Proton has overhauled its privacy-centric AI assistant, Lumo 2.0, introducing image recognition, generation capabilities, and a dedicated "thinking mode" for complex queries. The update marks a significant expansion for the firm, which aims to bridge the gap between high-performance artificial intelligence and strict user data protection.
With over 10,000 industry leaders, founders, and investors converging on San Francisco this October, TechCrunch is opening applications for branded side events. Companies and organizations have until September 4 to propose workshops, roundtables, or networking sessions designed to capture the attention of the tech ecosystem's most influential attendees.
Crypto exchange OKX is betting that the future of finance lies in machines, not people, with the launch of a marketplace where AI agents can hire one another, negotiate services, and settle payments autonomously using blockchain technology and stablecoins to build portable on-chain reputations.
Nearly 90,000 job cuts have been attributed to artificial intelligence through May 2026, fueling widespread anxiety over the future of the workforce. However, new data from Ramp and Revelio Labs suggests that the reality for high-intensity AI adopters is surprisingly different, showing headcount expansion rather than the predicted mass displacement.
A year after being acquired by Wix for $80 million, the vibe-coding platform Base44 is shifting its strategy by rolling out a proprietary AI model. The company aims to move beyond reliance on external providers, betting that vertical integration will provide the speed, cost efficiency, and long-term defensibility that general-purpose frontier models cannot offer.
Venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya is stepping back into an operating role, announcing he will lead his AI coding startup, 8090 Labs, as CEO following a $135 million Series A funding round led by Salesforce Ventures to scale production-grade software development for enterprise teams.
Starting this week, Google is opening its personalized, Nano-powered image generation feature to all eligible users in the United States. Previously locked behind premium subscription tiers, this tool now allows free-tier participants to generate visuals tailored to their specific interests without complex manual prompting.
The digital book landscape shifted Monday as Rakuten’s Kobo eReader launched a direct integration with the reading tracker StoryGraph. By automating progress updates for ebooks and audiobooks, the partnership offers a functional alternative to the long-standing monopoly held by Amazon’s Kindle-Goodreads ecosystem.
The three-year experiment bringing Waymo robotaxis to the Uber app in Phoenix has quietly concluded. While both companies describe the pilot as a productive foundation for future growth, the vehicles have been pulled from the platform and reabsorbed into Waymo’s internal fleet to support independent operations across the city.
South Korea has unveiled an aggressive industrial strategy to secure its place in the global AI hierarchy, anchored by a massive $900 billion commitment from the nation’s tech titans. The plan aims to decentralize semiconductor production and establish the country as an indispensable hub for the next era of computing.
Governor Gavin Newsom has finalized a deal granting California state and local agencies access to Anthropic’s Claude at a 50% discount. The agreement aims to streamline document drafting and data analysis for government employees, marking a significant step in the state's push to integrate artificial intelligence into public operations.
Eight months after launching commercial services, the AI evaluation platform Arena has reached $100 million in annualized run-rate revenue. Originally a UC Berkeley research project, the company now monetizes its massive crowdsourced feedback loop, positioning itself as a vital player in the competitive market for post-training model refinement.
Users can now manage their AI coding agents directly from an iOS device, marking a shift away from traditional desktop-bound development. The new mobile app allows developers to initiate projects or oversee ongoing tasks while away from their monitors, mirroring a broader industry move toward portable AI oversight.
A surge in permitting friction under the Trump administration now threatens 92 gigawatts of clean energy capacity, placing $121 billion in private investment at risk. As AI-driven data centers demand unprecedented electricity, federal interventions are actively stalling projects that were once expected to meet the nation’s growing power needs.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on Monday that individuals maintain a reasonable expectation of privacy in their cellphone location data, effectively requiring law enforcement to secure a search warrant based on probable cause before demanding geofence information from tech companies.
Sharing your private contact information with new acquaintances just became optional. WhatsApp is finally rolling out a username feature, allowing users to connect without revealing their phone numbers. While the platform still requires a number for account creation, this shift prioritizes personal privacy in an increasingly public digital landscape.
TIDAL is moving to strip monetization from fully AI-generated tracks, aiming to shield human artists from a flood of synthetic content. Starting July 15, 2026, the streaming service will implement automated filtering and mandatory labeling, prioritizing organic creativity over the growing volume of automated compositions filling digital libraries.
Valued at $54 per share, the $8 billion deal for Iridium marks a definitive pivot for Rocket Lab from a pure-play launch provider into a comprehensive space infrastructure conglomerate, accelerating a broader trend of aggressive consolidation currently reshaping the satellite industry.
After months of legal pressure from Tesla, Proception founder Jay Li has settled a trade secret lawsuit and pivoted toward a new ambition: perfecting the human-like robotic hand. The startup, which emerged from the legal battle with its reputation intact, is now scaling production with $11 million in fresh seed funding.
Pocket, a startup specializing in credit card-sized recording devices, has raised $11 million from Accel, Y Combinator, and ElevenLabs CEO Mati Staniszewski. The funding follows the company's report of 130,000 units sold since its launch last year, signaling sustained demand for dedicated hardware in an increasingly crowded AI transcription market.
Liquid-cooled AI data centers face a hidden, high-stakes threat: bacterial contamination that can force hours of costly downtime. Omen AI, a startup founded by serial entrepreneur Zach Laberge, is tackling this inefficiency with real-time fluid monitoring technology, recently closing a $31 million Series A funding round to scale its solution.
Known for the polarizing Flipper Zero hacking tool, London-based Flipper Devices is shifting focus toward desk-bound utility. The company has officially unveiled the Busy Bar, a hardware peripheral designed to manage focus, automate status updates, and integrate with smart home ecosystems through a customizable LED matrix interface.
Starting July 1, streaming services in California must ensure their advertisements do not exceed the volume of the featured video content. The new law mirrors existing broadcast television regulations, forcing platforms to curb the jarring audio spikes that have long frustrated viewers and disrupted households across the state.
After automated systems failed to meet stringent manufacturing benchmarks, Ford has rehired 350 veteran engineers to bolster its production lines. The move marks a strategic shift for the automaker, which previously banked on AI-driven design requirements to ensure quality but ultimately found itself grappling with inconsistent results.
As Silicon Valley obsesses over efficiency and automation, academic Ian Bogost argues that modern life has become increasingly dematerialized. In his new book, The Small Stuff, he contends that our relentless pursuit of convenience has stripped away the sensory texture of daily existence, leaving us disconnected from our own physical reality.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system faces mounting pressure following a fatal Texas crash that triggered federal investigations. While the company continues to pivot toward AI and robotics, a series of accidents and legal challenges have intensified scrutiny over the safety and reliability of its automated driving technology.
With its stock price surging 236% in a single month, Boise-based Micron Technology briefly eclipsed the market valuations of Meta and Tesla last Thursday. Driven by a desperate global scramble for AI-ready memory chips, the company is attempting to rewrite its history of volatile cycles through rigid, long-term supply contracts.
For those who believe the quality of ice defines the drink, Govee’s new $500 Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro promises a cafe-style experience at home. This premium appliance targets enthusiasts who crave soft, chewable nugget ice, capable of producing up to 60 pounds of it daily with minimal wait times.
With the Unified Payment Interface currently processing 750 million daily transactions, Dilip Asbe, head of the National Payments Corporation of India, is betting on artificial intelligence to push volume past the billion-mark while securing the ecosystem against fraud and expanding credit access to millions of new users.
Instagram users may soon gain granular control over their feeds as head of product Adam Mosseri tests new ways to integrate the platform's 'Your Algorithm' feature directly into navigation. The proposed updates shift the tool from a buried setting to an interactive layer accessible via simple swipes and on-screen prompts.
