Technology

As tech slumps, SoftBank sells VC unit to Singapore-based firm led by Masayoshi Son’s brother

April 13, 2023

SoftBank is selling one of its venture capital arms, South Korea-based SoftBank Ventures Asia (SBVA), to The Edgeof, a Singaporean investment firm, according to the two companies.   The deal’s financial terms have not been disclosed, but the Singaporean VC firm aims to complete the acquisition this year.  Last month, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son’s younger brother […]

As tech slumps, SoftBank sells VC unit to Singapore-based firm led by Masayoshi Son’s brother by Kate Park originally published on TechCrunch

LMS365, a learning management system built into Microsoft 365 and Teams, raises $20M

April 13, 2023

Danish company LMS365, an online learning management system (LMS) built for use inside Microsoft products, has raised $20 million in its first institutional round of funding. Used by companies including logistics giant Hellmann and soda bottling franchise G&J Pepsi, LMS365 allows users to create their own courses from scratch or import them from a third-party such […]

LMS365, a learning management system built into Microsoft 365 and Teams, raises $20M by Paul Sawers originally published on TechCrunch

EVs just got a big boost. We’re going to need a lot more chargers.

April 12, 2023
The US government is pushing for a massive wave of electric vehicles to hit the roads in the next few years, but the country doesn’t have nearly enough chargers installed to power them all.  The Environmental Protection Agency released proposed standards today that set limits for companies on total carbon dioxide emissions from fleets of…

Warner Bros. Discovery promises Max will be a more personalized, technically improved streaming service

April 12, 2023

With next month’s arrival of the new streaming service “Max” from Warner Bros. Discovery, the company is also promising a revamped product experience with an expanded feature set, improved recommendations, and better performance. The new service, which combines HBO Max and Discovery+ content into one offering, will gain an updated user interface that’s delivered by […]

Warner Bros. Discovery promises Max will be a more personalized, technically improved streaming service by Sarah Perez originally published on TechCrunch

So long, Terran 1: Relativity Space makes hard pivot to an even larger Terran R

April 12, 2023

Relativity Space is retiring Terran 1 after just a single test flight to double-down on development of its next generation Terran R rocket, which is now configured to be even larger than previously announced. The six-year-old company is making other significant changes to Terran R: the rocket will no longer be completely reusable, but fitted […]

So long, Terran 1: Relativity Space makes hard pivot to an even larger Terran R by Aria Alamalhodaei originally published on TechCrunch

Opera brings its free VPN to iOS to rival Apple and Google’s paid alternatives

April 12, 2023

Opera, the makers of an ad-blocking web browser, whose most recent claim to fame is having TikTok built-in, announced today it’s rolling out an updated version of its iOS app that now includes its free VPN. Previously available on Mac, Windows, Linux, and Android, the iOS release now makes Opera the first browser to offer […]

Opera brings its free VPN to iOS to rival Apple and Google’s paid alternatives by Sarah Perez originally published on TechCrunch

After a turbulent few years for home fitness, Tonal gets fresh funding and new CEO

April 12, 2023

The early days of the pandemic proved a massive boon for the home fitness crowd. Gyms closed indefinitely, and even when they began reopening, many members seriously questioned whether the model would continue to suit their life, moving forward. Peloton, for one, was in a perfect place to capitalize on the trend, with a significant […]

After a turbulent few years for home fitness, Tonal gets fresh funding and new CEO by Brian Heater originally published on TechCrunch

After an investigation exposes its dangers, Pinterest announces new safety tools and parental controls

April 12, 2023

Following last month’s NBC News investigation into Pinterest that exposed how pedophiles had been using the service to curate image boards of young girls, the company on Tuesday announced further safety measures for its platform, including a new set of parental controls and updated age verification policies, among other things. However, the company also said […]

After an investigation exposes its dangers, Pinterest announces new safety tools and parental controls by Sarah Perez originally published on TechCrunch

User spending goes up by more than 4000% on AI-powered apps

April 12, 2023

Given the rising interest in generative AI tools like text-based ChatGPT and image-based Midjourney, AI-powered apps are growing in numbers and popularity in both app stores. A report by analytics firm Apptopia suggests that 158 AI Chatbot apps — with the description having keywords like “AI Chat” or “AI Chatbot” — hit the app stores […]

User spending goes up by more than 4000% on AI-powered apps by Ivan Mehta originally published on TechCrunch

The Download: ChatGPT’s impact on schools, and Elon Musk’s AI plans

April 12, 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. AI literacy might be ChatGPT’s biggest lesson for schools This year millions of people have tried—and been wowed by— artificial intelligence systems. That’s in no small part thanks to OpenAI’s chatbot ChatGPT. When…