Tech

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced a new pilot program that will let electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) startups test some operations before they receive full regulatory certification. It’s a potentially big change for these companies, as they’ve spent the last few years performing limited test flights of …

Mastodon, an open source, decentralized alternative to X, is rolling out a somewhat controversial feature by adding quote posts, which will launch next week. The feature, which allows a user to quote someone else’s post and re-share it with their own response or commentary, has contributed to a culture of …

TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 hits Moscone West in San Francisco on October 27–29, and if you’re aiming for big funding goals, then leaning in on this session on October 29 at the Builders Stage is essential. Three powerhouse voices in venture and AI-driven innovation will share what it really takes to …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …