Author: TechBrunch

Elon Musk's social network X is considering a new feature that would let users block direct messages from other users, but this would be separate from its account blocking feature. Currently, when you block an account, they can't interact with you in public posts or direct messages (DMs). With this new feature, the company will have two blocking features: one for personal messages and one for public posts. Yesterday, several app researchers published screenshots showing what DM blocking would look like, with Musk citing one of these posts saying, “DMs will be separate from public posts, so if you want…

A lot has changed in the 16 months since I last stepped foot inside Figure's Sunnyvale headquarters. For starters, there's a sign hanging outside the company's nondescript Silicon Valley office building in a Silicon Valley office park. And there's no empty desk to be seen anywhere. The robotics company now employs 130 engineers, according to CEO Brett Adcock, who met me at the company to get a closer look at its latest humanoid robot, Fig. 02. Next year, Fig. plans to use some of its $1.5 billion funding to move into new, bigger offices a short drive away. The robots…

Is a business coach really worth the investment? Executives often seek out coaches to enhance various aspects of their work, such as communication skills or productivity. Empirically, at least, these skills appear to improve with coaching. A survey by the nonprofit International Coach Federation found that 80% of executives who hired a coach experienced improved self-confidence. Will Fouchier, a former financial analyst and founder of AI-powered coaching business AceUp, said he tried workplace coaching himself a few years ago and experienced many benefits. “In 2015, I was transitioning from a career as a financial analyst to working at the nonprofit…

Humanz, a marketing platform for content creators and brands, has entered the U.S. market, the company announced on Thursday. Founded in Israel in 2017, Humanz has gained significant traction in global markets, including Europe, Latin America, South Africa and the Middle East. Currently, Humanz connects with over 300,000 content creators, facilitating over 15 million creator collaborations and contributing to nearly $500 million in revenue. With spending on influencer marketing now a big chunk of the overall marketing sector, now estimated to be a $250 billion industry, Humanz's US expansion shows there's growing demand for marketing tools designed for content creators.…

Small businesses are the unsung heroes of the American economy, employing nearly half of the American workforce and accounting for 44% of the country's GDP. But when it comes time for small business owners to sell their companies, their options are limited. Some turn to small business brokers, some pass the business on to their children, and some go out of business altogether. Large companies are traditionally bought at the best price, often with investment banks like Goldman Sachs, but Wall Street giants waste no time in buying acquisitions for less than $25 million. Founded by former investment banker Ori…

Google's main privacy regulator in the European Union has opened an investigation into whether the company complies with EU data protection law regarding its use of personal information in training its generative AI. Specifically, it is investigating whether the tech giants should have carried out Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) to proactively consider the risks that AI technology may pose to the rights and freedoms of individuals whose information was used to train their models. Generative AI tools are notorious for generating plausible-sounding lies. That tendency, combined with their ability to provide personal information on demand, creates significant legal risks…

WhatsApp is now enabling small and medium-sized businesses in India to register for the Meta Verified badge and send customized messages to their customers. India has more than 65 million small businesses, but only about 5 million of them sell online, according to a joint report released in May by Mehta and Bain & Co. The company is looking to capitalize on this market opportunity by promoting WhatsApp Business, as the app is used by a majority of Indians for messaging and has emerged as a preferred way for small businesses to connect with customers. The company said that the…

OpenWeb, a New York startup that gives publishers tools to attract users, has a unique problem: Despite announcing a new CEO, reports are saying its co-founder CEO won't be stepping down. On Tuesday, OpenWeb Chairman Tim Harvey emailed employees to say he would be stepping down as CEO and thanked longtime CEO Nadav Shoval for his “incredible passion,” according to CTech. Shortly after, Shoval shared his own message with employees, claiming that “the board of directors falsely announced that I was stepping down as CEO… that is not true and was not my intention.” Shoval went on to accuse the…

In a development that will surprise almost no one, Forbes magazine reported today that Flowcarbon, the climate, cryptocurrency, and carbon credit startup from former WeWork CEO Adam Neumann, appears to be headed for demise. Purchasers of the “Goddess Nature Token,” marketed as a first step in putting carbon credits on the blockchain, were reportedly contacted last month about receiving their refunds, provided they signed non-disclosure agreements and waived any claims against FlowCarbon. The company told Forbes that this was “well known,” blaming the state of the carbon credit market for the delay in the rollout. It's unclear what the company…

Amazon's recently released shopping-focused chatbot, Rufus, will soon begin serving ads. That's according to a changelog published by Amazon this week, first spotted by AdWeek, which suggests sponsored ads may soon start appearing for Rufus users in the U.S. Amazon said that ads will be shown based on the context of Amazon searches and conversations, and that Rufus may generate text to accompany existing ad copy in certain cases. Image credit: Amazon “We continue to improve the Rufus experience, including improving brand and product discovery by introducing relevant sponsored ads to help customers find options relevant to their conversations with…