June 21, 2025

European leaders worry they’re too reliant on U.S. tech

European governments may be reconsidering their use of American technology and services, according to a new report in The New York Times.

European Parliament agrees a way forward on platform workers’ rights

February 2, 2023

A European Union legislative proposal targeting the gig economy’s tendency to ride rough-shod over workers’ rights has inched a step closer today as the parliament agreed its negotiating position. In the coming weeks (or, well, months) the onus will be on the EU Council to agree on its own position on a file that’s proved […]

European Parliament agrees a way forward on platform workers’ rights by Natasha Lomas originally published on TechCrunch

Financial software firm Ion Group battles LockBit ransomware attack

February 2, 2023

Ion Group, a Dublin-based software company that helps financial institutions automate their critical business processes, has been hit by a ransomware attack that forced several European and U.S. banks to revert to manual processes. The cyberattack, which TechCrunch learned about on Tuesday, affected Ion’s Cleared Derivatives division, which provides software for automating the trading lifecycle […]

Financial software firm Ion Group battles LockBit ransomware attack by Carly Page originally published on TechCrunch

The Download: CRISPR crops, and busting renewables myths

February 2, 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. How CRISPR could help save crops from devastation caused by pests For decades, the grape-growers of California have battled Pierce’s Disease, a nasty infection which causes vines to wither. The arrival of an…

As the bee population declines, this startup secures $8M to apply AI and EVs to pollination

February 2, 2023

Given our general reliance on something called “food” you’d think the issue of pollination – and its general decline – might be higher up the world’s agenda. Over 80% of crops require insect pollination, but growers can no longer rely on the dwindling wild bee population. But it’s a complex problem. Pollinating crops with honey […]

As the bee population declines, this startup secures $8M to apply AI and EVs to pollination by Mike Butcher originally published on TechCrunch

Penpot, the open-source platform for designers and their coders, draws up $12M as users jump to 250K

February 2, 2023

Open source projects continue to stand out as compelling alternatives to proprietary software for those who are looking for more flexibility or price leverage in the tools that they use to work. Today one of the juggernauts in the space of design is announcing some funding. Penpot, an open-source platform for designers and the developers […]

Penpot, the open-source platform for designers and their coders, draws up $12M as users jump to 250K by Ingrid Lunden originally published on TechCrunch

Lavender lands $13.2M for its AI-powered email marketing engine

February 2, 2023

Years ago, Will Allred and William Ballance were developing a tech platform, Sorter, to apply personality and communication psychology to marketing campaigns. Just as Sorter was heading to market, the pandemic hit — and marketing budgets froze. With a week of funding left, Allred and Ballance pivoted, repackaging their tech to work in Gmail in […]

Lavender lands $13.2M for its AI-powered email marketing engine by Kyle Wiggers originally published on TechCrunch

Samsung, Google and Qualcomm are making a mixed reality platform

February 2, 2023

Samsung, Google and Qualcomm are joining hands to make a mixed-reality platform. Executives from the companies, namely Samsung’s TM Roh, Qualcomm’s Cristiano Amon, and Google’s Hiroshi Lockheimer came on stage at the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event to make this announcement. These companies only announced the partnership — they had no future device or hardware product […]

Samsung, Google and Qualcomm are making a mixed reality platform by Ivan Mehta originally published on TechCrunch

Busting three myths about materials and renewable energy

February 2, 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. No piece of media shaped me more than the mid-2000s TV show MythBusters.  In the show, a band of special-effects pros tested out myths from TV shows or popular knowledge, like: Can a…