The new Pokémon app will put you to sleep

July 20, 2023
Gotta catch’em all! Catch all those Zs, that is. Now available in the U.S., Pokémon Sleep is an app that “turns sleep into entertainment.” Thankfully, the app does not imbue your brain with sonic waves that make you dream of Hypno, a Pokémon that gave me vivid nightmares as a child. Instead, you simply place […]

Ofcom says it won’t pay ransom, as new MOVEit hack victims come forward

July 20, 2023
More victims of the mass-hacks targeting users of MOVEit Transfer, a popular file-transfer application, are coming forward as the number of known impacted organizations reaches almost 400. U.S. cosmetics giant Estée Lauder said in a statement that an unauthorized third-party “gained access” to some of the company’s systems and obtained data, but did not share […]

Netflix’s first live sporting event arrives in November, confirms CEO

July 20, 2023
It appears that Netflix really does believe Formula 1 and pro golf are compatible. The streaming service confirmed yesterday that a live celebrity golf tournament is coming to Netflix in November, marking the first time the streamer explores live sports. The Wall Street Journal first reported the live sporting event last month. “You’ve read some […]

InDrive brings its ‘bid-based’ ride-hail app to the US

July 20, 2023
InDrive (formerly inDriver) is bringing a new type of ride-hailing app to South Florida. The startup operates a “bid-based” platform wherein passengers can name their own fare for a ride, and nearby drivers can accept, decline or counter the offer. At a time when ride-hail customers are feeling squeezed by higher fares and drivers are […]

First sneak peek at the judges for Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023

July 20, 2023
The Startup Battlefield pitch competition is the crown jewel of Disrupt, and we can’t wait to see which of the Startup Battlefield 200 companies will be selected to pitch to panels of top-tier VCs at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 on September 19–21 in San Francisco. It’s always epic, and every contender is on the road to […]

Google starts the GA rollout of its Privacy Sandbox APIs to all Chrome users

July 20, 2023
Google continues the rollout of its Privacy Sandbox APIs — its replacement for tracking cookies for the online advertising industry. Today, right on schedule and in time for the launch of Chrome 115 into the stable release channel, Google announced that it will now start enabling the relevance and measurement APIs in its browser. This […]

The Download: US facial recognition, and battery ingredients

July 20, 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. Face recognition in the US is about to meet one of its biggest tests Just four years ago, the movement to ban police departments from using face recognition in the US was riding…

How to Craft an Emotional Marketing Message That Hits Home

July 20, 2023
Logic may guide decisions in marketing, but emotions win the heart. They are vital in today’s marketing if you want to stand out, be memorable and build lasting relationships, but it isn’t the easiest to do — so here are some tips to get started.