Author: TechBrunch

A flawed software update issued by security giant CrowdStrike caused a massive overnight outage to Windows computers around the world, disrupting businesses, airports, train stations, banks, broadcasting stations and the health sector. CrowdStrike said the outage was not the result of a cyberattack, but rather a “flaw” in a software update for its flagship security product, Falcon Sensor, which caused all Windows computers with Falcon installed to crash before fully loading. “The issue has been identified, isolated, and a fix has been distributed,” CrowdStrike said in a statement on Friday. Some businesses and organizations have begun to recover, but many…

OpenAI releases mini versions of its latest AI models. These tiny AI models are intended to be faster and more affordable than the full versions, and are especially useful for simple, high-volume tasks. This makes them appealing to smaller developers who don't need to spend a lot of money on AI costs, but want a relatively lightweight way to incorporate AI into their websites and apps. In this case, OpenAI unveiled its latest flagship model, GPT-4o, in May, where the “o” stands for “omni,” indicating that the model should be able to understand not only text but also audio and…

Businesses around the world have reported IT outages, including Windows “Blue Screen of Death” errors on their computers, making it one of the most widespread IT outages in recent years. The outage is linked to a software update from well-known cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike and has affected computers running Microsoft Windows at organizations across a range of sectors, including airlines, banks, retailers, brokerages, media companies and rail networks. Online rumors suggest that the travel industry is the hardest hit. CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz acknowledged in a post on X that a “flaw” in content updates for Windows hosts was the cause…

It sounded too good to be true: On Friday morning, as the East Coast woke up to one of the biggest IT outages in history, caused by a glitch in a CrowdStrike update, a rare image went viral on X, garnering millions of views: Sphere, a flashy new addition to the Las Vegas skyline with 580,000 square feet of programmable LEDs on its exterior, appeared to succumb to a blue screen. But a Sphere representative said the photo was digitally altered. Sphere escaped unscathed from the CrowdStrike outage that affected computers running Windows across the global economy. It's easy to…

Today is your last chance to save up to $800 on tickets to TechCrunch Disrupt 2024. The Disrupt Deal Days event ends tonight at 11:59 PM PST, so don't miss out on this opportunity to get big discounts at this year's tech conference. Book your last minute tickets here. Why attend TechCrunch Disrupt 2024? TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 will provide you with an unparalleled opportunity to learn, share and grow your network. Connect with 10,000 startup leaders through 1-on-1 or small group braindates. Get your questions answered in 300+ sessions, roundtables, and breakouts. Engage with Silicon Valley's best minds at one…

Welcome to a recap of Equity, TechCrunch's flagship podcast about the business of startups. This episode is packed with deals, antitrust insights, AI, and more. First, Kirsten explained that Elon Musk recently expressed his intention to move the headquarters of SpaceX and X from California to Texas. It remains to be seen whether Musk will follow through on this plan, but of course, the staff at Equity had an idea. Then we talked about this week's deals. First, we talked about Sequoia Capital emailing LPs from funds it raised between 2009 and 2011 with offers to buy up to $861…

On Friday, businesses around the world reported IT outages, including Windows “Blue Screen of Death” errors on computers, in what is already one of the most widespread IT outages in recent years. The outage, which many security experts blame on a CrowdStike update, has affected companies across a range of sectors, including airlines, banks, food chains, brokerages, news organizations and rail networks. The travel industry appears to be the most affected. “We're aware of an issue impacting Windows devices caused by a third-party software platform update. We expect a resolution is available soon,” a Microsoft spokesperson told TechCrunch in a…

J. Michael Klein, who co-founded Fandango and numerous other startups over a decades-long career, has died after falling from a Manhattan hotel, New York's Deputy Director of Public Information told TechCrunch. The New York Police Department responded to a 911 call from the Kimberly Hotel, a 30-story hotel on 50th Street in Midtown Manhattan, on Tuesday morning. Upon arrival, “officers found an unconscious and unresponsive male with injuries consistent with a fall from a great height,” the deputy police commissioner said in an email to TechCrunch. According to the New York Times, Klein fell from the hotel's 20th floor. Emergency…

In late June, a security researcher discovered a vulnerability in a web app used by a16z, one of Silicon Valley's most powerful and influential venture capital firms, exposing some data about the firm's portfolio companies. The bug has since been fixed. On June 30th, a security researcher going by the name of xyzeva wrote to X, hoping to get in touch with someone at a16z, suggesting that he had discovered a security issue. “Contact me now. This is bad. Security related,” she wrote. When contacted by TechCrunch, Xyzeva said he found a “very simple bug” in the a16z portfolio portal…

When Tade Oyerinde first set out to raise funds for his startup, Campus, a fully accredited online community college, it was incredibly difficult. Venture capitalists have funded for-profit education companies before, like Coursera and Udacity, but funding a more traditional two-year college was different. Plus, he was looking for capital a few years ago at a time when higher education was starting to face challenges from declining enrollment and rising tuition prices. Oyelinde said in a recent episode of TechCrunch's Found podcast that despite the challenges, he believes it makes sense to raise money from venture capitalists for a few…