OpenAI Launches Advanced AI Agent Capable of Creating Spreadsheets and Presentations
OpenAI just took a major step forward in the AI arms race with the launch of its new ChatGPT agent—a powerful digital assistant capable of doing more than just answering questions. Now, it can take action on your behalf: automating online tasks, creating detailed PowerPoint presentations, drafting spreadsheets, booking restaurant reservations, conducting competitive research, and
Scale AI Lays Off 200 Employees Amid Major Meta Investment
In a surprising twist for one of the most influential companies in artificial intelligence, Scale AI has laid off 200 employees—just weeks after receiving a massive investment from Meta. The decision follows a period of turbulence and transformation that has shaken up its workforce and business model. A Sudden Shift After a $14.3B Boost Scale
Scale AI Lays Off 14% of Workforce, Winds Down Data-Labeling Ops
Scale AI, the data-labeling startup once considered a cornerstone of the AI training ecosystem, has laid off around 200 employees, or 14% of its workforce, and is also severing ties with 500 global contractors, according to a report from Bloomberg. The decision follows a dramatic shift in the company’s trajectory, coming just weeks after Meta
GM and Redwood Materials Team Up to Repurpose EV Batteries for Powering Data Centers
In a new step toward building a circular battery economy, General Motors (GM) and Redwood Materials have announced an expanded partnership that puts used and new EV batteries to work — not on the road, but powering energy-hungry data centers. Redwood Materials, the battery recycling startup founded by former Tesla CTO JB Straubel, has started
US Army Soldier Pleads Guilty to Hacking Telecom Companies and Extortion
A former U.S. Army soldier has admitted to a sweeping hacking and extortion scheme that targeted some of America’s largest telecommunications companies. On Tuesday, the Department of Justice announced that Cameron John Wagenius, who operated online under the alias “kiberphant0m,” pleaded guilty to hacking into multiple telecom providers and threatening to release stolen data if
Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab Hits $12 Billion Valuation in Massive Seed Round
In a stunning show of investor confidence, Thinking Machines Lab, the AI startup launched by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, has just closed a $2 billion seed round—an eye-popping figure that now values the company at $12 billion, a company spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch on Monday. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz and drew
xAI Says It Has Fixed Grok 4’s Offensive and Biased Responses
When xAI rolled out its new language model, Grok 4, last week, the company boasted that it outperformed several rivals on a range of benchmarks. But almost immediately, users noticed serious problems. The Grok account on X, which runs on the model, began generating antisemitic messages, referring to itself as “Hitler,” and frequently echoing Elon
Google Inks $3B Deal to Power Data Centers with Hydropower from Brookfield
In its ongoing race to fuel an ever-expanding network of data centers, Google announced on Tuesday that it has struck a deal worth more than $3 billion to secure carbon-free hydropower from Brookfield Asset Management’s renewable energy division. Under the agreement, Google will purchase 670 megawatts of capacity from two hydropower plants in Pennsylvania—Holtwood and
Japan Shatters Internet Speed Record, 16 Million Times Faster Than India
Japan has just smashed the record for the world’s fastest internet speed, clocking in at a mind-bending 1.02 petabits per second—a connection so fast you could download 10,000 Netflix movies in 4K in just one second. This blistering milestone is 16 million times faster than India’s average internet speeds and about 3.5 million times faster
Windsurf’s CEO Heads to Google, Leaving OpenAI’s Acquisition in Ruins
OpenAI’s much-anticipated $3 billion acquisition of Windsurf, the breakout AI coding startup, has officially collapsed, The Verge reported Friday. In a dramatic turn, Google DeepMind has swooped in to hire Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan, co-founder Douglas Chen, and a group of the company’s most prominent researchers. Google confirmed the hires in a statement to TechCrunch.
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Trending Posts
OpenAI Launches Advanced AI Agent Capable of Creating Spreadsheets and Presentations
OpenAI just took a major step forward in the AI arms race with the launch of its new ChatGPT agent—a powerful digital assistant capable of doing more than just answering questions. Now, it can take action on your behalf: automating online tasks, creating detailed PowerPoint presentations, drafting spreadsheets, booking restaurant reservations, conducting competitive research, and
Scale AI Lays Off 200 Employees Amid Major Meta Investment
In a surprising twist for one of the most influential companies in artificial intelligence, Scale AI has laid off 200 employees—just weeks after receiving a massive investment from Meta. The decision follows a period of turbulence and transformation that has shaken up its workforce and business model. A Sudden Shift After a $14.3B Boost Scale
Scale AI Lays Off 14% of Workforce, Winds Down Data-Labeling Ops
Scale AI, the data-labeling startup once considered a cornerstone of the AI training ecosystem, has laid off around 200 employees, or 14% of its workforce, and is also severing ties with 500 global contractors, according to a report from Bloomberg. The decision follows a dramatic shift in the company’s trajectory, coming just weeks after Meta
GM and Redwood Materials Team Up to Repurpose EV Batteries for Powering Data Centers
In a new step toward building a circular battery economy, General Motors (GM) and Redwood Materials have announced an expanded partnership that puts used and new EV batteries to work — not on the road, but powering energy-hungry data centers. Redwood Materials, the battery recycling startup founded by former Tesla CTO JB Straubel, has started
US Army Soldier Pleads Guilty to Hacking Telecom Companies and Extortion
A former U.S. Army soldier has admitted to a sweeping hacking and extortion scheme that targeted some of America’s largest telecommunications companies. On Tuesday, the Department of Justice announced that Cameron John Wagenius, who operated online under the alias “kiberphant0m,” pleaded guilty to hacking into multiple telecom providers and threatening to release stolen data if
Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab Hits $12 Billion Valuation in Massive Seed Round
In a stunning show of investor confidence, Thinking Machines Lab, the AI startup launched by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, has just closed a $2 billion seed round—an eye-popping figure that now values the company at $12 billion, a company spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch on Monday. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz and drew
xAI Says It Has Fixed Grok 4’s Offensive and Biased Responses
When xAI rolled out its new language model, Grok 4, last week, the company boasted that it outperformed several rivals on a range of benchmarks. But almost immediately, users noticed serious problems. The Grok account on X, which runs on the model, began generating antisemitic messages, referring to itself as “Hitler,” and frequently echoing Elon
Google Inks $3B Deal to Power Data Centers with Hydropower from Brookfield
In its ongoing race to fuel an ever-expanding network of data centers, Google announced on Tuesday that it has struck a deal worth more than $3 billion to secure carbon-free hydropower from Brookfield Asset Management’s renewable energy division. Under the agreement, Google will purchase 670 megawatts of capacity from two hydropower plants in Pennsylvania—Holtwood and
Japan Shatters Internet Speed Record, 16 Million Times Faster Than India
Japan has just smashed the record for the world’s fastest internet speed, clocking in at a mind-bending 1.02 petabits per second—a connection so fast you could download 10,000 Netflix movies in 4K in just one second. This blistering milestone is 16 million times faster than India’s average internet speeds and about 3.5 million times faster
Windsurf’s CEO Heads to Google, Leaving OpenAI’s Acquisition in Ruins
OpenAI’s much-anticipated $3 billion acquisition of Windsurf, the breakout AI coding startup, has officially collapsed, The Verge reported Friday. In a dramatic turn, Google DeepMind has swooped in to hire Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan, co-founder Douglas Chen, and a group of the company’s most prominent researchers. Google confirmed the hires in a statement to TechCrunch.
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OpenAI Launches Advanced AI Agent Capable of Creating Spreadsheets and Presentations
OpenAI just took a major step forward in the AI arms race with the launch of its new ChatGPT agent—a powerful digital assistant capable of doing more than just answering questions. Now, it can take action on your behalf: automating online tasks, creating detailed PowerPoint presentations, drafting spreadsheets, booking restaurant reservations, conducting competitive research, and
Scale AI Lays Off 200 Employees Amid Major Meta Investment
In a surprising twist for one of the most influential companies in artificial intelligence, Scale AI has laid off 200 employees—just weeks after receiving a massive investment from Meta. The decision follows a period of turbulence and transformation that has shaken up its workforce and business model. A Sudden Shift After a $14.3B Boost Scale
Scale AI Lays Off 14% of Workforce, Winds Down Data-Labeling Ops
Scale AI, the data-labeling startup once considered a cornerstone of the AI training ecosystem, has laid off around 200 employees, or 14% of its workforce, and is also severing ties with 500 global contractors, according to a report from Bloomberg. The decision follows a dramatic shift in the company’s trajectory, coming just weeks after Meta
GM and Redwood Materials Team Up to Repurpose EV Batteries for Powering Data Centers
In a new step toward building a circular battery economy, General Motors (GM) and Redwood Materials have announced an expanded partnership that puts used and new EV batteries to work — not on the road, but powering energy-hungry data centers. Redwood Materials, the battery recycling startup founded by former Tesla CTO JB Straubel, has started
US Army Soldier Pleads Guilty to Hacking Telecom Companies and Extortion
A former U.S. Army soldier has admitted to a sweeping hacking and extortion scheme that targeted some of America’s largest telecommunications companies. On Tuesday, the Department of Justice announced that Cameron John Wagenius, who operated online under the alias “kiberphant0m,” pleaded guilty to hacking into multiple telecom providers and threatening to release stolen data if
Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab Hits $12 Billion Valuation in Massive Seed Round
In a stunning show of investor confidence, Thinking Machines Lab, the AI startup launched by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, has just closed a $2 billion seed round—an eye-popping figure that now values the company at $12 billion, a company spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch on Monday. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz and drew
xAI Says It Has Fixed Grok 4’s Offensive and Biased Responses
When xAI rolled out its new language model, Grok 4, last week, the company boasted that it outperformed several rivals on a range of benchmarks. But almost immediately, users noticed serious problems. The Grok account on X, which runs on the model, began generating antisemitic messages, referring to itself as “Hitler,” and frequently echoing Elon
Google Inks $3B Deal to Power Data Centers with Hydropower from Brookfield
In its ongoing race to fuel an ever-expanding network of data centers, Google announced on Tuesday that it has struck a deal worth more than $3 billion to secure carbon-free hydropower from Brookfield Asset Management’s renewable energy division. Under the agreement, Google will purchase 670 megawatts of capacity from two hydropower plants in Pennsylvania—Holtwood and
Japan Shatters Internet Speed Record, 16 Million Times Faster Than India
Japan has just smashed the record for the world’s fastest internet speed, clocking in at a mind-bending 1.02 petabits per second—a connection so fast you could download 10,000 Netflix movies in 4K in just one second. This blistering milestone is 16 million times faster than India’s average internet speeds and about 3.5 million times faster
Windsurf’s CEO Heads to Google, Leaving OpenAI’s Acquisition in Ruins
OpenAI’s much-anticipated $3 billion acquisition of Windsurf, the breakout AI coding startup, has officially collapsed, The Verge reported Friday. In a dramatic turn, Google DeepMind has swooped in to hire Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan, co-founder Douglas Chen, and a group of the company’s most prominent researchers. Google confirmed the hires in a statement to TechCrunch.
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OpenAI Launches Advanced AI Agent Capable of Creating Spreadsheets and Presentations
OpenAI just took a major step forward in the AI arms race with the launch of its new ChatGPT agent—a powerful digital assistant capable of doing more than just answering questions. Now, it can take action on your behalf: automating online tasks, creating detailed PowerPoint presentations, drafting spreadsheets, booking restaurant reservations, conducting competitive research, and
Scale AI Lays Off 200 Employees Amid Major Meta Investment
In a surprising twist for one of the most influential companies in artificial intelligence, Scale AI has laid off 200 employees—just weeks after receiving a massive investment from Meta. The decision follows a period of turbulence and transformation that has shaken up its workforce and business model. A Sudden Shift After a $14.3B Boost Scale
Scale AI Lays Off 14% of Workforce, Winds Down Data-Labeling Ops
Scale AI, the data-labeling startup once considered a cornerstone of the AI training ecosystem, has laid off around 200 employees, or 14% of its workforce, and is also severing ties with 500 global contractors, according to a report from Bloomberg. The decision follows a dramatic shift in the company’s trajectory, coming just weeks after Meta
GM and Redwood Materials Team Up to Repurpose EV Batteries for Powering Data Centers
In a new step toward building a circular battery economy, General Motors (GM) and Redwood Materials have announced an expanded partnership that puts used and new EV batteries to work — not on the road, but powering energy-hungry data centers. Redwood Materials, the battery recycling startup founded by former Tesla CTO JB Straubel, has started
US Army Soldier Pleads Guilty to Hacking Telecom Companies and Extortion
A former U.S. Army soldier has admitted to a sweeping hacking and extortion scheme that targeted some of America’s largest telecommunications companies. On Tuesday, the Department of Justice announced that Cameron John Wagenius, who operated online under the alias “kiberphant0m,” pleaded guilty to hacking into multiple telecom providers and threatening to release stolen data if
Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab Hits $12 Billion Valuation in Massive Seed Round
In a stunning show of investor confidence, Thinking Machines Lab, the AI startup launched by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, has just closed a $2 billion seed round—an eye-popping figure that now values the company at $12 billion, a company spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch on Monday. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz and drew
xAI Says It Has Fixed Grok 4’s Offensive and Biased Responses
When xAI rolled out its new language model, Grok 4, last week, the company boasted that it outperformed several rivals on a range of benchmarks. But almost immediately, users noticed serious problems. The Grok account on X, which runs on the model, began generating antisemitic messages, referring to itself as “Hitler,” and frequently echoing Elon
Google Inks $3B Deal to Power Data Centers with Hydropower from Brookfield
In its ongoing race to fuel an ever-expanding network of data centers, Google announced on Tuesday that it has struck a deal worth more than $3 billion to secure carbon-free hydropower from Brookfield Asset Management’s renewable energy division. Under the agreement, Google will purchase 670 megawatts of capacity from two hydropower plants in Pennsylvania—Holtwood and
Japan Shatters Internet Speed Record, 16 Million Times Faster Than India
Japan has just smashed the record for the world’s fastest internet speed, clocking in at a mind-bending 1.02 petabits per second—a connection so fast you could download 10,000 Netflix movies in 4K in just one second. This blistering milestone is 16 million times faster than India’s average internet speeds and about 3.5 million times faster
Windsurf’s CEO Heads to Google, Leaving OpenAI’s Acquisition in Ruins
OpenAI’s much-anticipated $3 billion acquisition of Windsurf, the breakout AI coding startup, has officially collapsed, The Verge reported Friday. In a dramatic turn, Google DeepMind has swooped in to hire Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan, co-founder Douglas Chen, and a group of the company’s most prominent researchers. Google confirmed the hires in a statement to TechCrunch.
X Faces New Challenges as Threads Closes the Gap and CEO Departs
With the departure of CEO Linda Yaccarino announced Wednesday, the platform formerly known as Twitter is entering a new era of uncertainty. X, owned by Elon Musk, has seen its daily active user base decline by about 10% year-over-year as of Q2 2025, according to new data from app intelligence firm Sensor Tower. While X
Grok AI Chatbot Coming to Tesla Vehicles Next Week, Elon Musk Says
Elon Musk announced early Thursday that Grok, the chatbot developed by his AI company xAI, will be arriving in Tesla vehicles “next week at the latest.” The news follows xAI’s debut of its latest flagship model, Grok 4, just hours earlier. Fans had been quick to notice that Musk spent nearly an hour discussing Grok
ChatGPT Made Up So Many Stories About Soundslice That the Founder Finally Gave In
Earlier this month, Adrian Holovaty, the founder of the music-learning platform Soundslice, finally figured out a strange puzzle that had been bugging him for weeks. Random screenshots of ChatGPT chats were flooding his system, and he had no idea why. When he dug deeper, he realized something unexpected: ChatGPT had become one of Soundslice’s biggest
Perplexity Launches Comet, an AI-Powered Web Browser
Perplexity has just launched its first AI-powered web browser, called Comet, as part of its ambitious push to compete with Google Search as the main way people find information online. At first, Comet will only be available to subscribers of Perplexity’s $200-per-month Max plan and a select group of early users who joined a waitlist.
Apple COO Jeff Williams Will Step Down This Month
Apple’s longtime Chief Operating Officer, Jeff Williams, is preparing to step down later this month, the company announced Tuesday. His departure marks the end of a nearly 30-year career that helped shape some of Apple’s most iconic products. Williams is retiring to focus on spending more time with his loved ones. “I look forward to
Activision Pulled ‘Call of Duty: WWII’ from PC After Players Got Hacked
Activision has quietly taken down the Microsoft Store version of Call of Duty: WWII after hackers exploited a critical security flaw, which reportedly led to several players having their PCs compromised The game, originally released in 2017, was recently re-launched on Microsoft’s platform and included with Xbox Game Pass — a subscription service that offers
Fortnite Maker Epic Games Settles Antitrust Dispute with Samsung
Epic Games has officially settled its antitrust lawsuit against Samsung, according to a new court filing. The case, which Epic filed last September, accused Samsung of working hand in hand with Google to keep competing app stores off Samsung phones by default. “We’re dismissing our court case against Samsung following the parties’ discussions,” Epic CEO
Threads Is Catching Up to X’s Daily Users, New Data Shows
Instagram’s Threads is getting closer than ever to overtaking X (formerly Twitter) in daily mobile app usage, according to fresh figures from market intelligence firm Similarweb. In June 2025, Threads’ iOS and Android apps reached 115.1 million daily active users — a massive 127.8% jump compared to last year. In contrast, X attracted 132 million
How Brex Is Staying Ahead in AI by Embracing the Chaos
Companies everywhere are racing to keep up with the explosion of AI tools. The challenge? These technologies are evolving much faster than most businesses’ slow, traditional sales and procurement cycles can handle. Brex, the corporate credit card startup, has been no exception. Like many of its peers, Brex quickly realized that its old way of
Ask Not for Whom the Louvre of Bluesky Tolls It Tolls for All of Us
It’s a bittersweet weekend over on Bluesky, where one of the platform’s most unforgettable accounts has vanished—though maybe not forever. The account, known simply (and ominously) as The Louvre of Bluesky, earned a reputation for striking fear into the hearts of bad posters everywhere. Sure, it shared its own commentary and clever jokes. But what
Hand-Picked
Weekly News
OpenAI Launches Advanced AI Agent Capable of Creating Spreadsheets and Presentations
OpenAI just took a major step forward in the AI arms race with the launch of its new ChatGPT agent—a powerful digital assistant capable of doing more than just answering questions. Now, it can take action on your behalf: automating online tasks, creating detailed PowerPoint presentations, drafting spreadsheets, booking restaurant reservations, conducting competitive research, and
Scale AI Lays Off 200 Employees Amid Major Meta Investment
In a surprising twist for one of the most influential companies in artificial intelligence, Scale AI has laid off 200 employees—just weeks after receiving a massive investment from Meta. The decision follows a period of turbulence and transformation that has shaken up its workforce and business model. A Sudden Shift After a $14.3B Boost Scale
Scale AI Lays Off 14% of Workforce, Winds Down Data-Labeling Ops
Scale AI, the data-labeling startup once considered a cornerstone of the AI training ecosystem, has laid off around 200 employees, or 14% of its workforce, and is also severing ties with 500 global contractors, according to a report from Bloomberg. The decision follows a dramatic shift in the company’s trajectory, coming just weeks after Meta
GM and Redwood Materials Team Up to Repurpose EV Batteries for Powering Data Centers
In a new step toward building a circular battery economy, General Motors (GM) and Redwood Materials have announced an expanded partnership that puts used and new EV batteries to work — not on the road, but powering energy-hungry data centers. Redwood Materials, the battery recycling startup founded by former Tesla CTO JB Straubel, has started
US Army Soldier Pleads Guilty to Hacking Telecom Companies and Extortion
A former U.S. Army soldier has admitted to a sweeping hacking and extortion scheme that targeted some of America’s largest telecommunications companies. On Tuesday, the Department of Justice announced that Cameron John Wagenius, who operated online under the alias “kiberphant0m,” pleaded guilty to hacking into multiple telecom providers and threatening to release stolen data if
Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab Hits $12 Billion Valuation in Massive Seed Round
In a stunning show of investor confidence, Thinking Machines Lab, the AI startup launched by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, has just closed a $2 billion seed round—an eye-popping figure that now values the company at $12 billion, a company spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch on Monday. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz and drew
xAI Says It Has Fixed Grok 4’s Offensive and Biased Responses
When xAI rolled out its new language model, Grok 4, last week, the company boasted that it outperformed several rivals on a range of benchmarks. But almost immediately, users noticed serious problems. The Grok account on X, which runs on the model, began generating antisemitic messages, referring to itself as “Hitler,” and frequently echoing Elon
Google Inks $3B Deal to Power Data Centers with Hydropower from Brookfield
In its ongoing race to fuel an ever-expanding network of data centers, Google announced on Tuesday that it has struck a deal worth more than $3 billion to secure carbon-free hydropower from Brookfield Asset Management’s renewable energy division. Under the agreement, Google will purchase 670 megawatts of capacity from two hydropower plants in Pennsylvania—Holtwood and
Japan Shatters Internet Speed Record, 16 Million Times Faster Than India
Japan has just smashed the record for the world’s fastest internet speed, clocking in at a mind-bending 1.02 petabits per second—a connection so fast you could download 10,000 Netflix movies in 4K in just one second. This blistering milestone is 16 million times faster than India’s average internet speeds and about 3.5 million times faster
Windsurf’s CEO Heads to Google, Leaving OpenAI’s Acquisition in Ruins
OpenAI’s much-anticipated $3 billion acquisition of Windsurf, the breakout AI coding startup, has officially collapsed, The Verge reported Friday. In a dramatic turn, Google DeepMind has swooped in to hire Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan, co-founder Douglas Chen, and a group of the company’s most prominent researchers. Google confirmed the hires in a statement to TechCrunch.
X Faces New Challenges as Threads Closes the Gap and CEO Departs
With the departure of CEO Linda Yaccarino announced Wednesday, the platform formerly known as Twitter is entering a new era of uncertainty. X, owned by Elon Musk, has seen its daily active user base decline by about 10% year-over-year as of Q2 2025, according to new data from app intelligence firm Sensor Tower. While X
Grok AI Chatbot Coming to Tesla Vehicles Next Week, Elon Musk Says
Elon Musk announced early Thursday that Grok, the chatbot developed by his AI company xAI, will be arriving in Tesla vehicles “next week at the latest.” The news follows xAI’s debut of its latest flagship model, Grok 4, just hours earlier. Fans had been quick to notice that Musk spent nearly an hour discussing Grok
ChatGPT Made Up So Many Stories About Soundslice That the Founder Finally Gave In
Earlier this month, Adrian Holovaty, the founder of the music-learning platform Soundslice, finally figured out a strange puzzle that had been bugging him for weeks. Random screenshots of ChatGPT chats were flooding his system, and he had no idea why. When he dug deeper, he realized something unexpected: ChatGPT had become one of Soundslice’s biggest
Perplexity Launches Comet, an AI-Powered Web Browser
Perplexity has just launched its first AI-powered web browser, called Comet, as part of its ambitious push to compete with Google Search as the main way people find information online. At first, Comet will only be available to subscribers of Perplexity’s $200-per-month Max plan and a select group of early users who joined a waitlist.
Apple COO Jeff Williams Will Step Down This Month
Apple’s longtime Chief Operating Officer, Jeff Williams, is preparing to step down later this month, the company announced Tuesday. His departure marks the end of a nearly 30-year career that helped shape some of Apple’s most iconic products. Williams is retiring to focus on spending more time with his loved ones. “I look forward to
Activision Pulled ‘Call of Duty: WWII’ from PC After Players Got Hacked
Activision has quietly taken down the Microsoft Store version of Call of Duty: WWII after hackers exploited a critical security flaw, which reportedly led to several players having their PCs compromised The game, originally released in 2017, was recently re-launched on Microsoft’s platform and included with Xbox Game Pass — a subscription service that offers
Fortnite Maker Epic Games Settles Antitrust Dispute with Samsung
Epic Games has officially settled its antitrust lawsuit against Samsung, according to a new court filing. The case, which Epic filed last September, accused Samsung of working hand in hand with Google to keep competing app stores off Samsung phones by default. “We’re dismissing our court case against Samsung following the parties’ discussions,” Epic CEO
Threads Is Catching Up to X’s Daily Users, New Data Shows
Instagram’s Threads is getting closer than ever to overtaking X (formerly Twitter) in daily mobile app usage, according to fresh figures from market intelligence firm Similarweb. In June 2025, Threads’ iOS and Android apps reached 115.1 million daily active users — a massive 127.8% jump compared to last year. In contrast, X attracted 132 million
How Brex Is Staying Ahead in AI by Embracing the Chaos
Companies everywhere are racing to keep up with the explosion of AI tools. The challenge? These technologies are evolving much faster than most businesses’ slow, traditional sales and procurement cycles can handle. Brex, the corporate credit card startup, has been no exception. Like many of its peers, Brex quickly realized that its old way of
Ask Not for Whom the Louvre of Bluesky Tolls It Tolls for All of Us
It’s a bittersweet weekend over on Bluesky, where one of the platform’s most unforgettable accounts has vanished—though maybe not forever. The account, known simply (and ominously) as The Louvre of Bluesky, earned a reputation for striking fear into the hearts of bad posters everywhere. Sure, it shared its own commentary and clever jokes. But what
Why Cloudflare Wants AI Companies to Pay for Content
Cloudflare is drawing a line in the sand—and it wants AI companies to pay up if they want to cross it. The cloud infrastructure giant, which quietly powers about 20% of everything you see online, just unveiled what could be its most ambitious move yet: an experiment called Pay per Crawl. The idea is simple
Y Combinator Alum Launches New $34M Fund Dedicated to YC Startups, Backed by Garry Tan
Investing in Y Combinator startups has consistently proven to be one of the most promising paths to outsized returns. “If you look at the data: 6% of YC companies become unicorns, and of that 6%, a quarter become decacorns,” Kulveer Taggar told. Taggar, a two-time YC alum, is perhaps best known for founding Zeus Living,
Final GOP Bill Kneecaps Renewables and Hydrogen but Boosts Nuclear and Geothermal
Republican lawmakers on Thursday passed a sweeping reconciliation bill that will roll back major parts of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), dealing a significant blow to several clean energy sectors. The legislation narrowly passed the House in a 218-214 vote, with two Republicans breaking ranks to oppose it. It now heads to President Donald Trump’s
Not Everyone Is Happy About Threads Adding DMs
Earlier this week, Instagram Threads rolled out what it described as its most-requested feature so far: direct messages (DMs). But instead of widespread applause, the update has sparked a wave of criticism—particularly from women—who say there should be an option to opt out of DMs completely due to concerns about harassment. While most major social
Tesla’s Energy Storage Business Gets Pulled Into the Company’s Downward Spiral
Even Tesla’s energy storage division—long a rare bright spot in the company’s sprawling operations—can’t seem to escape the turbulence swirling around the electric automaker. For the second quarter in a row, installations of Tesla’s Powerwall home batteries and Megapack utility-scale storage systems have fallen. According to the latest figures released by Tesla, the company deployed
Data Breach Exposes Catwatchful ‘Stalkerware’ Spying on Thousands of Phones
A critical security flaw in a shadowy Android spyware operation called Catwatchful has exposed thousands of people—both the customers using the app and the unsuspecting victims whose phones were being secretly monitored. The vulnerability, discovered by Canadian security researcher Eric Daigle, effectively spilled Catwatchful’s entire user database onto the open internet. This cache included email
ICEBlock App Goes Viral After Criticism from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi
ICEBlock, a new iPhone app designed for anonymously reporting sightings of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, has surged to the top of Apple’s U.S. App Store rankings. Ironically, the app’s sudden popularity was fueled by public criticism from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. According to CNN, most of ICEBlock’s roughly 20,000 users are
Automattic Pauses Tumblr Migration to WordPress
Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg has confirmed that plans to move Tumblr over to WordPress infrastructure have been put on hold indefinitely. Speaking on The Verge’s Decoder podcast, Mullenweg explained that the company decided to focus on projects that users can see and care about more directly, rather than a big backend overhaul. “This was more
Apple Reportedly Considers Letting Anthropic and OpenAI Power Siri
Apple is exploring using AI models from OpenAI and Anthropic to power an updated version of Siri, rather than relying solely on its own technology, according to a report from Bloomberg. While Apple continues to develop an internal project called LLM Siri, the company has reportedly asked both OpenAI and Anthropic to train versions of
Tiny AI ERP Startup Campfire Raises $35M Series A as Startups Ditch NetSuite
Campfire, the AI-powered accounting startup challenging legacy ERP systems, has raised a $35 million Series A round led by Accel. The round also included Foundation Capital, Y Combinator, Capital 49, and angel investors such as Mercury’s CFO Dan Kang. Founded by finance veteran John Glasgow, Campfire launched in 2023 to replace traditional accounting software like
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OpenAI Launches Advanced AI Agent Capable of Creating Spreadsheets and Presentations
OpenAI just took a major step forward in the AI arms race with the launch of its new ChatGPT agent—a powerful digital assistant capable of doing more than just answering questions. Now, it can take action on your behalf: automating online tasks, creating detailed PowerPoint presentations, drafting spreadsheets, booking restaurant reservations, conducting competitive research, and
Scale AI Lays Off 200 Employees Amid Major Meta Investment
In a surprising twist for one of the most influential companies in artificial intelligence, Scale AI has laid off 200 employees—just weeks after receiving a massive investment from Meta. The decision follows a period of turbulence and transformation that has shaken up its workforce and business model. A Sudden Shift After a $14.3B Boost Scale
Scale AI Lays Off 14% of Workforce, Winds Down Data-Labeling Ops
Scale AI, the data-labeling startup once considered a cornerstone of the AI training ecosystem, has laid off around 200 employees, or 14% of its workforce, and is also severing ties with 500 global contractors, according to a report from Bloomberg. The decision follows a dramatic shift in the company’s trajectory, coming just weeks after Meta
GM and Redwood Materials Team Up to Repurpose EV Batteries for Powering Data Centers
In a new step toward building a circular battery economy, General Motors (GM) and Redwood Materials have announced an expanded partnership that puts used and new EV batteries to work — not on the road, but powering energy-hungry data centers. Redwood Materials, the battery recycling startup founded by former Tesla CTO JB Straubel, has started
US Army Soldier Pleads Guilty to Hacking Telecom Companies and Extortion
A former U.S. Army soldier has admitted to a sweeping hacking and extortion scheme that targeted some of America’s largest telecommunications companies. On Tuesday, the Department of Justice announced that Cameron John Wagenius, who operated online under the alias “kiberphant0m,” pleaded guilty to hacking into multiple telecom providers and threatening to release stolen data if
Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab Hits $12 Billion Valuation in Massive Seed Round
In a stunning show of investor confidence, Thinking Machines Lab, the AI startup launched by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, has just closed a $2 billion seed round—an eye-popping figure that now values the company at $12 billion, a company spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch on Monday. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz and drew
xAI Says It Has Fixed Grok 4’s Offensive and Biased Responses
When xAI rolled out its new language model, Grok 4, last week, the company boasted that it outperformed several rivals on a range of benchmarks. But almost immediately, users noticed serious problems. The Grok account on X, which runs on the model, began generating antisemitic messages, referring to itself as “Hitler,” and frequently echoing Elon
Google Inks $3B Deal to Power Data Centers with Hydropower from Brookfield
In its ongoing race to fuel an ever-expanding network of data centers, Google announced on Tuesday that it has struck a deal worth more than $3 billion to secure carbon-free hydropower from Brookfield Asset Management’s renewable energy division. Under the agreement, Google will purchase 670 megawatts of capacity from two hydropower plants in Pennsylvania—Holtwood and
Japan Shatters Internet Speed Record, 16 Million Times Faster Than India
Japan has just smashed the record for the world’s fastest internet speed, clocking in at a mind-bending 1.02 petabits per second—a connection so fast you could download 10,000 Netflix movies in 4K in just one second. This blistering milestone is 16 million times faster than India’s average internet speeds and about 3.5 million times faster
Windsurf’s CEO Heads to Google, Leaving OpenAI’s Acquisition in Ruins
OpenAI’s much-anticipated $3 billion acquisition of Windsurf, the breakout AI coding startup, has officially collapsed, The Verge reported Friday. In a dramatic turn, Google DeepMind has swooped in to hire Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan, co-founder Douglas Chen, and a group of the company’s most prominent researchers. Google confirmed the hires in a statement to TechCrunch.
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OpenAI Launches Advanced AI Agent Capable of Creating Spreadsheets and Presentations
OpenAI just took a major step forward in the AI arms race with the launch of its new ChatGPT agent—a powerful digital assistant capable of doing more than just answering questions. Now, it can take action on your behalf: automating online tasks, creating detailed PowerPoint presentations, drafting spreadsheets, booking restaurant reservations, conducting competitive research, and
Scale AI Lays Off 200 Employees Amid Major Meta Investment
In a surprising twist for one of the most influential companies in artificial intelligence, Scale AI has laid off 200 employees—just weeks after receiving a massive investment from Meta. The decision follows a period of turbulence and transformation that has shaken up its workforce and business model. A Sudden Shift After a $14.3B Boost Scale
Scale AI Lays Off 14% of Workforce, Winds Down Data-Labeling Ops
Scale AI, the data-labeling startup once considered a cornerstone of the AI training ecosystem, has laid off around 200 employees, or 14% of its workforce, and is also severing ties with 500 global contractors, according to a report from Bloomberg. The decision follows a dramatic shift in the company’s trajectory, coming just weeks after Meta
GM and Redwood Materials Team Up to Repurpose EV Batteries for Powering Data Centers
In a new step toward building a circular battery economy, General Motors (GM) and Redwood Materials have announced an expanded partnership that puts used and new EV batteries to work — not on the road, but powering energy-hungry data centers. Redwood Materials, the battery recycling startup founded by former Tesla CTO JB Straubel, has started
US Army Soldier Pleads Guilty to Hacking Telecom Companies and Extortion
A former U.S. Army soldier has admitted to a sweeping hacking and extortion scheme that targeted some of America’s largest telecommunications companies. On Tuesday, the Department of Justice announced that Cameron John Wagenius, who operated online under the alias “kiberphant0m,” pleaded guilty to hacking into multiple telecom providers and threatening to release stolen data if
Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab Hits $12 Billion Valuation in Massive Seed Round
In a stunning show of investor confidence, Thinking Machines Lab, the AI startup launched by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, has just closed a $2 billion seed round—an eye-popping figure that now values the company at $12 billion, a company spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch on Monday. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz and drew
xAI Says It Has Fixed Grok 4’s Offensive and Biased Responses
When xAI rolled out its new language model, Grok 4, last week, the company boasted that it outperformed several rivals on a range of benchmarks. But almost immediately, users noticed serious problems. The Grok account on X, which runs on the model, began generating antisemitic messages, referring to itself as “Hitler,” and frequently echoing Elon
Google Inks $3B Deal to Power Data Centers with Hydropower from Brookfield
In its ongoing race to fuel an ever-expanding network of data centers, Google announced on Tuesday that it has struck a deal worth more than $3 billion to secure carbon-free hydropower from Brookfield Asset Management’s renewable energy division. Under the agreement, Google will purchase 670 megawatts of capacity from two hydropower plants in Pennsylvania—Holtwood and
Japan Shatters Internet Speed Record, 16 Million Times Faster Than India
Japan has just smashed the record for the world’s fastest internet speed, clocking in at a mind-bending 1.02 petabits per second—a connection so fast you could download 10,000 Netflix movies in 4K in just one second. This blistering milestone is 16 million times faster than India’s average internet speeds and about 3.5 million times faster
Windsurf’s CEO Heads to Google, Leaving OpenAI’s Acquisition in Ruins
OpenAI’s much-anticipated $3 billion acquisition of Windsurf, the breakout AI coding startup, has officially collapsed, The Verge reported Friday. In a dramatic turn, Google DeepMind has swooped in to hire Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan, co-founder Douglas Chen, and a group of the company’s most prominent researchers. Google confirmed the hires in a statement to TechCrunch.
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OpenAI Launches Advanced AI Agent Capable of Creating Spreadsheets and Presentations
OpenAI just took a major step forward in the AI arms race with the launch of its new ChatGPT agent—a powerful digital assistant capable of doing more than just answering questions. Now, it can take action on your behalf: automating online tasks, creating detailed PowerPoint presentations, drafting spreadsheets, booking restaurant reservations, conducting competitive research, and
Scale AI Lays Off 200 Employees Amid Major Meta Investment
In a surprising twist for one of the most influential companies in artificial intelligence, Scale AI has laid off 200 employees—just weeks after receiving a massive investment from Meta. The decision follows a period of turbulence and transformation that has shaken up its workforce and business model. A Sudden Shift After a $14.3B Boost Scale
Scale AI Lays Off 14% of Workforce, Winds Down Data-Labeling Ops
Scale AI, the data-labeling startup once considered a cornerstone of the AI training ecosystem, has laid off around 200 employees, or 14% of its workforce, and is also severing ties with 500 global contractors, according to a report from Bloomberg. The decision follows a dramatic shift in the company’s trajectory, coming just weeks after Meta
GM and Redwood Materials Team Up to Repurpose EV Batteries for Powering Data Centers
In a new step toward building a circular battery economy, General Motors (GM) and Redwood Materials have announced an expanded partnership that puts used and new EV batteries to work — not on the road, but powering energy-hungry data centers. Redwood Materials, the battery recycling startup founded by former Tesla CTO JB Straubel, has started
US Army Soldier Pleads Guilty to Hacking Telecom Companies and Extortion
A former U.S. Army soldier has admitted to a sweeping hacking and extortion scheme that targeted some of America’s largest telecommunications companies. On Tuesday, the Department of Justice announced that Cameron John Wagenius, who operated online under the alias “kiberphant0m,” pleaded guilty to hacking into multiple telecom providers and threatening to release stolen data if
Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab Hits $12 Billion Valuation in Massive Seed Round
In a stunning show of investor confidence, Thinking Machines Lab, the AI startup launched by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, has just closed a $2 billion seed round—an eye-popping figure that now values the company at $12 billion, a company spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch on Monday. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz and drew
xAI Says It Has Fixed Grok 4’s Offensive and Biased Responses
When xAI rolled out its new language model, Grok 4, last week, the company boasted that it outperformed several rivals on a range of benchmarks. But almost immediately, users noticed serious problems. The Grok account on X, which runs on the model, began generating antisemitic messages, referring to itself as “Hitler,” and frequently echoing Elon
Google Inks $3B Deal to Power Data Centers with Hydropower from Brookfield
In its ongoing race to fuel an ever-expanding network of data centers, Google announced on Tuesday that it has struck a deal worth more than $3 billion to secure carbon-free hydropower from Brookfield Asset Management’s renewable energy division. Under the agreement, Google will purchase 670 megawatts of capacity from two hydropower plants in Pennsylvania—Holtwood and
Japan Shatters Internet Speed Record, 16 Million Times Faster Than India
Japan has just smashed the record for the world’s fastest internet speed, clocking in at a mind-bending 1.02 petabits per second—a connection so fast you could download 10,000 Netflix movies in 4K in just one second. This blistering milestone is 16 million times faster than India’s average internet speeds and about 3.5 million times faster
Windsurf’s CEO Heads to Google, Leaving OpenAI’s Acquisition in Ruins
OpenAI’s much-anticipated $3 billion acquisition of Windsurf, the breakout AI coding startup, has officially collapsed, The Verge reported Friday. In a dramatic turn, Google DeepMind has swooped in to hire Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan, co-founder Douglas Chen, and a group of the company’s most prominent researchers. Google confirmed the hires in a statement to TechCrunch.