Databricks, Perplexity co-founder pledges $100M on new fund for AI researchers
Andy Konwinski is pledging $100 million of his own money for a new kind of institute to fund researchers. It’s already backed Ion Stoica’s new lab.
The Download: coding’s future, the ‘Steroid Olympics,’ and AI-driven science
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. Anthropic’s Code with Claude showed off coding’s future—whether you like it or not At Anthropic’s developer event in London this week, Code with Claude, attendees were asked if they’d shipped code…
Apple’s Liquid Glass interface improves with release of iOS 26 Beta 2
These are not likely the final adjustments, given that iOS 26 doesn’t launch publicly until the fall. However, they are indications that Apple is actively listening to early user feedback and making tweaks accordingly.
Canada says telcos were breached in China-linked espionage hacks
Salt Typhoon previously hacked phone and telco giants across the United States.
LinkedIn’s AI Writing Tool Isn’t as ‘Popular’ as the CEO Thought It Would Be. Here’s Why He Thinks Users Are Shunning It.
LinkedIn’s AI writing tool polishes posts for users, but the company’s CEO says not many users are tapping into it.
‘Consumers Are Frustrated, and So Are We’: How These Founders Built a Platform to Fight Fake AI-Generated Product Reviews
Inside the launch of InMyExpertOpinion, a product review site “built by humans, for humans.”
‘It’s Coercion’: Compass Sues Zillow Over Its Listings Being ‘Banned’ Online
Real estate giants Compass and Zillow could battle it out in court.
3 Truths Every Founder Learns the Hard Way
There’s no manual for entrepreneurship — and your mom’s advice, while well-meaning, didn’t cover the realities of building a business.
6 Social Media Trends Defining Gen Z’s Shopping Behavior
The classic sales funnel is outdated for Gen Z, as their shopping journey is now non-linear. It involves platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, focusing on viral videos, user-generated content and influencer recommendations rather than traditional ads.
Leak reveals Grok might soon edit your spreadsheets
Leaked code suggests xAI is developing an advanced file editor for Grok with spreadsheet support, signaling the company’s push to compete with OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft by embedding AI copilots into productivity tools.
Four months after a $3B valuation, Harvey AI grows to $5B
The round, which comes just four months after $300 million Series D, was co-led by Kleiner Perkins and Coatue.