14 C 
Uber launches an AV Labs division to gather driving data for robotaxi partners
Uber is not developing its own robotaxis again; instead it plans to collect and offer data. It's a bet that more volume will help autonomous vehicle partners solve the weirdest edge cases.
Qualcomm backs SpotDraft to scale on-device contract AI with valuation doubling toward $400M
SpotDraft now processes over 1 million contracts annually using its AI tool, with contract volumes up 173% year-over-year.
South Koreas Edenlux set for U.S. debut of eye-strain wellness device
Edenlux builds wearable tech to protect and train your eyes, inspired by its founders personal vision recovery.
Meta to test premium subscriptions on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp
In the coming months, Meta is going to explore a premium experience on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp that gives users access to special features and more control over how they share and connect, while keeping the core experiences free.
Some international attendees are skipping 2026 GDC due to safety fears and growing ICE presence
Many members of the international games industry are skipping the 2026 Game Developers Conference because of the growing ICE presence and other concerns.
Vinod Khosla publicly disavows Keith Rabois comments on ICE shooting
Unwavering Trump loyalist and VC Keith Rabois caused his colleague and his firm's founder to distance themselves from his comments on ICE.
Heres the tech powering ICEs deportation crackdown
From phone spyware and facial recognition to phone unlocking technology and databases and more, this tech powers Trump's deportation machine.
Social network UpScrolled sees surge in downloads following TikToks US takeover
UpScrolled is a social network that pledges to remain impartial to political agendas. It blends familiar features from Instagram and X, letting users share photos, videos, and text posts, discover new content, and send direct messages.
Rad Power Bikes reaches deal to sell itself for $13.2M
A company called Life Electric Vehicle Holdings has emerged as the top bidder for Rad Power's assets. It's not clear what the company plans to do with them, though.
VC firm 2150 raises 210M fund to solve cities climate challenges
Europe-based venture fund 2150 raised the money to invest in climate tech startups that help solve cities' carbon footprint.
Saudi satirist hacked with Pegasus spyware wins damages in court battle
The London High Court awarded the London-based satirist and human rights activist Ghanem Al-Masarir more than 3 million, after finding the Saudi government hacked his phone and was likely behind a physical attack targeting him in London.
Tech workers call for CEOs to speak up against ICE after the killing of Alex Pretti
More than 450 tech workers from companies like Google, Meta, OpenAI, Amazon, and Salesforce have signed a letter urging their CEOs to call the White House and demand ICE leave our cities.
Microsoft announces powerful new chip for AI inference
Maia comes equipped with over 100 billion transistors, delivering over 10 petaflops in 4-bit precision and approximately 5 petaflops of 8-bit performance a substantial increase over its predecessor.
Nvidia invests $2B to help debt-ridden CoreWeave add 5GW of AI compute
CoreWeave will also integrate Nvidia's products across its platform, including the new Rubin chip architecture.
Register nowtosaveup to $680 on your TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 passand get a +1 ticket at50% off. Offerendsthis Friday, January 30.
Apples new AirTag is louder and can be found across longer distances
Apple's new AirTag is louder and supports better finding at longer distances.
Nvidias new AI weather models probably saw this storm coming weeks ago
Nvidia announced three new AI weather tools today. Together, they promise to improve the accuracy of weather forecasts while also making them accessible to more users.
Synthesia hits $4B valuation, lets employees cash out
British startup Synthesia, whose AI platform helps companies create interactive training videos, has raised a $200 million Series E round of funding that brings its valuation to $4 billion up from $2.1 billion just a year ago.
This founder cracked firefighting now hes creating an AI gold mine
The nozzle is just the beginning what company founder Sunny Sethi calls he muscle on the ground.
ChatGPT is pulling answers from Elon Musks Grokipedia
Information from the conservative-leaning, AI-generated encyclopedia developed by Elon Musks xAI is beginning to appear in answers from ChatGPT.
Science fiction writers, Comic-Con say goodbye to AI
Some of the major players in science fiction and pop culture are taking firmer stances against generative AI.
TechCrunch Mobility: RIP, Tesla Autopilot, and the NTSB investigates Waymo
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation.
What is Bending Spoons? Everything to know about Eventbrites acquirer
Bending Spoons remains largely unknown, even as its portfolio of products has served more than a billion people.
Google says its fixed Gmail issues with spam and misclassification
If your Gmail account doesnt seem to be working properly today, youre not alone.
Gmail is having issues with spam and misclassification
If your Gmail account doesnt seem to be working properly today, youre not alone.
Tech CEOs boast and bicker about AI at Davos
There were times at this weeks meeting of the World Economic Forum when Davos seemed transformed into a high-powered tech conference.
A new test for AI labs: Are you even trying to make money?
Itsgetting hard to tell which AI labs. areactually tryingto make money. We created a rating system to help sort it out.
How PopWheels helped a food cart ditch generators for e-bike batteries
PopWheels realized its battery swapping network could be used for more than food delivery workers who need to charge their e-bikes. Now, its planning for an aggressive rollout this summer.
Legal AI giant Harvey acquires Hexus as competition heats up in legal tech
Hexus founder and CEO Sakshi Pratap, who previously held engineering roles at Walmart, Oracle, and Google, tells TechCrunch that her San Francisco-based team has already joined Harvey, while the startup's India-based engineers will come onboard once Harvey establishes a Bangalore office.
Apple iPhone just had its best year in India as the smartphone market stays broadly flat
Apple shipped a record 14 million iPhones in India in 2025 and gained market share.
Whos behind AMI Labs, Yann LeCuns world model startup
Yann LeCun's new venture, AMI Labs, has drawn intense attention since the AI scientist left Meta to found it.
Waymo probed by National Transportation Safety Board over illegal school bus behavior
The NTSB joins the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in investigating Waymo vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses.
The Rippling/Deel corporate spying scandal may have taken another wild turn
The Department of Justice may be conducting a criminal investigation. This is arguably the biggest drama between two HR startups ever.
What to know about Netflixs landmark acquisition of Warner Bros.
Learn more about Netflix's acquisition of Warner Bros., considered the most historic megadeal in Hollywood, as it continues to develop.
Researchers say Russian government hackers were behind attempted Poland power outage
Security researchers have attributed the attempted use of destructive wiper malware across Poland's energy infrastructure in late December to a Russian-backed hacking group known for causing power outages in neighboring Ukraine.
How did Davos turn into a tech conference?
The World Economic Forums annual meeting in Davosfelt different this year, and not just because Meta and Salesforce took over storefronts on the main promenade.AI dominated the conversation in a way that overshadowed traditional topics like climate change and global poverty, and the CEOswerentholding back. There was public criticism of trade policy, warnings about AI []
Google Photos latest feature lets you meme yourself
The new feature lets you insert yourself into a meme in Google Photos.
Meta pauses teen access to AI characters as it develops a specially tailored version
Meta will developed new versions of AI characters that will give age-appropriate responses
Microsoft gave FBI a set of BitLocker encryption keys to unlock suspects laptops: Reports
The FBI served Microsoft a warrant requesting encryption recovery keys to decrypt the hard drives of people involved in an alleged fraud case in Guam.
TikTok-like microdramas are going to make billions this year, even though they kind of suck
The business model behind these apps replicates the same dark patterns as mobile games.
TikTok finalizes deal to create new US entity and avoid ban
The deal ends a six-year long political saga that thatstarted in 2020 when PresidentDonald Trumptried to ban the app over national security concerns during his first term.
OpenAI chief Sam Altman plans India visit as AI leaders converge in New Delhi: sources
Sam Altman is set for his first India visit in nearly a year.
Register nowtosave up to $680 on your TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 pass and get a second ticket at 50% off.This offer endsnext week on January 30, or once the first500 ticketsare claimed whichever comes first.
Tesla discontinues Autopilot in bid to boost adoption of its Full Self-Driving software
The company is also currently facing a 30-day suspension of its manufacturing and dealer licenses in California for deceptive marketing about Autopilot's capabilities.
