Ouster’s new color lidar is coming to replace cameras
A sensor that can simultaneously capture depth and image data has long been a “holy grail,” Ouster CEO Angus Pacala told TechCrunch.
The Download: unlocking lithium and controlling Ebola
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. How a new extraction process could unlock the world’s lithium A new method for extracting lithium could cut costs and emissions from one of the world’s most important materials for EVs…
TopTechTrends
Nicolas Sauvage is betting on the boring parts of AI
The portfolio he has assembled since 2019 is dotted with technologies that have become more widely interesting to VCs over the last year:
We’ll take it: a TikToker rallies pledges to buy Spirit Airlines after its abrupt weekend collapse
Within hours he’d thrown up a website — a janky, one-hour job, by his own admission — and by Sunday, 36,000 “founding patrons” had pledged nearly $23 million, crashing his servers in the process.
‘This is fine’ creator says AI startup stole his art
The ad comes from Artisan, the AI startup behind billboards urging businesses to “stop hiring humans.”
In Harvard study, AI offered more accurate diagnoses than emergency room doctors
A new study examines how large language models perform in a variety of medical contexts, including real emergency room cases — where at least one model seemed to be more accurate than human doctors.
TechCrunch Mobility: How do you issue a ticket to a robotaxi?
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation.
This tiny, magnetic e-reader could stop you from doomscrolling
The Xteink X3 is a delightfully tiny, MagSafe-compatible e-ink reader that attaches to the back of your phone like a Pop Socket.
AI-generated actors and scripts are now ineligible for Oscars
Bad news for Tilly Norwood.
Farewell, Jeeves: Ask.com shuts down
Owner IAC says it’s discontinuing its search business.
Netflix delays Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’ movie for big theatrical push in 2027
“The Magician’s Nephew” looks like a big next step in Netflix’s thawing relationship with movie theaters.