The Latest
AI
Microsoft bans US police departments from using enterprise AI tool for facial recognition
1:57 pm PDT • May 2, 2024
Microsoft has reaffirmed its ban on U.S. police departments from using generative AI for facial recognition through Azure OpenAI Service, the company’s fully managed, enterprise-focused wrapper around OpenAI tech. Language…
Hardware
Apple earnings see 10% iPhone sales drop, massive buyback fuels stock jump
1:45 pm PDT • May 2, 2024
Apple on Thursday reported a 10% drop in iPhone sales for the second fiscal quarter, dropping from $51.33 billion to $45.96 billion, year-over-year. The slowdown was fueled, in part, by…
Space
Hubble Network makes Bluetooth connection with a satellite for the first time
1:00 pm PDT • May 2, 2024
Hubble Network has become the first company in history to establish a Bluetooth connection directly to a satellite — a critical technology validation for the company, potentially opening the door…
Crypto
Alliance DAO is attracting fewer US founders amid crypto crackdown
12:57 pm PDT • May 2, 2024
The graduates of Alliance DAO are often useful indicators of investor appetite and user adaption trends within the crypto space. The latest batch of the stage-agnostic crypto accelerator, unveiled today,…
Transportation
Rivian wins $827M incentive package to expand Illinois factory for R2 production
12:02 pm PDT • May 2, 2024
Rivian is getting $827 million in incentives from the state of Illinois to support building its next-generation electric vehicle, known as the R2. The company announced Thursday that the Illinois…
Government & Policy
EU plan to force messaging apps to scan for CSAM risks millions of false positives, experts warn
10:46 am PDT • May 2, 2024
A controversial push by European Union lawmakers to legally require messaging platforms to scan citizens’ private communications for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) could lead to millions of false positives…
Featured Article
They thought they were joining an accelerator — instead they lost their startups
Lacey Hunter thought all was well as she put her startup through the three-month Newchip accelerator. Then the organization filed for bankruptcy in May 2023. Things went from bad to worse later that year when she discovered warrants of her company — rights to buy an ownership stake — had become part of the proceedings,…
10:38 am PDT • May 2, 2024
It’s not building any startup, but building a defensible AI startup presents its own set of unique challenges.
Transportation
Hyundai is spending close to $1B to keep self-driving startup Motional alive
9:48 am PDT • May 2, 2024
Hyundai has agreed to spend nearly $1 billion on Motional, an investment that will give the automaker a majority stake while providing the self-driving startup with the necessary capital to…
Crypto
TechCrunch Minute: Where CZ’s sentencing leaves the state of crypto
9:05 am PDT • May 2, 2024
Four months behind bars and a massive fine, that’s what CZ is getting from the government for his crypto exchange’s misdeeds. Regardless of how you view the verdict — too…
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Apps
Google will now show labels in Play Store to denote official government apps
9:00 am PDT • May 2, 2024
Today, after months of testing, Google is rolling out labels in the Play Store to denote official state and federal government apps in more than 14 countries. This new label…
Here’s your shot across the bow — there’s a little over one month left to nominate your startup for Startup Battlefield 200 at Disrupt. Join this elite group for a…
Following various reports citing frustrated posts from users on Reddit, Spotify is quietly confirming the change.
Apps
Google expands passkey support to its Advanced Protection Program ahead of the US presidential election
8:10 am PDT • May 2, 2024
Ahead of the U.S. presidential election, Google is bringing passkey support to its Advanced Protection Program (APP), which is used by people who are at high risk of targeted attacks,…
TikTok is adding new ad products that will allow marketers to better control what sort of content their ads appear against.
Apps
Apple adds more carve-outs to its EU core tech fee after criticism from devs
8:00 am PDT • May 2, 2024
Apple is tweaking how it applies a new fee that can affect iOS developers in the European Union as it continues to configure its approach to the bloc’s Digital Markets…
Media & Entertainment
Online course platform Kajabi allows creators to build their own branded apps
8:00 am PDT • May 2, 2024
Kajabi, the video and web hosting platform for content creators to sell online courses, announced Thursday the official launch of its no-code branded mobile app offering, letting users host their…
AI
Dropbox, Figma CEOs back Lamini, a startup building a generative AI platform for enterprises
7:00 am PDT • May 2, 2024
Lamini, a new startup with funding from Andrew Ng, has emerged from stealth with a generative AI platform aimed at enterprises.
Climate
Walmart heir Lukas Walton’s Builders Vision puts S2G on a path to independence
6:30 am PDT • May 2, 2024
Walmart heir Lukas Walton, worth $28 billion, is bringing on new limited partners to expand S2G’s investment reach.
Apps
SoundCloud takes on Spotify’s Discover Weekly feature with new ‘Buzzing Playlists’
6:00 am PDT • May 2, 2024
SoundCloud has launched a new set of playlists under the “Buzzing Playlists” moniker to highlight up-and-coming tracks from artists.
