Catherine Shu
Writer
The Latest from Catherine Shu
Following a report about misleading ads placed by anti-abortion groups, Google Ads updates its policies
Starting next month, Google will enforce new policies for ads related to abortion in the United States, United Kingdom and Ireland. Google will now require advertisers that want to run ads with aborti
IDC: Asia-Pacific spending on AI systems will reach $5.5 billion this year, up 80% from 2018
Spending on artificial intelligence systems in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to reach $5.5 billion this year, an almost 80% increase over 2018, driven by businesses in China and the retail indus
‘Game of Thrones’ season finale sets record as HBO’s most-viewed episode ever
Despite disappointing many longtime fans of the show, the “Game of Thrones” series finale set a new record for HBO as the most viewed episode in the network’s history. According to the Hollywood
Alibaba invests about $635M in Red Star Macalline, one of China’s largest furniture sellers
Alibaba Group has acquired about RMB 4.36 billion ($635 million) worth of convertible bonds in Red Star Macalline, one of China’s biggest furniture retailers. If converted, this would give Alibaba a
Having trouble with Amazon Alexa? You’re not the only one. [Update: It’s fixed.]
Update: An Amazon spokesperson told TechCrunch “This afternoon we had an issue that impacted some Alexa customers’ ability to interact with the service. The Alexa service is now operating norm
Trump is reportedly preparing to sign an executive order that would enable a ban on Huawei in the US
As the trade war with China intensifies again, President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order that would make possible a ban on American companies from using telecommunications equipmen
Twitter launches new search features to stop the spread of misinformation about vaccines
As measles outbreaks in the United States and other countries continue to get worse, Twitter is introducing new search tools meant to help users find credible resources about vaccines. It will also st
Tempo Automation raises $45M Series C for its turnkey circuit board manufacturing solution
Tempo Automation, a San Francisco-based startup that helps shorten the time from prototype to production for electronics manufacturers, announced today that it has raised a $45 million Series C led by
Shares of SoftBank Group, Uber’s biggest stakeholder, slide after its disappointing IPO
As Uber’s biggest shareholder, SoftBank Group had high hopes for the ridesharing company’s stock market debut last week. Instead, the Japanese conglomerate’s shares have been sliding along with
Hong Kong insurance tech startup OneDegree extends its Series A to a total of $30 million
OneDegree, an insurance technology startup based in Hong Kong, announced today it has extended its Series A round to $30 million, up from the $25.5 million it announced in September. Its extension, wh
Disney reports strong second-quarter, but takes $353 million write-down on Vice
Walt Disney Co. is writing down its investment in Vice Media for the second time in less than a year. In its otherwise upbeat second-quarter earnings report, the company said it was taking an impairme
Match Group records solid first-quarter revenue thanks to an increase in Tinder subscribers
Match Group’s revenue saw solid growth in the first quarter thanks to an increase in Tinder subscribers. The company, whose portfolio of dating apps also includes Match .com, PlentyOfFish, OkCupid a
Binance says more than $40 million in bitcoin stolen in ‘large scale’ hack
Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has confirmed a "large scale" data breach, in which hackers stole more than $40 million in cryptocurrency
Apple and Google Play remove three dating apps after FTC warning about underage users
The Federal Trade Commission said today that Google and Apple have removed three dating apps from their app stores because they could potentially be used by sexual predators to find children. In a par
Health coaching app Noom will expand its product team after raising $58M led by Sequoia
Health coaching app developer Noom announced today that it has raised $58 million led by Sequoia Capital. Other participants include Aglaé Ventures, the tech investment arm of French holding company
NBCUniversal’s scannable ShoppableTV takes viewers directly to e-commerce sites
NBCUniversal is launching a new feature it hopes will increase conversion rates for advertisers. Called ShoppableTV, it displays QR codes during specific moments in TV shows and take viewers directly
Boston Dynamics debuts the production version of SpotMini
Last year at our TC Sessions: Robotics conference, Boston Dynamics announced that SpotMini will be its first commercially available product. A revamped version of the product would use the company’s
Industrial robotics giant Fanuc is using AI to make automation even more automated
Industrial automation is already streamlining the manufacturing process, but first those machines must be painstakingly trained by skilled engineers. Industrial robotics giant Fanuc wants to make robo
Terry Gou will resign as Foxconn’s chairman to run for president of Taiwan
Foxconn chairman Terry Gou officially announced on Wednesday that he will run for president of Taiwan. Gou will step down from leading the company (also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd.),
Walt Disney and Badoo join companies pledging money to rebuild Notre-Dame
Walt Disney and dating app Badoo are the latest companies to pledge funds for the rebuilding of Notre-Dame after the historic cathedral sustained severe damage in a fire earlier this week. Disney is g