July 4, 2025

The Download: India’s AI independence, and predicting future epidemics

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 India’s scramble for AI independence Despite its status as a global tech hub, India lags far behind the likes of the US and China when it comes to homegrown AI. That gap…

India’s top court rejects Google plea to block Android antitrust ruling

January 19, 2023

Google has been dealt a significant blow in one of its key overseas markets. India’s Supreme Court on Thursday declined to block an antitrust order that requires the Android-maker to make a series of changes that could topple its financial viability. India’s apex court rejected to block the ruling against Google by the nation’s antitrust […]

India’s top court rejects Google plea to block Android antitrust ruling by Manish Singh originally published on TechCrunch

Finding a new life for old batteries

January 19, 2023
When strangers find out that I’m a climate technology reporter, they often have a lot of questions for me, or concerns to share. Some have heard that birds fly into wind turbines. Or that too many charging EVs will cause power outages. Some of these questions are overblown, but sometimes, in one of these questions,…

Outrider raises $73M to brings its autonomous electric yard trucks into the mainstream

January 19, 2023

Autonomous vehicle technology may no longer be the fuel powering the hype machine. But companies applying the technology to agriculture, commercial and logistics applications are still attracting venture capital. Take Outrider, a Golden, Colorado startup developing autonomous electric yard trucks, for example. Distribution yards are the nerve center of the supply chain. Its where all […]

Outrider raises $73M to brings its autonomous electric yard trucks into the mainstream by Kirsten Korosec originally published on TechCrunch

These scientists used CRISPR to put an alligator gene into catfish

January 19, 2023
Millions of fish are farmed in the US every year, but many of them die from infections. In theory, genetically engineering fish with genes that protect them from disease could reduce waste and help limit the environmental impact of fish farming. A team of scientists have attempted to do just that—by inserting an alligator gene…

Next up for CRISPR: Gene editing for the masses?

January 19, 2023
CRISPR for high cholesterol is one of MIT Technology Review’s 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2023. Explore the rest of the list here. We know the basics of healthy living by now. A balanced diet, regular exercise, and stress reduction can help us avoid heart disease—the world’s biggest killer. But what if you could take a vaccine,…

German teens went crazy for this ‘compliments’ app, and now VCs are backing its next phase

January 19, 2023

The teenage market for apps is a tough nut to crack and stay relevant in. Just ask Snapchat. Equally, teens are going through a stage in life where almost every social interaction seems to carry portent of some kind of other. This would explain in part why apps like SendIt, NGL, and Nocapp (some are […]

German teens went crazy for this ‘compliments’ app, and now VCs are backing its next phase by Mike Butcher originally published on TechCrunch

Oro, an open-source B2B ecommerce platform from Magento’s cofounder, raises $13M

January 19, 2023

Oro, an open source ecommerce platform co-created by Magento’s cofounder and former CTO, today announced it has raised $13 million in a strategic growth round of funding. Founded in 2012, Los Angeles-based Oro’s platform constitutes a range of applications, including OroCommerce, its flagship B2B ecommerce platform for building storefronts and marketplaces; OroMarketplace, an end-to-end management […]

Oro, an open-source B2B ecommerce platform from Magento’s cofounder, raises $13M by Paul Sawers originally published on TechCrunch

A lot of fintechs “have to fix their business models,” say VCs who invest in fintechs

January 19, 2023

In recent years, working for, or banking with, a traditional financial institution was decidedly uncool. Far cooler was working for or banking with one of the many fintech startups that seemed to thumb their nose at stodgy bank brands. Then the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates, stocks tanked, and a lot of fintech outfits that […]

A lot of fintechs “have to fix their business models,” say VCs who invest in fintechs by Connie Loizos originally published on TechCrunch

Twitter Blue is now available on Android at the same price as iOS

January 19, 2023

A day after launching an annual Twitter Blue subscription, the social media company made the paid plan available for purchase for Android users today. Users will have to pay $11 per month if they buy the Twitter Blue plan through Android. The pricing is the same as what users on iOS have to pay, but […]

Twitter Blue is now available on Android at the same price as iOS by Ivan Mehta originally published on TechCrunch