Author: TechBrunch

Do you have the passion, know-how and want to make a difference in the field of technology? Then mark your calendars for TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 in San Francisco from October 28th to 30th. We are looking for dynamic speakers like you to decorate our events with your insights. Please apply for a presentation here by April 26th. Here's how to become a speaker at TechCrunch Disrupt If you're a pioneering startup founder, a savvy venture capitalist, or an industry luminary, we'd love to hear from you. Share your expertise with other founders, innovators, and entrepreneurs in the startup world. In…

“Negativity is the river that flows through Cupertino!” said Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney. He is a notorious Apple critic and has sued the tech giant for anti-competitive practices. In the post of X, takes seriously today's news that the European Commission has imposed a historic €1.84 billion fine on the iPhone maker. The EC ruling in favor of Spotify hinges on Apple's approach to anti-steering provisions that prevented Spotify and other music streamers from directing users to their websites. Referring to Apple's response to the EC's fine, Sweeney said the company would appeal, saying, “Apple's bitter complaints clearly reflect…

Airbnb already has labels such as “Guest Favorites” and “Superhosts” that indicate the quality of accommodations and hosts. The company is currently adding new labels to the top 25% and top 1% of property pages. Typically, Airbnb releases updates twice a year, in so-called winter and summer releases. But this time, the travel company has chosen to release a spring update as well. A new Top Properties badge that relies on metrics such as subcategory ratings, review sentiment, host cancellations, and quality-related customer service issues is part of this rollout. Additionally, the company badges the bottom 10% of properties to…

Talk of a federal ban on ransom payments is growing as cybercriminals continue to reap the financial benefits of attacks. U.S. officials have long opposed paying ransom demands. But while several U.S. states, including North Carolina and Florida, have made it illegal for local governments to pay ransom demands, the Biden administration also decided last fall against a nationwide ban on ransom payments. did. The reason is simple. Not only would banning ransom payments be difficult to enforce and require complex mechanisms that are not yet in place, but criminalizing payments to hackers would ultimately penalize victims of cybercrime. Critics…

Punkt first made a name for itself in the world of mobile with pared-down, monochromatic phones focused on voice, text and not much else. Now, the Swiss company has taken its concept of minimalism and changed it up, with the launch of its first smartphone — a device that positions itself at the crossroads of utility, privacy and minimalism. If you’re reading this, chances are you own either an iPhone or Android device, depending on your personal preferences and economic disposition. The Apple and Google mobile duopoly has been met with some challengers through the years, including that time when…

Apple has announced that it will appeal the historic €1.84 billion fine issued today by the European Commission for Apple's anti-competitive conduct in the streaming music market. In a post to its Newsroom, Apple called Stockholm, Sweden-based company Spotify the “main champion” and “biggest beneficiary” of the EC's decision, saying the streamer had a 56% share in the European streaming music market. % share of the market. The Cupertino-based tech giant had already published its position on Spotify in the days leading up to the EC's ruling, saying that Spotify's lawsuit was “an attempt to gain free and unlimited access…

Tourism continues to recover from the impact of COVID-19, with global tourism receipts reaching $2.23 trillion in 2023, exceeding pre-pandemic levels for the first time since 2020. This has huge ramifications for startups building technology to serve this sector. Mews, one of his startup companies building tools to improve his IT management in hotels, announced a $110 million growth round to win more business . The financing, led by Kinnevik, has a post-money valuation of $1.2 billion. This is slightly more than Amsterdam-based Muse's Series C announced in late 2022, when Muse raised $185 million at a valuation of $865…

Regina Yeh and Topsort co-founder Francisco Larraín say they've learned a lot in the two years since they launched their auction-based advertising startup. The company raised $8 million in seed funding in 2022, valuing the company at $110 million. Topsort develops retail media technology that allows small businesses to use auctions as a way to create effective advertising. Tired of the complexity of creating ad campaigns on Meta, Amazon, and Google, they created a simple API that users can install. When launching a campaign, customers can add items such as sponsored listings, banner ads, and video ads. Then, control how…

Spotify welcomes the European Commission's decision announced today to hold Apple accountable for anti-competitive practices in the streaming music market with a hefty €1.84 billion fine. The streamer said the fine sends a “powerful message” that even a “monopolist like Apple” cannot “abuse its power” to control how other companies interact with customers. He said that. “Today's decision marks a key moment in the fight for a more open internet for consumers. The European Commission (EC) has made its conclusion clear: Apple's actions to restrict communications to consumers are Illegal,” Spotify shared in a statement on its company blog. Despite…

Qatar announced a startup investment program through its development bank at the recent Web Summit. The program aims to attract seed and growth-stage technology companies looking to establish or expand operations in the country. TechCrunch has learned that the program, known as the “Startup Qatar Investment Program”, is backed by a $100 million fund managed by Qatar Development Bank (QDB). QDB said in a statement that the program will provide funding of up to $500,000 to startups looking to establish a presence in Qatar and up to $5 million to startups looking to expand their operations in the Middle Eastern…