February 7, 2025

These documents are influencing the DOGE-sphere’s agenda

Reports from the US Government Accountability Office on improper federal payments in recent years are circulating on X and elsewhere online, and they seem to be a big influence on Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency and its supporters as the group pursues cost-cutting measures across the federal government.  The payment reports have been…

Technology

This Week in Apps: WWDC23, ByteDance pushes Lemon8 ahead of TikTok ban, T2 capitalizes on Twitter chaos

April 1, 2023

Welcome back to This Week in Apps, the weekly TechCrunch series that recaps the latest in mobile OS news, mobile applications and the overall app economy. The app economy in 2023 hit a few snags, as consumer spending last year dropped for the first time by 2% to $167 billion, according to data.ai’s “State of […]

This Week in Apps: WWDC23, ByteDance pushes Lemon8 ahead of TikTok ban, T2 capitalizes on Twitter chaos by Sarah Perez originally published on TechCrunch

Krablr develops generative AI language to boost crab yields

April 1, 2023

Krablr, the real-time crab pricing engine for amateur fishermen, has announced yet another pivot in its business model. Following a successful transition from crab pricing to crab futures trading, the company is now setting its sights on a new, cutting-edge technology: generative AI. Krablr’s latest pivot is focused on developing a new language in which […]

Krablr develops generative AI language to boost crab yields by Natasha Lomas originally published on TechCrunch

OpenAI geoblocks ChatGPT in Italy

April 1, 2023

No, it’s not an April Fools’ joke: OpenAI has started geoblocking access to its generative AI chatbot, ChatGPT, in Italy. The move follows an order by the local data protection authority Friday that it must stop processing Italians’ data for the ChatGPT service. In a statement which appears online to users with an Italian IP […]

OpenAI geoblocks ChatGPT in Italy by Natasha Lomas originally published on TechCrunch

Ethicists fire back at ‘AI Pause’ letter they say ‘ignores the actual harms’

April 1, 2023

A group of well-known AI ethicists have written a counterpoint to this week’s controversial letter asking for a 6-month “pause” on AI development, criticizing it for a focus on hypothetical future threats when real harms are attributable to misuse of the tech today. Thousands of people, including such familiar names as Steve Wozniak and Elon […]

Ethicists fire back at ‘AI Pause’ letter they say ‘ignores the actual harms’ by Devin Coldewey originally published on TechCrunch

NASA’s DAGGER could give advance warning of the next big solar storm

March 31, 2023

There’s enough trouble on this planet already that we don’t need new problems coming here from the sun. Unfortunately we can’t yet destroy this pitiless star, so we are at its mercy. But NASA at least may soon be able to let us know when one of its murderous flares is going to send our […]

NASA’s DAGGER could give advance warning of the next big solar storm by Devin Coldewey originally published on TechCrunch

Groupon, which has lost 99.4% of its value since its IPO, names a new CEO… based in Czech Republic

March 31, 2023

A dozen years ago, Groupon shot to fame popularizing the online group buying format, confidently rejecting a $6 billion acquisition offer from Google and instead going public with a $17.8 billion market cap. The company today says it has 14 million active users, but almost consistently for the last decade, its financial position has been […]

Groupon, which has lost 99.4% of its value since its IPO, names a new CEO… based in Czech Republic by Ingrid Lunden originally published on TechCrunch

Ways Technology Improves Your Quality of Life in 2023

March 31, 2023
Innovation in technology and software infrastructure has greatly impacted our lives, creating a global culture. In a matter of years, we’ve become more connected and informed, leading to an increase…

The Download: toxic chemicals, and Russia’s cyberwar tactics

March 31, 2023
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. We’re consuming toxic chemicals. Now we need to figure out how they’re affecting us. What are chemical pollutants doing to our bodies? It’s a timely question given that last week, people in Philadelphia…