Waymo issues recall to deal with a flooding problem
Waymo has issued a software recall that makes its robotaxis more cautious around flooded areas. A “final remedy” is in the works.
LLMs are stuck in a groupthink rut. This startup is trying to get them out.
Let’s start with a game. Open up your chatbot of choice—Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini—and type “Give me a random number between 1 and 10.” You’re going to get 7. Almost always. Now type “Another” and you’ll get 3 or 4. Type “Another” again and you’ll get 8 or 9. That won’t work every time—but if it…
Instructure strikes deal with hackers who breached it twice
The maker of the Canvas school software said it “reached an agreement” with the hackers, but provided no guarantees that the hackers would not release the data or keep their word.
Dessn raises $6M for its production focused design tool
A new startup called Dessn has raised $6M to build AI-powered design tools that work directly with production codebases.
TikTok now wants to be the place you book the trip you just saw on TikTok
TikTok is systematically converting its discovery engine into a transaction layer, which both deepens user retention and opens entirely new revenue streams for its new owners.
AI is turning connected cars into pothole-finding machines
Fleet management company Samsara has developed an AI model to detect different kinds of potholes and gauge how fast they’re deteriorating.
Spotify’s launches a Wrapped-style recap of your entire listening history
Spotify’s new feature will show you the number of unique songs that you listened to until now
The Download: a Nobel winner on AI, and the case for fixing everything
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. Three things in AI to watch, according to a Nobel-winning economist A few months before he won the Nobel Prize in economics in 2024, Daron Acemoglu published a paper that earned…
AI voice startup Vapi hits $500M valuation after winning Amazon Ring over 40 rivals
Vapi says its enterprise business has grown 10-fold since early 2025 as companies shift customer support and sales calls to AI agents.
Amazon launches 30-minute delivery across the U.S.
Amazon says its new ultra-fast delivery option brings groceries, household essentials, and other items to customers’ doors in 30 minutes.
The One Trait That Quietly Determines Whether Founders Win or Fade Out
The biggest predictor of success in venture isn’t talent or timing — it’s what people do when momentum disappears.