Author: TechBrunch

When Jordan Nathan launched his direct-to-consumer nontoxic cookware company, Caraway, in 2019, he knew he wasn't the only founder trying to sell a new brand of pots and pans to Instagram-scrolling millennials. But he realized that launching later than his peers was a blessing in disguise in all respects except one. When Caraway launched, it joined companies like Our Place, Great Jones and Made In Cookware in an increasingly crowded category of online cookware startups. But being a bit of a late entrant gave Caraway exposure to those other brands' products and target audiences, Nathan said on a recent episode…

Could a humanoid robot behind the wheel hold the key to self-driving cars that don't hit pedestrians or crash into utility poles? A group of researchers from the University of Tokyo think so, and make their case in a new technical paper published this week. The researchers, one of whom works as a consultant for Toyota, developed and trained a “musculoskeletal humanoid” called “Musashi” to drive a small electric vehicle on a test course. Equipped with two cameras to replace human eyes, Musashi can “see” the road ahead and the scenery reflected in the car's side mirrors. Its mechanical hands…

iOS apps that build their own social networks based on the user's address book may soon be a thing of the past. With iOS 18, Apple is cracking down on social apps that ask users for permission to access their contacts, something they often do to connect users with friends or suggest people to follow. Now, Apple is adding a new two-step permission popup screen that first asks the user to allow or deny access to their contacts, as before, and then, if the user grants access, lets them choose which contacts (not all of them) to share. These changes…

Most of the coverage of humanoid robots has understandably focused on hardware design. Given how frequently developers toss around the phrase “general-purpose humanoid,” more attention should be paid to the first part. After decades of single-purpose systems, the leap to more general-purpose systems would be a big one. We're not there yet. Developing robotic intelligence that can take full advantage of the wide range of motion enabled by bipedal humanoid designs has become a hot topic for researchers. The use of generative AI in robotics has also been a hot topic recently, and new research from MIT points out that…

The modern world's most critical systems, from aviation and road networks to emergency and disaster response, from precision agriculture and power grids to weather forecasting and military defense, depend on GPS. And this reliance is becoming problematic. “The growing threat from foreign adversaries demonstrating the ability to jam, disrupt or spoof GPS signals is frightening,” Sean Moore, CEO and co-founder of Tern AI, a startup that aims to provide an alternative to GPS, told TechCrunch. “If that were to happen, the economic impact to the United States would be devastating.” Moore, who sold his previous company, Trueface, to Pangiam in…

Since its founding in 2017, fintech startup Brex has been run by co-founders Enrique Dubouglas and Pedro Franceschi, who serve as co-CEOs. But starting today, the San Francisco-based corporate credit card and expense management company is moving to a more traditional, single-CEO model that they say should be more agile, the two said in an exclusive interview with TechCrunch. Franceschi will become sole CEO, and Dubouglas will become chairman of Brex's board of directors. In an in-depth conversation, the two co-founders shared a bit about what the new structure will look like, the company's current financial situation, and how they've…

Hey everyone, welcome to TechCrunch's regular AI newsletter. This week in AI, Apple took center stage. At its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in Cupertino, Apple unveiled Apple Intelligence, its long-awaited ecosystem-wide generative AI effort that will power everything from an upgraded Siri to AI-generated emojis to photo editing tools that remove unwanted people and objects from photos. The company promised that Apple Intelligence is built with safety at its core and with highly personalized experiences in mind. “It has to understand you and be rooted in your personal context: your daily life, your relationships, your communications,” CEO Tim Cook said…

Helen Toner, a former OpenAI board member and strategy director at Georgetown University's Center for Security and Emerging Technology, worries that if the status quo doesn't change, Congress will have a “knee-jerk” reaction when it comes to AI policymaking. “The current Congress, maybe people haven't noticed, is not very functional and not very good at passing laws unless there's a major crisis,” Toner said at TechCrunch's StrictlyVC event in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday. “AI is going to be a big, powerful technology, but at some point something's going to go wrong. And if the only laws we get are ones…

Being laid off is tough. According to layoffs.fyi, 254 companies have already cut 60,000 jobs this year alone. Finding ways to expand your network during uncertain times is even tougher. To help those affected by a layoff within the past year (from any company, region, or industry) and who are still looking for full-time work, TechCrunch is offering Expo+ passes at 50% off the current rate. Don't let firing get you down. Take the next step in your career at Disrupt 2024 Whether it's downsizing, layoffs, or reductions, losing your job can be a tough experience, especially during unpredictable times.…

The hospitality industry is back, creating an opportunity for tech startups to not only make hotels more efficient at running their operations, but also to focus on ways to improve the guest experience. “Most of today's travelers were born into an era where they are very comfortable with technology,” says Harman Singh Narula, co-founder and CEO of Canary Technologies. “They have expectations of technology. For example, instead of picking up the phone, they want to send a text message to the front desk.” Hotels also face competition in the market with the availability of other options like Airbnb, which Narula…