Author: TechBrunch

Apple has issued a new series of threat notices to iPhone users in 98 countries warning them about potential mercenary spyware attacks. This is the company's second warning campaign this year, following a similar notice sent to users in 92 countries in April. According to a support document on the company's website, Apple has been sending these notifications periodically since 2021, reaching users in more than 150 countries. “Apple has detected that you have been the target of a mercenary spyware attack attempting to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID -xxx-,” the company wrote in an alert…

Visual effects (VFX) have emerged as an integral part of filmmaking, with a variety of digital techniques revolutionizing storytelling and creativity in the film industry. However, VFX tools are expensive, meaning independent filmmakers and content creators with smaller budgets often struggle to compete with larger production companies. A new company, Beeble AI, is turning to AI to address this problem. The South Korea-based VFX startup has developed a virtual lighting solution for filmmakers and visual effects artists, addressing the high costs of creating top-notch Hollywood-level visual effects and leveling the playing field in the film industry, allowing indie filmmakers and…

Silicon Valley and the Pentagon are growing ever closer. As venture capitalists continue to pour money into defense tech startups, they are turning to a new hiring pool: military veterans and former Pentagon personnel. Andreessen Horowitz has hired former fighter pilot Matt Shortall as its chief of staff, Lux Capital has brought on former U.S. Special Operations Command commander Tony Thomas as an adviser, and Shield Capital managing partner Raj Shah is an Air Force veteran. Hiring ex-military people gives companies a big advantage, allowing them to “understand what the real problems are out there in the battlefield,” rather than…

TLDR: Southwest Airlines (LUV) could become the next meme stock due to its underdog narrative, potential for operational turnaround, attractive valuation, and the power of social media and retail investors. Despite recent negative press and operational issues, Southwest’s strategic initiatives and loyal customer base position it for a remarkable recovery, capturing the attention of retail investors and driving its stock to new heights. We estimate LUV may reach a conservative share price between $45 – $55 having striking similarities to GME and AMC being a household name and we believe a meme-like run is in store for the family friendly…

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), along with two other international consumer protection networks, released the results of a study on Thursday into the use of “dark patterns,” or subtle design techniques that can put users' privacy at risk or trick them into purchasing products or services or taking actions they would not otherwise take. An analysis of 642 websites and apps that offer subscription services found that the vast majority (about 76%) used at least one dark pattern, and about 67% used multiple dark patterns. Dark patterns refer to a variety of design techniques that can subtly encourage users…

Meta announced on Wednesday that users ages 10 to 12 will be able to interact with others in VR with parental permission. Previously, kids weren't able to chat or interact with others on Quest. In upcoming updates, Meta will add the ability for parents to individually add approved contacts that their children can chat with or call, as well as send and accept invitations to join parent-approved VR experiences. Meta hopes that opening up its VR experience to kids will make younger users more comfortable with the technology and more likely to use it as they get older, and it…

GenAI is everywhere these days, but Amazon Web Services is considered a laggard by some. In fact, it's still early days and the market is still messy. On Wednesday, AWS may have just given generative AI more credibility with a new tool called App Studio. App Studio promises to help you create enterprise software applications from written instructions, and that's right: just describe the programs you need, and AWS will write the code for you, without the need for professional developers. “App Studio is for techies who have technical expertise but aren't professional developers, and enables them to build enterprise-grade…

To be honest, things aren't looking good for NGL. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has banned NGL from offering services to or advertising to minors, marking the first time a government agency has taken such action against an app. You may have seen this app posted on a friend's Instagram story with a link inviting friends to send in anonymous questions. That's essentially what the product is all about. Like some of the apps that have come before, this one allows you to accept anonymous questions from your peers. NGL was supposed to be different because it was touted as…

In March, Microsoft confirmed that Russian government hackers known as Midnight Blizzard (APT29) had broken into the company's systems with the intent of stealing a variety of information, including Microsoft customer data. Months later, Microsoft is still notifying affected customers, but the process appears to be bungled, with experts criticizing the company for sending out emails that look like spam and even phishing attempts. Kevin Beaumont, a former Microsoft employee and cybersecurity researcher who now follows the company closely, is warning businesses to be wary of emails from Microsoft. “Microsoft suffered a Russian breach that affected customer data, but did…

After securing $14 million for its second fund in 2023, early-stage venture capital firm Kearney Jackson is launching its third fund, this time with $65 million in capital commitments, including money from a number of first-time institutional funds. With offices on both the East and West coasts, Kearny Jackson invests in B2B SaaS, infrastructure and fintech infrastructure, often leading or co-leading rounds. “One of the things we emphasize to founders who start with us is time to value,” co-founding general partner Sriram Krishnan told TechCrunch. “We're very fortunate with the LP mix that we have because at the end of…