Author: TechBrunch
The tech-wide reckoning that began in 2022 and ran throughout into 2023 has continued into this year. And while 2024’s losses are not at that scale, they’re still significant, driven by big names like Pixar, Google, Microsoft, Mozilla and TikTok. It remains to be seen if this year’s layoff trends follow last year’s, in which layoffs slowed down in the summer, before cuts began ramping up yet again toward the winter. Momentum for a tech sector rebound remains slow to build, outside of bright spots within artificial intelligence and adjacent companies, resulting in tech companies continuing to cut back on their…
In the summer of 2022, Pinterest quietly released a new iOS app called Shuffles that lets you create collages using photos and image clippings from the website. The app became popular among his Gen Z users, and later its features were integrated into his Pinterest itself. The company now says its Collage feature, which leverages AI and computer vision technology, has triple the engagement of traditional Pins. The new format allows users to curate content from around the web and Pinterest, and optionally combine it with images taken with their phone's camera to express their style, interests, and tastes. In…
Innovaccer, a health tech startup that aggregates patient data across systems and practices, is in advanced talks with investors to raise up to $250 million in a new funding round. three sources familiar with the matter told TechCrunch. Considerations for a new funding round are underway, with current discussions suggesting a value of $2.5 billion to $3 billion for the 9-year-old company, the person said, asking not to be identified as the details are private. The person concerned stated that. Innovaccer has developed a cloud-based software layer that integrates with existing electronic medical record systems used in healthcare facilities. The…
Airbnb's summer releases are typically big events with a ton of updates for guests and some updates for hosts. But now the company is introducing just a few updates to group bookings, along with a new category called Icons, which are experiences hosted by celebrities from music, film, TV and sports. The group booking feature is likely the only update that will apply to all users, and will allow you to create shared wishlists, a group messaging tab with hosts, and group travel invitations with accommodation details . Users can now invite friends and family to their wishlists through mobile…
Snapchat is launching a feature that lets users set in-app reminders with the help of its My AI chatbot, the company announced Wednesday. The social network is also rolling out editable chat, custom AI-powered Bitmoji looks, map reactions, emoji reactions, and more. With the new AI Reminders feature, Snapchat expects users to use its app instead of their device's default Clock app when setting countdowns and reminders. Users can do this by asking the app's My AI chatbot to set reminders for certain tasks or events, either directly in the AI Chat Her window or when chatting with friends. I…
Substack is launching a feature that allows writers to paywall entire chats or specific threads to paid or founding members only, the company announced Wednesday. The rollout of this new feature comes 18 months after Substack launched chat as a way for writers to communicate directly with their loyal readers. The company believes that paywalled chats help keep conversations intimate and prevent trolls, while also serving as a paid perk for readers. According to Substack, its data shows that active Chat participants are 12% more likely to maintain their subscription. Writers can choose to paywall the entire chat or individual…
Atlassian today announced Rovo, its new AI assistant, during the Team '24 conference in Las Vegas. Rovo takes data from first-party and third-party tools and makes it easily accessible through new AI-powered search tools and other integrations into Atlassian products. Most interesting, however, may be the new Rovo Agent, which can be used to automate workflows in tools like Jira and Confluence. The great thing about these agents is that anyone can build them using a natural language interface. No programming required. “We like to think of Rovo as a large-scale knowledge model for organizations. It's a knowledge discovery product…
Atlassian today announced at the Team '24 event in Las Vegas that it is merging Jira Software and Jira Service Management into a single product branded “Jira.” Atlassian's flagship project management tool, Jira, has its roots in software development and issue tracking for developers, but over the past few years, the company has also started releasing versions of Jira for other teams. These include Jira Work Management for business teams such as marketing, sales, and human resources. It was released in 2021 and replaced a previous product called Jira Core. “We believe that great teams are built on a foundation…
Razer is in trouble with the FTC over masks it manufactured and sold during the coronavirus pandemic. The issue will cost about $1.1 million and will get some bad press. Yes, a mask. When you think of the word “Razer,” you think of different things, right? You probably think of gaming keyboards and mice when you think of this brand. Heck, I have her Razer mouse connected to my computer at work right now. that's great. But that's not the case with the company's masks, and that's the problem. Razer has been in trouble with authorities because their alleged N95…
WhatsApp is introducing a new way for people to host events in their communities, the company announced Wednesday. This feature makes it easy to plan gatherings and events directly on WhatsApp, such as setting up a PTA meeting or birthday dinner. Anyone can create an event that others can respond to, so other members in the group can see who is planning to attend. Users can find the event on the group's information page, and those who attend the event will receive notifications as the event date approaches. This new feature will first be available to groups in your community…