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

Bessemer, Playground, Root and Seraphim VCs will judge the TC Sessions: Space Pitch-off

November 24, 2022

Watching outstanding early-stage founders square off in a pitch competition is not only an essential part of TechCrunch conferences, but it’s also an attendee favorite. Seriously, who doesn’t love a pitch-off? And the Space Pitch-off is just one more compelling reason to go to TC Sessions: Space on December 6 in Los Angeles. Let’s take […]

Bessemer, Playground, Root and Seraphim VCs will judge the TC Sessions: Space Pitch-off by Lauren Simonds originally published on TechCrunch

Automating the income gap

November 24, 2022

This is going to be another one of those “let’s ask ourselves some difficult questions” newsletter introductions, so if you’re in the U.S., I certainly won’t blame you for not giving Actuator your full attention until after the holiday. I generally approach these conversations through the same basic lens: a majority of technologies are neither […]

Automating the income gap by Brian Heater originally published on TechCrunch

Surveillance powers in UK’s Online Safety Bill are risk to E2EE, warns legal expert

November 24, 2022

Independent legal analysis of a controversial UK government proposal to regulate online speech under a safety-focused framework — aka the Online Safety Bill — says the draft bill contains some of the broadest mass surveillance powers over citizens every proposed in a Western democracy which it also warns pose a risk to the integrity of […]

Surveillance powers in UK’s Online Safety Bill are risk to E2EE, warns legal expert by Natasha Lomas originally published on TechCrunch

The Download: climate responsibility, and AI training data shortages

November 24, 2022
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. The US and China are pointing fingers at each other over climate change The UN climate conference wrapped up over the weekend after marathon negotiations that ran way over. The most notable outcome was the…

The US and China are pointing fingers at each other over climate change

November 24, 2022
The UN climate conference just wrapped up over the weekend after a marathon negotiating session that stretched talks nearly 48 hours past their scheduled conclusion. (A question for my editor: the UN isn’t hitting deadlines, so do I still have to?) The most notable outcome from the conference was establishment of a fund to help…

Anne Hathaway backs Pact, an all-women led VC for mission-driven startups, from West to East

November 24, 2022

How many VC funds can you name where the three partners all had babies whilst raising the fund, have deep connections in Asia as well as Europe and the US, and include actress Anne Hathaway as an LP? Not many I’d hazard. But that’s the profile of Pact, a new Seed VC fund launched with […]

Anne Hathaway backs Pact, an all-women led VC for mission-driven startups, from West to East by Mike Butcher originally published on TechCrunch

Amazon to shut down its online learning platform in India

November 24, 2022

Amazon will be shutting down Amazon Academy, an online learning platform it launched in India for high-school students last year, the company said Thursday. The retailer says it will wind down the edtech service in the country in a phased manner starting August 2023. Those who signed up for the current academic batch will receive […]

Amazon to shut down its online learning platform in India by Manish Singh originally published on TechCrunch

Google Cloud partners with Indian startup SuperGaming to offer gaming engine to developers

November 24, 2022

Google Cloud has partnered with SuperGaming to offer the Indian gaming startup’s proprietary gaming engine, SuperPlatform, to developers worldwide, the latest in a series of recent steps from the Android-maker to expand focus into the gaming industry. The cloud arm of the search giant said Thursday that as part of its partnership, it will offer […]

Google Cloud partners with Indian startup SuperGaming to offer gaming engine to developers by Jagmeet Singh originally published on TechCrunch

Daily Crunch: Vulnerable component in IoT devices poses ‘supply chain risk,’ Microsoft says

November 24, 2022

To get a roundup of TechCrunch’s biggest and most important stories delivered to your inbox every day at 3 p.m. PDT, subscribe here. Today’s prize (a muted ‘hrmph!’ and a solemn nod) for best headline goes to Devin, and given that we’re sneaking up on Black Friday, we have some of the best tech deals […]

Daily Crunch: Vulnerable component in IoT devices poses ‘supply chain risk,’ Microsoft says by Christine Hall originally published on TechCrunch