Apple’s major privacy update to iOS last year made it much more difficult for apps to track user behavior beyond their own borders, but a new lawsuit alleges that Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta kept snooping through a workaround. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and … Read more
Nick Barclay / The Verge TikTok allowed content promoting prescription drugs as weight loss aids to reach teenagers, according to a report by The Pharmaceutical Journal. The journal set up a new TikTok account, indicating to the platform that the user was a 16-year-old girl and began searching for content under #dietpills, looking closely at … Read more
Image Credits: TechCrunch Welcome to Chain Reaction, where we unpack and explain the latest in crypto news, drama and trends, breaking things down block by block for the crypto curious. For our Thursday episode where we discuss the latest in crypto news, we talked about the recent steep decline in Ethereum prices following its major network upgrade. … Read more
Mark your calendars, startup fans, because TechCrunch is returning — live and in person — to the beautiful City by the Bay to host our flagship event, TechCrunch Disrupt, on October 18–20 at the Moscone West Convention Center followed by an online recap event on October 21. TC Disrupt is the grande dame of tech … Read more
It was a big week for the customer experience market, with two major players in the marketing tool space taking swings to bring the idea to the next level. The pair of moves taken together could move customer experience closer to reality after a long period of ambition. “Customer experience” is kind of a vague … Read more
A baleen whale swimming in Alaska. Many species of baleen whales, like the one pictured above, spend time in the Arctic region. | Image: Planet One Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Scientists have been “eavesdropping” on whales in the Arctic using fiber-optic cables. In July, a group of scientists published a study that took … Read more
They say if you’re going to cut, cut deeply so you only have to do it once. Alas, a growing number of companies are realizing that despite layoffs earlier in the year, they need to cut back more now. Klarna, the Stockholm, Sweden-based buy-now-pay-later outfit finds itself in this camp. According to the outlet Sifted, … Read more
Let’s talk humanoids for a minute, shall we? Why do so many roboticists insist on creating robots that look like us? Get ready to see plenty more humanoid robots. The subject is top of mind for a few reasons. First — and most prominently — is the fact that Tesla plans to unveil a version … Read more
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Dr. Michelle Longmire, physician/scientist turned startup founder, founded Medable with the goal of transforming patient connectivity in the healthcare system. Along the way in raising $479 million, Sapphire Ventures invested in several rounds, providing Longmire with new relationships and opportunities within Sapphire Ventures’ network. Join Cathy Gao, partner at Sapphire Ventures, and Longmire on this … Read more
One of the most pressing issues the U.S. has to prepare for, perhaps, is the future it faces after the toppling of Roe v. Wade. Come the midterm elections, voters will weigh in on candidates and, consequently, measures that will dictate abortion access and other human rights issues. The role venture capital must play in … Read more
The overturning of Roe v. Wade sent a huge shockwave through the U.S., and while the nation recovers slowly, the venture community is already beginning to act. Founders are reassessing where they open their businesses, not wanting to lure employees to a state that doesn’t support reproductive rights, and investors are considering adding healthcare to … Read more
The first exclusive Thursday Night Football game on Amazon Prime Video was a win for the streaming service, with 15.3 million viewers, the company announced today. Amazon’s successful TNF game underscores the value that live sports bring to streaming services. On average, TNF games usually earn about 12.84 million across Amazon, Fox, and the NFL … Read more
The popular Mac application Pixelmator Pro today rolled out its latest release with the launch of Pixelmator Pro 3.0. The image editing app’s update included 200 new design templates, customizable mockups, and a machine learning-powered feature the company is calling “Smart Replace.” The update comes after the company announced earlier this year that Pixelmator Photo … Read more
If you’re having trouble accessing Instagram right now, it’s because the social network is currently experiencing a partial outage. A spokesperson for the company told TechCrunch in an email that Instagram is aware of the issue, and that it’s working to get the app back to normal. “We’re aware that some people are having trouble … Read more
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It’s not just the music that’s ridiculous in Trombone Champ. | Image: Holy Wow Studios If your Twitter feed is anything like mine, it’s recently been filled with hilarious videos of the trombone rhythm game Trombone Champ. Much of the silliness comes from players “sliding” the in-game cursor to try and hit the next note, … Read more
It’s not just you. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Instagram is having some issues right now affecting users trying to open its app on their iPhone or Android device. Users on Reddit report that the app is continually crashing, making it difficult for them to see any posts, and DownDetector shows that … Read more
The future comes at you fast: TechCrunch Disrupt 2022 is now just a few weeks away. If you’re involved in the tech world — or want to break into it — you’ll want to be in San Francisco from October 18–20. And if your funds are tight, there’s now a golden opportunity to experience Disrupt up … Read more
In the world of investment, a “party round” is an investment round — typically an angel round — where a larger number of angels throw in what (to them) is pocket change to help a company get off the ground. “Pocket change” is relative, of course; what is pocket change to a very high-net-worth individual … Read more