OpenAI has recently explored building its own humanoid robot, according to The Information. The report cites “two people with direct knowledge” of those conversations. The ChatGPT maker has been involved in the space for some time now, by way of financial backing. It has thus far invested in Figure and 1X, along with the “general […]
OpenAI ‘considered’ building a humanoid robot: report Read More »
A Wired investigation found that Google Maps can be near impossible to use in the West Bank, especially since the start of the war. Users told the publication that the navigation app would direct them into walls, fail to account for time-consuming checkpoints, or steer them onto restricted roads leading to Israeli settlements, which can
An investigation finds that Google Maps fails users in the West Bank Read More »
Japanese car giants Honda and Nissan are working out the details of a major merger that could create the world’s third-largest automaker, as the companies look to survive in an industry faced with uncertainty. The Tesla-led shift towards electric vehicles, and China’s increased importance in the automotive market, have companies like Honda and Nissan feeling
Honda and Nissan plan major merger focused on ‘intelligence and electrification’ Read More »
Lerer Hippeau, one of New York’s most prolific A-list VC firms, has filed to raise its ninth fund, according to an SEC filing made Wednesday. There is no target raise amount. Lerer Hippeau did not immediately respond to our request for comment. The firm, founded in 2010, has more than $1.2 billion in assets under
Lerer Hippeau files to raise Fund IX Read More »
AI-powered search engine Perplexity has reportedly closed a $500 million funding round, valuing the startup at $9 billion. Bloomberg, citing sources familiar, reports that the round was led by Institutional Venture Partners, and that it closed earlier in December. In an email to TechCrunch, a Perplexity spokesperson declined to comment. The mammoth tranche comes as
Perplexity has reportedly closed a $500M funding round Read More »
Apple and Meta are warring in Europe over the balance between interoperability and privacy, Reuters reports. The fight focuses on the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), a competition regulation that requires designated gatekeepers (including Apple and Meta) not to restrict rivals’ access to so-called core platform services. In Apple’s case, this means: iOS, iPadOS,
Apple and Meta go to war over interoperability vs. privacy Read More »
Rivian has released a new software update to its vehicles that brings some long-awaited apps to its in-vehicle experience. Owners who update their R1S SUV or R1T pickup truck can now use YouTube (while parked) or SiriusXM (with a subscription). The company is also adding Google Cast functionality. That also can only be used while
Rivian EVs finally get YouTube, Google Cast, and SiriusXM Read More »
Successful tech companies follow a typical pattern: from product to platform where other startups build businesses on top of theirs. To spur that, they often launch a fund. In this case, someone else is launching a fund to help fast-growing social media site Bluesky, which now claims 25 million users. On Wednesday open source and
With 25M users, Bluesky gets a $1M fund to take on social media and AI Read More »
OpenAI’s transition away from a for-profit corporation that’s governed by a nonprofit board is well underway — and the nonprofit could be compensated royally for it. That’s according to The New York Times, which reports that OpenAI is in discussions to pay the nonprofit billions of dollars for it to cede control. There’s pressure to
OpenAI may pay its nonprofit arm ‘billions of dollars’ in conversion to for-profit Read More »
Five years later sounds like a half-baked sequel to a well-known zombie flick franchise. But it’s a reference to how long it’s taken a data access complaint against Netflix to deliver a penalty decision in the European Union. The fine that’s — finally — been issued under the bloc’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is
Five years later… Netflix hit with Dutch data access fine Read More »
