Category: Apps
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Generative disinfo is real — you’re just not the target, warns deepfake tracking nonprofit
Many feared that the 2024 election would be affected, and perhaps decided, by AI-generated disinformation. While there was some to be found, it was far less than anticipated. But don’t let that fool you: The disinfo threat is real — you’re just not the target. Or at least so says Oren Etzioni, an AI researcher…
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23andMe cuts 40% of staff in restructuring
23andMe announced on Monday it would cut 40% of its workforce, representing more than 200 employees, as part of a restructuring at the company. The genetic testing company is also discontinuing its therapeutics business and winding down its clinical trials; it expects these changes to save $35 million annually. “We are taking these difficult but…
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TechCrunch Space: Nothing to see here!
Hello, and welcome back to TechCrunch Space. There was absolutely no news last week because nothing happened. Just kidding. Defying all early polling, Donald Trump swept the election and will soon be sworn in for his second term in office. From a space policy perspective, things are already starting to look interesting. That’s mostly due…
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Apple reportedly releasing a wall-mounted smart home tablet in 2025 – and yes, it does AI
Apple is gearing up to announce a new smart home hub, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. As early as March 2025, the iPhone maker could release a tablet that mounts to your wall, controls smart home appliances, does video calls, and of course features Apple Intelligence. The device reportedly has a 6-inch touchscreen, but it’s…
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NASA awards ‘sustainable’ aircraft concepts $11.5M
The future of aircraft may look very similar to today’s superficially — but under the hood (or sitting next to the tailfins) they will likely be quite different. That’s the future NASA is hoping to nurture with five research awards worth $11.5 million. The Advanced Aircraft Concepts for Environmental Sustainability 2050 (AACES) program is an…
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Donald Trump announces Elon Musk will co-lead Department of Government Efficiency
President-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that Elon Musk will co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency, the acronym of which spells out DOGE, Musk’s favorite cryptocurrency. The CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, xAI, Neuralink, and owner of X, will lead the department alongside biotech entrepreneur and former presidential hopeful, Vivek Ramaswamy, to pave the way for…
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Generative AI startup Writer raises $200M at a $1.9B valuation
Writer has raised $200 million at a $1.9 billion valuation to expand its enterprise-focused generative AI platform. The Series C round was co-led by Premji Invest, Radical Ventures and ICONIQ Growth, with participation from Salesforce Ventures, Adobe Ventures, B Capital, Citi Ventures, IBM Ventures and Workday Ventures. Writer CEO May Habib says the new cash,…
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NitroVolt is helping farmers make their own fertilizer using renewable power
The majority of the world’s ammonia is produced using the 115-year-old Haber-Bosch process, which is heavily reliant on natural gas. NitroVolt could change that. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. When Suzanne Zamany Andersen arranged her trip to greenhouse grower Koppert Cress in the Netherlands, she thought she would just…
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Europe’s DMA forces Meta towards ‘less personalized ads’
Meta, under legal pressure in the European Union over a binary ‘pay us or consent to ad tracking’ choice it currently offers regional users of its social networks Facebook and Instagram, is changing how its regional ad business works again. Little wonder when compliance failure in this context risks fines of up to 10% of…
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This USB-C mouthpiece turns your phone into a musical instrument
Artinoise, the Italian startup behind re.corder — a smart device reimagining the traditional plastic recorder we all played in school — has introduced its latest product: Zefiro. The portable device, shaped like the mouthpiece of a recorder, can be plugged into any smartphone, tablet, or PC with a USB-C port, effectively transforming into a musical…