Cash App launches a wand for tap-and-pay
Cash App plans to launch more tap-to-pay tags
Startups
Waymo’s spent robotaxi batteries will be used as grid storage
The company announced a deal with B2U Storage Solutions to repurpose the battery packs as Waymo pulls them off the road.
Ramp raises $750M at $44B valuation as investors hunger for fintechs with an AI story
Ramp has nearly tripled its valuation over the past year as investors scramble to grab a part of the fast-growing startup.
Is Silicon Valley ready to put robots in people’s homes? Hello Robot is.
The California startup released the fourth-generation of its home assistance robot, Stretch.
Chinese spies are using LinkedIn to lure Westerners into sharing sensitive information
The advisory warns that Chinese spies are using public job search platforms to recruit people with access to non-public information.
Apple touts $1.4 trillion in App Store billings and sales, 90% without a commission
Apple's App Store generated $1.4 trillion in sales, up from $1.3 trillion last year, with $149 billion in sales for digital goods.
Oura Ring 5 review: Thinner, lighter, better
The Ring 5, which Oura describes as the world’s smallest smart ring, is 40% smaller than its predecessor and starts at $399.
Benchmark raises its first-ever growth fund as part of $2B capital raise
The legendary abandons its more than 20 year tradition of keeping its funds to about $425 million.
Quick commerce FirstClub doubles valuation to $255M in nine months
The Bengaluru startup has crossed 1 million orders and reached a $50 million annualized GMV run rate within a year of launch.
Lovable signs multi-year deal with Google Cloud to up usage 5x, source says
Lovable and Google signed an expanded multi-year deal athat involves a 5x expansion of Lovable's footprint on Google Cloud, and expanded access to Anthropic Claude.
Defense tech is flooded with money, but who’s built to last?
Defense tech is red hot right now. Anduril and Mach Industries just doubled and quadrupled their valuations, respectively, and the U.S. government is proposing a 40% increase in defense budget. A wave of new startups is chasing those government contracts, but according to Ross Fubini, the venture...
Uber to put 500 data-collection vehicles on the road this year
The modified Ioniq 5 will be loaded with sensors to capture data for Uber's new AV Labs division.
Alphabet’s record-breaking $85B raise for Google’s AI business is a helluva good signal
If Alphabet's record-breaking $85 billion stock sale signals investor appetite for AI-related offerings, we can see that investors are ready to chow.
Meta mercifully spun out VR fitness game Supernatural instead of just killing it
Meta appears to have listened to the Supernatural users who protested the app's sad fate after sweeping layoffs.
Substack’s new ‘Reply Rules’ feature lets creators control how people respond
Substack's new Reply Rules feature is currently available for all English-language publications and is designed to give creators greater control over how their audiences respond.
Google’s Dreambeans, its weirdest-named AI tool to date, will turn your life into a cartoon
Dreambeans is a curated list of AI-illustrated "stories" culled from the personal data in your Google account.
Ultrahuman says hackers accessed customers’ wellness data via internal tool
The breach at wearable ring maker Ultrahuman stemmed from credentials stolen from a malware-infected employee laptop.
Carvana ties up with Bezos-backed Slate Auto as it plans new car sales
Carvana was granted a warrant to buy shares in Slate last year, according to documents obtained by TechCrunch. Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walter is heavily invested in both companies.
Instagram is alerting users who were targeted by hackers during AI chatbot attacks
Hackers appeared to take over victims’ accounts even after Meta said it fixed its AI-powered support chatbot, which granted hackers access to victims’ accounts.
Amazon will show AI product images when you search for some reason
Amazon will use visual search and AI to show AI generated product images that match your search queries. The retailer says it will help guide users to products.