The countdown is on: The application to host a Side Event at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 closes tonight at 11:59 p.m. PT. If you’ve been considering a way to amplify your brand during the week’s tech epicenter, now is the time to lock it in. Your Side Event could be the …
Read More »How an over-the-air update made Quilt’s heat pumps more powerful
Software might be eating the world, but it’s taking some industries longer than others to realize its full potential. From iPhones to Teslas, people have grown accustomed to software updates improving the stuff they already own. But outside consumer electronics and automobiles, over-the-air updates aren’t commonplace yet. Yet that’s beginning …
Read More »Microsoft slips unscathed through EU competition probe after promising to unbundle Teams
Thanks to a pledge to unbundle its corporate messaging app Teams from its productivity suites, Microsoft has managed to slip unscathed through a major antitrust investigation by the European Commission that could have resulted in massive fines for the tech giant. The Commission on Friday okayed Microsoft’s concessions to address …
Read More »Apple delays release of iPhone Air in China due to pending approval of eSIM
Apple is set to release its upcoming iPhone 17 series on September 19 in most countries across the world. However, the eSIM-only iPhone Air’s release is being delayed in China, likely due to regulatory issues around the approval of the embedded SIM. Apple’s website notes that all three Chinese state-owned …
Read More »We are entering a golden age of robotics startups — and not just because of AI
When Seth Winterroth left his job at GE Ventures to help launch Eclipse Ventures in 2015, robotics was on his mind. Or more specifically, the number of early-stage robotics startups that were struggling to launch due to lack of interest. “These are teams that had just finished their postdocs at …
Read More »OpenAI secures Microsoft’s blessing to transition its for-profit arm
OpenAI announced Thursday that it reached a non-binding agreement with Microsoft, its largest investor, on a revised partnership that would allow the startup to convert its for-profit arm into a public benefit corporation (PBC). The transition, should it be cleared by state regulators, could allow OpenAI to raise additional capital …
Read More »A California bill that would regulate AI companion chatbots is close to becoming law
California has taken a big step toward regulating AI. SB 243 — a bill that would regulate AI companion chatbots in order to protect minors and vulnerable users — passed both the State Assembly and Senate with bipartisan support and now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. Newsom has until …
Read More »Apple’s latest iPhone security feature just made life more difficult for spyware makers
Buried in an ocean of flashy novelties announced by Apple this week, the tech giant also revealed new security technology for its latest iPhone 17 and iPhone Air devices. This new security technology was made specifically to fight against surveillance vendors and the types of vulnerabilities they rely on the …
Read More »The music industry is broken. OpenWav’s new app aims to change that
Grammy Award-winning musician, composer, and producer Wyclef Jean says the music industry is broken, which is why he’s now involved with a startup, OpenWav, that’s looking to give the power back to the artists. Through the OpenWav app, launched over the summer, artists can drop new music and exclusives, connect …
Read More »Tesla’s robotaxi plans for Nevada move forward with testing permit
Armed with a new permit from the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles, Tesla is preparing to begin testing its autonomous vehicle technology on public streets in Nevada. The testing permit, which was first noted by Tesla influencer Sawyer Merritt, comes two months after CEO Elon Musk outlined the company’s plans …
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