March 20, 2026

The Download: OpenAI is building a fully automated researcher, and a psychedelic trial blind spot

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. OpenAI is throwing everything into building a fully automated researcher  OpenAI has a new grand challenge: building an AI researcher—a fully automated agent-based system capable of tackling large, complex problems by…

Google offers billing choice for UK Play Store devs in bid to settle antitrust prone

April 19, 2023

Google has proposed letting developers offering apps through its UK Play mobile app store to have the option to use alternative payment processors for in-app transactions, rather than being locked to its own billing system (GPB), following an antitrust intervention by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). “Google’s proposed commitments would give app developers […]

Google offers billing choice for UK Play Store devs in bid to settle antitrust prone by Natasha Lomas originally published on TechCrunch

OpenAI’s hunger for data is coming back to bite it

April 19, 2023
OpenAI has just over a week to comply with European data protection laws following a temporary ban in Italy and a slew of investigations in other EU countries. If it fails, it could face hefty fines, be forced to delete data, or even be banned.  But experts have told MIT Technology Review that it will…

Coro raises $75M at a $575M valuation to grow its all-in-one cybersecurity platform

April 19, 2023

Simplification has been a big theme in the enterprise world in the last couple of years. If a company can consolidate multiple point solutions into one product or contract, it can reduce complexity and ultimately costs for the end user — so long as those all-in-one offerings are effective at doing the job that 5, […]

Coro raises $75M at a $575M valuation to grow its all-in-one cybersecurity platform by Ingrid Lunden originally published on TechCrunch

How to teach kids who flip between book and screen

April 19, 2023
Linus Merryman spends about an hour a day on his laptop at his elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, mostly working on foundational reading skills like phonics and spelling. He opens the reading app Lexia with ease, clicking straight through to lessons chosen specifically to address his reading needs. This week Linus, who’s in second grade,…

Cortical Labs raises $10M for its Pong-playing stem cells which eventually could power AI

April 19, 2023

While Generative AI is buzzy right now, what OpenAI, Microsoft and Google are doing may be only part of the story. There is also the process of using biology: the idea of using stem cells to create biocomputers that could potentially be smarter and more energy efficient than what we are used to today. Australian […]

Cortical Labs raises $10M for its Pong-playing stem cells which eventually could power AI by Mike Butcher originally published on TechCrunch

Volkswagen pumps 1B euros into China electric vehicle center

April 19, 2023

Auto Shanghai, which is underway this week, is a yearly opportunity for carmakers and auto suppliers to flex their muscles and show their commitment to China, the world’s largest auto market. At this year’s edition, Volkswagen announced that it will invest around one billion euros ($1.1 billion) in a new China center for the development, […]

Volkswagen pumps 1B euros into China electric vehicle center by Rita Liao originally published on TechCrunch

Netflix’s ad-supported plan gets support for 1080p quality and two concurrent streams

April 19, 2023

Netflix is upgrading its ad-supported plan in terms of streaming quality and concurrent streams. The company said users subscribed to this plan will be able to see content in 1080p resolution (up from 720p) with support for two concurrent streams. These benefits are rolling out to users in Canada and Spain today. People using the […]

Netflix’s ad-supported plan gets support for 1080p quality and two concurrent streams by Ivan Mehta originally published on TechCrunch

Tesla cuts prices for Model 3, Model Y on eve of Q1 earnings

April 19, 2023

Tesla has cut the price of its Model 3 and Model Y electric vehicles for the second time this month. Now, Tesla’s most popular models will start under $40,000 before incentives. The price slash come on the eve of Tesla’s first quarter earnings report, when investors will be watching out for the automaker’s margins after […]

Tesla cuts prices for Model 3, Model Y on eve of Q1 earnings by Rebecca Bellan originally published on TechCrunch