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Everyone’s watching the Elizabeth Holmes documentary ‘You Can See Everything’

2026-10-19T08:00:09.990-07:00

A message from North.cloud

October 19, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Everyone’s watching the Elizabeth Holmes documentary ‘You Can See Everything’: "You Can See Everything" is having the second biggest opening weekend ever for a documentary film. Read More

Musk pledges to give 'every kid in America' one of his SpaceX shares: That's more than $10 billion in shares, or around 1% of Musk's current net worth. Read More

Disney agrees to hire the majority of Character.AI’s workforce: The filing also says that the “vast majority” of Character.AI employees who were offered jobs at Disney accepted them. However, this is a stalking horse bid, so another company could come forward with a higher offer. Read More

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Morning Must-Reads

Replit makes OpenAI its default over Anthropic, CEO says: Over the weekend, Masad clarified that OpenAI would replace Anthropic as its default model provider. Claude will still be available to customers on the platform. Read More

Anthropic says its workforce has become less junior and is spending more time in meetings: The composition of Anthropic’s workforce and the type of work getting done have changed significantly in the past year. Read More

TikTok says it's restored ‘Musk’ documentary advertising account: A four-hour documentary about Elon Musk continues to meet resistance from social media platforms. Read More

Khosla Ventures doubles down on Even Healthcare to challenge India's hospital economics: Even Healthcare reaches a $300 million valuation in a Khosla Ventures-led round as it plans to expand its hospital network in India. Read More

TechCrunch Mobility: Rivian's next act: Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, the role AI is playing in it. Read More

Last but Not Least

Apple updates guidelines to ban nudify apps masquerading as regular apps to pass review: Apple said that it will ban AI apps that don't moderate offensive content. Read More

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Mark Wahlberg wants to take on the longevity-startup crowd with an affordable gym concept

2026-10-18T09:00:10.335-07:00

A message from North.cloud

October 18, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Mark Wahlberg wants to take on the longevity-startup crowd with an affordable gym concept: Mark Wahlberg, who once sank money into a gym chain that got kicked off the NYSE, is now building his own, and he promises you’ll get a cold plunge, a blood panel and a protein muffin without needing a trust fund. Read More

Porsche’s electric Macan Turbo is an automotive existential crisis: The 2026 Porsche Macan Turbo EV is a two-row crossover with 630 horsepower and a 100-kilowatt-hour battery. Read More

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Sunday Must-Reads

Replit is no longer working with Anthropic, CEO says: Masad said the decision was made for a number of different reasons, including cost. Replit announced a partnership with OpenAI in August, but there was never any indication that it was no longer with Anthropic. Read More

India becomes the latest country to report rogue AI agent activity: The agents got in through credentials and connection settings left exposed in app configurations, public code repositories, and overly permissive cloud roles. Read More

TikTok permanently bans ‘Musk’ documentary advertising account: A four-hour documentary about Elon Musk continues to meet resistance from social media platforms. Read More

Meta removes language that raised scraping and AI training concerns: A Meta spokesperson insisted that the updated terms did not reflect a change in the way Meta crawls the web. Read More

Last but Not Least

Ember’s new temperature-controlled mug makes my nightly tea ritual even better: The biggest change about Ember's new mug is that you no longer have to open the app to adjust your drink’s temperature. Read More

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India becomes the latest country to report rogue AI agent activity

2026-10-16T15:01:09.726-07:00

October 16, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Porsche’s electric Macan Turbo is an automotive existential crisis: The 2026 Porsche Macan Turbo EV is a two-row crossover with 630 horsepower and a 100-kilowatt-hour battery. Read More

Waymo's robotaxis are headed to Canada: The company will start off by testing its self-driving vehicles on Toronto's streets. Read More

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A message from Macao International Trade & Investment Fair

Afternoon Must-Reads

Tesla reveals SpaceX-powered Roadster that flies and falls with style: The new car used thrusters to leap over a Cybercab, Cybertruck, Tesla Semi, Model Y, and Model 3 at a demo in Texas. Read More

In 'You Can See Everything,' Elizabeth Holmes meets her equal in comedian Nathan Fielder: Nathan Fielder's documentary about disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes has created a constellation of colliding personas that interrogate the very nature of authenticity. Read More

Replit's CEO says the future of work is the 'self-driving company': Replit CEO Amjad Masad envisions a future of “self-driving companies,” where AI agents handle day-to-day tasks and people focus on higher-level decisions. Read More

Mark Wahlberg on using AI in film 'the right way' and being open to an AI clone carrying on his legacy: Actor and angel investor Mark Wahlberg says he's OK with using AI in filmmaking, provided it's used "to enhance what you're doing." Read More

Macao's 31st MIF to Kick Off in October

The 31st Macao International Trade & Investment Fair (31st MIF), organised by the Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) of the Macao Special Administrative Region, will be held from 21 to 24 October 2026 at the Cotai Expo, The Venetian Macao. For the latest updates on MIF, please visit the official website at www.mif.com.mo.

Last but Not Least

And the winner of Startup Battlefield at Disrupt 2026 is: Intero Biosystems: Intero Biosystems beat out 199 other Startup Battlefield companies to take home the $100,000 grand prize at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Read More

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Tesla reveals SpaceX-powered Roadster that flies and falls with style

2026-10-16T08:00:46.205-07:00

A message from Macao International Trade & Investment Fair

October 16, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Morning Must-Reads

Veritas expands its anti-counterfeit chip to jewelry, trophies, and fragrance bottles: Counterfeiters are getting better at replicating brands' marks and passing off dupes, known as "superfakes," as genuine items. A startup called Veritas wants to tackle the problem with its own chip that verifies goods. Read More

Meta launches an open-weight AI model that runs on Macs: Meta and Apple have teamed up for the launch of the social media giant's newest model, Muse Spark Open, which will run locally on Apple silicon. Read More

When it came to Cal AI's viral success, a small army of influencers paid off: The company generated over $30 million in revenue in two years and was acquired by MyFitnessPal for an undisclosed amount of money in March. Read More

Bluesky expands its AI-powered Attie app to let anyone build websites, games, and more: Bluesky is bringing “social vibe coding” to its experimental Attie platform, allowing users to create interactive experiences like games, quizzes, and websites that can tap into the social network's audience. Read More

Macao's 31st MIF to Kick Off in October

Last but Not Least

Bluesky wants to make it easier to buy, sell, and fundraise on the network: The executives argued that advertising isn’t the only path to monetization, and that there are alternative models that are feasible when it comes to monetization. Read More

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Volvo makes a bigger bet on Nvidia for hands-free automated driving

2026-10-15T15:00:03.562-07:00

October 15, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Volvo makes a bigger bet on Nvidia for hands-free automated driving: Volvo is leveling up its automated driving system through an expansion of its nearly decade-long partnership with Nvidia that will extend beyond its battery electric vehicles. Read More

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Afternoon Must-Reads

Amazon's Bee launches two new personal AI devices, starting at $75: Amazon-owned Bee has launched its first new AI devices since its acquisition, including an updated wearable and a credit-card-sized recorder that attaches to smartphones. The devices can summarize conversations, create to-do lists, and integrate with Alexa and Amazon shopping, with prices starting at $74.99. Read More

Ramp reaches $60B valuation as it pushes deeper into AI: The funding comes as Ramp's annualized revenue crosses $2B, and its customer count reaches 85,000. Read More

Amazon devices chief Panos Panay on the importance of failure and bouncing back from it : Panay said that it's possible to recover and learn from all sorts of failures, even catastrophic ones, when building products. Read More

AI agents are coming to Rivian's cars: We'll likely learn more about how this will work at the company's upcoming "AI & Autonomy Day" event in December. Read More

Macao's 31st MIF to Kick Off in October

Last but Not Least

Google’s Universal Cart shopping tool launches in the US: The new shopping tool is available in the U.S. across Google Search and the Gemini app. Read More

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Amazon's Bee launches two new personal AI devices, starting at $75

2026-10-15T08:00:40.145-07:00

A message from Macao International Trade & Investment Fair

October 15, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Ramp reaches $60B valuation as it pushes deeper into AI: The funding comes as Ramp's annualized revenue crosses $2B, and its customer count reaches 85,000. Read More

Flock CEO defends surveillance technology amid national backlash: 'We shouldn't pause progress': At TechCrunch Disrupt, Flock CEO Garrett Langley defended his company's surveillance technology despite growing privacy concerns, arguing that its crime-fighting benefits outweigh the risks of abuse. Read More

Our biggest event of the year is coming next week, and now's the time to lock in your ticket to learning how to build successfully in the AI era. You'll get expert insights from leaders from Anthropic, Nvidia, OpenAI, Google Cloud, and hundreds of other sessions across three days.

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Morning Must-Reads

Figma announces new features to define how agents work on its platform: Figma is also releasing its code layers feature in open beta. Read More

Google’s Universal Cart shopping tool launches in the US: The new shopping tool is available in the U.S. across Google Search and the Gemini app. Read More

Ricursive Intelligence is betting on AI-designed chips to help solve the compute crisis: The founders detailed how their startup is developing AI that can design chips, learn from each iteration, and improve subsequent designs, all with the goal of automating and accelerating the chip design process. Read More

Meet the five companies competing in the Startup Battlefield finals at Disrupt 2026: It’s time to unveil the five companies that will be competing in the Startup Battlefield finals. Read More

CedarDB wants one database to handle both transactions and analytics, as AI agents raise the stakes: Databases have traditionally been designed either for analytical data or for operational data. But database engine CedarDB supports both, and its approach has gained relevance with the rise of agentic AI. Read More

Macao's 31st MIF to Kick Off in October

Last but Not Least

Flock CEO says its microphones detect 'just gunshots' — its website says different: Langley’s comments come amid mounting scrutiny of Flock from privacy advocates, including the ACLU, and members of the public who are concerned about the misuse of its technology. Read More

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Flock CEO: We haven't 'fired' any police departments as customers

2026-10-14T15:00:04.716-07:00

October 14, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Flock CEO: We haven't 'fired' any police departments as customers: Flock CEO Garrett Langley said that the surveillance company has not canceled contracts of any police department or law enforcement agency, despite reports of abuse. Read More

YouTube Music launches new labels as AI-generated music floods streaming platforms: The label will appear on the player page and include songs entirely generated by AI or partially, such as AI involved in composition and vocals. Read More

Hiyd is a health tracker that attaches to the watch you already wear: Former Apple engineers figured out how to get a biometric sensor to attach to your watch without any magnets or adhesives. Read More

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Afternoon Must-Reads

Apate sends AI agents undercover to get scammed so they can gather fraud intelligence: Most companies use AI agents to ship products faster or speed up workflows. Apate.ai sends them undercover to get scammed. Read More

Netflix to lay off 1,000 staff amid intensifying competition for user attention: Netflix said most of the cuts would affect its product, tech, legal, and human resources departments. Read More

Mosqitter is turning its mosquito traps into an AI-powered surveillance network: Mosqitter is turning its mosquito-trapping hardware into an AI-powered surveillance network designed to identify species, monitor populations, and provide earlier warnings of mosquito-borne disease risks. Read More

Electric vehicle sales in the US are showing signs of life: The electric vehicle market in the U.S. has been growing for the last three consecutive quarters. Read More

Ambrosia Energy will build a 10 GWh factory in Texas to make batteries for off-grid data centers: Startup Ambrosia Energy will build a massive factory to crank out batteries to augment solar panels, creating a round-the-clock clean power plant. Read More

Last but Not Least

Zenzap raises $44M for its AI chat app that aims to replace WhatsApp in the workplace: Zenzap is used by organizations including Starbucks and Taco Bell. Read More

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Justice Department says North Koreans have infiltrated dozens of US companies

2026-10-14T08:01:14.504-07:00

A message from Macao International Trade & Investment Fair

October 14, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Justice Department says North Koreans have infiltrated dozens of US companies: U.S. authorities warn that sanctioned hackers are increasingly targeting Americans to act as facilitators between breached U.S. companies and Pyongyang. Read More

FBI arrests OpenAI employee accused of planting hidden recording device in conference room: It's not clear exactly for what purpose the recording device was used, but FBI director Kash Patel said the scheme was to "capture sensitive communications about the company’s super intelligence technology." Read More

Cerebras CEO says we're nearing a future where everyone has a personal AI assistant at home: Cerebras CEO Andrew Feldman predicts a future where personal AI assistants become as commonplace as household appliances, running partly on local devices and partly in the cloud. Read More

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Morning Must-Reads

Netflix to lay off 1,000 staff amid intensifying competition for user attention: Netflix said most of the cuts would affect its product, tech, legal, and human resources departments. Read More

Cerebras CEO pushes back on AI doomsday warnings: Cerebras CEO Andrew Feldman has a message for AI leaders spreading doomsday warnings: Maybe stop talking? At TechCrunch Disrupt, he argued that the industry's focus on AI's risks is drowning out its potential benefits. Read More

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Day 2: Day 2 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, full of all themes across AI, investor-only session, more roundtables, and more. Register to save 50% on your pass. Read More

Helix Carbon says it can make iron cheaper by recycling blast furnace pollution: The steel industry is a big polluter, but Helix Carbon can upcycle pollution from blast furnaces to drive down emissions and improve margins. Read More

Science Corporation implants its vision-restoring chip in its first Stargardt disease patient: Max Hodak, the former president and co-founder of Neuralink, detailed onstage at TechCrunch Disrupt how his company's work with PRIMA is part of its path toward a novel brain-computer interface (BCI). Read More

Macao's 31st MIF to Kick Off in October

Last but Not Least

Cambridge Heavy Industries has been quietly building a desktop fusion device: Fusion power startup Cambridge Heavy Industries is building a small, laser-powered fusion device to fuel the coming wave of fusion power plants. Read More

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FBI arrests OpenAI employee accused of planting hidden recording device in conference room

2026-10-13T15:00:23.736-07:00

October 13, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Facebook is giving users more control over their algorithm: Meta announced the launch of its new AI-powered feature, “Your Algorithm,” a feature it first launched on Instagram. Read More

Pluto Security raises $42M as AI gives enterprise security teams a new headache: The problem with giving everyone in a company access to AI tools is that people will use them in unexpected ways. And that fact is steadily seeding fears that companies now have new, gaping security holes in their systems or, at least, will soon. Read More

Move-in ready condos starting at $375k in downtown San Jose

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Save 50% on a second ticket, or if you've been laid off recently, get an Expo+ Pass for just $75.

Afternoon Must-Reads

Google Play now lets anyone build private, vibe-coded apps that run on Android: Google is making it easier to build and use personal Android apps created with AI, without having to make them available to everyone on the Play Store. Read More

Just 5 years in, interactive chatbot platform Character.AI files for bankruptcy: The startup will sell some of its assets to Disney for $20 million. Read More

Bumble agrees to a $1.3B acquisition deal as online dating faces a reset: After years of declining subscriber numbers and falling revenue, Bumble just agreed to a $1.3 billion acquisition. Read More

Apple launches a new Apple TV 4K with Siri AI and remote-free voice commands: The new Apple TV 4K costs $299, comes with Siri AI, and will be available on November 13. Read More

Apple makes another push into the smart home market with HomeView: Apple is taking a big swing at the smart home market with its latest product that competes with Amazon Echo Show and Google Nest Hub. Read More

Macao's 31st MIF to Kick Off in October

Last but Not Least

SpaceX and Google both said no. Now his software is riding a SpaceX rocket next to Google’s: Satlyt wants to be the Android of orbital computing, offering open software that works on many companies' satellites, versus SpaceX's closed, all-in-one iPhone-style approach. Read More

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Just 5 years in, interactive chatbot platform Character.AI files for bankruptcy

2026-10-13T08:00:50.799-07:00

A message from Macao International Trade & Investment Fair

October 13, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Just 5 years in, interactive chatbot platform Character.AI files for bankruptcy: The startup will sell some of its assets to Disney for $20 million. Read More

Apple launches a new Apple TV 4K with Siri AI and remote-free voice commands: The new Apple TV 4K costs $299, comes with Siri AI, and will be available on November 13. Read More

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Morning Must-Reads

Meta releases its first frontier model, Muse Wonder: Where Muse Spark aimed to be a lightweight model that could perform at low latency, the Wonder models are larger and said to be more capable, with higher benchmark scores and better results on complex tasks like coding. Read More

Apple's new smart home lineup includes a smart lock, thermostat, and video doorbells: The new devices work with HomeView, the company's new smart home hub which can be used to control accessories and interact with apps. Read More

Spotify users on iOS 27 can now ask Siri to play music without having to say 'on Spotify': Siri can now learn users' preferred music app, allowing Spotify listeners to request songs, podcasts, and playlists without specifying which app to use. Read More

SpaceXSI bundles X Premium, Grok, and Cursor into one subscription: The new X Subscription combines X's paid features with AI tools like Grok and Cursor, offering plans ranging from $8 to $200 per month. Read More

Macao's 31st MIF to Kick Off in October

Last but Not Least

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Day 1: TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 officially kicks off today. See what's in store for Day 1 (Oct. 13) at San Francisco's Moscone West. Don't miss it. Register for your pass now and meet 10,000+ tech leaders at the startup epicenter of the year. Read More

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Meta releases its first frontier model, Muse Wonder

2026-10-12T15:00:08.307-07:00

October 12, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

WindBorne wins a hefty US Air Force contract for its balloon data: A Silicon Valley startup that uses weather balloons and AI to predict the weather won a U.S. military contract worth almost $50 million. Read More

Microsoft president says UK is best placed to drive AI regulation: Microsoft president Brad Smith calls for urgent AI regulation, saying milk and washing machines have more oversight than AI companies. Read More

Move-in ready condos starting at $375k in downtown San Jose

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Afternoon Must-Reads

This AI startup says it can generate permit-ready blueprints in minutes: Blueprints AI, a bootstrapped startup based in Santa Monica, developed software that produces code-compliant construction blueprints from a photo, PDF, or sketch. Read More

Smart ring maker Ultrahuman to roll out biological-age model across UAE: Ultrahuman and Abu Dhabi will spend the next two years working on research and clinical validation of the model. Read More

Honeyjar offers AI tools to improve PR and comms at every company: Journalists, entrepreneurs, and even some public relations professionals will tell you that the PR process is broken. But could AI actually make things better? Read More

Former Plaud exec raises $26M for AI app that listens to you in the background: One of the core promises of AI is that the more it knows about a person, the better it will be able to assist them with tasks and make appropriate suggestions, which, if you'll believe the tech companies, requires apps and devices to listen, watch, or record users' activity all the time and gather all possible context. Read More

Will the HomeView be Apple’s first smart home success?: Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen multiple reports that Apple was working on a new smart home product, but now it seems the product has a name and a launch date. Read More

Last but Not Least

Aaron Sorkin’s ‘The Social Reckoning’ is off to a weak start: What does this mean for a fall full of movies starring villainous tech CEOs? Read More

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501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107

Smart ring maker Ultrahuman to roll out biological-age model across UAE

2026-10-12T08:00:27.809-07:00

October 12, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Smart ring maker Ultrahuman to roll out biological-age model across UAE: Ultrahuman and Abu Dhabi will spend the next two years working on research and clinical validation of the model. Read More

Former Plaud exec raises $26M for AI app that listens to you in the background: Ambi is releasing apps for iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch that enables ambient capture Read More

TechCrunch Mobility: A roadblock clears for self-driving trucks: Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, the role AI is playing in it. Read More

Save 50% on a second ticket, or if you've been laid off recently, get an Expo+ Pass for just $75.

Morning Must-Reads

48 hours to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 — hear directly from the people building what’s next: Less than 48 hours, TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 starts in San Francisco’s Moscone West. Save up to $100 on your pass before prices increase at the door, plus get 50% on a second pass. Or score other deals. Read More

Aaron Sorkin’s ‘The Social Reckoning’ is off to a weak start: What does this mean for a fall full of movies starring villainous tech CEOs? Read More

Dawn Myers is making it easier to style, detangle, and care for curly hair: Richualist is one of TechCrunch's Battlefield 200 Companies! Read More

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 starts tomorrow: Your final chance to secure up to $100 ticket savings: Tomorrow at 8 a.m. PT, it all begins. 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech operators will gather at San Francisco’s Moscone West for TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 for three days of ideas, connections, and startups shaping what comes next. This is your last 24 hours to secure ticket savings of up to $100, and get 50% off a second. Read More

Last but Not Least

The founder's guide to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Everything you need to know: TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 is built around one question: How do you build an enduring company in the AI era? Our programming and speaker lineup reflect that. Read More

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2026-10-11T09:00:21.485-07:00

October 11, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

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3 days until Disrupt 2026 launches

Moscone West doors open at 8 a.m. PT on October 13. Explore 200+ sessions across six stages, roundtables, and breakouts led by 250+ speakers from OpenAI, Anthropic, Rivian, Amazon, Science Corp, and more, plus Mark Wahlberg. See 300+ startups and connect with 10,000+ founders, investors, and operators. Save up to $100 and get 50% off a second pass.

Sunday Must-Reads

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TechCrunch Founder Summit on Nov. 4 in Boston

Join 1,000 founders and VCs in Boston for a full day of insights on scaling, building, and today’s tech ecosystem, led by leaders from Bessemer, TDK Ventures, 7AI, and more. Spark meaningful connections through curated 1:1 and small-group networking. Find your next co-founder, investor, idea, or scaling solution at this founder bootcamp.

Last but Not Least

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Batteries are now cheaper than natural gas turbines used at many data centers

2026-10-09T15:00:55.773-07:00

October 09, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Batteries are now cheaper than natural gas turbines used at many data centers: Batteries are now cheaper than natural gas turbines as the data center boom pushes prices up. Read More

An Anthropic AI model sent a false homicide tip to Philadelphia police: Anthropic did not discover this behavior until over two months after its AI submitted the false tip. Read More

LumenUs helps automate tedious paperwork in times of grief: "The day your loved one passes away, you also get this honorary badge of a project manager for a project you had no idea about," said founder Sara Tashakorinia. Read More

Graduate With a Portfolio, Not Just a Transcript

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See the ROI

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Afternoon Must-Reads

Surveillance company Flock cuts staff as privacy backlash grows: Flock would not say if CEO Garrett Langley would take a pay cut following the reduction in workforce. Read More

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Gamma’s Grant Lee, Engine’s Elia Wallen, and GV’s Crystal Huang on landing your first 1,000 customers: Leaders from Gamma, Engine, and Google Ventures join TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 to talk how to get your first customers. Register now to save up to $100. Grab a second pass at 50% off. Read More

Remember Orkut? Its founder wants to bring it back: Orkut's founder is now taking aim at algorithms and AI-generated content. Read More

Xona's commercial GPS alternative is about to go live: Xona's precision timing and navigation service will enter beta testing after SpaceX launches six satellites designed by the company. Read More

Danu Robotics' fight to build a better recycling robot: For six years, Danu founder Amy Ma has been working on a better way to sort recyclable waste. Read More

Every hospital device, its full history, one QR scan away

Hospitals pay to service hundreds of devices yet can't say which were checked, where they are or who is responsible. MedTrackQR, from Romania's MedSys Innovation, puts a QR label on every device: any phone scans it, no app or account, and sees status, owner and full maintenance history. Audit registers build themselves. Meet them at Disrupt.

Request a demo

Last but Not Least

Tesla renames 'Full Self-Driving' to 'Tesla Assisted Driving' in Europe: The name change is enough for Germany's transport minister to start advocating for Europe-wide adoption of the driver assistance software. Read More

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Pretend you're sitting at Elizabeth Holmes' desk on this weirdly detailed website

2026-10-09T08:00:11.378-07:00

October 09, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Pretend you're sitting at Elizabeth Holmes' desk on this weirdly detailed website: With over a thousand emails, slides, texts, and documents from the United States v. Elizabeth Holmes trial, Extend engineer Bo Lau created a website that simulates what it might have been like to rifle through the Theranos founder's desk. Read More

Surveillance company Flock cuts staff as privacy backlash grows: Flock would not say if CEO Garrett Langley would take a pay cut following the reduction in workforce. Read More

Fired OpenAI safety researchers dispute misconduct claims, warn of chilling effect: Three fired OpenAI safety researchers dispute allegations of mishandling sensitive information, warning in an open letter that their dismissals are creating a chilling effect on the company’s AI safety culture. Read More

Healthcare's Revenue Black Box, Decoded

The biggest opportunity for AI in healthcare isn't automation, it's observability. R1’s Payer Atlas analyzes payer behavior across millions of interactions to uncover hidden patterns and detect reimbursement risk, helping health systems move from reactive recovery to predictive action.

Save 50% on a second ticket, or if you've been laid off recently, get an Expo+ Pass for just $75.

Morning Must-Reads

Beyond TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: The Side Events, Parties & Networking You Can't Miss: TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 is just the beginning. From exclusive networking events and startup showcases to happy hours, dinners, and after-hours meetups, discover what’s happening across San Francisco during Disrupt Week, October 10–16. Find your next connection, your next opportunity, or your next favorite event. Read More

Ben Affleck is an AI nerd, and the internet is impressed: Ben Affleck is going viral for his deep knowledge of AI, from neural networks and transformers to open weights. The actor, who sold his AI filmmaking startup to Netflix earlier this year, is proving he's more than just a Hollywood star. Read More

OpenAI's revenue is reportedly $20 billion less than previously projected: It had previously been reported that the AI lab's annualized revenue was some $70 billion, but a new report claims it's a whole lot less than that. Read More

Fall detection through the WiFi already in the room

One in three UK adults over 65 falls each year, yet patients reject cameras and take off wearables. BodySense, from Fan Studio's team in Iasi, turns a room's WiFi into a fall and breathing monitor: no lens, nothing to wear, alerts straight to nurses. Built for the new WiFi sensing standard, it's raising a $2.5M seed for its first pilots. Button CTA: See BodySense

See BodySense

Last but Not Least

OpenAI's math solutions aren't meeting the field's standards yet: OpenAI's flood of proofs deviated from the guidelines set by a group of mathematical researchers consulted by the frontier lab. Read More

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US bars Microsoft, Adobe, and major IT firms from green card program for skilled foreign workers

2026-10-08T15:00:22.695-07:00

October 08, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

US bars Microsoft, Adobe, and major IT firms from green card program for skilled foreign workers: The other firms being suspended from the program include Capgemini, Cognizant, HCL, Infosys, Tata, and Wipro. Read More

Elon Musk questions Ambani’s influence as Starlink India launch stalls: “Is Ambani the real boss of India?” Elon Musk asked as he questioned why Starlink has yet to launch its satellite internet service in the country. Read More

Cal AI's 19-year-old founder just raised $10M for his new AI startup: Zach Yadegari, the teen co-founder of popular Cal AI calorie tracking app, has launched a new personal AI agent startup that competes with Instinct, Muse, and Bee. Read More

Work With Real Industry Partners

Virginia Tech M.Eng students join project teams solving a live problem sourced from a real industry partner. Recent teams have worked with real partner organizations on drone detection systems, AI language tools, and defense analytics platforms. Real deadlines, real portfolio.

Learn About the M.Eng

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Afternoon Must-Reads

Natura’s $99 smart ring puts AI agents on your finger: Natura’s $99 Interface smart ring lets you summon AI agents with the press of a finger to complete tasks, capture thoughts, and control devices — while doubling as a health tracker. Read More

A startup founder who served time in prison is looking to court an untapped market: ex-cons: Richard Bronson, a former Stratton Oakmont partner who served time in federal prison for securities violations, has launched Commissary Club, a startup that uses AI to help people leaving prison find jobs, housing, community, and even dates. Read More

A full back office for creatives, in one subscription

Going independent turns artists into accountants, lawyers and marketers overnight. Stay Creative, a Romanian venture, bundles accounting, legal, IP, PR and marketing by partner Brand Agency Media into one subscription: AI agents do the volume, specialists sign off anything risky. The creative stays the CEO. Raising a $1.5M pre-seed at Disrupt.

Meet Stay Creative

Last but Not Least

Google releases a new local-first Granola competitor: Google’s new AI Edge Foresight app takes on Granola with an offline meeting note-taker that can transcribe conversations, generate notes, and answer questions using on-device AI. Read More

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Spotify is getting more serious about selling enterprise software

2026-10-08T08:00:39.378-07:00

October 08, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Spotify is getting more serious about selling enterprise software: The company launched technology.spotify.com, a new site that will make its internal tech available to outsiders. Read More

Healthcare's Revenue Black Box, Decoded

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Morning Must-Reads

Last call to volunteer at TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026: TechCrunch Founder Summit is gearing up to return to Boston on November 4! We're doing a last call for exceptional volunteers to join us in bringing this event to life. If you've ever wondered about the inner workings of tech events, now's your chance to get involved. Volunteer spots are limited, so don't miss out! Apply before the October 19 deadline to be considered. As a volunteer, you'll gain exclusive access to the behind-the-scenes action, witnessing firsthand how these events are crafted. Plus, you'll receive a complimentary ticket to enjoy Founder Summit 2026 before or after your shift, along with a free pass to our flagship Disrupt event in San Francisco in 2027. Whether your ambitions lie in launching a startup, mastering marketing strategies, or coordinating remarkable events, this opportunity offers a unique insight into the world of startup events. And even after your volunteer duties, you'll have full access to the event's expert-led workshops, covering essential topics like user growth, fundraising, and brand development. With an anticipated attendance of approximately 1,100 people at Founder Summit, volunteers will play a crucial role in ensuring a seamless and rewarding experience for all attendees. Your tasks may include assisting with registration, coordinating speakers, guiding guests, scanning tickets, or aiding in event setup. Join us in making this event a success while gaining invaluable event management experience. And fear not, there will be ample time to soak in all the enriching startup insights that Founder Summit has to offer. Apply now and secure Read More

Amazon unveils new Alexa tablets with Alexa+ and Google Play Store access: The lineup includes three models: Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro, Amazon Alexa Tablet 11, and Amazon Alexa Tablet 8. Read More

Waymo locks in $5B loan from Blackstone, PIMCO to fuel robotaxi expansion: This is the first time the Alphabet-owned company has turned to debt financing. Read More

China's Manus raises over $500M in first funding round since split with Meta: Boyu Capital and IDG Capital led the funding round, and existing shareholders Tencent, HSG (formerly known as Sequoia China), ZhenFund, and others also participated. Read More

FreeStep takes the surgeon's foot pedal off the floor

Every operating room has a foot pedal surgeons must find while looking away from the patient. FreeStep, from Romania's MobilService, replaces it with a patented clip-on shoe sensor that tells a walking step from a deliberate command, wirelessly. Used in surgery by its co-inventor for years, it's raising $2.5M for FDA and CE approval.

See FreeStep work

Last but Not Least

Uber and China's Pony.ai plan to launch robotaxis in London: The two companies said on Thursday that they would begin testing Pony.ai's Gen-7 robotaxis in London in the coming weeks. Read More

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ChatGPT is getting a lot more visual, with the launch of a new interface

2026-10-07T15:00:13.004-07:00

A message from Virginia Tech Open House - Reserve Your Spot

October 07, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

ChatGPT is getting a lot more visual, with the launch of a new interface: OpenAI is launching a new user interface that will bring interactive visuals to ChatGPT. Read More

CIA officer admits to creating fake top secret government program to steal over $190M, including gold bars: CIA officer David Rush, who worked on highly sensitive intelligence programs, reached a plea deal with U.S. prosecutors after he was caught siphoning money and gold with a fake government contract. Read More

Greenairy is building smart plant towers to clean the air in your office: As it turns out, the cure for stuffy, chemical-infused office air might be a tower of leafy greenery. Read More

Meet Us in Alexandria: M.Eng Open House, Oct. 8

Join Virginia Tech's Master of Engineering programs for an in-person Open House on Thursday, October 8, 6–8 PM, at Academic Building One in Alexandria. Meet faculty, current students, and advisors from Computer Science and Applications and Computer Engineering, tour the facilities, and learn about scholarships for Spring 2027. Space is limited.

Book Now

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Afternoon Must-Reads

Another personal AI assistant has launched — Meet Tab, which emerged from stealth with a $300M valuation: A new personal AI assistant has arrived. Meet Tab, which announced Tuesday that it had officially emerged from stealth. Read More

SpaceX alumni nab $100M to rethink shipping with autonomous freight trains: Parallel Systems raised $100 million to scale production of its autonomous electric rail vehicle, which can shuttle thousands of pounds of freight up to 500 miles. Read More

Microsoft releases new Nvidia-chip AI PCs with revamped Windows 11: Microsoft revealed the specs and price for its Surface Laptop Ultra, AI PCs that run on Nvidia chips that are designed to run AI models and agents. Read More

Tony Fadell on why the first wave of AI gadgets failed — and what comes next: The “father of the iPod” says the first generation of AI gadgets failed to solve real problems — and the next wave will need to earn consumers’ trust. Read More

Nous Research confirms it hit $1.5B valuation, launches AI agents for business users: The developer of Hermes agent raised a $90 million Series B. Read More

Security guard firms still run on paper. Apseco fixes that

Ghost shifts, uncovered posts, overtime that never reaches the invoice — most security guard companies still run on spreadsheets and WhatsApp. Apseco, from Romania, is one platform for scheduling, GPS-verified attendance and billing, configured around how each firm already works. Live today, seeking U.S. pilots and investors at Disrupt.

See the platform

Last but Not Least

Bloom raises $3.6M to become the 'Alibaba' of American manufacturing: The Detroit startup has widened its scope beyond mobility to help drone and robotics companies find U.S.-based manufacturers, shippers, and more. Read More

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Ex-Ramp engineers raise $20M for platform Melius after scrapping their first product

2026-10-07T08:01:10.666-07:00

October 07, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Ex-Ramp engineers raise $20M for platform Melius after scrapping their first product: Instead of helping marketers manage and optimize ad spend, the company is focusing on building the tools that generate the creative assets and campaigns. Read More

Silicon Valley's AI wunderkind launches Underdog, the most private Instinct/Muse competitor yet: Sigil Wen, backed by a Silicon Valley who's who, has built an on-device AI assistant that promises to be free, fully private, and capable for everyday tasks. Read More

Healthcare's Revenue Black Box, Decoded

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Morning Must-Reads

Spotify expands audiobooks to over 180 markets: Spotify will make 350,000 titles available in over 120 languages for this expansion. Read More

Google's new SynthID website can identify AI-generated media: Google on Tuesday launched a new site that lets anyone verify whether a piece of media, be it an image, a video, or an audio clip, is generated using AI. Read More

Apple is reportedly partnering with LG to launch a smart lock, thermostat, and doorbell: Apple appears poised to push into the smart home market with a slate of new devices and a key partner. Read More

Google experiments with an AI-powered gaming platform: Google Labs is working on a new AI-powered game-creation platform called Playground for users to build browser-based games using simple text prompts. Read More

See your attack surface before adversaries do

Attackers map your exposed assets and target your people. Simulated Security, built in Romania, shows you what they see: attack surface discovery, dark web monitoring, multi-step phishing simulations (2FA bypass, vishing, quishing) and immersive training in one platform. Used by Beetroot, Mitek and Vroon. Meet the team at Disrupt 2026.

Explore the platform

Last but Not Least

OpenAI’s Alexander Embiricos is coming to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 — days after the launch of Dots: OpenAI’s Alexander Embiricos is coming to the AI Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, just days after the launch of Dots. Join this conversation by registering for your pass. Get you pass now to save up to $100 and get a second at 50% off. Read More

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Furientis lands $25M from Benchmark to mass-produce low-cost missile interceptors

2026-10-06T15:00:26.504-07:00

October 06, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Furientis lands $25M from Benchmark to mass-produce low-cost missile interceptors: The storied Silicon Valley firm makes its first pure defense investment. Read More

India's JioHotstar takes partnership route for Middle East expansion: JioHotstar will be offered inside Starzplay rather than through a stand-alone service. Read More

Study Where Technology Gets Built - Open House, October 8 2027

Meet Virginia Tech's Computer Science and Applications faculty in person at our Open House on Thursday, October 8, 6–8 PM, at Academic Building One in Alexandria. Ask about focus areas like applied AI, cybersecurity, and software systems, and learn about scholarships for Spring 2027.

Explore the M.Eng

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Afternoon Must-Reads

Anthropic is giving startups a free year of Claude Team and $1,000 in credits: "We created this program because we believe the benefits of AI will reach most people through the companies that build on top of models, rather than through the models alone." Read More

How AI decision models could change content moderation: On Tuesday, Musubi announced a lightweight decision model made for real-time moderation called PolicyLM-1.7B, released with open weights. Read More

Uber is spending $2.3B to get into catering: It's the latest in a string of deals meant to grow Uber Eats into a food delivery behemoth. Read More

Vinod Khosla believes ex-DeepMind engineer's Wajo will win agent market on trust: Wajo's Fo agent can hire humans to complete a task. Read More

Mirror Particle is building a ‘world model’ of human behavior: Mirror Particle will launch at TechCrunch Disrupt's Startup Battlefield 200 with a world model built from scratch to predict human behavior, arguing that LLM role-play falls short for market research and brand strategy. Read More

From order to invoice, zero paper: freight on one platform

Carriers, forwarders and warehouses still juggle separate tools for dispatch, stock, fleet and billing. Rapido, from Romania, connects TMS, WMS, ERP, CRM, eCMR and fleet on the same live data, so delivered trips become invoices in one click. Already live with a carrier and five manufacturers, it's raising €1.5M to scale across Europe and the U.S.

Meet Rapido

Last but Not Least

Bluesky wants to give you your own domain on the open web: Bluesky says the process will still take 18-24 months, so don't expect your new, shortened 'bsky' handle any time soon. Read More

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Uber is spending $2.3B to get into catering

2026-10-06T08:00:55.722-07:00

October 06, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Uber is spending $2.3B to get into catering: It's the latest in a string of deals meant to grow Uber Eats into a food delivery behemoth. Read More

Paramount closes historic Warner Bros. merger to form Skydance: The deal brings together two major streaming platforms, Paramount+ and HBO Max, along with networks including CBS, CNN, MTV, TBS, Comedy Central, and Food Network. Read More

Lucid Motors' EV output falls to lowest level in almost 2 years: The company is deliberately limiting production after years of struggling to find mass-market demand for its EVs. Read More

Healthcare's Revenue Black Box, Decoded

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Morning Must-Reads

Bluesky wants to give you your own domain on the open web: Bluesky says the process will still take 18-24 months, so don't expect your new, shortened 'bsky' handle any time soon. Read More

Glimpse wants to give hardware companies an X-ray view of every critical part: Called Explore, Glimpse's new image processing software lets hardware makers speed up quality control checks using CT scanners. Read More

Flai's AI dealership software is booking 50,000 appointments per month: Flai's revenue has grown 20x in a year, and the company just closed a $27 million Series A funding round. Read More

Mistral’s new 1T model aims to leapfrog closed and open rivals: French AI lab Mistral AI has released Mistral Large 4, a new large multimodal model aiming to leapfrog both American and Chinese rivals. Read More

Facebook tests going Reels-first in India: Meta is testing a new Facebook UX in India that sends some users directly into full-screen video when they open the app, putting Reels front and center. Read More

The design agency turning MVPs into brands, live at Disrupt

Great tech often ships with a forgettable brand. Clody.design, a Romanian creative studio founded in 2019, has built identities for the European Film Market, Marché du Film and TIFFCOM — and at Disrupt 2026 it's offering exclusive on-site logo concepting, turning MVPs into market-ready brands in real time. Find the team at Pavilion P99.

See the portfolio

Last but Not Least

Pinterest's AI now turns beauty Pins into action plans: Pinterest’s new AI-powered Beauty Guides translate hair and nail Pins into salon terminology, with estimated costs, appointment times, and maintenance needs. Read More

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At 19, founder raises $11M for Ghost, maker of a $3,499 computer for personal AI

2026-10-05T15:00:31.595-07:00

October 05, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

At 19, founder raises $11M for Ghost, maker of a $3,499 computer for personal AI: Ghost's first product is Core, a personal computer designed specifically for AI agents that can take actions on a person's behalf. Read More

Hot Girl Hotline is like 'Dear Abby' for the AI era: Founded by two sisters, Hot Girl Hotline uses AI to give young women personalized dating and relationship advice, with an emphasis on safety and avoiding emotional dependency. Read More

OpenAI will start watermarking ChatGPT's text in the EU: OpenAI will watermark ChatGPT and Codex text in the EU to comply with the AI Act. Editing can make the invisible marks harder to detect, it says. Read More

M.Eng Open House, October 8 2027

Meet Virginia Tech's Computer Engineering faculty in person at our Open House on Thursday, October 8, 6–8 PM, at Academic Building One in Alexandria. Tour the Immersive Visualization Lab and drone testing cage, ask about wireless, cybersecurity, and autonomous systems, and learn about scholarships for Spring 2027.

Explore the M.Eng

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Afternoon Must-Reads

Researchers are tracking a Chinese AI 'agent fleet': Independent researchers discovered an agent swarm that seems to be running on Tencent's infrastructure and targeting Alibaba's map service, Amap. Read More

Reflection debuts Beam, an open-weight AI model to rival Chinese models at lower compute cost: Reflection is aiming Beam and future models at enterprises and sovereign nations. The pitch is to build “AI factories,” a product that would let institutions build their own customized, local AI system by training Reflection’s AI models on their own proprietary data. Read More

Etched fields funding offers at $40B+ valuation, sources say: Just a couple of months after its last big raise, the AI chip startup is already being plied with investment offers at double or more its current value, sources tell TechCrunch. Read More

Lucid Motors' EV output falls to lowest level in almost two years: The company is deliberately limiting production after years of struggling to find mass-market demand for its EVs. Read More

After Factory's public spat with Khosla, Menlo proudly invests: Days after Vinod Khosla called Factory a struggling also-ran, Menlo has shown up with a check and a glowing blog post. Read More

Security guard firms still run on paper. Apseco fixes that

See the platform

Last but Not Least

OpenAI launches visual ads that appear alongside image generation results: The new ads will begin to appear later this month in the U.S. only for now, and will feature products and services from an initial test group of advertisers. Read More

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Researchers are tracking a Chinese AI 'agent fleet'

2026-10-05T08:00:30.235-07:00

October 05, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Federal judge calls Flock ‘indiscriminate mass surveillance’: A federal judge ruled that a sheriff’s deputy violated a woman’s Fourth Amendment rights when using Flock to search for her license plate without a warrant. Read More

Trump unveils his new Super Intelligence Force: This new task force is Trump's latest response to the debate over AI safety. Read More

Healthcare's Revenue Black Box, Decoded

Morning Must-Reads

Google froze its open source bug bounty program due to a 'significant rise' in AI submissions: AI slop seems to be overwhelming bug bounty programs. Read More

Amazon responds to data center backlash, says it no longer uses NDAs: The CEO of Amazon Web Services tried to push back against widespread suspicion of data centers. Read More

OpenAI safety employee resigns, claiming the company’s ‘culture is broken’: By his own admission, David Robinson is “something of a cliché”: an employee at a leading AI company who issues a dire warning while resigning from their job. Read More

Meet the Startup Battlefield 200 judges who’ll decide the winner at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Meet the final five Startup Battlefield judges who'll decide who wins the pitch competition at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Get your pass now to save up to $100, and get a second at 50% off. Read More

TechCrunch Mobility: Reining in robotaxis: Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, the role AI is playing in it. Read More

The 75-gram wearable that brings AI to the shop floor

IDTOTAL counts 250M+ items a year for retailers, so it built the tool it always wanted. IDTrex TR1 is a 75-gram wearable that scans hands-free, guides each task on screen and answers workers by voice, powered by a private LLM that keeps company data in-house. Now in field testing, it's seeking pilot partners and investors at Disrupt 2026.

Meet IDTrex TR1

Last but Not Least

The final Disrupt Stage lineup: Three days of conversations you won’t hear anywhere outside of TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: The full TechCrunch Disrupt Stage lineup revealed, featuring Max Hodak, Mark Wahlberg, Benchmark partners, and more. Register now to save up to $100 on your pass and get a second at 50% off. Read More

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Trump unveils his new Super Intelligence Force

2026-10-04T09:01:06.656-07:00

October 04, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Trump unveils his new Super Intelligence Force: This new task force is Trump's latest response to the debate over AI safety. Read More

Amazon responds to data center backlash, says it no longer uses NDAs: The CEO of Amazon Web Services tried to push back against widespread suspicion of data centers. Read More

Get your Disrupt pass and get 50% off a second

The Disrupt experience is better shared. Get one pass at regular price and a second at 50% off for a co-founder, partner, colleague, or peer. Make more connections, gain fresh insights, and discover the next wave of tech together. This offer ends when Disrupt begins Oct. 13 at 8 a.m. PT.

Sunday Must-Reads

Apple says it's tightening macOS 'Full Disk Access' controls due to new risks from AI agents: Apple says it will add new controls around macOS’s Full Disk Access permission, warning that increasingly capable AI agents make broad access to users’ files, messages, mail, and browsing history riskier. Read More

Meta wants your next gadget to be Muse-infused: Meta wants Muse in your TV and your toaster, so it's giving the code away for free. Read More

Vessev built an electric ferry that almost flies: Vessev hopes its electric hydrofoil ferry will change the way people and cities think about boats. Read More

All the AI agents that can live in your text messages : We created a list of the most notable AI agents that can live in your text messages, from general assistants to agents designed for families, travel, and work. Read More

Get up to $100 off Founder Summit until Oct 16.

Head to Boston on Nov. 4 for a full day of practical strategies and connections with 1,000+ founders and investors. Get actionable insights on fundraising, hiring, sales, marketing, leadership and scaling, then put them to work for your startup. Save up to $100 on your pass before Oct. 16.

Last but Not Least

Spotify billionaire’s body scan startup has come to America: Farooq Abbasi, an investor in Neko Health, talked to Equity about the hot health tech company and what's next for it. Read More

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