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

Discord acquires Gas, a compliments-based social media app for teens

January 17, 2023

The messaging platform Discord announced its acquisition of Gas, an app that’s popular among teens for its positive spin on social media. On Gas, users sign up with their school, add friends, and answer polls about their classmates. But the questions in the polls are intended to boost users’ confidence, rather than damage it. Teens […]

Discord acquires Gas, a compliments-based social media app for teens by Amanda Silberling originally published on TechCrunch

Tesla engineer testifies that 2016 video promoting self-driving was faked

January 17, 2023

Tesla faked a 2016 video promoting its self-driving technology, according to testimony by a senior engineer reviewed by Reuters. The video, which shows a Tesla Model X driving on urban, suburban and highway streets; stopping itself at a red light; and accelerating at a green light is still on Tesla’s website and carries the tagline: […]

Tesla engineer testifies that 2016 video promoting self-driving was faked by Rebecca Bellan originally published on TechCrunch

Oversight Board presses Meta to revise ‘convoluted and poorly defined’ nudity policy

January 17, 2023

Meta’s Oversight Board, which independently evaluates difficult content moderation decisions, has overturned the company’s takedown of two posts that depicted a non-binary and transgender person’s bare chests. The case represents a failure of a convoluted and impractical nudity policy, the Board said, and recommended that Meta take a serious look at revising it. The decision […]

Oversight Board presses Meta to revise ‘convoluted and poorly defined’ nudity policy by Devin Coldewey originally published on TechCrunch

2022 global smartphone shipments were the lowest in nearly a decade

January 17, 2023

One of these days I’ll have some positive news to share about the global smartphone market. Today is not that day. The industry capped off another dismal year with a 17% year over year drop for Q4. That number puts the full year’s shipping figures 11% below 2021, per new numbers from Canalys, which refer […]

2022 global smartphone shipments were the lowest in nearly a decade by Brian Heater originally published on TechCrunch

Beaconstac lands $25M investment for its QR code management platform

January 17, 2023

QR code tech, which exploded during the pandemic as businesses searched for hygienic alternatives to physical touchpoints, continues to grow in popularity particularly across sectors such as restaurants and outlet retail. According to Insider Intelligence, more than 99.5 million smartphone users will scan a QR code by 2025, up from 83.4 million in 2022. There’s […]

Beaconstac lands $25M investment for its QR code management platform by Kyle Wiggers originally published on TechCrunch

African gaming startup Carry1st raises $27M from Bitkraft Ventures and a16z

January 17, 2023

In the coming decades, Africa will be a significant growth market for mobile games driven by the proliferation of technology adoption among the continent’s youthful population. And as gamers in sub-Saharan Africa increase to over 180 million in the next five years, per a report, startups such as South Africa-based Carry1st are strategically positioning themselves […]

African gaming startup Carry1st raises $27M from Bitkraft Ventures and a16z by Tage Kene-Okafor originally published on TechCrunch

Komunal raises $8.5M to digitize Indonesia’s rural banks

January 17, 2023

Komunal is reaching out to Indonesia’s rural customers by going where they are. The fintech partners with more than 220 banks in tier 2 and tier 3 cities spread through 19 provinces. Founded in 2019, the startup announced today it has raised $8.5 million in funding led by East Ventures Growth Fund, with participation from […]

Komunal raises $8.5M to digitize Indonesia’s rural banks by Catherine Shu originally published on TechCrunch

The Download: battery recycling, and how AI might revamp Microsoft Office

January 17, 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. How old batteries will help power tomorrow’s EVs To Redwood Materials, the rows of cardboard boxes in the parking lot of its new battery recycling site just outside Reno, Nevada, represent both the…

Tech bosses who willingly flout UK online child safety rules to face criminal liability

January 17, 2023

The UK government has confirmed it will expand criminal liability powers contained in draft online safety legislation which is currently making its way through parliament with the aim of preventing platforms from intentionally flouting child-safety rules. The current version of the (already much amended) Online Safety Bill, which is set to return to parliament today for […]

Tech bosses who willingly flout UK online child safety rules to face criminal liability by Natasha Lomas originally published on TechCrunch