Author: TechBrunch

In the lead-up to the summer holidays, Google is announcing a series of travel updates that place you directly in the travel planning process and provide more insight into purchase intent in the travel space. First, Google is rolling out an update to its Search Generative Experience (SGE) that lets users create travel itineraries and travel ideas using AI, the company announced Wednesday. This new feature is currently available in English only to users in the United States who are enrolled in Search Labs, a program to try out the early Google search experience and share feedback. This feature collects…

Google is rolling out a new update that will make it easier for users to find personalized shopping results, the company announced Wednesday. This new feature allows users to rate different products and get style recommendations when shopping for apparel, shoes, and accessories. The update comes as Google continues to compete with companies like Amazon and Walmart, which have released AI-powered features that rival Google's shopping features. When you search for things like “men's polo shirts” on Google, you'll see a new section called “Recommended Styles,” where you can rate your options with thumbs up or thumbs down. You can…

Robinhood's new credit card was announced Tuesday, and while it's only available to Robinhood Gold members, the Gold card has a feature that's making headlines. It is a feature that allows you to invest your cashback bonus into investments. The announcement comes eight months after it acquired startup X1 for $95 million, and coincidentally one of X1's biggest features was the ability to invest in cashback rewards. Coincidence? Obviously not! Robinhood says this bonus, plus a number of other perks, including the ability to add family members as cardholders, even if they're young and don't have a Social Security number,…

Troy Sheets started making music at the age of 15 in his home studio using a keyboard synthesizer, drum machine, and 4-track cassette recorder. He’s a great setup for a high school sophomore. But young up-and-coming musicians rarely have access to advanced equipment (other than free apps on their phones). And most young people can't afford it. Additionally, synthesizers can be difficult to use for beginners. That's why Sheets decided to create the $199 Blipbox, an affordable children's synthesizer designed for ages 3 and up. “We saw an opportunity to create a simplified toy-like device that would allow more people…

The summer after his freshman year at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, an engineering school in Worcester, Massachusetts, Cyvl.ai co-founder and CEO Daniel Pelaez needed a job. He returned home and worked for the local public works department, where he discovered there was little software for tracking road repairs. He was told to go out and drive the car, find the problem and solve it. “I was filling holes, fixing signs, cutting down trees. And while I was there, I quickly saw that they didn't have any data.” Pelaez told TechCrunch. He saw an opportunity to become Cyvl.ai, a company that helps…

Agricultural robots are not a new phenomenon. We have seen systems for harvesting apples and berries, killing weeds, planting trees, transporting produce, and more. However, while these capabilities are understood to be the core capabilities of automation systems, the same is true here for technology in general. So it's all about data. A big part of the value of these products is the amount of actionable information their onboard sensors collect. In a sense, Orchard Robotics' system eliminates the middleman. That's not to say there isn't still a lot of potential value in automating these tasks amid labor shortages, but…

Artificial intelligence can find hidden signals in data across healthcare, and companies like Nvidia are paying attention to what this means. For example, last week the company announced 20 new AI-powered tools for fields such as biotech and drug discovery. Nvidia isn't alone. Century Health is another startup getting in on the action. Applying AI to clinical data to discover new uses for medicines. The company will initially work with pharmaceutical companies and researchers at Yale University and the University of California, San Diego to identify and commercialize the next breakthrough treatments for diseases that affect tens of millions of…

March 29th is the last day to get early bird discounts for TechCrunch Early Stage 2024. He has only three days to secure his ticket. Don't miss this opportunity and join us for an innovative event dedicated to startup success. TechCrunch Early Stage 2024 will be held in Boston and will provide valuable resources and insights at every stage of a founder's journey. On April 25, immerse yourself in a dynamic environment filled with roundtable sessions, expert-led discussions, one-on-one meetings, side events, and more. Here's what awaits you in the early stages of TechCrunch Roundtable Sessions: Collaborate and interact with…

New Summit Investments is raising a new $100 million impact fund, according to documents filed with the SEC. The large amount of new funding will allow it to continue investing in managers who support start-ups and other companies focused on environmental and social issues. This is the firm's fifth fund and is a significant increase from the $40 million in the previous fund, which closed in 2022. New Summit invests in a variety of other funds, including venture capital, real estate investors, and infrastructure investors. The company currently manages $115 million in assets, according to PitchBook. Shinsummit declined to comment…

If you wanted to raise the profile of a major technology company and you had $10 million to spend, what would you do with it? In a Super Bowl ad? F1 sponsor? You can also spend it training generative AI models. Although not marketing in the traditional sense, generative models are attention-grabbing and increasingly focused on a vendor's fundamental products and services. Check out Databricks' DBRX, a new generative AI model similar to OpenAI's GPT series and Google's Gemini, announced today. Available for research and commercial use on GitHub and the AI ​​development platform Hugging Face, DBRX Base and fine-tuned…