Technology

How an undercover content moderator polices the metaverse

April 28, 2023
When Ravi Yekkanti puts on his headset to go to work, he never knows what the day spent in virtual reality will bring. Who might he meet? Will a child’s voice accost him with a racist remark? Will a cartoon try to grab his genitals? He adjusts the extraterrestrial-looking goggles haloing his head as he…

How bugs and chemicals in your poo could give away exactly what you’ve eaten

April 28, 2023
This article is from The Checkup, MIT Technology Review’s weekly biotech newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Thursday, sign up here. Feces are good for so much more than flushing. Yes, our waste contains the stuff that our bodies are generally trying to get rid of. But it can also provide insight into…

Muslims come into the frame in Southeast Asia’s fintech boom

April 28, 2023

Founded in 2014, Blossom Finance was first intended for Muslim entrepreneurs in the United States. The microfinancing platform connects investors with small businesses using mudarabah, a shariah-compliant profit-sharing agreement. But founder Matthew Joseph Martin soon realized that the startup, backed by investors like Boost VC and Tim Draper, was serving a relatively niche market in […]

Muslims come into the frame in Southeast Asia’s fintech boom by Catherine Shu originally published on TechCrunch

Snap stock down 24% on weak earnings, ad revenue slump

April 27, 2023

Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, has seen its stock tumble 20% in after-hours trading after reporting first-quarter earnings Thursday. The company missed Wall Street revenue estimates of $1 billion, closing out the quarter with $989 million. That’s down 7% from the same period last year, and it represents the first time since Snap went […]

Snap stock down 24% on weak earnings, ad revenue slump by Rebecca Bellan originally published on TechCrunch

Google tests a new ad slot on the Play Store ahead of its I/O developer conference

April 27, 2023

Google has been spotted testing a new Play Store ad slot ahead of its I/O developer conference in May. If rolled out publicly, the change could significantly expand the company’s Play Store search ads business by offering developers access to new prime real estate for their app marketing efforts. The test comes two years ago […]

Google tests a new ad slot on the Play Store ahead of its I/O developer conference by Sarah Perez originally published on TechCrunch

Bipartisan Senate bill would ban social media algorithms for minors

April 27, 2023

In a bipartisan effort to “protect kids from harm,” an unlikely cohort of senators introduced a bill that would restrict minors’ access to social media, as well as ban companies from using algorithms to recommend content to minors.  Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Murphy (D-Conn), Katie Britt (R-Ala) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark) introduced the Protecting […]

Bipartisan Senate bill would ban social media algorithms for minors by Morgan Sung originally published on TechCrunch

London’s Sturgeon Capital launches $35M fund aimed at emerging startups in Central Asia

April 27, 2023

We reported last year on the launch of a $225 million VC platform from the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank, which would also cover Central Asia. In addition, Most VC launched its accelerator out of Almaty, Kazakstan. So it’s clear these regions, for too long considered backwaters, are now finding their […]

London’s Sturgeon Capital launches $35M fund aimed at emerging startups in Central Asia by Mike Butcher originally published on TechCrunch

The future of generative AI is niche, not generalized

April 27, 2023
The relentless hype surrounding generative AI in the past few months has been accompanied by equally loud anguish over the supposed perils — just look at the open letter calling for a pause in AI experiments. This tumult risks blinding us to more immediate risks — think sustainability and bias — and clouds our ability…

Meta updates its avatars with new body shapes, hair and clothing

April 27, 2023

Meta announced today that it’s introducing new body shapes, improved hair and clothing textures to its avatars. The company also announced that more than one billion avatars have been created across its platforms. Starting this month, users will be able to choose from a wider range of body shape options, including two curvier body shapes. […]

Meta updates its avatars with new body shapes, hair and clothing by Aisha Malik originally published on TechCrunch