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Data breach exposes US spyware maker behind Windows, Mac, Android and Chromebook malware

Security /

A little-known spyware maker based in Minnesota has been hacked, TechCrunch has learned, revealing thousands of devices around the world under its stealthy remote surveillance. A person with knowledge of the breach provided TechCrunch with a cache of files taken from the company’s servers containing detailed device activity logs from the phones, tablets, and computers […]

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Hacker claims theft of Piramal Group’s employee data

Security /

A hacker claims to be selling data relating to thousands of current and former employees of the Indian conglomerate Piramal Group, a multinational company that operates across pharma, financial services and real estate. In a listing on a known cybercrime forum last week seen by TechCrunch, the pseudonymous threat actor published a small portion of

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Micropep taps tiny proteins to make pesticides safer

Climate /

Farmers have got to do something about pests. But nobody really likes the idea of using more chemical pesticides. Thomas Laurent’s company, Micropep, thinks the answer might already be in the plants themselves. Micropep is exploring how naturally occurring compounds, known as micropeptides, might work as an entirely new class of pesticides. If the startup

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Digital banking startup Mercury abruptly shuttered service for startups in Ukraine, Nigeria, other countries

Startups /

Digital banking startup Mercury is no longer serving customers in certain countries, including Ukraine, the company confirmed to TechCrunch. Mercury made headlines earlier this year when it was caught up in federal scrutiny through one of its partners, Choice Bank, around the practice of allowing foreign companies to open accounts.  The FDIC was “concerned” that

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Former Velodyne CEO’s delivery robot startup is ditching LiDAR for foundation models

AI /

LiDAR has been a cornerstone of autonomous vehicle and robotics industries. While it’s become an industry standard, the technology has its drawbacks. Chief among them is high cost. As the former CTO and CEO of LiDAR leader Velodyne, Anand Gopalan is aware of the tech’s pluses and minuses. It’s telling, then, that the executive’s latest

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India’s Swiggy turns its Minis service for small businesses into a link-in-bio landing page

Commerce /

Indian food delivery and quick commerce startup Swiggy is pivoting one of its smaller businesses: Swiggy Minis, its Shopify alternative for small businesses, is being turned into a link-in-bio service that will now also cater to service providers like nutritionists and fitness trainers. In its new avatar, Swiggy Minis will act as a landing page

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