How Meta and AI companies recruited striking actors to train AI

October 19, 2023
One evening in early September, T, a 28-year-old actor who asked to be identified by his first initial, took his seat in a rented Hollywood studio space in front of three cameras, a director, and a producer for a somewhat unusual gig. The two-hour shoot produced footage that was not meant to be viewed by…

Google Maps partners with India’s ONDC to add metro ticket booking

October 19, 2023

Google Maps will soon allow users in India to book metro tickets directly through the mapping app, the search giant announced as it deepens collaboration with the country’s open e-commerce network.  At the Google for India event on Thursday, Google said its users will be able to book metro tickets through the Maps app, as […]

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WhatsApp will now let log into two accounts simultaneously

October 19, 2023

WhatsApp announced today that it is rolling out the ability for users to use two accounts simultaneously. That means you can switch between two accounts in the same WhatsApp instance. Historically, people had to carry two phones to use two WhatsApp accounts. Now, the company is making it possible to use just one phone for […]

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Google to manufacture Pixel smartphones in India

October 19, 2023

Google will start assembling the Pixel smartphone lineup in India, a company executive said, becoming the latest tech giant to bet on the South Asian market for devices manufacturing. The company intends to start the local manufacturing with the current Pixel 8 smartphone in India and expects to ship them starting next year, Rick Osterloh, […]

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Google Pay deepens consumer and merchant lending offerings in India

October 19, 2023

Google has partnered with banks and other lenders in India to enable credit lines for individuals and merchants on the Google Pay app as the tech giant broadens its Indian payments app, processing about 4 billion transactions monthly, and makes its strongest push for financial inclusion in the South Asian market. The company has partnered with […]

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Google taps gen-AI to help users in India search through government welfare schemes

October 19, 2023

Google announced a bunch of generative AI-focused tools in India at its Google for India event. The features include visual results like images and videos and information on government schemes. Google said today that in the coming weeks, users will be able to get summaries of more than 100 government-led schemes in India. The feature […]

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French VC firm Founders Future just acquired an equity crowdfunding platform, Sowefund

October 19, 2023

Here’s an interesting move. Founders Future, a well-known VC firm in the French tech ecosystem, acquired an equity crowdfunding marketplace called Sowefund. While terms of the deal remain undisclosed, Sowefund has been profitable since 2022 with around 20 employees. Following this move, Founders Future now has two separate yet complementary businesses. With its VC funds, […]

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GM, Cruise and Honda to launch robotaxi service in Japan

October 19, 2023

General Motors, self-driving car subsidiary Cruise and Honda plan to launch a robotaxi service in Japan under a new joint venture, the three companies announced today. The companies intend to launch the service with the custom-built Cruise Origin vehicles in central Tokyo in early 2026. The service will start with dozens of Cruise Origins. The […]

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Elon Musk warns Cybertruck won’t be profitable until 2025

October 19, 2023

Tesla CEO Elon Musk issued a warning Wednesday about the soon-to-be delivered Cybertruck that might sound familiar to those who closely followed the company’s Model 3 “production hell” era. The gist? Scaling production of a vehicle like the Cybertruck is hard and it’s going to take awhile before it’s profitable. Musk estimated that it will […]

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Trans healthcare startup Plume lays off dozens of workers

October 18, 2023

Plume, a startup founded to offer essential online healthcare services to trans people across the U.S., laid off more than two dozen workers in October, several sources close to the company told TechCrunch. Transphobia is rife within the healthcare industry; it’s one reason why transgender patients struggle to access basic care. Legal barriers are also […]

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