DuckDuckGo makes its ‘no-AI’ search engine easier to access as its traffic booms
Alternative search engine DuckDuckGo launches 'no AI' web extensions for Chrome and Firefox users.
Startups
Revolut rolls out services to thousands of users in India ahead of broader launch
The British fintech has built a waitlist of about 450,000 users in India as it prepares for a broader launch.
Strava declares war on scrapers ahead of IPO
Strava will charge a flat monthly fee from developers to access its API.
Unastella, a South Korean rocket startup that launched from home, raises $24M
The Seoul-based rocket startup is developing its own launch vehicles and engines.
Erin Brockovich takes aim at data center secrecy
Environmental activist Erin Brockovich has a new mission.
This weekend’s two biggest movies were both directed by YouTubers
The YouTube-to-prestige-horror pipeline is looking very strong.
‘This is fine’ artist KC Green reaches agreement with AI startup Artisan
The startup has apparently taken down the ads using KC Green's "This is fine" meme.
TechCrunch Mobility: It doesn’t matter that people hate the Ferrari Luce
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, how AI is playing a part.
Making sense of the debate over AI psychosis
On the latest episode of Equity, we debate whether tech CEOs are "uniquely prone to AI psychosis."
Black founders raise highest amount of quarterly funding since 2022, but there’s a catch
Speaking to TechCrunch, Crunchbase’s head of research Gené Teare, said the factors holding back Black founders include “access to networks, relationships, and early introductions."
What happens in Vega$: steroids, swimmers, and a billion-dollar hustle
The Enhanced Games — a singular sporting competition where a majority of the athletes were on performance enhancing drugs — may herald a new business model that the tech industry is ready to embrace.
SoftBank says it will invest up to €75 billion to build French data centers
The goal, the firm said, is to develop and operate up to 5 gigawatts of additional data center capacity.
This weekend’s two biggest movies were both directed by YouTubers
The YouTube-to-prestige-horror pipeline is looking very strong.
Snap alums unveil Ghost Angels fund
A group of 20 Snap alumni has come together to launch a fund called Ghost Angels to back the next generation of social media.
‘What a joke’: Github Copilot’s new token-based billing spurs consternation among devs
The golden age of Microsoft's Github Copilot appears to be at an end.
Meta is reportedly developing an AI pendant
Meta seems to be making big bets on AI-powered hardware.
I put Google’s 24/7 AI assistant Gemini Spark to work, and it’s actually pretty useful
Gemini Spark helps automate everyday tasks, from inbox summaries to local event planning, but it’s unclear why Google made it a separate product.
The groupthink boom: what three top VCs really think about the AI frenzy
"If you're 22 years old in San Francisco and building something in AI, there may be a seed term sheet in your inbox — but if you're 19, oh my God, this means you're really good; you might already have a Series A [offer]," said one, half-kiddingly.
TikTok’s road to becoming a super app
TikTok may be working to become the app that people use for most of their digital activities.
This $300 pizza oven can easily help elevate your summer pizza nights
The Ninja Artisan Outdoor Pizza Oven is aimed at people who want delicious pizza nights without having to deal with things like propane or wood pellets, unlike many other pizza ovens.