Google

Google’s X spins out Heritable Agriculture, a startup using AI to improve crop yield

Biotech & Health /

Google’s X “moonshot factory” this week announced its latest graduate. Heritable Agriculture is a data- and machine learning-driven startup aiming to improve how crops are grown.  As the firm noted in an announcement post published Tuesday, plants are incredibly efficient and impressive systems. “Plants are solar powered, carbon negative, self-assembling machines that feed on sunlight […]

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Google’s ‘Ask for Me’ feature calls businesses on your behalf to inquire about services, pricing

Apps /

Google is testing a new “Ask for Me” feature that uses AI to call local businesses on your behalf, for information about availability and pricing. The feature is available on desktop and mobile for users who have opted into the company’s Search Labs experiments. The idea is to help users access information without having to

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Google issues ‘voluntary exit’ program for Android, Chrome, and Pixel employees

AI /

Google SVP Rick Osterloh issued an internal memo to the Pixel/Android/Chrome team Thursday, announcing a “voluntary exit program.” TechCrunch has confirmed the letter’s existence with the company, after it was first reported by 9 to 5 Google. In a statement to TechCrunch, a spokesperson notes, The Platforms & Devices team is offering a voluntary exit

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Mexican president pushes back against Google’s renaming of Gulf of Mexico

Government & Policy /

Google Maps is planning to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order to rename several American landmarks, including the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. However, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a press conference on Wednesday that Mexico will send a letter to Google questioning its choice to update the body of water’s name.

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What DeepSeek, China, and Trump mean for Apple ahead of its Q1 earnings

Hardware /

These days, nothing is certain about the tech market or the world at large. Even NVIDIA’s seemingly bulletproof stock took a hammering on Monday, enduring a $589 billion market cap decline after China-based DeepSeek raised questions for investors about more efficient AI models. But Apple’s stock has remained steady ahead of its first quarter earnings

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Climate change ignited LA’s wildfire risk. These startups want to extinguish it

Climate /

Climate change increased the likelihood of the recent Southern California wildfires by 35%, according to a new study published by World Weather Attribution, a decade-old international group of climate scientists and other experts.  The study comes as Los Angeles residents start to rebuild their lives in the wake of catastrophic fires that erupted earlier this

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Smartwatch pioneer and Kickstarter darling Pebble is returning in a new form

Hardware /

Four years after launching the (then) most lucrative crowdfunding campaign in Kickstarter’s history, Pebble abruptly ended. The hardware startup closed 2016 by filing for insolvency, before being sold off to Fitbit. The fitness-tracking giant built much of the Ionic smartwatch with help from former Pebblers, along with the company’s pioneering software stack. The first Apple

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The EU wants to talk to US tech companies ahead of Germany’s upcoming election

Social /

The European Union will give tech and social media companies a “stress test” to see how they handle misinformation ahead of Germany’s election next month. European Commission officials have invited tech companies, including: X, Meta, Snap, TikTok, Google, Microsoft, and LinkedIn, to a meeting on January 31, according to multiple news outlets. During this meeting,

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