Technology

Google’s biometric token Opal is coming to Gemini

Google’s biometric token Opal is coming to Gemini

πŸš€ Check out this must-read post from TechCrunch πŸ“– πŸ“‚ Category: AI,Apps,gemini,opal,vibe coding πŸ’‘ Here’s what you’ll learn: Google's sentiment coding tool, Opal, is making its way to Gemini. The company said on Wednesday that it is integrating the tool, which lets you create AI-powered applets, into the Gemini web app, allowing users to create their own custom apps, which Google calls Gems. Introduced in 2024, the Gems are customized versions of Geminis designed for specific missions or scenarios. For example, some great pre-made elements from Google include a learning coach, a brainstorming assistant, a career guide, a coding partner,…
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Warner Bros. Discovery rejects Paramount’s hostile offer, calls calls ‘fake’

Warner Bros. Discovery rejects Paramount’s hostile offer, calls calls ‘fake’

✨ Check out this trending post from TechCrunch πŸ“– πŸ“‚ Category: Media & Entertainment,In Brief,Mergers and Acquisitions,Netflix,Paramount,Warner Bros πŸ’‘ Key idea: Warner Bros.'s board of directors rejected the deal. Discovery ( WBD ) has bid on a $108 billion hostile takeover of David Ellison's Paramount Skydance, calling the offer "fictitious" and saying Paramount misled shareholders about its financing. Saying it wanted to honor its initial agreement to sell to Netflix, WBD's board of directors wrote in a letter to shareholders that Paramount "consistently misled WBD shareholders that its proposed transaction had the full support of the Ellison family." β€œThat did…
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Bluesky launches privacy-focused ‘Find Friends’ feature without unwanted invitation

Bluesky launches privacy-focused ‘Find Friends’ feature without unwanted invitation

πŸ”₯ Read this awesome post from TechCrunch πŸ“– πŸ“‚ Category: Apps,Social,Bluesky,social media πŸ“Œ Main takeaway: Bluesky, the social network that competes with X and Threads, is introducing a friend finder feature that it claims respects user privacy, the company announced Wednesday. To work, the app matches you with friends from contacts saved in your phone's address book β€” but only if both people opt in. β€œImporting contacts has long been the most effective way to find people you know on a social app, but it has also been poorly implemented or abused by platforms,” the company explained in its announcement.…
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Coursera and Udemy have signed a merger agreement worth approximately $2.5 billion

Coursera and Udemy have signed a merger agreement worth approximately $2.5 billion

πŸ’₯ Check out this awesome post from TechCrunch πŸ“– πŸ“‚ Category: Startups,udemy,EdTech,online learning,Coursera,Mergers and Acquisitions πŸ’‘ Key idea: Coursera and Udemy on Wednesday announced a historic merger agreement worth nearly $2.5 billion, bringing together two of the biggest names in online learning. Coursera will acquire Udemy in an all-stock deal, marking a pivotal moment in online education. The two companies said that the merger will be completed in the second half of next year, pending regulatory review and shareholder approval. This agreement comes at a challenging time for both Udemy and Coursera, with both facing market headwinds. Although both companies…
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Rad Power Bikes has filed for bankruptcy and is looking to sell the company

Rad Power Bikes has filed for bankruptcy and is looking to sell the company

πŸš€ Read this must-read post from TechCrunch πŸ“– πŸ“‚ Category: Transportation,bankruptcy,e-bikes,Rad Power Bikes,micromobility βœ… Key idea: Electric bicycle company Rad Power Bikes filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday, weeks after employees warned it might close its doors without new financing. The company will continue to operate while the bankruptcy case is ongoing, and is looking to sell the company within 45 to 60 days, a spokesperson told TechCrunch. β€œThis move allows us to continue operating in the normal course of business while striving to achieve the best possible outcome for the people who rely on Rad every day,”…
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Instacart’s AI-driven pricing tool has attracted attention β€” and now the FTC has questions

Instacart’s AI-driven pricing tool has attracted attention β€” and now the FTC has questions

πŸ”₯ Discover this awesome post from TechCrunch πŸ“– πŸ“‚ Category: Commerce,FTC,Instacart βœ… Here’s what you’ll learn: According to Reuters, Instacart is currently getting the regulatory equivalent of a throat clearing from the Federal Trade Commission, which has sent the grocery delivery platform a civil investigative request regarding its AI-powered pricing tool, Eversight. In other words, the agency wants to know why some people pay more for organic granola than others. The issue came to light after a study revealed that shoppers see very different prices for identical groceries from the same stores β€” prices up to 23% higher in some…
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Adobe has filed a proposed class action, accusing it of misusing authors’ work in AI training

Adobe has filed a proposed class action, accusing it of misusing authors’ work in AI training

πŸ’₯ Explore this must-read post from TechCrunch πŸ“– πŸ“‚ Category: AI,Adobe,Anthropic,artificial intelligence βœ… Here’s what you’ll learn: Like almost every other tech company out there, Adobe has leaned heavily into artificial intelligence over the past several years. The software company has launched a number of different AI services since 2023, including Firefly – an AI-powered media generation suite. However, the company's full embrace of the technology may have led to problems, as a new lawsuit alleges that it used pirated books to train one of its AI models. A proposed class action lawsuit filed on behalf of Elizabeth Lyon, an…
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Amazon has hired longtime AWS CEO Peter DeSantis to lead its new artificial intelligence organization

Amazon has hired longtime AWS CEO Peter DeSantis to lead its new artificial intelligence organization

πŸš€ Discover this insightful post from TechCrunch πŸ“– πŸ“‚ Category: AI,Amazon,AWS,In Brief,peter desantis πŸ“Œ Here’s what you’ll learn: Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced in a letter to employees on Wednesday that Peter DeSantis, a longtime AWS executive, will lead a new AI-focused organization within the company. This organization will be responsible for Amazon's AI models like Nova, as well as silicon development and quantum computing, which help make AI tools faster and more efficient. DeSantis spent 27 years at Amazon, including eight years as senior vice president of AWS, the cloud provider that powers about a third of the Internet.…
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Meta is pausing its dream of sharing the Quest’s Horizon OS with third-party headset makers

Meta is pausing its dream of sharing the Quest’s Horizon OS with third-party headset makers

✨ Read this awesome post from TechCrunch πŸ“– πŸ“‚ Category: Hardware,Microsoft,asus,lenovo,xbox,Meta,metaverse,Horizon OS πŸ’‘ Here’s what you’ll learn: Meta says it has paused its program to share Meta Horizon OS, the mixed reality operating system that powers its Quest headsets, with third-party hardware manufacturers. The program was part of the company's metaverse campaign - the idea behind the program was to create a "new generation of hardware" that would give VR users their choice of hardware when it comes to engaging with digital meta worlds. β€œWe have paused the program to focus on building the world-class first-party hardware and software needed…
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Jared Isaacman has been confirmed as the next head of NASA

Jared Isaacman has been confirmed as the next head of NASA

πŸ’₯ Check out this must-read post from TechCrunch πŸ“– πŸ“‚ Category: Space,Elon Musk,Jared Isaacman,NASA,SpaceX πŸ’‘ Here’s what you’ll learn: The US Senate has approved the appointment of billionaire businessman Jared Isaacman as the new director of NASA. The private astronaut and founder of payment processing platform Shift4 will now be in charge of an agency facing significant uncertainty under President Trump. Isaacman's confirmation comes just over a year after Trump nominated him. It's been a volatile year for Isaacman, with Trump withdrawing his nomination in June after becoming concerned about the billionaire's "past associations." (Isaacman had previously donated to Democrats,…
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