Author: TechBrunch

Despite notifying TechCrunch that it was hosting stolen phone data a few weeks ago, Amazon wouldn't say whether it plans to take action against three phone monitoring apps that store personal private phone data on Amazon's cloud servers. Amazon told TechCrunch that it was “following” [its] After the February notice, as of the time of publication of this article, Stalkerware Operations Cocospy, Spyic, and Spyzie continue to upload and store photos extracted from the mobile phones of people on Amazon Web Services. Cocospy, Spyic and Spyzie are three almost identical Android apps that share the same source code and a…

Light, the manufacturer of minimalist phones designed to allow consumers to disconnect from smartphone distractions and social media, will launch its latest model, the Light Phone III on March 27th. This version of the device provides the necessary features such as call, text, navigation, hotspots, calendars and more, including support for calls, text, navigation, hotspots, calendars and more. However, the upgraded device comes with a 3.92-inch AMOLED display instead of the e-paper screen. It also adds cameras and NFC chips for future payment tools. First unveiled last summer, the Light Phone III can access the battery and replace the screen…

One of Silicon Valley's most renowned startup accelerators, Y Combinator held its Winter 2025 Demo Day on Wednesday, showing off the latest batches of 160 startups being cooked. Some of Silicon Valley's most successful startups, including Stripe, Airbnb and Reddit, started with the YC batch. Today, YC's new startups are focused on building the next big thing with AI. In this batch, we noticed an astonishing number of startups creating tools to boost AI agents in other companies. Rather than building their own AI agents, these startups are building support tools. Today, there is no shortage of companies building AI…

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…