Author: TechBrunch

Latest news: Starbucks announced Friday that it is discontinuing its NFT program as it “prepares for what comes next as we continue to evolve the program,” according to its FAQ page. We spoke with program leader Steve Kaczynski on the Chain Reaction podcast last month.On Friday, he tweeted: his future with the company was uncertain: Below is the original interview with Mr. Kaczynski from February 22nd. While the NFT space may be down significantly from all-time highs, there can still be value for brands and loyalty programs looking to reach fans in new ways, he said. steve kaczynskico-author of the…

India is withdrawing its recent AI advisory after receiving criticism from many entrepreneurs and investors, both domestic and international. The Ministry of Electronics and IT on Friday shared the latest AI recommendations with industry stakeholders, no longer requiring users in South Asian markets to receive government approval before launching or deploying AI models. The revised guidelines recommend that companies instead label poorly tested and unreliable AI models to inform users of their potential fallibility and unreliability. Masu. The revision comes after India's IT ministry came under harsh criticism from a number of prominent figures earlier this month. Martin Casado, a…

SpaceX requires employees to agree to some unusual terms regarding stock compensation, which has a chilling effect on staff, according to sources and internal documents reviewed by TechCrunch. It includes a provision that gives SpaceX the right to buy back vested stock within six months after an employee leaves the company for any reason. SpaceX also has the right to prohibit past and present employees from participating in the tender offer if they are deemed to have committed “misconduct against the company” or violated written company policies, among other reasons. is given to the company. One former employee said employees…

Welcome to Startups Weekly — a weekly roundup of must-sees from the world of startups. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every Friday. Pornhub has been playing a game of chicken with many state legislatures for some time. Last year, the obscenity merchant blocked access to users in Mississippi, Virginia, and Utah. And this week, if you live in the Lone Star State, the site was removed from the internet. That's right, Texans are now officially banned from Pornhub's hallowed halls unless they're crafty enough to use a VPN to get past their digital bouncers. This…

Over the years TechCrunch has extensively covered data breaches. In fact, some of our most-read stories have come from reporting on huge data breaches, such as revealing shoddy security practices at startups holding sensitive genetic information through to disproving privacy claims by a popular messaging app. It’s not just our sensitive information that can spill online. Some data breaches can contain information that can have significant public interest or are highly useful for researchers. Last year, a disgruntled hacker leaked the internal chat logs of the prolific Conti ransomware gang exposing the operation’s innards, and a huge leak of a…

Wow, that was fast. After a House subcommittee agreed to a bill that would force TikTok to be sold or banned in the United States, the House itself voted in favor of it, despite dozens of votes against it. It will now move to the Senate, where it has already attracted some notable supporters. However, TikTok users are not sitting on their hands about the changing political winds and their effects. TechCrunch spoke to several TikTok users who are outraged by TikTok's potential ban and are fighting back. Ultimately, many small businesses will be affected by this move. But while…

Although there are two industries that generate huge profits, movies and games have traditionally been largely ignored by venture capitalists. This is a little surprising to many. Venture capitalists are known for their keen eye for high-growth opportunities, primarily betting on the next big thing in technology startups, healthcare innovation, and the digital space. But as Deadline reports, Newzoo said movies earned $33.9 billion last year, and global gaming revenue was $184 billion. Still, the proposition of investing in movies takes venture capitalists far from the calculable metrics of SaaS platforms and the relatively predictable risks of biotech. Games and…

So, startup fans, this is the bottom line. Today is the last day to beat the buzzer and get the biggest discount on passes to TechCrunch Disrupt 2024, October 28-30. I have a quick question here. What are you waiting for? TechCrunch Disrupt 2024: Save now, run later Get $1,000 off when you purchase one of our Participant, Founder, Investor and More passes by Friday, March 15th at 11:59pm PT. Take a look at what each path type has to offer. Attendees: Includes all access to all three days of Disrupt events and networking.Investors: Attendee benefits, plus exclusive investor benefits…

TipTop, a startup that offers instant cash for electronics, is launching TipTop Shop, a way for users to buy and trade in devices. TipTop Shop builds on the success of TipTop Cash, which was released late last year. This allows people to instantly receive payments for electronic devices such as smartphones, iPads, cameras, and gaming systems. Many people sell their old device to buy a new one, but you may not necessarily want the latest, most expensive model. Traditionally, consumers rely on sales platforms and trade-in programs that offer gift cards toward new purchases. TipTop wants to eliminate the hassle…

Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello and welcome again capital, a startup business podcast that unpacks the numbers and nuances behind the headlines. Equity turns 7 this week. In honor of your birthday, why not leave us a review? The more reviews we have, the more people will know about the show and support all our efforts. . mary ann I'm taking a well-deserved vacation, so I brought along a fellow podcaster Rebecca Skutak To bring her insight and humor to this episode. The conclusion is: Regulators return with determination: TikTok is being forced to sell or…