Author: TechBrunch

Joby Aviation is still a year away from commercially launching its electric air taxi designed for urban environments, but the startup is already looking toward the next step: hydrogen-powered intercity flights. To begin discussions with regulators and demonstrate hydrogen's capabilities, Joby told TechCrunch that it has completed a 523-mile test flight with its hydrogen-electric prototype aircraft, one of the company's eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft powered by a liquid hydrogen fuel cell and hydrogen-electric propulsion system. Currently, Joby Aviation's eVTOL is built to transport people and goods short distances within a city or from a city to an…

Just like your favorite anime, this is the story of a group of twenty-somethings who start off with nothing, travel the world, and eventually secure a global license to develop the official Naruto consumer app. Sekai, a French startup founded in early 2022, describes itself as a studio that wants to create entertainment experiences with official anime licenses. Unlike Marvel superheroes or the Harry Potter series, the anime and manga industry has had little exposure to other forms of entertainment. Of course, there are fighting video games from Bandai Namco (or Sega, Konami…). Of course, you can buy plastic miniatures.…

Adfin, a new UK-based fintech startup, wants to help businesses get their invoices paid, no matter what. Founded by two fintech experts, the company started with a problem and built a product around it: the problem is that if you're set up as a sole trader, or a small company without someone dedicated to admin tasks, getting paid is still hard. For small businesses and sole traders like lawyers, accountants, consultants and craftspeople, the process of getting paid for work typically involves sending an invoice with bank account details to your client. But you also need to track the receipt…

Reliance Industries Ltd., India's most valuable company, may consider spinning off its telecom unit Jio for a public listing as soon as 2025, Jefferies said in a research note, as investors prefer the route to an initial public offering.The move comes as Jio has recently focused on monetizing and growing market share, as shown by its leading role in raising tariffs. The spin-off option has come under scrutiny amid concerns over holding-company discounts, which are common in Indian markets, where listed subsidiaries often trade at a 20-50% discount when owned by their parent companies.An IPO would allow Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance…

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…