July 4, 2025

The Download: India’s AI independence, and predicting future epidemics

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. Inside India’s scramble for AI independence Despite its status as a global tech hub, India lags far behind the likes of the US and China when it comes to homegrown AI. That gap…

Technology

Emperia is helping brands like Bloomingdales build shopping experiences in VR

January 25, 2023

Does the average person want to shop for apparel in virtual reality (VR)? Speaking for myself, it sounds rather cumbersome — having to plop on a headset to browse for, say, trousers as opposed to click through a few galleries. But not everyone agrees — particularly those who hope to build a business out of […]

Emperia is helping brands like Bloomingdales build shopping experiences in VR by Kyle Wiggers originally published on TechCrunch

Japan’s Terra Drone gets $14M lift from Saudi investors

January 25, 2023

Terra Drone said today it has raised $14 million in Series C funding from Wa’ed Ventures, the venture capital arm of Saudi Aramco, marking the VC firm’s first investment in Asia.  The Japan-headquartered company, which builds drone software, hardware and uncrewed aircraft traffic management software, said the new capital brings its total raised to $97 […]

Japan’s Terra Drone gets $14M lift from Saudi investors by Kate Park originally published on TechCrunch

Built buys fellow construction robotics firm, Roin

January 25, 2023

One of the most remarkable things about construction robotics is the sheer breadth of tasks that can potentially be automated. As I’ve noted before, the entire category is a prime target for robotics startups, given that it fills all of the big Ds of automation — dull, dirty and (quite often) dangerous. It’s also one […]

Built buys fellow construction robotics firm, Roin by Brian Heater originally published on TechCrunch

Task force proposes new federal AI research outfit with $2.6B in funding

January 24, 2023

The final report from the government’s National AI Research Resource recommends a new, multi-billion-dollar research organization to improve the capabilities and accessibility of the field to U.S. scientists. The document presents “a roadmap and implementation plan for a national cyberinfrastructure aimed at overcoming the access divide, reaping the benefits of greater brainpower and more diverse […]

Task force proposes new federal AI research outfit with $2.6B in funding by Devin Coldewey originally published on TechCrunch

Alexa Fund’s Paul Bernard talks OpenAI, what’s catching his eye and remaining relevant as Amazon restructures

January 24, 2023

Amazon made headlines this month when the company began to work through its long-rumored 18,000 job cuts. Going, too, are a number of products and strategies as the company right-sizes for the current state of the economy, the market’s attitude to tech stocks and the current landscape as dictated by its competitors and would-be rivals. […]

Alexa Fund’s Paul Bernard talks OpenAI, what’s catching his eye and remaining relevant as Amazon restructures by Ingrid Lunden originally published on TechCrunch

Honda is setting up a dedicated EV division

January 24, 2023

Honda is establishing a division dedicated to the development of electric vehicles and other electrical products including storage and generation, the company said on Tuesday (via Reuters). The Japanese automaker somewhat lags the rest of the market when it comes to EVs to date. Last year, Honda announced expansive plans to electrify its lineup, including […]

Honda is setting up a dedicated EV division by Darrell Etherington originally published on TechCrunch

An ALS patient set a record for communicating via a brain implant: 62 words per minute

January 24, 2023
Eight years ago, a patient lost her power of speech because of ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, which causes progressive paralysis. She can still make sounds, but her words have become unintelligible, leaving her reliant on a writing board or iPad to communicate. Now, after volunteering to receive a brain implant, the woman has been…