Hackers who exposed North Korean government hacker explain why they did it
The two self-described hacktivists said they had access to the North Korean spy’s computer for around four months before deciding what they had found should be made public.
The Download: Big Tech’s carbon removals plans, and the next wave of nuclear reactors
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. Big Tech’s big bet on a controversial carbon removal tactic Microsoft, JP MorganChase, and a tech company consortium that includes Alphabet, Meta, Shopify, and Stripe have all recently struck multimillion-dollar deals to pay…
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Nvidia is latest investor to back AV startup Nuro in $203M funding round
Nuro has attracted more investors, and capital, to push its Series E round to $203 million.
In a first, Google has released data on how much energy an AI prompt uses
Google has just released a technical report detailing how much energy its Gemini apps use for each query. In total, the median prompt—one that falls in the middle of the range of energy demand—consumes 0.24 watt-hours of electricity, the equivalent of running a standard microwave for about one second. The company also provided average estimates…
Why recycling isn’t enough to address the plastic problem
I remember using a princess toothbrush when I was little. The handle was purple, teal, and sparkly. Like most of the other pieces of plastic that have ever been made, it’s probably still out there somewhere, languishing in a landfill. (I just hope it’s not in the ocean.) I’ve been thinking about that toothbrush again…
On the ground in Ukraine’s largest Starlink repair shop
Oleh Kovalskyy thinks that Starlink terminals are built as if someone assembled them with their feet. Or perhaps with their hands behind their back. To demonstrate this last image, Kovalskyy—a large, 47-year-old Ukrainian, clad in sweatpants and with tattoos stretching from his wrists up to his neck—leans over to wiggle his fingers in the air…
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.”
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.