Author: TechBrunch

Google has joined investors backing Moving Tech, the parent company of Nama Yatri, an open-source Indian ride-hailing app that is taking market share from Uber and Ola with its commission-free model. Nama Yatri runs on the Open Network for Digital Commerce, an interoperable system backed by the Indian government that aims to democratize e-commerce in the world's most populous country. Nama Yatri's app connects customers with autorickshaw and taxi drivers and doesn't charge either for the ride. Instead, the startup collects a small monthly fee from its driver-partners. In comparison, Uber and Ola charge drivers 25-30% of the trip fare…

The biggest update iOS 18 brings to Apple's iMessage and Messages app isn't AI Emoji, Genmoji, or the ability to send texts via satellite. It's finally the ability to send messages at a later date and time, and support for RCS, the next-generation messaging standard that replaces SMS. RCS makes texting with Android users a lot easier. These updates are now available in the public beta of iOS 18, which rolled out this week. Though they got lost amid a flurry of AI announcements and other user interface tweaks at WWDC 2024, these messaging features will have a major impact…

Apple's WWDC 2024 was packed with announcements about iOS 18, the next version of the iPhone operating system, introducing a ton of new features. The highlight is a set of customization options, such as the ability to arrange apps and widgets on the home screen and customize buttons. Other features include new text effects, the ability to lock and hide apps, a new way to manage your email inbox, the introduction of iMessages via satellite, and a major redesign of the Photos app. You can test many of these updates right now through the just-released iOS 18 public beta, but…

A TikTok glitch appears to be allowing some teens to access the TikTok Shop tab, even though TikTok's policies state that e-commerce offers should be limited to users over the age of 18. The issue occurs when teens lie about their age when signing up for TikTok by entering a date of birth that indicates they're already over 18, and then are prompted by their parent to pair their account using TikTok's built-in parental controls. Despite the pairing process, teens still have access to adult-only features. TikTok's parental controls are called Family Pairing, and allow adults to manage the teen's…

The shortage of affordable housing is a growing issue around the world, even in emerging markets where demand is high, in part because traditional developers and real estate companies are focused on serving luxury housing seekers and want to avoid the huge operating costs associated with affordable housing, which can eat into their gross margins over time. Lhoopa appears. The Singapore-based startup combines technology with decentralized operations to partner with local experts such as brokers and builders to solve problems for people looking to buy housing, especially affordable homes. The six-year-old startup launched in the Philippine market, where there is…

Former President Donald Trump on Monday picked Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate as he seeks to reclaim the job he lost to President Joe Biden in 2020. Vance, best known for his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” worked for many years as a venture capitalist before leaving the industry after being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022. After graduating from Yale Law School in 2013, Vance moved to San Francisco and served as a principal at Mithril Capital, a fund co-founded by Peter Thiel and Ajay Loyan. Mithril launched two funds, $540 million and $850 million, in 2013…

At this year's Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple split its keynote into two parts: the regular OS updates and a look at the company's AI features. Apple separated the two sections because Apple Intelligence features will be available starting this fall, meaning they likely won't be included in the 18.0 release. Major iOS updates usually coincide with new iPhone releases in September. The Apple Intelligence feature is also not available in the currently available developer beta, and it may be a while before it's actually available, which is why the current iOS 18 beta release feels like the first half of…

Apple on Monday released a public beta of its next-generation software for iPhone, Mac, iPad, and Apple Watch, giving users the chance to try out iOS 18 and many of its new features and provide feedback to Apple, except for Apple Intelligence, which will be released in beta this fall. If you want to try out Apple's upcoming software upgrades, you can sign up for the Apple Beta Software Program on the company's website. Registering your device there will give you access to early versions of these features. iOS 18 includes several new customization options for the home screen. For…

Payments giant Stripe has long delayed its IPO, prompting lead investor Sequoia Capital to get creative with how it returns profits to its limited partners. Axios reported that the venture firm emailed LPs from funds it raised between 2009 and 2011 with an offer to buy up to $861 million in Stripe shares. Sequoia declined to comment, but the buyer will be another of Sequoia's new funds, according to the email sent by Axios to LPs. The move is notable for two reasons: First, it's evidence that LPs are increasingly seeking liquidity in this lackluster IPO market (2024 has seen…

Google's parent company Alphabet is in advanced talks to acquire Wiz for $23 billion, a person close to the company told TechCrunch. The deal talks were previously reported by The Wall Street Journal. According to sources, Wiz, a cybersecurity startup founded in 2020, was approached by Google's cloud chief Thomas Kurian a few weeks ago. Negotiations have progressed rapidly since then, and the two sides have tentatively agreed on an acquisition price. The person said there are many hurdles and details that need to be worked out in a deal of this magnitude, but declined to say what those hurdles…