Author: TechBrunch

Last year, Google debuted a new age video editor called Vids for Google Workspace Productivity Suite. On Wednesday, the company added new features such as AI avatars, automatic transcript cropping and inter-image tools. They also release free features for consumers with limited functionality. This version of the editor has basic editing controls along with access to Google's template library, font collections and stock media libraries, but does not provide AI functionality at this time. In the business world, startups like Sythesia and D-ID provide businesses with access to AI avatars and related tools for creating training and educational videos. Google…

This week on the StrictlyVC download, TechCrunch Editor-in-Chief Connie Loizos speaks with Jeff Clavier and Andy McLoughlin of UNKork Capital. They discuss how seed-stage companies position themselves in this environment, from their recent investments in AI chip maker Groq to betting on AI native companies attacking sexy industries such as materials science and robotics. Additionally, the three delve into Unkork's philosophy of finding companies with unique datasets before it becomes clear to the market. How UNCORK advises established portfolio companies to reform themselves in the AI-first world. And whether the San Francisco comeback is sustainable whether it is driven by…

Libby, the library's e-book and audiobook app, adds AI to the disappointment of readers and librarians who prefer that AI is not inserted into their favorite apps. The new feature “Inspire Me” allows users to retrieve book recommendations using prompts or previously saved titles. To use this feature, readers tap the “Inspire Me” option on the Libby homepage. Here you can seek fiction or non-fiction, narrowing down suggestions from other factors, such as age range, content type. For example, you can tap suggestions such as “Spinbow” or “Funny” and tap specific scenarios such as “Dark humor on modern family dysfunction”…

Social Security officials say they have become whistleblowers. Members of the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have uploaded hundreds of millions of social security records to vulnerable cloud servers, putting most Americans' personal information at risk of compromise. Social Security Agency chief data officer Charles Borge said in a newly released whistleblower complaint released Tuesday that other top agency officials signed a decision in June to upload “a live copy of the country's social security information that avoids surveillance” despite raising concerns. The database, known as the Numerical Identification System, contains over 450 million records containing all data…

Google is rolling out new AI-powered experimental features with Google Translation, designed to help people practice and learn new languages, the company announced Tuesday. Translate also gains new live features, making it easier to communicate in real time with people who speak another language. The new language practice features are designed for advanced speakers that aim to both beginners to begin learning conversational skills and speak advanced speakers, the company says. To do this, create tailored listening and speaking practice sessions that adapt to the user's skill level and unique learning goals. With this new language practice feature, Google is…

YouTube's “hype” feature, which allows fans to help their favorite creators to be discovered, is rolling out globally, the company announced Tuesday. This feature, first introduced in 2024 at the Google's Made On YouTube event (a dedicated button that appears under the existing “Like” button) will be available for videos from creators with fewer than 500,000 subscribers. This feature is currently available in 39 countries, including the US, UK, Japan, Korea, Indonesia and India. Viewers have the opportunity to hype up to three videos a week for their favorite creators. This will give you video points. This will help YouTube…

Security researchers have discovered over 1,000 public hobby servers run by Tesla vehicle owners, spilling sensitive data about vehicles, including granular location history. Seyfullah Kiliç, founder of cybersecurity firm SwerdSec, discovered more than 1,300 internet exposed Teslamate dashboards on the internet and said it is likely that they can access Tesla data from people who have been mistakenly published and stored inside without the need for a password. Teslamate is an open source data logger that allows Tesla owners to self-host and visualize vehicle data from the vehicle's computer, including vehicle speed and location data from the vehicle's computer, including…

A startup called Skylight takes a different approach to short form videos. Instead of limiting users to the main feed of algorithms, as is common in social apps, Skylight builds a community around human curators who post and repost videos to build their own custom feeds that others can subscribe to. The option launched on Monday with the app's version 2.0 release will appeal to users who feel increasingly uneasy about traditional social media platforms and their algorithmic manipulation, as well as those suffering from an increase in the low-quality AI-generated content that is filling these feeds. Based on Bluesky's…

Google upgrades the Gemini Chatbot with a new AI image model, giving users more control over photo editing. It aims to catch up with OpenAI's popular image tool and pull users out of ChatGPT. Called Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, this update will be deployed to all users of the Gemini app from Tuesday, as well as developers via the Gemini API, Google AI Studio and the Vertex AI platform. Gemini's new AI image model is designed to provide more accurate editing of images based on natural language requests from users. For example, ask ChatGpt or Xai Grok to change the…

Instagram is introducing new features aimed at helping college students connect with people on campus, the company announced Tuesday. The launch will take place a week after Tiktok unveiled almost the same features. The new option allows US students to add universities and universities to their profile banners and view a list of students at the school. Students will display the “Add School” option in their profile. Click this to complete the verification process via the Student Verification Platform Uniday and display the school in your profile. Once the school banner is added, you can choose who can see it.…