Category: Gaming
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MIT develops recyclable 3D-printed glass blocks for construction
The team points to glass’ optical properties and its “infinite recyclability” as reasons for turning to the material. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. The use of 3D printing has been praised as an alternative to traditional construction. It promises to deliver faster construction times, creative design, and fewer construction…
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Elon Musk’s reposts of Kamala Harris deepfakes may not fly under new California law
California’s newest law could land social media users who post, or repost, AI deepfakes that deceive voters about upcoming elections in legal trouble. Governor Gavin Newsom suggests that AB 2839, which went into effect immediately after he signed it on Tuesday, could be used to reel in the retweets of Elon Musk, among others who…
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SpaceX disputes $633K FAA fine, citing ‘systematic challenges’ with agency
SpaceX sent a letter to top congressional leaders on Wednesday denying allegations that it violated its launch licenses on two separate occasions last year, which has resulted in regulators seeking $633,009 in penalties from the company. Instead, the company asserts that the inability of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) to…
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Chipmaker Qualcomm lays off hundreds of workers in San Diego
This is the chipmaker’s second round of layoffs over the past year, while the company recorded billions in revenue. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Qualcomm, which makes chips for smartphones, said it will lay off 226 workers in San Diego later this year, according to a California WARN notice…
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Gaming Lyft’s Citi Bike algos was a lucrative side hustle for a while
A New York Times article Thursday highlighted a lucrative side hustle that is emblematic of the times we live in: gaming algorithms to earn money. In this case, folks figured out they could maximize the payout from Lyft’s Citi Bike “Bike Angels” program by taking advantage of a company algorithm used to meet its supply-and-demand…
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Here is what’s illegal under California’s 8 (and counting) new AI laws
California Governor Gavin Newsom is currently considering 38 AI-related bills, including the highly contentious SB 1047, which the state’s legislature sent to his desk for final approval. These bills try to address the most pressing issues in artificial intelligence: everything from futuristic AI systems creating existential risk, deepfake nudes from AI image generators, to Hollywood…
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Zeno emerges from stealth to crib Tesla’s master plan for Africa and beyond
The startup has been methodically exploring how batteries might transform life in emerging markets. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. When Elon Musk published Tesla’s first “master plan” in 2006, it seemed a bit far-fetched that batteries would end up changing the automotive industry, much less global power production and…
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Amazon debuts Project Amelia, an AI assistant for sellers
Amazon sellers now have access to an AI assistant designed to help grow their business by answering questions about their metrics, and later, helping to resolve issues that arise. The assistant, code-named Project Amelia and built on AWS’s Amazon Bedrock, is available in beta to U.S. sellers, starting Thursday. The retail giant says select U.S.…
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Tidal Metals sees seawater as the solution to a critical mineral shortage
The startup, previously known as GreenBlu, was working on desalination when it realized there was more value in the minerals that were left behind. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Last year, the U.S. designated magnesium as a critical mineral, one of the “electric 18” that are critical for the…
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Amazon releases a video generator — but only for ads
Like its rival, Google, Amazon has launched an AI-powered video generator — but it’s only for advertisers at the moment, and somewhat limited in what it can do. Today at its Accelerate conference, Amazon unveiled Video generator, which turns a single product image into video showcases of that product after some amount of processing. The…