π₯ Explore this trending post from TechCrunch π π Category: AI,Apps,mobile apps,ChatGPT π‘ Hereβs what youβll learn: ChatGPT has hit a new milestone of $3 billion in worldwide consumer spending on mobile as of this week, according to estimates from app intelligence provider Appfigures. This number represents the total spending on iOS and Android devices since the app launched in May 2023, when it first arrived, then on iOS only. Image credits:Application forms What is striking is that the bulk of this spending occurred this year. Worldwide, consumers spent an estimated US$2.48 billion on the ChatGPT mobile app in 2025,…
π Read this insightful post from TechCrunch π π Category: Social,bytedance,Donald Trump,oracle,social media,TikTok π‘ Key idea: TikTok has reached an agreement to cede a significant portion of its US operations to a group of US investors, thus ending a years-long struggle in which the federal government sought to force the platform to do so. The new partnership was described as βa new joint venture for TikTok in the USβ in an internal memo from ByteDance CEO Shou Chew, which was seen by TechCrunch. The arrangement will see major US investors assume significant control of US businesses. The newly formed group…
π Read this must-read post from TechCrunch π π Category: Apps,app store,Apple,developers π‘ Key idea: Apple on Wednesday released an updated developer license agreement that gives the company permission to recoup unpaid funds, such as commissions or other fees, by deducting them from in-app purchases it processes on behalf of developers, among other ways. This change will affect developers in areas where local law allows them to link to external payment systems. In these cases, developers must report these payments to Apple to pay the required commissions or fees. The changed agreement appears to give Apple a way to collect…
π₯ Discover this must-read post from TechCrunch π π Category: AI,Hardware,Robotics,Elon Musk,In Brief,Pickle Robot,robotics,Tesla,UPS β
Hereβs what youβll learn: Pickle Robot, which builds autonomous unloading robots for warehouses and distribution centers, announced the hiring of a new CFO just days after a report on a major deal with UPS. The Charleston, Massachusetts-based company announced it has appointed Jeff Evanson as its chief financial officer on Thursday. Evanson has been working as a consultant for the company since September and recently joined full-time. Evanson previously served as Vice President of Global Investor Relations and Strategy at Tesla from 2011 to 2017.…
π₯ Check out this awesome post from TechCrunch π π Category: Apps,Government & Policy,FTC,Instacart β
Hereβs what youβll learn: Instacart will pay $60 million in refunds to settle allegations by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission that it deceived consumers with false advertising. The federal agency alleged that Instacart misled consumers using illegal tactics, causing them to pay higher fees while also denying refunds. The FTC said Instacart's claims of "free delivery" are misleading because customers are still required to pay a mandatory service fee, which can add up to 15% to their order total. The agency also said that the…
π Read this trending post from TechCrunch π π Category: AI,Apps,ChatGPT,OpenAI π Key idea: App developers looking to release their software in ChatGPT can now submit it for review and potential deployment, OpenAI said on Wednesday. The company also introduced a new app directory under its list of chat tools which was quickly dubbed the βApp Storeβ. In October, the company announced the access of applications to its chatbot, explaining that this move will provide a wide range of capabilities to ChatGPT users. Major platforms β including Expedia, Spotify, Zillow, and Canva β have announced integrations that will allow users…
π Explore this trending post from TechCrunch π π Category: AI,Government & Policy,coinbase,george osborne,lobbying,OpenAI π‘ Main takeaway: The AI ββtalent wars show no signs of slowing down, with companies making headlines weekly for their latest high-profile hires. This includes engineers who poach or hire each other, but also, increasingly, senior executives who can support them as they scale. Less than 10 days after Slack CEO Dennis Dresser took over as OpenAI's chief revenue officer, former UK finance minister George Osborne announced he was joining Sam Altman's company. Shortly thereafter, cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase separately appointed Osborne to lead its internal advisory…
β¨ Read this insightful post from TechCrunch π π Category: Social,LinkedIn π Main takeaway: As online platforms grapple with how to build trust on a global scale and address growing concerns about authenticity, adoption of profile verification on LinkedIn is accelerating in 2025. India is emerging as the fastest-growing market for profile verification, highlighting the country's growing influence on how digital business networks operate. LinkedIn members add about 30 million verifications to their profiles each year, with adoption increasing more than 38% year-over-year in 2025, said Oscar Rodriguez, LinkedIn's vice president of trust products. This increase comes on the heels…
π Check out this must-read post from TechCrunch π π Category: Climate,Social,Startups,Fusion,Donald Trump,Mergers and Acquisitions,TAE Technologies,TMTG,truth social,trump media and technology group π‘ Key idea: President Donald Trump's social media company, Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG), said Thursday it has merged with TAE Technologies, a Southern California-based company that has been pursuing the dream of nuclear fusion energy for nearly 30 years. The all-stock deal, valued at more than $6 billion, would expand Trump Media's presence in the emerging fusion energy space as data centers demand more electricity amid the ongoing artificial intelligence boom. Merger industry insiders expressed curiosity about…
π₯ Read this must-read post from TechCrunch π π Category: Startups,Space,Accel,EtherealX,TDK Ventures π‘ Key idea: Ethereal Exploration Guild, an Indian space technology startup known as EtherealX β which is developing a fully reusable medium-sized launch vehicle β is close to raising about $21 million in a new funding round led by TDK Ventures, with Accel among the participants, TechCrunch has learned. Initially planned as a $15 million Series A, the round has attracted strong investor demand and is now expected to reach about $20.5 million, three people familiar with the matter told TechCrunch. The funding comes more than a year…
