Apples chief financial officer Luca Maestri challenged investor worries over an 8% drop in China revenue, by noting that sales in other emerging markets are growing. When we start looking at places like India, like Saudi, like Mexico, Turkey, Braziland Indonesia, the numbers are getting large, and were very happy because these are markets where [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

So far, the biggest surprise about May 7s Let Loose event is that its happening at all. Were just over a month out from Apples annual Worldwide Developer Conference, and yet the company determined there was enough news to warrant a stand-alone event. iPads (including the iPad Pro and iPad Air) will be the focus, [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Microsoft has changed its policy to ban U.S. police departments from using generative AI for facial recognition through the Azure OpenAI Service, the companys fully managed, enterprise-focused wrapper around OpenAI technologies. Language added Wednesday to the terms of service for Azure OpenAI Service prohibits integrations with Azure OpenAI Service from being used by or for [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

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 an 8% drop in China. Apples slow adoption of AI versus competitors like Google and Microsoft likely played a role in consumers decision to hold [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

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 to connecting millions more devices anywhere in the world. The Seattle-based startup launched its first two satellites to orbit on SpaceXs Transporter-10 ride-share mission in [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

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, comes at a moment of great excitement for the recovering market. Just two months ago, Bitcoin hit its all-time high; though the value of the [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Rivian is getting $827 million in incentives from the state of Illinois to support building its next-generation electric vehicle, known as the R2. Rivian announced Thursday that the State of Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will dole out the funds, which will be used to expand the automakers existing factory in Normal, Illinois, [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Microsoft has changed its policy to ban U.S. police departments from using generative AI through the Azure OpenAI Service, the companys fully managed, enterprise-focused wrapper around OpenAI technologies. Language added Wednesday to the terms of service for Azure OpenAI Service prohibits integrations with Azure OpenAI Service from being used by or for police departments in [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

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 per day, hundreds of security and privacy experts warned in an open letter Thursday. Concern over the EU proposal has been building since the Commission [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

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, [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

It's not building any startup, but building a defensible AI startup presents its own set of unique challenges. 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

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 keep operating. The Korean automaker invested $475 million directly into Motional as part of a broader deal that includes buying out joint venture partner Aptiv. [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Four months behind bars and a massive fine, thats what CZ is getting from the government for his crypto exchanges misdeeds. Regardless of how you view the verdict too much, too little, just right his sentencing is a big deal for web3. Potentially in a positive way. Theres effort by some in crypto [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

After months of testing, Google is today rolling out labels in the Play Store to denote official state and federal government apps in more than 14 countries. This new label will help users rule out apps that masquerade as official apps to steal money or data. The company said that these badges currently cover more [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Heres your shot across the bow theres a little over one month left to nominate your startup for Startup Battlefield 200 at Disrupt. Join this elite group for a new and awesome opportunity at TechCrunch Disrupt. Its positively packed with perks and possibilities to get your company to the next level. Dont delay:Apply to [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Following various reports citing frustrated posts from users on Reddit, Spotify is quietly confirming the change. 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

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, such as campaign workers, candidates, journalists, human rights workers, and more. APP traditionally required the use of hardware security keys, but soon users can enroll [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

TikTok is adding new ad products that will allow marketers to better control what sort of content their ads appear against. 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Apple is tweaking how it applies a new fee that can apply to iOS developers in the European Union as it continues to configure its approach to the blocs Digital Markets Act (DMA): Developers of free apps will be able to avoid the fee entirely under changes it announced Thursday, which apply from today, while [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

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 own customized native app through the App Store and Google Play. Kajabi already has a mobile app for hosting online courses, however, this new product [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Lamini, a new startup with funding from Andrew Ng, has emerged from stealth with a generative AI platform aimed at enterprises. 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

The Walmart heir, worth $28 billion, is bringing on new limited partners to expand S2G's investment reach. 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

SoundCloud has launched a new set of playlists under the Buzzing Playlists moniker to highlight up-and-coming tracks from artists. 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Danti, an artificial intelligence company building a superpower search engine for Earth data, has brought on prominent defensive tech investor Shield Capital as it looks to scale its technology for government customers. Founded by Jesse Kallman in early 2023, Danti has developed a natural language search engine for data that has historically been highly siloed, [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

The first electric vehicle I ever drove was a Tesla Roadster in 2011. I will never forget the feeling of the instant torque provided by the electric motor, propelling me to 60 miles per hour in less than four seconds a feat my little Miata daily driver couldnt even dream of doing. Ive had [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Peloton, the exercise equipment maker and creator of online fitness classes, has announced that its laying off 15 percent of its workforce 400 people as CEO, president, and board director Barry McCarthy steps down after two years in the role. McCarthy, who was previously CFO at Spotify and Netflix, was coerced out of [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

The logistics industry in Nigeria, like any informal sector, struggles with poor infrastructure and other inefficiencies, making it difficult for businesses both large and small to move and store goods. Many startups have tackled middle-mile and last-mile delivery challenges, but one untapped area is providing an end-to-end fulfillment solution. Renda, a three-year-old startup, [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Digital fraud detection company BioCatch has a new majority shareholder in the form of U.K private equity firm Permira. 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Butcherbox is known for grinding its way forward, bootstrapping to more than $600,000 worth of revenue. The company hasnt traditionally been on the M&A path, but it today announced it is acquiring Truffle Shuffle who you may remember from a Shark Tank episode back in 2021 (or, perhaps, The Goonies). The acquisition helps Butcher [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Freshworks, the publicly listed SaaS firm, is acquiring U.S.-based startup Device42 for $230 million, the company disclosed in an SEC filing. Alongside the acquisition disclosure, Freshworks revealed that founder Girish Mathrubootham has stepped down as CEO. Dennis Woodside, who joined Freshworks as president in September 2022 and previously served as CEO of Motorola Mobility, will [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Users on TikTok can once again create music clips using tracks from UMGs catalog, a list featuring some of the biggest names in music today: Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Ariana Grande. Thats because, after months of fighting, the social media platform and Universal Music Group (UMG) have finally called a truce with a new [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Haun Ventures has made 48 investments, including some of its token positions, across its early-stage $500 million and $1 billion later-stage acceleration funds. 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

At the 2024 IAB NewFronts event on Wednesday, Snapchat announced a series of new augmented reality (AR) and machine learning (ML) tools designed to help brands and advertisers reach users on the social network with interactive experiences. The company said that its been investing in ML and automation to make it faster and easier for [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

When Keith Rabois announced he was leaving Founders Fund to return to Khosla Ventures in January, it came as a shock to many in the venture capital ecosystem and not just because Rabois is a big name in the industry. It was surprising because unlike in many other fields, venture capitalists dont traditionally move [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Mars exploration has always been the exclusive purview of national space agencies, but NASA is trying to change that, awarding a dozen research tasks to private companies as a prelude to commercial support for future missions to the Red Planet. Its the second time in a month that the agency has shown its desire for [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Two months after hackers broke into Change Healthcare systems stealing and then encrypting company data, its still unclear how many Americans were impacted by the cyberattack. Last month, Andrew Witty, the CEO of Change Healthcares parent company UnitedHealth Group, said that the stolen files include the personal health information of a substantial proportion of people [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

The newer format allows users to curate content from around the web and from Pinterest combined with images they optionally snap using their phone's camera to express their style, interests or tastes. 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Innovaccer, a health tech startup that aggregates patient data across systems and care settings, is in advanced stages of talks with investors to raise as much as $250 million in a new financing round, three sources familiar with the matter told TechCrunch. The deliberation for the new funding round is ongoing, and the current talks [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Airbnb is introducing summer update with new features for group booking as the company experiments with AI in customer service. 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Snapchat is launching the ability for users to set in-app reminders with the help of its My AI chatbot, the company announced on Wednesday. The social network is also rolling out editable chats, AI-powered custom Bitmoji looks, map reactions, emoji reactions, and more. With the new AI reminders feature, Snapchat is hoping users will use [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Microsoft, it seems, is hedging its bets when it comes to general-purpose robotics AI. At the end of February, the Windows maker spearheaded a massive $675 million Series B in Bay Area-based Figure. Today, the tech giant announced a collaboration with Figure competitor Sanctuary AI, best known for its humanoid robot, Phoenix. The Sanctuary partnership [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Substack is launching the ability for writers to paywall their entire Chat or specific threads to paid or founding members only, the company announced on Wednesday. The rollout of the new feature comes 18 months after Substack launched Chat as a way for writers to communicate directly with their loyal readers. The company believes paywalled [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

During its Team 24 conference in Las Vegas, Atlassian today launched Rovo, its new AI assistant. Rovo can take data from first- and third-party tools and make it easily accessible through a new AI-powered search tool and other integrations into Atlassians products. The most interesting part, though, may be the new Rovo Agents, which can [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Razer is in trouble with the FTC over masks it made and sold during the COVID pandemic. The matter is going to cost it around $1.1 million, and some bad press. Yeah, masks. Not what comes to mind when you think of the word Razer, right? You probably associate the brand with gaming keyboards and [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

At its Team 24 event in Las Vegas, Atlassian today announced that it is combining Jira Software with Jira Service Management into a single product under the Jira brand. The origins of Jira, Atlassians flagship project management tool, are in software development and issue tracking for developers, but throughout the past few years, the company [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

WhatsApp is introducing a new way for people to organize events in Communities, the company announced on Wednesday. The feature makes it easier to plan get-togethers and events directly in WhatsApp, whether its setting up a PTA meeting or a birthday dinner. Anyone can create an event that others can respond to, so everyone else [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Startups are not shying away from big projects. Thats my takeaway from news that The Browser Companys Arc browser is now generally available for Windows users, just as Island raised a massive grip of capital for its enterprise-focused browser tool. Its very encouraging to see startups going after core pieces of technology and not just [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

UnitedHealth Group chief executive officer Andrew Witty told senators on Wednesday that the company has now enabled multi-factor authentication on all the companys systems exposed to the internet in response to the recent cyberattack against its subsidiary Change Healthcare. The lack of multi-factor authentication was at the center of the ransomware attack that hit Change [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Since Elon Musk acquired Twitter in the fall of 2022, the market for Twitter alternatives has been saturated with would-be competitors ranging from smaller startups to open source apps to well-funded efforts like Threads from Instagram. But theres one overlooked Twitter/X alternative thats been growing right under our collective noses: LinkedIn. As of March, LinkedIns [] 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Anthropic, the generative AI startup backed by Amazon and Google, is launching a new paid plan aimed at business customers. 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.