Author: TechBrunch

Before proceeding, I have the following questions: What makes a computer an AI computer? Is it simply the ability to perform AI-powered tasks? How can I run LLM locally? Is it something deeper? Is a computer capable of performing any form of artificial intelligence/machine learning essentially an AI computer? At first glance it's a simple question. But in reality, we will probably never get a satisfactory answer. Still, it's important to prepare for the year when everything is “AI.” If you were playing along at home, you probably weren't too surprised when Apple humbly hailed its new M3 MacBook Air…

Adobe today announced that it is releasing the latest version of its Adobe Express app in beta, making it easier for users to create and publish social content on mobile. With this update, Adobe brings his Firefly AI model directly into the app, allowing users to quickly create and edit social content using generative AI tools. The latest version of the app will allow Adobe to further compete with Canva, which introduced a suite of AI tools last year. Adobe Express users now have access to a new “Text to Image” generator to quickly create new looks for their projects…

Build what people want. It's a simple concept, and one that Y Combinator likes to repeat, but it can be difficult to get right when building a startup. The degree to which a technology product or service resonates with potential customers is often referred to as “product market fit” (PMF). The higher the product-market fit, the easier it is to sell a startup's product, and the less often customers will typically defect. Therefore, PMF is an important topic for startups, even if it is difficult to define precisely. One definition that always resonates with your humble servant is that product-market…

The NYT Games app is debuting a new redesign to help users find games and track their progress more easily. The redesign comes nearly a year after The New York Times changed the name of its gaming-focused app from “NYT Crosswords” to “NYT Games” to better represent the company's growing family of games. It was done later. Featuring a new game card design and streamlined navigation, this redesign is the next step in the company's creation of a gaming hub. Jennifer Scherer, director of product design at NYT Games, told TechCrunch in an interview that the company redesigned the app,…

Homomorphic encryption is a complex technology that uses cryptographic algorithms to keep data secure within a network and to third parties, but it has low mass-market scalability and therefore low adoption. Especially since right now, the complexity that makes encryption so effective compromises the security of your data. It is slow and difficult to use widely. But in a world rife with data breaches and creative and malicious hacks, this approach holds a lot of promise in ensuring long-term data security, so investors are slowly turning the concept into reality. continues to fund startups with the smartest talent. In the…

The European Union has confirmed that it is investigating Apple's decision to close Epic Games' developer account, citing three separate regulations that may apply. Yesterday, the Fortnite maker revealed that Apple had terminated its account, seemingly reversing its decision to approve developer accounts last month. Epic had planned to launch its own app store, Epic Games Stores, on iOS in Europe, as well as reboot Fortnight on Apple's platform. It accused Apple of violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA) by suspending developer accounts. In response to this development, a European Commission spokesperson told TechCrunch: “We have requested further clarification from…

Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced Wednesday that users of the chat app with personal accounts can now convert them to business accounts by paying a monthly fee. This allows users to list information such as location and opening hours, which could be useful for small cafe or shop owners. Other features for business accounts include organizing chats with color labels, using automatic greetings and away messages, and shortcuts for quick replies. Durov said on his channel that Telegram plans to release more business features this month, including ways to integrate AI-powered chatbots into customer service. “Telegram Business accounts will now…

Qonto is not one of many entrepreneurs currently facing the harsh reality of a lack of VC funding. The Paris-based business banking startup still has hundreds of millions of dollars in cash on hand. And the company is using an undisclosed portion of its cash reserves to acquire Regate, an accounting and financial automation platform. Qonto originally started as an online business account with a debit card tailored specifically for small businesses. Over time, the company has expanded its product offerings to include invoicing tools, the ability to manage expenses, and rich integrations with the fintech ecosystem that facilitate bookkeeping,…

The largest funding rounds for startups are becoming increasingly rare. But for startups working on the future of energy, the market is surprisingly strong. The slowdown in ventures and their late-stage ice age hasn't stopped companies hoping to reinvent energy from raising huge sums of money. Given the situation we are seeing around the world, this is a welcome fact, even if it feels like more than a decade too late. Powering up Nine-figure bullets are often referred to as “mega rounds” because of their weight. In the first two months of last year and the first few days of…

The tech-wide reckoning that began in 2022 and ran throughout into 2023 has continued into this year. And while 2024’s losses are not at that scale, they’re still significant, driven by big names like Pixar, Google, Microsoft, Mozilla and TikTok. It remains to be seen if this year’s layoff trends follow last year’s, in which layoffs slowed down in the summer, before cuts began ramping up yet again toward the winter. Momentum for a tech sector rebound remains slow to build, outside of bright spots within artificial intelligence and adjacent companies, resulting in tech companies continuing to cut back on…