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

Spotify’s new ‘DJ’ feature is the first step into the streamer’s AI-powered future

March 13, 2023

Spotify has bigger plans for the technology behind its new AI DJ feature after seeing positive consumer reaction to the new feature.  Launched just ahead of the company’s Stream On event in L.A. last week, the AI DJ curates a personalized selection of music combined with spoken commentary delivered in a realistic-sounding, AI-generated voice. But […]

Spotify’s new ‘DJ’ feature is the first step into the streamer’s AI-powered future by Sarah Perez originally published on TechCrunch

Apple’s AR/VR headset reportedly being pushed out due to ‘huge pressure to ship’

March 13, 2023

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Apple is building a mixed reality headset that’s set to ship this year. The company’s MR (AR+VR) hardware ranks among its longest-lasting rumor cycles. Some (Apple Watch) have borne fruit. Others (that pesky Apple TV set) not so much. The category doesn’t feel like a foregone conclusion […]

Apple’s AR/VR headset reportedly being pushed out due to ‘huge pressure to ship’ by Brian Heater originally published on TechCrunch

China’s robotaxi upstart WeRide confidentially files for IPO: Bloomberg

March 13, 2023

WeRide.ai, one of the most funded Chinese robotaxi operators, has confidentially filed to go public in the U.S., Bloomberg reported on Monday. The company declined to comment when reached by TechCrunch. China’s autonomous driving startups have been racking up hefty investments in the past few years to fuel their technology development and fleet deployment, which […]

China’s robotaxi upstart WeRide confidentially files for IPO: Bloomberg by Rita Liao originally published on TechCrunch

Aether wants to shift you from blood diamonds to gems pulled from thin air

March 13, 2023

Diamonds: carbon, transparent, expensive, symbolic of love and commitment — and many of them come dripping with human rights abuses. They also come with a heavy environmental burden, even the lab-grown ones. So what if diamonds could be done differently, with proper traceability and sustainability? That’s exactly where Aether, a diamond-growing company based in New […]

Aether wants to shift you from blood diamonds to gems pulled from thin air by Haje Jan Kamps originally published on TechCrunch

Rivian in talks with Amazon to remove exclusivity clause of EV van agreement

March 13, 2023

Rivian is in discussions with Amazon to dissolve the exclusivity piece of their commercial EV van deal, the WSJ reported this morning citing unnamed sources. If successful, Rivian would be free to sell its commercial all-electric vans to other customers. The talks are ongoing, according to WSJ’s sources. Amazon confirmed that the exclusivity deal still […]

Rivian in talks with Amazon to remove exclusivity clause of EV van agreement by Kirsten Korosec originally published on TechCrunch

SVB Financial is looking for a buyer for SVB Securities and its SVB Capital VC division

March 13, 2023

Frenetic buyer interest in SVB Bank may have cooled a little this morning after the U.S. government announced a backstop, with existing deposits covered while SVB Bank remains under the control of the FDIC. But in the meantime, there are further SVB-connected assets with their future up in the air. SVB Financial, the holding company […]

SVB Financial is looking for a buyer for SVB Securities and its SVB Capital VC division by Ingrid Lunden originally published on TechCrunch

The Download: reality-distorting beauty filters, and the US mineral boom

March 13, 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. Hyper-realistic beauty filters are here to stay The Bold Glamour beauty filter on TikTok has been used over 16 million times since its release last month. It contours your cheekbone and jawline in…

Naspers shuts down Foundry, its $100M fund focused on South African startups

March 13, 2023

Naspers, Africa’s most valuable tech company by market capitalization, has winded down the operations of its R1.4 billion (≈$100 million) South Africa-focused venture capital fund Naspers Foundry, according to local news outlet BusinessDay. According to the report, the firm, which is taking this approach as venture capital takes a hit globally, will maintain the investments, […]

Naspers shuts down Foundry, its $100M fund focused on South African startups by Tage Kene-Okafor originally published on TechCrunch