Month: January 2023

Boston Dynamics just released the latest demo of its humanoid robot, Atlas. The robot could already run and jump over complex terrain thanks to its feet. Now, the robot has hands, per se. These rudimentary grippers gives the robot new life. Suddenly, instead of being an agile pack mule, the Atlas becomes something closer to … Read more

Sophos is laying off about 10% of its global workforce, TechCrunch has learned. Sophos confirmed the layoffs in an email to TechCrunch. “Sophos today announced an internal restructuring which has resulted in job losses and the start of consultation periods that potentially will affect 10% of our global employee base,” said Jitendra Bulani, a spokesperson … Read more

Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines. This is our Wednesday show, where we niche down to a single person, think about their work and unpack the rest. This week, Natasha interviewed Roger Lee, an entrepreneur who’s spent the … Read more

Microsoft today announced details of a much-rumored round of layoffs, confirming in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that 10,000 employees will be impacted as part of “workforce reduction” measures the company is taking in response to “macroeconomic conditions and changing customer priorities.” The news comes as major redundancies continue to permeate the … Read more

Twitter announced an annual Blue subscription plan for hardcore users who want to commit for a year. The revamped Twitter Blue subscription was launched last December at a rate of $8 per month (or $11 per month for iOS users). Now, users have a chance to get a discount and be all in for a … Read more

Conventional wisdom suggests that a Series B company should be hunkering down right now, cutting costs, weathering the storm, but Israeli startup Quantum Machines is defying this approach as it continues to grow in spite of the economic uncertainty swirling around the world. The company announced that it got an additional $20 million tacked onto … Read more

DNV, a Norwegian shipping classification society, has confirmed its systems were hit by a ransomware attack, affecting around 1,000 ships that rely on its technology. The Oslo-based DNV said in a statement on Wednesday that its ShipManager software was targeted by file-encrypting malware on January 7, forcing the organization to shut down its servers. ShipManager … Read more

There are no guarantees in this world. Nothing lasts forever — especially those things made by Google. In September, the company announced that it would be pulling the plug on its ambitious, but oft-forgotten, cloud gaming service. Stadia’s servers are officially shutting down today, two months shy of its third birthday. The dream of cloud … Read more

Apple has resurrected the larger HomePod with a second-generation version that includes better sound, as well as better intelligence and computing smarts. The new HomePod retails for $299 and pre-orders kick off today, with in-store availability and shipping beginning in the U.S. and select other markets on Friday, February 3. Apple’s new HomePod includes two … Read more

A U.S.-based subsidiary of oil company Shell is buying EV charging network operator Volta in an all-cash transaction valued at $169 million. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Shell USA Inc. will acquire all outstanding shares of Class A common stock of Volta at $0.86 per share in cash upon completion of the merger. … Read more