‘Necessary Change’: Starbucks Is Laying Off 1,100 Corporate Workers and Eliminating Open Roles — Read the Memo
The workers who are being laid off will be told by midday on Tuesday, Feb. 25.
The Download: Google DeepMind’s plans for robots, and Eastern Europe’s changing tech sector
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. Gemini Robotics uses Google’s top language model to make robots more useful The news: Google DeepMind has released a new model, Gemini Robotics, that combines its best large language model with robotics. Plugging…
The startup battle begins now: TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 applications are open
Pre-Series A founders, this is your moment! If you’re ready to showcase your game-changing innovations on a global stage, the battlefield awaits. Applications for TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 — the premier startup pitch competition — are officially OPEN. This is your shot to shine! Step onto the global stage and showcase your groundbreaking startup to […]
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
As Meta gets rid of fact-checkers, misinformation is going viral
Meta is phasing out its third-party fact-checking programs in the U.S. while it reintroduces a bonus program for creators, which pays them for viral content. The timing of these changes at Meta could intensify the prevalence of misinformation, according to ProPublica. In the past, content creators could not monetize posts that fact-checkers deemed false; but […]
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Flexport releases onslaught of AI tools in a move inspired by ‘Founder Mode’
Freight forwarding and logistics company Flexport is rolling out a suite of new products and features, many of which use AI, in what the company says will be the first in a series of semi-annual announcements of this kind. If that sounds similar to Airbnb’s approach to seasonal product announcements, that’s because it was the […]
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Stressed-Out Entrepreneurs Have Started Doing This to Relax
There’s a new app that uses your phone’s flashlight to help you unwind.
A single default password exposes access to dozens of apartment buildings
An unchanged credential allows anyone to virtually control door locks and elevators at dozens of apartment buildings across North America, a security researcher found.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Cambium is building an AI that helps turn waste wood into usable lumber
Cambium uses data on timber and lumber transactions in a bid to make salvage wood appealing to a range of companies.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Patlytics raises $14M for its patent analytics platform
For decades, patents have been a bone of contention in the technology world, seen by some as a way to protect intellectual property, but by critics as a blunt weapon against innovation. In the age of AI, they are once again getting revisited. New York startup Patlytics has developed an AI-enabled patent analytics platform to […]
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
The Download: workplace surveillance, and fighting EV fires
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. Your boss is watching Working today—whether in an office, a warehouse, or your car—can mean constant electronic surveillance with little transparency, and potentially with livelihood-ending consequences if your productivity flags. But what matters…
Meta AI arrives in the Middle East and Africa with support for Arabic
Meta has formally expanded Meta AI to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), opening the AI-enabled chatbot to millions more people. Back in October, Meta announced it was launching Meta AI in six additional markets, including Brazil and the U.K. At the same time, the company teased gradual rollout plans for additional markets around […]
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.