US disrupts China-backed hacking operation amid warning of threat to American infrastructure

January 31, 2024

The U.S. government announced Wednesday it had disrupted a China-backed hacking operation targeting U.S. critical infrastructure, amid warnings that Beijing is preparing to cause “real-world harm” to Americans in the event of a future conflict. Speaking during a U.S. House of Representatives committee hearing on cyber threats posed by China, FBI director Christopher Wray told […]

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Mark Zuckerberg defends teenage creators’ right to public Instagram accounts

January 31, 2024

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and founder of Meta, commented in today’s Senate hearing on children’s online safety that teenagers should be able to be creators and share their content widely. Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) questioned Zuckerberg about Meta’s privacy controls for teenagers. On Instagram, for example, teens under 16 — or 18 in some countries — […]

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X, Microsoft throw their weight behind KOSA, the controversial kids’ online safety bill

January 31, 2024

On the eve of Wednesday’s big tech hearing (both big tech and a big hearing — five CEOs are testifying as we speak), Microsoft stepped up to back a controversial bill that aims to protect children from the dangers of social media. In the early hours of the hearing, X CEO Linda Yaccarino also climbed […]

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Metronome’s usage-based billing software finds hit in AI as the startup raises $43M in fresh capital

January 31, 2024

Metronome, a startup that helps software companies offer usage-based billing, has raised $43 million in a Series B funding round led by NEA. Existing backers Andreessen Horowitz and General Catalyst also participated in the financing, which brings its total amount raised to over $78 million since its 2019 inception.  Founded by Dropbox alums Kevin Liu […]

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Podcast app Castro now owned by indie developer Bluck Apps

January 31, 2024

Nearly two months after Castro, the third-party podcast app, announced it was seeking new ownership, the company revealed today that it has officially been bought by Bluck Apps, an independent app studio that developed Android podcast app Aurelian. In November, Castro’s future was questioned when a former employee, Mohit Mamoria, posted on X that the […]

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Cerulean empowers ocean pollution watchdogs with orbital observation

January 31, 2024

The vastness of the ocean allows polluters to evade detection in all but the most egregious violations. SkyTruth aims to change that with Cerulean, an orbital monitoring platform for coastal waters that spots not just oil slicks but the ships that produce them faster and with more certainty than ever before. The nonprofit organization has […]

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Mark Zuckerberg says Apple and Google should manage parental consent for apps, not Meta

January 31, 2024

In today’s online safety hearing, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg again pushed back at the idea that businesses like his should be responsible for managing parental consent systems for kids’ use of social media apps, like Facebook and Instagram. Instead, he suggested the problem should be dealt with by the app store providers, like Apple and […]

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Twin Labs automates repetitive tasks by letting AI take over your mouse cursor

January 31, 2024

Meet Twin Labs, a Paris-based startup that wants to build an automation product for repetitive tasks, such as onboarding new employees to all your internal services, reordering items when you’re running out of stock, downloading financial reports across several SaaS products, reaching out to potential propects and more. “Twin’s starting point is a science-fiction idea. […]

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Google’s ‘Circle to Search’ feature is now available on the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S20 series

January 31, 2024

Google announced today that its new Circle to Search feature is rolling out globally on the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S24 series. The new feature, which was unveiled earlier this month, lets users search from anywhere on their phone using gestures like circling, highlighting, scribbling or tapping. The tech giant […]

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