BYD rolls out EV batteries with 5-minute ‘flash charging.’ But there’s a catch.
The Chinese automaker’s new Blade Battery 2.0 is capable of charging at up to 1.5 megawatts, dramatically slashing the time it takes to fill up.
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
Italian prosecutors confirm journalist was hacked with Paragon spyware
Italian authorities are making progress in their investigation into a wide-ranging spyware scandal in Italy involving Paragon spyware. But the mystery of who hacked two Italian journalists with Paragon spyware continues.
It’s official: The Pentagon has labeled Anthropic a supply chain risk
The Department of Defense has officially labeled Anthropic a supply chain risk, making the AI firm the first American company with the label. Meanwhile, the DOD continues to use Anthropic’s AI in Iran.
X revamps Creator Subscriptions with new features, like exclusive threads and shareable cards
X is rolling out a series of new features for creators, like the ability to offer paid threads and other marketing tools.
Want to Work at One of the World’s Biggest Tech Companies? Here Are the Top Traits its CTO Looks For in New Hires
From direct communication to adaptability, here are the key qualities to develop.
5 Compelling Reasons Why All Entrepreneurs Should Play Chess
Chess is known to be strategic, analytical and intellectual. But what are the more obscure reasons that entrepreneurs should play chess?
Hardware testing startup Nominal hits $1B valuation, raises $155M in 10 months
Nominal providers hardware testing equipment to defense tech companies. Founders Fund led the preemptive deal.
Roblox launches real-time AI chat rephrasing to filter out banned language
The new feature goes beyond Roblox’s current text filter, which simply replaces banned words and phrases with the “#” symbol.
FYI: Impersonators are (still) targeting companies with fake TechCrunch outreach
Fraudsters are impersonating TechCrunch reporters and event leads, and reaching out to companies. Here’s what we’re doing about it, and what you can look out for.
An Insurance Salesman Went Down a Wellness Rabbit Hole, and Started a Side Hustle In His Kitchen. Now It’s On Track for $3M.
Brian Lizama was working as a senior vice president at a life insurance company, managing over 300 agents, when inspiration struck.