Should High School Students Still Learn to Code? ‘Absolutely,’ Says OpenAI Engineer
OpenAI researcher Szymon Sidor said that reports telling students not to learn to code are total “misinformation.”
The Download: failed social media bans, and extending pets’ lives
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Kids are outsmarting social media bans. That’s not a problem we need to solve. —Michal Luria, Aliya Bhatia, and Danah Boyd Social media bans are stacking up. In July, France joined…
TopTechTrends
Space is open for business with Even Rogers and Max Haot at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
The next era of the space economy isn’t just about rockets and satellites — it’s about infrastructure, autonomy, and entirely new models for building and defending off-Earth assets. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 this October 27–29 in San Francisco’s Moscone West, the Space Stage is where this shift gets real.
Group14 lands $463M from SK, Porsche, and others to make silicon anodes for EVs
The battery materials startup raised significant Series D funding to expand its manufacturing capability. At the same time, it bought out partner SK’s stake in a joint venture.
Google, sorry, but that Pixel event was a cringefest
Google’s Pixel event was awkward and forced, underselling the technology it had on display.
An Ex-Food52 Executive Stole at Least $270,000 Using the Company Credit Card: ‘A Very Conservative Estimate’
Siloed departments and non-human expense-reporting software helped an employee scam her company out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
India bans real-money gaming, threatening a $23 billion industry
India is set to ban real-money gaming nationwide under a proposed law that has just passed the lower house of parliament.
Starship launches could delay Florida flights up to 2 hours, FAA says
SpaceX’s plans to launch Starship from Florida could have implications for the state’s booming airports.
Device searches at the US border hit record high, new data shows
There have been more border device searches than ever before, per new data, despite the constitutionality of whether these searches are legal.
Target’s Soon-to-Be New CEO Started as an Intern at the Company. Here’s His 3-Part Turnaround Plan to ‘Get Back to Profitable Growth.’
Michael Fiddelke joined Target in 2003 as an intern and has climbed the ranks to become CEO.
He Started a Side Hustle Selling a Product With ‘Great Margins’ — Then Grew It to 2,200 Franchises That Make Money ‘From Day One’
Kona Ice founder Tony Lamb has since gone on to start two more powerhouse brands.