Author: TechBrunch

Hubble Networks became the first company in history to establish a direct Bluetooth connection to a satellite. This is a significant technology validation for the company, with the potential to connect millions more devices anywhere in the world. The Seattle-based startup launched its first two satellites into orbit on SpaceX's Transporter 10 rideshare mission in March. The company has since confirmed that it is receiving signals from the onboard 3.5mm Bluetooth chip from over 600 kilometers away. For space-enabled Bluetooth devices, the sky really is the limit. The company says its technology can be used in markets such as logistics,…

Alliance DAO graduates are often a useful indicator of investor appetite and user adaptation trends in the cryptocurrency space. The latest batch of stage-agnostic crypto accelerators announced today comes at a moment of great excitement for a recovering market. Just two months ago, Bitcoin hit an all-time high. Although the value of the largest cryptocurrency has fallen since then, it continues to trade at much higher levels than during the market downturn that followed the FTX blowout in late 2022. Venture investors have responded by pouring money into Web3 startups, with roughly the total amount of funding in this space…

Microsoft has changed its policy to prohibit U.S. law enforcement from using AI generated through Azure OpenAI Service, the company's fully managed enterprise OpenAI technology wrapper. Language added Wednesday to the Azure OpenAI Service terms of service allows U.S. police departments to use integrations with Azure OpenAI Service “by or for” the police department, including integrations with OpenAI's text and speech analytics models. It is prohibited to do so. Another new bullet point targets “any law enforcement agency worldwide” and uses mobile cameras, such as body cameras and dash cams, to “attempt to identify individuals in uncontrolled, indoor settings” and…

A controversial push by European Union lawmakers to legally require messaging platforms to scan citizens' private communications for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) could result in millions of emails being sent a day. could lead to false positives, hundreds of security and privacy experts warned in an open letter Thursday. Concerns about the EU's proposals have grown since the European Commission proposed its CSAM scanning plan two years ago, with independent experts, members of the European Parliament and even the European Union's data protection supervisor sounding the alarm. is ringing. The EU proposal goes beyond simply requiring messaging platforms that…

Lacey Hunter thought all was well as she put her startup through the three-month Newchip accelerator. Then the organization filed for bankruptcy in May 2023. Things went from bad to worse later that year when she discovered warrants of her company — rights to buy an ownership stake — had become part of the proceedings, which ultimately forced her to shut down her company. In 2022, Hunter started TechAid, an AI smart-matching tool for humanitarian aid, and was just beginning the accelerator’s curriculum when Newchip filed for bankruptcy. “I made a few friends, but functionally, got nothing from Newchip,” Hunter…

AI startups face a different set of challenges than typical SaaS companies. That was the message from Rudina Seseri, founder and managing partner of Glasswing Ventures, at the TechCrunch Early Stage event in Boston last week. Seseri made it clear that just because you connect to some AI API doesn't make you an AI company. “AI-native doesn't mean his AI company slaps on a glossy wrapper that calls OpenAI or Anthropic and has a human-like user interface,” Ceceli said. “What I’m saying is that algorithms and data are truly at the core and part of the value creation that we…

A four-month prison sentence and a hefty fine are the government's compensation for CZ's bad behavior at the cryptocurrency exchange. Regardless of how you view the sentence, whether it's too much, too little, or just right, his sentencing is a big problem for web3. Potentially in a positive way. Efforts are underway in some parts of the cryptocurrency industry to promote blockchain technology, which has been well-documented for creating new gambling opportunities. Chris Dixon of a16z frames this in the term “computer vs casino”, which I think is reasonable. Those who favor computers over casinos probably want the cryptocurrency market…

rear Month Of test, Google today is rolling out labels to the Play Store that indicate official state and federal apps in more than 14 countries. This new label will help users weed out apps that steal money and data by pretending to be official apps. The company says these badges currently cover more than 2,000 apps in countries including Australia, Canada, Germany, France, UK, Japan, South Korea, US, Brazil, Indonesia, India, and Mexico. The company teased this feature last November when it announced new rules for app developers. Users will be able to see a new 'Government' badge on…

This is your goal. You have just over a month left to nominate your startup for Disrupt's Startup Battlefield 200. Join this elite group for new and exciting opportunities at TechCrunch Disrupt. Full of benefits and possibilities to take your company to the next level. Don't be late: Apply to Startup Battlefield 200 by June 10th at 11:59pm PDT. TechCrunch editors will vet all applications and only the companies selected for this select group will be the startups allowed to exhibit at Disrupt. From that group, TechCrunch will select his 20 companies to be finalists for the Startup Battlefield pitch…

Spotify appears to have found a new way to drive free users into paid subscriptions. It's about putting the lyrics behind a paywall. The company has quietly confirmed the change following various reports citing complaints from users on Reddit, but has not issued a direct statement. Instead, the company told TechCrunch only that Spotify's features may change over time across markets and devices. This response indicates that while the lyric change may be more than just a test, Spotify is not yet ready to make an official announcement about the affected markets. However, there were some signs that Spotify was…