The Download: sleeping in VR, and promising clean energy projects

March 30, 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. Inside the cozy but creepy world of VR sleep rooms People are gathering in virtual spaces to relax, and even sleep, with their headsets on. VR sleep rooms are becoming popular among people…

Web3 protocol Polytrade raises $3.8M to improve global trade

March 30, 2023

Polytrade, a web3 protocol focused on global trade, has raised $3.8 million in a seed round led by Alpha Wave, Matrix Partners, Polygon Ventures and CoinSwitch Ventures, the startup exclusively told TechCrunch. Other investors include Singularity Ventures and GTM Ventures. The firm has previously been backed by Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal and QuickSwap co-founder Sameep […]

Web3 protocol Polytrade raises $3.8M to improve global trade by Jacquelyn Melinek originally published on TechCrunch

Inside the conference where researchers are solving the clean-energy puzzle

March 30, 2023
This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Review’s weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here. I spent last week in Washington, DC, and when I wasn’t fawning over the cherry blossoms, I was soaking up all the newest and wildest ideas in energy.  The Advanced Research Projects Agency…

Uber expands Comfort Electric to 14 new US, Canadian markets

March 30, 2023

Uber is expanding Comfort Electric, the ride-hailing giant’s premium electric vehicle offering, to 14 new markets across the U.S. and Canada. Now, customers in a total of 40 North American markets can book a flashy, environmentally friendly ride. Eligible luxury EVs include Tesla models S, 3, X and Y, the Polestar 2, the Ford Mustang […]

Uber expands Comfort Electric to 14 new US, Canadian markets by Rebecca Bellan originally published on TechCrunch

Parloa raises $21M to add a little automation to contact centers

March 30, 2023

It’s estimated that over $400 billion are spent annually to run customer contact centers around the world. To cut costs, in recent years, contact centers have embraced AI and automation; research from The Harris Poll indicates that 46% of customer interactions were already automated as of 2021. That’s good news for the vendors selling contact […]

Parloa raises $21M to add a little automation to contact centers by Kyle Wiggers originally published on TechCrunch