95 minutes ago Gumloop, founded in a bedroom in Vancouver, lets users automate tasks with drag

Developers Max Brodeur-Urbas and Rahul Behal think that AI has the potential to automate lots of business-relevant tasks, but that many of the AI-powered automation tools on the market today are unreliable and costly. Part of the problem is that users expect too much of AI, Brodeur-Urbas told TechCrunch — for instance, they assume that […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Politics

4 hours ago Her family thought they would return home the next day. Now, their house is gone.

Jinghuan Liu Tervalon packed a few documents, keepsakes and clothing before leaving her Altadena, Calif., home ahead of the fast-moving Eaton Canyon Fire. Her son returned to find rubble and ash.

Society

58 minutes ago Cannabis company Stiiizy says hackers accessed customers’ ID documents

A ransomware gang took credit for the breach, claiming to have stolen over 400,000 government-issued identity documents from customers. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Economics

4 hours ago Our volleyball dreams were shattered. We had to choose between competing against a male player or forfeiting

Our volleyball league made it clear that we had to compete against a male athlete or forfeit everything we had worked for. Still, our choice was clear. We stood by our faith.

Sport

92 minutes ago Wildfire victims report looting. And, Trump set for sentencing in hush money case

Southern California wildfire victims report looting after returning home to assess damages. And, President-elect Donald Trump is set for sentencing in a hush money conviction today.

Events

16 hours ago ChatGPT’s newest feature lets user assign it traits like ‘chatty’ and ‘Gen Z’

Update: Some users report that the new options have disappeared. It’s possible they went live prematurely. OpenAI is introducing a new way for users to customize their interactions with ChatGPT, the company’s AI-powered chatbot. Some users on X on Thursday reported that ChatGPT’s existing custom instructions menu on the web has been revamped with new […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Technology

20 hours ago Professor William Thilly, whose research illuminated the effects of mutagens on human cells, dies at 79

A professor of genetics, toxicology, and biological engineering, Thilly pushed himself and his students to develop solutions to real-world problems.

Science

20 hours ago Scout Motors CEO Scott Keogh says modern cars have become ‘dystopian’ and ‘disconnected’

Volkswagen-backed startup Scout Motors broke cover just a few months ago, and at this week’s CES 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada, they hold the honor of being one of the only American automakers with a presence at the show.  That’s not the only thing that stands out about Scout being here, though. In a sea […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Transport

2 hours ago Women’s rights groups call on Donald Trump to demand NCAA change trans athlete policies

A coalition of women's advocacy organizations has sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump to demand the NCAA change its transgender athlete policies.

Politics

4 hours ago Her family thought they would return home the next day. Now, their house is gone

Jinghuan Liu Tervalon packed a few documents, keepsakes and clothing before leaving her Altadena, Calif., home ahead of the fast-moving Eaton Canyon Fire. Her son returned to find rubble and ash.

Society

14 hours ago ICON, a builder of 3D printed homes last valued around $2 billion, cuts about 25% of staff

ICON Technologies Inc., which builds homes using 3D printing, is laying off 114 people, according to a WARN letter filed with the Texas Workforce Commission. A spokesperson for the company confirmed the news to TechCrunch, providing a statement that ICON had “recently made a difficult decision to re-align” its team and team size “to focus […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Economics

28 hours ago Grand Games, the Turkish gaming startup behind pouring game Magic Sort, drinks up $30M

Gaming startups — specifically those building casual mobile games — are very hot in Turkey right now, and today another one is announcing a sizeable round just nine months into its existence. Grand Games, the publisher behind Magic Sort and Car Match, has picked up $30 million in funding — money that it will use […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Sport

4 hours ago Can You Still Use TikTok if It’s Banned? What Users Should Know About the App.

The social media app is likely to disappear from the app stores of Google and Apple right away. But it’s unclear if users will completely lose access.

Events

16 hours ago ChatGPT’s newest feature lets users assign it traits like ‘chatty’ and ‘Gen Z’

Update: Some users report that the new options have disappeared. It’s possible they went live prematurely. OpenAI is introducing a new way for users to customize their interactions with ChatGPT, the company’s AI-powered chatbot. Some users on X on Thursday reported that ChatGPT’s existing custom instructions menu on the web has been revamped with new […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Technology

4 hours ago The secret weapon to fixing our broken immigration system is right in front of us

Trump advisers Musk and Ramaswamy worry about America having enough talented workers. The way to address those immigration needs is by fixing our horribly broken education system.

Politics

22 hours ago PowerSchool says hackers stole students’ sensitive data, including Social Security numbers, in data breach

In an FAQ obtained by TechCrunch, PowerSchool confirms it negotiated with the threat actors responsible for the breach. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Society

17 hours ago FOX Corporation donates $1 million to support American Red Cross' California Wildfires relief efforts

Fox Corporation is encouraging viewers to support the American Red Cross in its efforts to help victims of the California Wildfires that have ravaged communities and destroyed homes.

Economics

18 hours ago Google folds more AI teams into DeepMind to ‘accelerate the research to developer pipeline’

As it looks to accelerate the pace of its AI development, Google is further streamlining the teams building its AI services, platforms, and tools. On Thursday, Logan Kilpatrick, who leads product for Google’s AI Studio developer platform, said in a post on X that Google’s AI Studio team and the team developing the API for […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Technology

4 hours ago Automattic says it will reduce its contribution to WordPress core project to match WP Engine

It’s a new year, but drama in the WordPress community keeps going. Automattic, the company that runs WordPress.com, said that it would reduce its contribution to WordPress core, the open-source project that acts as the backbone of most of Automattic’s products and ensures the longevity of WordPress as a technology and community. Automattic CEO and […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Politics

22 hours ago Karl’s Sausage Kitchen & European Market will close after six decades in business

“This decision was not made lightly, but after careful consideration, we believe it is the right time to close this chapter.” The post Karl’s Sausage Kitchen & European Market will close after six decades in business appeared first on Boston.com.

Economics

4 hours ago How these suburban moms in Ukraine manage grief by training to down Russian drones

Women from a Kyiv suburb traumatized by a 2022 massacre by Russian troops joined a volunteer air defense unit to take down Russia's drones — and deal with their fears.

Events

22 hours ago Google searches for deleting Facebook, Instagram explode after Meta ends fact

Google searches for how to cancel and delete Facebook, Instagram, and Threads accounts have seen explosive rises in the U.S. since Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company will end its third-party fact-checking system, loosen content moderation policies, and roll back previous limits to the amount of political content in user feeds.  Experts see […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Technology

11 hours ago Washington leaders talk budget deficit and other priorities ahead of legislative session

Washington leaders talk budget deficit and other priorities ahead of legislative session  KHQ Right Now

Politics

24 hours ago Tesla directors to pay up to $919 million to settle claims they overpaid themselves

A Delaware judge has approved a settlement that will see Tesla directors – including Chair Robyn Denholm, Oracle founder Larry Ellison, Kimbal Musk, and James Murdoch – return up to $919 million to the automaker, officially resolving allegations that they overpaid themselves, per Reuters.  The settlement concludes a 2020 lawsuit by the Police and Fire […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Economics

5 hours ago Bourbon Street terror victims sue New Orleans as Louisiana AG investigates security lapses

At least two dozen New Orleans terrorist attack victims are filing lawsuits against the city and its police department, according to the law firms representing them.

Events

22 hours ago Google’s Daily Listen AI feature generates a podcast based on your Discover feed

Google is testing a new “Daily Listen” feature that automatically generates a podcast based on your Discover feed. The company confirmed to TechCrunch that Daily Listen is a personalized AI-powered audio experience that is designed to help you stay up to date on the topics you care about.  The feature is currently rolling out on […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Technology

16 hours ago Female athletes were 'emotionally blackmailed' over SJSU trans volleyball scandal, Riley Gaines says

Witnesses opened up on the "terror" that college women's volleyball players experienced this season amid a national scandal involving a transgender player.

Politics

6 hours ago Alec Baldwin sues New Mexico officials over handling of 'Rust' shooting case

Actor Alec Baldwin has filed a civil lawsuit for malicious prosecution and civil rights violations in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the Western movie Rust.

Events

25 hours ago Hackers are exploiting a new Ivanti VPN security bug to hack into company networks

Mandiant says a Chinese cyberespionage group has been exploiting the critical-rated vulnerability since at least mid-December. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Technology

17 hours ago Notre Dame football team members dealing with flu ahead of semifinal vs Penn State: report

Members of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are reportedly battling a flu outbreak in their locker room ahead of Thursday's College Football Playoff semifinal.

Politics

12 hours ago Every smartphone in LA accidentally received a wildfire evacuation alert

As wildfires rage for the third consecutive day through parts of Los Angeles, now including the Hollywood Hills, several neighborhoods have been forced to evacuate for safety purposes. But on Thursday afternoon, a wildfire evacuation alert was mistakenly sent to the smartphone of every resident in Los Angeles County, a region with more than 9 […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Events

18 hours ago Google folds more teams into DeepMind to ‘accelerate the research to developer pipeline’

As it looks to accelerate the pace of its AI development, Google is further streamlining the teams building its AI services, platforms, and tools. On Thursday, Logan Kilpatrick, who leads product for Google’s AI Studio developer platform, said in a post on X that Google’s AI Studio team and the team developing the API for […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Politics

12 hours ago Washington Red Cross volunteer preparing to help victims of Palisades fire

Washington Red Cross volunteer preparing to help victims of Palisades fire  KING5.com

Events

18 hours ago Can your dog keep up with Tyler Lockett? Seattle Seahawks great teams with Rover in new contest

Can your dog keep up with Tyler Lockett? Seattle Seahawks great teams with Rover in new contest  GeekWire

Politics

14 hours ago 1 victim of LA fires identified: Man died with garden hose in hand, family says

The extent of the devastation caused by the Southern California wildfires remains unclear, but Victor Shaw has been identified as a victim of the Eaton Fire.

Events

19 hours ago Untapped potential: Construction materials could store billions of tons of CO₂ annually

Construction materials such as concrete and plastic have the potential to lock away billions of tons of carbon dioxide, according to a new study by civil engineers and Earth systems scientists at the University of California, Davis and Stanford University.

Politics

14 hours ago Man Convicted in Pizzagate Shooting Is Killed in Confrontation With Police

Edgar Maddison Welch, 36, of Salisbury, N.C., who was sentenced to four years in prison for the 2016 shooting at a Washington restaurant, was fatally shot after he pointed a gun at an officer during a traffic stop, the police said.

Events

19 hours ago Washington Commanders' Jayden Daniels Has the Right Mindset to Beat the Buccaneers

Washington Commanders' Jayden Daniels Has the Right Mindset to Beat the Buccaneers  Sports Illustrated

Politics

14 hours ago Defense startup Epirus in talks to raise over $150M, potentially cutting valuation 

The round could give the company a valuation of about $1 billion, a decrease from the company’s previous $1.35 billion valuation.  © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Events

19 hours ago Mary Washington Biology Majors Capture Research Grants at Statewide Conference

Mary Washington Biology Majors Capture Research Grants at Statewide Conference  University of Mary Washington

Politics

15 hours ago TikTok tells LA staff impacted by wildfires to use personal/sick hours if they can’t work from home

Wildfires are currently devastating the greater Los Angeles area, burning over 45 square miles, torching over 1,300 structures, and putting nearly 180,000 people under evacuation orders as of Thursday. And yet, TikTok’s LA-based employees are being told to either continue their work from home or use their personal/sick days if that’s not possible, while the […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Events

19 hours ago Guantánamo Bay Explained: The Costs, the Captives and Why It’s Still Open

Just 15 men remain at the prison, down from hundreds when it opened 23 years ago. But the costly operation could go on for years.

Politics

17 hours ago Column | Falsehoods around the L.A. fires are proliferating on the right

Column | Falsehoods around the L.A. fires are proliferating on the right  The Washington Post

Events

19 hours ago These are CES 2025’s least repairable and sustainable gadgets, according to iFixit

The Razzies, the Darwins — not all awards are good. Sure, CES is a time to celebrate the year’s weirdest and most wonderful consumer electronic, but thankfully we’ve got iFixit around to throw a little cold water on the fair. As we enter the penultimate day of the event, the repair stalwart presents its “Worst […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Politics

17 hours ago Man accused of shooting homeless shelter client 4 times charged with attempted murder

Man accused of shooting homeless shelter client 4 times charged with attempted murder  The San Francisco Standard

Events

20 hours ago Mark Zuckerberg gave Meta’s Llama team the OK to train on copyrighted works, filing claims

Counsel for plaintiffs in a copyright lawsuit filed against Meta allege that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg gave the green light to the team behind the company’s Llama AI models to use a data set of pirated ebooks and articles for training. The case, Kadrey v. Meta, is one of many against tech giants developing AI […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Politics

18 hours ago Actress Jean Smart Urges Hollywood Networks to Nix Awards Shows and Donate Money to L.A. Fire Victims

HBO's "Hacks" star Jean Smart, an Emmy and Golden Globes winner, is getting a lot of agreement regarding her idea of how to aid victims of the Los Angeles area wildfires and firefighters battling the blazes. The post Actress Jean Smart Urges Hollywood Networks to Nix Awards Shows and Donate Money to L.A. Fire Victims appeared first on Breitbart.

Events

20 hours ago REPORT: Caitlin Clark Is the WNBA's Is Most Popular Player, But Makes Less Per Year Than the Average New Yorker

Become a WNBA superstar, they said; it'll be fun, they said. But did they mention you wouldn't make any money? Caitlin Clark is finding that out right now. The post REPORT: Caitlin Clark Is the WNBA’s Is Most Popular Player, But Makes Less Per Year Than the Average New Yorker appeared first on Breitbart.

Politics

19 hours ago WATCH: Myles Garrett Gives Heartwarming Response to Ravens Rookie After Jersey Swap Request

If you thought a bitter end-of-season battle between AFC North rivals would be void of wholesome and heartwarming moments, you were almost right, but not quite. The post WATCH: Myles Garrett Gives Heartwarming Response to Ravens Rookie After Jersey Swap Request appeared first on Breitbart.

Events

21 hours ago CES 2025: The weirdest tech products and claims from this year’s event

CES 2025 is in full swing. While the conference features reveals from tech powerhouses like Nvidia, Samsung, and Toyota, there are also some very strange product concepts and announcements circulating on the show floor. We’ve compiled the weirdest, silliest, and most eyebrow-raising products from CES 2025. A robotic cat that cools down your coffee for […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Politics

20 hours ago Los Angeles restaurants, chefs help serve food to provide relief for fire victims

Amid the Los Angeles fires with no known cause, chefs and restaurants are opening their doors to help with discounted meals and free food to feed the affected community.

Events

21 hours ago Comcast and other TV streamers are now chasing YouTube’s ad dollars instead of the other way around

TV providers and streamers’ real competition isn’t each other, it’s social video. Or at least that’s what the president of Comcast Advertising, James Rooke, said during an interview on Wednesday at CES 2025 in Las Vegas. The ad exec was speaking about the company’s Monday launch of “universal ads,” a solution that lets marketers buy […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Politics

20 hours ago Facebook awards researcher $100,000 for finding bug that granted internal access

A security researcher found a bug in a Facebook ad platform, which gave him access to the company’s internal infrastructure. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Events

22 hours ago Oregon State Women's Basketball: What to Expect From the San Francisco Dons

Oregon State Women's Basketball: What to Expect From the San Francisco Dons  Sports Illustrated

Politics

22 hours ago Justin Baldoni's Lawyer Seemingly Blames Blake Lively's Sexual Harassment Complaints On Her Supposedly Not Reading It Ends With Us Book!

Justin Baldoni‘s lawyer just claimed Blake Lively didn’t read It Ends With Us — and therefore she didn’t know what she was getting into. In Tuesday’s episode of The Megyn Kelly Show, Bryan Freedman shared an audio clip in which his client complained about being stuck in the basement for “over an hour” during the [...] Read More... The post Justin Baldoni's Lawyer Seemingly Blames Blake Lively's Sexual Harassment Complaints On Her Supposedly Not Reading <i>It Ends With Us</i> Book! appeared first on Perez Hilton.

Events

22 hours ago Doublepoint launches free Apple Watch app to control devices with hand gestures

Finnish startup Doublepoint launched its free app, WowMouse, for the Apple Watch this week at CES 2025. The app uses the wearable’s sensors, compass, and accelerometer to turn your hand into a mouse that can control devices through hand gestures. The Apple Watch already uses a similar technology for the double tap feature it released […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Politics

22 hours ago Watch Duty surpasses ChatGPT as top free app on App Store as California fires spread

Watch Duty, an app to track wildfires with live maps and alerts, has become the No. 1 free app in Apple’s App Store as of Wednesday morning. The fire-tracking app surpassed the ChatGPT app for the No. 1 spot as devastating fires continue to rage across Southern California. ChatGPT had been in the No. 1 […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Events