YouTube’s “Hype” feature, which allows fans to help their favorite creators get discovered, is rolling out globally, the company announced Tuesday. First introduced at Google’s Made on YouTube event in 2024, the feature — a dedicated button that appears below the existing “like” button — will become available on videos …
Read More »iPhone 17, the ‘thinnest iPhone ever,’ and everything else we’re expecting out of Apple’s hardware event
Apple usually announces its new hardware in the fall, and this year is likely no different. The event is reported to be on September 9, and Apple is expected to release its iPhone 17 lineup, along with updates for the Apple Watch and AirPods. As always, there are many rumors …
Read More »Parents sue OpenAI over ChatGPT’s role in son’s suicide
Before sixteen-year-old Adam Raine died by suicide, he had spent months consulting ChatGPT about his plans to end his life. Now, his parents are filing the first known wrongful death lawsuit against OpenAI, the New York Times reports. Many consumer-facing AI chatbots are programmed to activate safety features if a …
Read More »Google Gemini’s AI image model gets a ‘bananas’ upgrade
Google is upgrading its Gemini chatbot with a new AI image model that gives users finer control over editing photos, a step meant to catch up with OpenAI’s popular image tools and draw users from ChatGPT. The update, called Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, rolls out starting Tuesday to all users …
Read More »Eyebot gets $20M Series A to boost to expand eye care access
Eyebot, a startup offering a 90-second vision test kiosk that delivers doctor-verified glasses prescriptions, has secured $20 million in Series A funding. The Boston-based startup, founded in 2021, streamlines how people access vision care by eliminating traditional obstacles, such as appointment delays, limited accessibility, complex insurance requirements, and cost. Its kiosks, …
Read More »Frontier buys $31M worth of antacids for the ocean
Frontier, the carbon removal clearinghouse founded by Google, Strip, Shopify, and others, announced today that it is buying 115,208 metric tons of carbon removal credits from geoengineering startup Planetary in a deal worth $31.2 million. Where most Frontier deals to date have bought carbon from startups specializing in direct air …
Read More »Spotify launches a messaging feature in a bid to become more social
Spotify is introducing a way for you to chat with your friends on the app in a bid to become a more social content consumption app. Users have shared Spotify links for music and podcasts with others outside the platform for years. With this feature, Spotify wants users to do …
Read More »Tesla could have avoided that $242.5M Autopilot verdict, filings show
Months before a jury awarded a $242.5 million verdict against Tesla over its culpability in a 2019 fatal crash, the automaker had a chance to settle for $60 million. Instead, Tesla rejected that offer, according to new legal filings that were first reported by Reuters. The settlement proposal, which was …
Read More »a16z spends $1.49M in Washington lobbying, while rivals mostly sit out
Andreessen Horowitz’ plan to push its agenda in Washington shows no sign of slowing down, with the firm reporting $1.49 million in federal lobbying so far this year, according to lobbying records filed with Congress. A16z is even narrowly outspending its own industry trade group, the National Venture Capital Association. …
Read More »Road to Battlefield: Central Eurasia’s largest startup competition in history sends four winners to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield
The startup ecosystem in Central Eurasia is having its moment. What started as 485 applications from across 27 countries including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Pakistan, Qatar, Romania, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, UAE, UK, Ukraine, USA, Uzbekistan, Vietnam has culminated in …
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