Japan is joining a growing list of countries exploring the possibility of adopting a digital currency, with country’s central bank, the Bank of Japan (BoJ), announcing that it would launch a pilot to test a “digital yen” in April. The move comes more than two years after the BoJ made its first step in the […]
Japan’s central bank to pilot digital currency starting in April by Kate Park originally published on TechCrunch
Home fitness had a huge moment at the outset of the pandemic — and understandably so. People were stuck at home, gyms closed and suddenly workout options seemed to dramatically decrease. As with the teleconferencing revolution, plenty of startups were waiting in the wings to pounce on the sudden opportunity. As predicted, when the world […]
Quell’s gamified home fitness tech drums up $10M by Brian Heater originally published on TechCrunch
Hey, TechCrunch besties. After a week in Korea and the Philippines, it’s great to be back in the States — and slightly more tan (i.e., burnt) than before. Massive thanks to Henry, who was forced to step in over the past two weeks thanks to my failing to realize that Korean Air does not offer […]
iOS gains new emoji, Showtime joins a pricier Paramount+, and Instagram launches Channels by Kyle Wiggers originally published on TechCrunch
Earlier this week, the Toyota Research Institute opened the doors of its Bay Area offices to members of the media for the first time. It was a day full of demos, ranging from driving simulators and drifting instructors to conversations around machine learning and sustainability. Robotics, a longtime focus of Toyota’s research division, were on […]
Toyota Research Institute SVP on the difficulty of building the perfect home robot by Brian Heater originally published on TechCrunch
Welcome to Startups Weekly, a nuanced take on this week’s startup news and trends by Senior Reporter and Equity co-host Natasha Mascarenhas. To get this in your inbox, subscribe here. After tech’s massive exodus of talent, we’re starting to see laid-off talent start companies that are ambitious and aspirational in aim. I’m talking about the […]
Tech’s next great mafia? Laid-off talent by Natasha Mascarenhas originally published on TechCrunch
This week’s theme seems to be a decline in growth for some much-buzzed-about apps, including a group of Twitter alternatives, AI photo apps and even the BeReal. Let’s dive in.
This Week in Apps: Twitter alternative winners and losers, BeReal declines, iOS web apps to get notifications by Sarah Perez originally published on TechCrunch
The FTC is embracing change with the establishment of an Office of Technology that will help it effectively regulate the fast-moving tech world. Citing “systemic concerns” relating to tech and its potential for fraud and abuse, the FTC’s new division will ensure the agency doesn’t get left in the dust by tech-savvy scammers. Because the […]
FTC’s new Office of Technology will help mop up tech ‘oozing with snake oil’ by Devin Coldewey originally published on TechCrunch
Earlier this month, a suspected Chinese spy balloon drifted over much of the continental United States before an F-22 military fighter jet shot it down off the east coast. The event has put a massive strain on the already-fragile U.S.-China relations, with China maintaining that the errant balloon was simply collecting weather data. Shooting down […]
Balloon expert explains the challenges of shooting down China’s suspected spy balloon by Aria Alamalhodaei originally published on TechCrunch
Indian startup Ultrahuman has made a name for itself since 2019 by building out a subscription fitness platform which offers a range of workout and wellness-related content, integrating with third party wearables like the Apple Watch. In 2021 it expanded into offering medical grade sensing hardware which monitors real-time blood glucose — spinning up a […]
Taking Ultrahuman’s sleep & fitness tracking Ring for a spin by Natasha Lomas originally published on TechCrunch
Achieving product-market fit (PMF) arguably ranks as both the No. 1 strategic objective and the biggest challenge for early-stage founders. Hitting this critical milestone tells you — and any investors you hope to attract — that there’s consistent, enthusiastic demand for your product. Everyone defines PMF differently, and that fact alone makes finding yours a […]
Got product-market fit? Learn how to find it at TC Early Stage by Lauren Simonds originally published on TechCrunch