcome to TechCrunch PM! This afternoon, we deliver some drone news from Amazon and get to the bottom of Sam Altman's Y Combinator career. We also look at the continued backlash Spotify is getting over Car Thing, as well as lots of venture funding rounds and some truths about misinformation. Enjoy!

Tomorrow is your last day to save up to $800 on Disrupt passes. Book your early-bird pass today!

TechCrunch Top 3

Image Credits: Amazon

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's your package!: Amazon received approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to fly its delivery drones longer distances, meaning it can now expand its Prime Air service, which uses delivery drones to fly individual packages to more customers. Read more

Rumor has it …: That Sam Altman was fired from Y Combinator. Well, YC co-founder Paul Graham has had enough and is finally clearing the air. Read more

Turn your searches into shareable pages: Perplexity AI is getting in on the action started by companies like Arc and is offering Perplexity Pages that enable users to make reports, articles or guides in a visually appealing format. Read more

Afternoon must-reads

Image Credits: Spotify

I want my Spotify Car Thing: Gen Zers are taking to TikTok to protest Spotify's decision to discontinue support for Car Thing, its in-car streaming device. Making matters worse for the streaming company is a new lawsuit claiming Spotify misled consumers by selling them a soon-to-be obsolete product and then not offering refunds. Read more

It's all about the money: Former teen model Katrin Kaurov is putting her financial prowess to work. She teamed up with Aleksandra Medina to start Frich, an app where Gen Z talks and learns about money. Read more

Hacked: Cybersecurity company Check Point says attackers are exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in its enterprise VPN products to break into the corporate networks of its customers. Read more

Forward charges into payments infrastructure: After Brandon Lloyd sold his second company, Bypass, a payments and point-of-sale software company for sports and entertainment, to Fiserv in 2020, he dove more into the payments industry and realized something: Software companies were getting a raw deal from the payments provider industry. Read more

When sharing is not caring: Two new studies show that when it comes to the spreading of misinformation, a small group of committed "supersharers," were responsible for the vast majority of the "fake news." Wait until you see who these people are. Read more

Hacking a satellite: Space startup Basalt Technologies may have started in a shed behind a Los Angeles dentist's office, but soon it will try to "hack" a derelict satellite to test out a theory. Read more

South Korea getting electric air taxis: The country could see the taxis by 2026 if a partnership between Archer Aviation and Kakao Mobility can take flight. Read more

Money, money, money

Image Credits: Microbio

Valar Labs debuts AI-powered cancer care prediction tool and secures $22 million. Read more

AI manufacturing startup funding is on a tear as Switzerland's EthonAI raises $16.5 million. Read more

TechCrunch Minute

Image Credits: Getty Images / MirageC

What Sam Altman's firing and rehiring reveals about OpenAI: It's the story that keeps on keeping on. But one thing that has remained pretty vague is why the board members felt they had to take such a drastic step in the first place. The only thing the board members said publicly was that Altman had not been "consistently candid in his communications with the board" and that they no longer had confidence in his ability to lead the company. Hit play and let's chat!

Around the web

Grubhub and Amazon forge deal: Your Amazon Prime subscription is even more delicious. It now comes with a free Grubhub subscription. CNBC reports it comes with a yearlong subscription and free delivery on orders over $12. Read more

An edit button for texts: That's one of a handful of new Google features coming to Android devices, The Verge reports. Read more

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SAP shells out $1.5B for WalkMe

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 May 2026 08:22:30 +0000

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By Dominic-Madori Davis

Wednesday, June 5, 2024

Welcome to TechCrunch AM! Hi, I'll be guest-writing this newsletter today while Rebecca is out. This morning, we have news on billion-dollar startups and billion-dollar acquisitions, what we can expect at Apple's developer conference next week, and a startup that's adding AI to stethoscopes. Let's dive into some tech, shall we? — Dom

TechCrunch Top 3

Image Credits: WalkMe

1. SAP acquires digital platform WalkMe for $1.5 billion: Founded in 2011, WalkMe sought to make website navigation easier, and has lately started using AI to provide contextual in-app support — like at points where a user is bound to exit an app. That focus has now attracted SAP, which is paying a 45% premium for the company's shares. Read More

2. Modi's victory in India signals more of the same: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has won India's general election, meaning Narendra Modi will once again serve as the nation's prime minister. A victory for NDA means a continuation of policy for businesses and startups, though spending cuts might also be on the plan. Read More

3. U.S. wants to make anti-surveillance tech cooler: The U.S.' DARPA has tasked the startup Slingshot Aerospace with developing tools to locate nefarious satellites launched by "bad actors" into mega-constellations. Slingshot researchers apparently generated 60 years' worth of synthetic constellation data with which to train their system to detect minute differences in satellite behavior. How cool is that?! Read More

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Jobs across sectors have been made obsolete as companies implement artificial intelligence into their processes, and peak AI has yet to arrive. How will AI's development shape the future of employment? Download the Financial Times' complimentary report, Future of AI, and find out.

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Morning Must-Reads

Image Credits: Eko Health

Bringing the stethoscope into the 21st century: Eko Health has raised a $41 million Series D in a bid to add (what else?) AI to the stethoscope, of all things. The health startup received FDA clearance in April for its AI-powered stethoscope, which "combines heart sounds with cardiac rhythm assessment" to detect heart failures. Read More

Alphabet hires a new CFO: Alphabet is bringing on longtime Eli Lilly CFO, Anat Ashkenazi, as its own finance head. Ashkenazi spent 23 years at Eli Lilly, and will start at Alphabet on July 31, replacing its current CFO, Ruth Porat. Read More

Asana wants you to be teammates with AI: Asana has launched a feature that it's calling 'AI teammates' — essentially bots that will work alongside human employees. Asana's head of AI told TechCrunch the company believes that the future of work "is not just humans working with humans, but humans also working with AI." Yeah, no one saw that coming. Read More

One thing washing machines and gearboxes have in common is fluid dynamics, and that's exactly what Dive, a spin-out from Bosch, realized when it started licensing its computational fluid dynamics simulation service and carmakers flocked to buy its product. The company combines modern mathematical approaches and cloud computing to change how manufacturers use computer simulations. It's now raised a $10 million Series A to continue building. Read More

Insurers hate nothing more than natural disasters, so if you have a wealth of data about weather and catastrophes, why not sell that data to insurance companies? Well, for one thing, Understory thought it could do better by becoming an insurer itself. The company has done well, seeing 500% year-over-year growth, and has now raised a $15 million Series A to focus on renewable energy, helping solar farms and the like mitigate risk related to bad weather. Read More

Around the Web

Nvidia's stock is the hottest thing in town: Bloomberg looked into the $2.9 trillion powerhouse that is Nvidia. In the past year, the company's valuation has skyrocketed, with analysts predicting a jump in net income and profit margins this year, too. Though many investors can't stop buying shares, a few naysayers have emerged. Read More

X loses a top executive: The WSJ reports that Joe Benarroch, in charge of business operations at X, is now leaving the company. He was said to be one of X CEO Linda Yaccarino's trusted advisors, the two having worked together at Comcast NBCUniversal. He isn't the first top executive to leave so soon after joining X, which is still struggling to woo advertisers. He probably won't be the last, either. Read More

Elon Musk might get another big pay day: CNBC reports that one of Tesla's largest shareholders supports Musk's request for a $56 billion pay package. In an open letter, billionaire Ron Baron said that without Musk's "relentless drive," there "would be no Tesla." The pay package has been quite controversial, and would be the largest pay package for a CEO ever if it is passed. Read More

Before You Go

Image Credits: Apple

Apple's annual developer conference is near: Apple is expected to reveal more of its generative AI plans at WWDC, its annual developer conference, on June 10. iOS 18 is also expected to steal the show at the event, in what is rumored to be the company's biggest iOS update in its history. TechCrunch has the deets on what you can expect. Read More

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Watch Live Stream of Phoenix Suns vs Dallas Mavericks

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Watch Live Stream of San Antonio Spurs vs Sacramento Kings

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Watch Live Stream of Los Angeles Lakers vs Golden State Warriors

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Watch Live Stream of Washington Wizards vs Denver Nuggets

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Nikola’s Badger sees its shadow

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 23:01:00 +0000

By Christine Hall

Thursday, February 22, 2024

Good afternoon, and welcome to TechCrunch PM. We have a lot of news for you today, so enjoy an update on Nikola's electric truck, what's new at Bluesky, more AI and funding news and an update on Sony's VR.

— Christine

Image Credits: Nikola

Is your money working hard?

TechCrunch PM Top 3

Changing lanes: Electric trucking company Nikola was supposed to build its Badger pickup truck with General Motors. Instead, it sold the truck's intellectual property to another company. One with ties to a television personality.

Gemini, the all powerful: Gemini tried to interact with me through my phone today for the first time. Perhaps Google was alerting me to the fact that Chrome got a new AI writing generator. Don't worry, it's still an experimental tool, so you have to enable it.

Bluesky opens up federation: After a public launch of federation earlier this month, X competitor Bluesky is opening up the network so that anyone can run their own server that connects to Bluesky's network. It's a move to help users have more control over their personal data.

Image Credits: Tim Mason / Getty Images

On the pods

For this week's episode, Jacquelyn interviewed Steve Kaczynski, co-author of the book "The Everything Token," and co-host of a web3 morning show “Coffee with Captain.” He also co-authored the first Harvard Business Review article about NFTs. Outside of that, he consults with agencies and brands about building their web3 strategies, including his role with Starbucks, where he is a community lead for its NFT-focused loyalty program, Starbucks Odyssey.

Jacquelyn and Steve discuss what got him interested in NFTs, how important it is to build understanding for the sector and why communities matter more than floor prices.

They also dive into:

Future adoption for Bored Ape Yacht Club.
Growing Starbucks's NFT-based loyalty program.
What agencies and brands need to know about web3.
How to get started in the NFT space.

Listen here. Or get the tl;dr version.

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin

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The new age space race is here

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 15:01:00 +0000

By Alex Wilhelm

Thursday, February 22, 2024

Good morning, and welcome to TechCrunch AM!

The space race is far from over, and it's no mere nation-state competition these days. A U.S.-based startup has just brought back pharma products made in low orbit, and India is loosening rules for foreign investment in its space industry. If you aren't tracking space-focused startups, you are really missing out on one of the most exciting – dare we say out of this world – areas in tech. See? It's not all vertical SaaS and AI!

– Alex

Is your money working hard?

TechCrunch Top 3

Space drugs touchdown dirtside: Varda Space's pharma products that it grew in space have made it back to the planet. The startup's in-space manufacturing capsule, called Winnebago-1, touched down in Utah yesterday afternoon, carrying "crystals of the drug ritonavir, which is used to treat HIV/AIDS," Aria Alamalhodaei reports. Low-gravity manufacturing is going to be awesome.
Demand for deepfake regulation accelerates: AI tech is advancing at a rapid clip, and so are concerns around how it's going to be used and abused. Several hundred folks involved in AI are calling for strict regulation of AI deepfakes. Since this is an election year around the world, the issue is gathering widespread attention given the potential for abuse. Elsewhere in AI, Google has paused Gemini's ability to generate images of people while it finetunes the model.
X is censoring itself in India at the government's behest: Social media service X is withholding specific accounts and posts in India following executive orders from the country's government. The company says it can't make details of the orders public because New Delhi has forbidden it from doing so, and that it is fighting back. India's technology regulatory landscape has become increasingly strict in recent years, for reference.

Image Credits: Varda Space Industries

Don't miss these

Antler backs 37 vertical AI startups: Founders in Southeast Asia are having luck raising capital. Singaporean venture capital firm Antler has invested $5.1 million across more than three dozen pre-seed startups developing vertical AI solutions in the region. Like elsewhere in the world, VCs in Asia seem to be betting that startups have a real shot at growing big with new machine intelligence tech.

Hohm Energy is helping expand Africa's power grid: South Africa has a real problem with producing enough power for its growing economy, but at least one company is working on the issue. Hohm, a portmanteau of "home" and the measure of electrical resistance "ohm," connects solar providers with individuals and businesses, extending the local grid and adding total capacity to strained power networks. It just raised $8 million for its work, which is a healthy seed round in any market.

Are you Blacker than ChatGPT? An ad agency has created a quiz of sorts to see if users are more knowledgeable about Black culture than ChatGPT, which is trained on a specific corpus of information. AI bias is a pressing issue due to the increasing use of LLMs by students, consumers and companies, and this seems like a cool way to highlight where and how AI training data can fall short of where it needs to be.

India wants foreign capital to fuel its space industry: New rules have cleared the roads for overseas investment in India's burgeoning space industry. The new setup will allow up to 49% foreign ownership in launch systems, 74% in satellite products, and as much as 100% external ownership in satellite component manufacturing.

Lucid to build just 9,000 cars this year: After predicting that it could build as many as 90,000 cars this year, Lucid has said it will miss its lofty goal by a staggering margin. The company expects to build only 9,000 cars this year, which is disappointing, especially since other EV companies have seen their volumes rise sharply in recent years. In the fourth quarter, Lucid reported an operating loss of $736.9 million on revenue of $151.2 million.

Another day, another hack: Change Healthcare is the latest victim of cybercrime in the States. One of the largest healthcare tech companies in the U.S., Change said it took systems offline to limit the threat, but the "specific nature of the cybersecurity incident was not disclosed," Zack Whittaker reports. I reckon there are two kinds of companies out there: Those that have been breached, and those that are hoping it won't happen to them.

Mobility moves: Autonomous driving startup Haomo.ai just raised $14 million in a new round of capital; micromobility companies are looking to join forces as the sector retreats; and Uber is working with India's Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). TechCrunch exclusively learned that the tie-up will see Uber start with "intercity bus ticketing across India and Metro Rail ticketing as a buyer application."

Social watchdog to expand purview: Meta's Oversight Board, an external group that advises the social giant, is extending its reach to include Threads, the company's Twitter competitor. The board recently criticized Meta's policies regarding faked videos, for reference.

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin / TechCrunch

Before you go

Mastodon spam wave was planned on Discord: TechCrunch reports that a recent wave of spam on the decentralized social network Mastodon was coordinated on social chat service Discord. The company "has yet to remove the server where the attacks are facilitated, and Mastodon community leaders have been unable to reach anyone at the company." Discord said it is monitoring the situation.

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch

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California puts the brakes on Waymo’s robotaxi application

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 23:00:00 +0000

By Christine Hall

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Good afternoon, and welcome to TechCrunch PM! Today, we bring you stories on Waymo, which was dealt a blow by California; Match Group starting a relationship with OpenAI; and efforts made to reduce climate-harming farming practices in India. And we're using expletives in headlines. Let's get started!

— Christine

Image Credits: Allen J. Schaben / Getty Images

TechCrunch PM Top 3

Waymo's expansion halted: The robotaxi company's plans to provide its service in Los Angeles and San Mateo counties was put on pause by the California Public Utilities Commission's Consumer Protection and Enforcement Division, at least until June. It's standard practice, we are told, but it still smarts given Waymo was already testing in Santa Monica.

A ConnectWise security flaw made it easy to exploit: Hackers are going at a high-risk vulnerability within ConnectWise's remote access tool. Researchers tell TechCrunch that they can see early signs of threat actors moving on to "more focused post-exploitation and persistence mechanisms," causing one researcher to describe what was going on in these terms: "I can't sugarcoat it — this shit is bad."

Decentralized cloud-y skies: Meet NodeShift, a young company providing a single API to give access to excess compute, storage and graphics accelerators from independent data center operators and through connections to low-cost decentralized web services like Akash and Filecoin.

Image Credits: DBenitostock / Getty Images

On the pods

Today on Equity was all about this week's leading startup and venture capital news. Even with the short week, Alex Wilhelm had plenty to talk about, including Loora's $12 million round, Dili closing on $3.6 million, Reddit's neat way to get power users invested in its upcoming IPO and a few new venture capital funds. Listen here.

Over on Found, Rebecca Szkutak and Dominic-Madori Davis spoke with Shan-Lyn Ma, the co-founder and CEO of wedding planning platform Zola, on how she built her business and how it handled the pandemic. Listen here.

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin

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