Author: TechBrunch
TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 will not only feature breakthrough innovations, insightful panels, and visionary speakers, but also listen to what's top of mind for you, the audience, and the tech community. It is also about tilting. With the Disrupt 2024 Audience Choice program, your vote can make a difference and propel your favorite thought leaders to new heights. But time is running out, so let's take a closer look at why your vote matters and how you can vote before the May 24th deadline. What is the Audience Choice Program? The Audience Choice Program is a unique opportunity for participants, enthusiasts,…
Google has new plans to promote Android apps outside of the Play Store. This was announced at the Google I/O 2024 developer conference held last week, where the company aims to give developers a showcase to re-engage users with new apps as well as those already installed on their devices. He talked about his plans to get them involved. Present that content in a unique way. The company already has more than 35 development partners testing the new service, including Spotify, Pinterest, Tumblr, TikTok, and Shopify. In a developer session at I/O, the company elaborated a bit more, saying the…
Jolla has officially announced the first version of its personal server-based AI assistant currently in development. The reborn startup is building a privacy-focused AI device, also known as Jolla Mind2. TechCrunch exclusively revealed him at his MWC in February. Pre-orders also began during Monday's livestreamed launch event, with the first units expected to ship in Europe later this year. Global pre-orders will begin in June and are expected to ship late this year or early next year. In the more than two months since we saw the first 3D printed prototype of Jolla's AI-in-a-box, there has been considerable buzz around…
OpenAI will remove one of the voices used in ChatGPT after a user discovered it resembled Scarlett Johansson, the company announced on Monday. The audio, called Sky, has now been suspended after OpenAI used it last week to demonstrate its new GPT-4o model. “We believe that AI voices should not intentionally imitate a famous person's distinctive voice. Skye's voice is not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson, but rather another professional actress's voice, based on her own natural speaking voice. used and copied,” the company said in a blog post. “To protect their privacy, we cannot publish the names of voice…
Consumer demand for the latest AI technologies is increasing. With the launch of OpenAI's latest flagship model, his GPT-4o, the company's mobile sales achieved the biggest jump in history, even though this model is available for free on his web. His GPT-4o, launched last Monday, can process text, audio, and video, offering real-time responsiveness and a wide range of emotive audio options, making it far more powerful than anything previously offered. It is a model. This innovation is driving more users to upgrade to OpenAI's paid subscriptions, according to new data from app intelligence company Appfigures. OpenAI said GPT-4o will…
Consolidation is on the rise in cybersecurity, with large companies in the field acquiring startups to help address an ever-expanding attack surface as companies move more activities to the cloud. In the latest development, Cyber Ark, one of his leading security companies founded in Israel, is acquiring his machine identity specialist Venafi for his $1.54 billion. CyberArk will pay $1 billion in cash and approximately $540 million in stock. Shareholders of both companies have approved the transaction, which is expected to close in the second half of 2024, the companies said. Venafi is majority-owned by Thomas Bravo and was valued…
Founder-market fit is one of the most important factors in a startup's success, and operators (those involved in the day-to-day operations of a startup) turned founders have a near-impossible chance of finding that fit. Have a fair advantage. Data shows that founders' lack of expertise and business acumen contributes to the failure of VC investments. The same principle applies somewhat to operator VCs (companies usually founded by former startup founders). Although there is no conclusive evidence that operator VCs make better investors, recent research shows that founders and operators who become VCs are far more successful in supporting companies than…
Merchant commerce startup Pine Labs has received approval from a Singapore court to merge its local subsidiary with its Indian arm and transfer all assets and properties, effectively moving the company's operations to India. permitted to be transferred. Pine Labs disclosed the court order in a recent regulatory filing seen by TechCrunch. Pine Labs offers a variety of products and services to merchants, including cloud-connected POS machines and working capital. Backed by Peak XV, Fidelity, Invesco, Temasek, PayPal, and Alpha Wave, his valuation exceeds $5 billion. The company is one of the few Indian startups that have recently moved their…
Ahead of the AI Safety Summit kicking off in Seoul, South Korea later this week, co-host the UK is expanding its own efforts in the space: The AI Safety Association – a UK group founded in November 2023 with the ambitious goal of assessing and addressing risks in AI platforms – has announced it will open a second location in San Francisco. The idea is to move closer to what is now the epicenter of AI development, particularly the Bay Area, home to OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Meta, which are building foundational AI technologies. Fundamental models are the building blocks…
Monday, Melinda French Gates resigned She got it from a charity she ran with her ex-husband Bill Gates. That she left is less surprising than that she stayed for so long. The couple divorced in 2021. In August 2021, the charity told CNN it was setting up a two-year trial period to see if the pair could continue to work together. They lasted almost a year beyond that period. Mr. French Gates plans to leave the company next month with an additional $12.5 billion, he said. She wants to dedicate the money to her “lifelong work for women and families,”…