Author: TechBrunch

Facebook deploys the ability of creators to make money for public story opinions. The new monetization options are available globally to creators who are part of the Facebook content monetization program. This new monetization option allows creators to make money from the content they already create and share when they post on their Facebook Stories. For example, if the creator creates a recipe video or reel, you can share the snippet in the story. You can also make money by posting story content about your daily life as usual. A company spokesman told TechCrunch in an email that story payments…

As a paranoid journalist, I am an avid user of lockdown mode, Apple's opt-in “Extreme Protection” feature. Apple launched lockdown mode in 2022, and since then security features have been viewed as essential use as opposition from corrupt countries, human rights advocates of oppressive administrations, and journalists who have spoken the truth to power. Lockdown mode is designed to turn off some features on iPhone, iPad and Mac, and is intended to reduce the likelihood that hackers have been armed with sophisticated spyware or zero-days. This could help to successfully protect Apple's operating system and use spying to protect unknown…

At AI Chatbot Wars, Google believes that the key to keeping users is providing content that you don't get anywhere else, like the answers shaped by internet habits. On Thursday, the company announced Gemini. Personalization is a new “experimental feature” in the Gemini Chatbot app, allowing Gemini to use other Google apps and services to provide customized responses. According to Gemini Product Director Dave Citron, Gemini with personalization allows users to tap on user activity and preferences across Google's product ecosystem to provide answers tailored to their queries. “All of these updates are designed to make Gemini feel like a…

Google has announced today's new features for PC and mobile games ahead of the Game Developer Conference (GDC), including new titles, control customizations, and developer tools to make mobile games available on PCs. The company first introduced PC play games in the beta phase in 2022. Over time, the programmes were introduced in various regions. Later this year, the project will enter general availability. As part of the new release, Google is adding new tools for game developers, including a dedicated SDK for native PC games for Google Play games with in-app purchase integration. We're also updating our Play console…

TechCrunch's biggest AI event is less than 3 months away! If you are shaping the future of AI, investing in the next game-changing innovation, or wanting to dig deeper into what's next, TechCrunch Session: AI is a place. On June 5th, Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley, California, will be bustling with 1,200 AI experts, investors and enthusiasts exchanging ideas, building connections and exploring the artificial intelligence frontier. Secure spots now and save up to $210 before ticket prices go up. Don't sit this – AI's biggest breakthroughs and insights await you! 1. Expert wisdom directly from the industry heavyweights on the…

Privacy Rights Groups are calling for a legal challenge to Apple's secret UK government order to backdoors for an end-to-end encryption (E2EE) version of iCloud storage services that are heard in public places rather than in closed rooms. The existence of orders emerged in a reporter's report last month. Apple has confirmed it has shut down advanced data protection services for UK users. However, it is unclear whether Apple's actions are considered compliant, as surveillance orders requiring law enforcement access to data stored within the E2EE service are also believed to include information about users outside the country. This means…

In expanding its existing audiobook efforts, Spotify announced on Thursday the launch of a new publishing program for authors. When Spotify selects Audiobook Publishing stories, the company says it will handle the creation and distribution of the work to other major audiobook retailers. Meanwhile, Spotify pays the author both upfront and royalty. Spotify said it is specifically looking for stories across three genres: romance, mystery or thriller, sci-fi or fantasy. Spotify has seen the success of titles like the top audiobook of 2024, the fantasy romance “The Court of Thorns & Roses.” Spotify encourages authors to submit cross-genre works such…

TechCrunch All Stage (previously early stages) returned to Boston on July 15th, with the agenda for the Tentpole East Coast founder event being nearly complete. We look forward to sharing this sneak peak with some of the amazing speakers and sessions we're tapping. For builders who are just beginning their founder journey, our foundation stage is a must-have place. We recruit an incredible cast of leading investors and entrepreneurs to dig deep into founder-focused topics such as: All the methods VCS doesn't realize are evaluating pre-seeded companies. MVP in the age of AI: When will you bot or when? Tam…

While many business employees today are expected to make decisions through careful data analysis, the tools needed to do so are clunky, slow, or sometimes absent. This is according to Colin Zima, CEO of Omni, a Business Intelligence (BI) platform that aims to help organizations simplify how they work with their data. Before co-founding Omni, Zima led the search quality team at Google and was Looker's Chief Analytics Officer. “In cloud data warehouses like Snowflake and BigQuery, legacy reliability combines with modern scalability,” Zima told TechCrunch. “Even so, tens of thousands of companies are tied to the outdated BI process.…

The Productivity Platform Click-Up launches an improved calendar tool that integrates tasks, documents, chats and meetings in one place. The most interesting feature of the calendar is the blocking of the integrated AI meeting note taker and task blocking. Clickup already had a calendar product, but it focused on managing and scheduling the team. Last year, the global supporters of A16Z and Tiger acquired calendar startup Hypercal. We are currently using some of that acquisition with our new calendar product. The company is currently focusing on personal productivity in the workplace by putting tasks at the forefront. Users can add…