After facing criticism over failing to protect users from abusive accounts, Instagram has been steadily introducing new safety tools over the last few years. Today, the company is launching new tools to enhance its filters for DMs, block other accounts from someone you’ve blocked and nudge people to send more mindful replies. The company introduced … Read more
With many people buying clothes online versus in-store where they can try them on in the dressing room, finding the right fit can be a challenge. AIMIRR is taking on this challenge by bringing the dressing room to the customer with its real-time garment rendering technology that overlays images of clothing on a live video … Read more
Two live and in-person days down and one more great day to go! Welcome to day three of TechCrunch Disrupt, where the opportunities to learn, connect and grow your business just don’t stop. What can you experience today over at the Moscone Center? We’ll break out just a few of the speakers, topics and happenings … Read more
Next Monday, October 24, Apple Fitness+ is coming to iPhones with iOS 16.1, so users in 21 countries can use the service without needing to buy an Apple Watch. Apple also announced today an Artist Spotlight series featuring Taylor Swift songs from her new album “Midnights,” a new yoga workout program with ultramarathon athlete Scott … Read more
Tapping into your credit card rewards isn’t easy. You might have to read the fine print for what purchases are eligible or sign up for notifications on which ones qualify when. Kudos wants you to make the most of your wallet and pick the best card every time you are ready to make a purchase. … Read more
Sensat, a platform that helps physical infrastructure companies map and visualize all their data, has raised $20.5 million in a Series B round of funding. Founded in 2015, London-based Sensat is one of a number of so-called “digital twin” software companies that serve construction, mining, energy and similar industries with tools to replicate their physical … Read more
Italy-based company Musixmatch is well known for providing community-powered lyrics to major music streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music and Tidal. Now it’s launching a new platform for podcasts that combines AI-generated transcription and community-verified editing. While there are millions of podcast shows and episodes available for listeners, Musixmatch argues that … Read more
Another antitrust lawsuit is being filed in Europe targeting Big Tech for hefty damages over claims of abusive self-preferencing. This time ecommerce giant Amazon — and its nudge-tastic ‘Buy Box’ — is in the frame for an incoming opt-out representative legal action that’s been announced in the UK, seeking an estimated £900 million in damages … Read more
Social media managers and creators have long relied on third-party tools to schedule posts on Instagram. But now the company is testing an in-app tool to schedule posts and reels. The company confirmed the development and said it is indeed experimenting with this.“We are testing the ability to schedule content with a percentage of our … Read more
Propeller, a new climate-tech investor with a focus on the ocean, tells TechCrunch that it has hooked $100 million for its first seed fund. Co-founded by former HubSpot CEO Brian Halligan, the venture firm said in a statement that it backs and incubates startups in areas like ocean carbon removal, algae packaging, offshore wind, desalination … Read more
Google has left no stones unturned in pushing Apple to adopt the Rich Communication Services (RCS) that the search giant argues will improve cross-platform communication. With little to no luck so far, Google is marching ahead with things that are within its power: Supercharging its RCS client Messages on Android with new features to make lives … Read more
Snapchat+, Snapchat’s $3.99 per month subscription plan, is today rolling out three new features to entice users to its paid service. The company launched the subscription tier in late June as it looked for more revenue during an ad spending slowdown. Since the launch, more than 1 million users have paid for the service, the … Read more
Torben Friehe Contributor Share on Twitter Torben Friehe is CEO and co-founder of Wingback. No matter the circumstances, SasS pricing is always challenging and always will be. Underpricing your product, using a pricing model that is not working for your ICP, not offering self-signup or offering the wrong features as add-ons — all of these … Read more
It almost sounds too good to be true: Take basalt dust that today is wasted in the manufacturing of things like asphalt shingles, sprinkle it on farmers’ fields, and it raises crop yields while also removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Where’s the catch? For the entire thing to work, farmers need to add just … Read more
Banyan, a platform for product purchase data that allows customers such as banks, fintechs, hotels and merchants to automate expense management and more, today announced that it raised $43 million in a Series A funding round — $28 million in equity and $15 million in debt — led by Fin Capital with participation from M13, … Read more
The construction materials market is fragmented, according to GlobalFair CEO Shaily Garg, because it involves layers of both supply chain and logistics complexities. In a 2021 survey for the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo, the vast majority of builders said that the time it takes to obtain materials — and the cost … Read more
Challenger bank N26 is launching a new trading feature in its app — N26 Crypto. Users will be able to easily trade crypto assets using money in their N26 account. Behind the scenes, N26 is partnering with Bitpanda to handle trading and custody. N26 is going to slowly roll out N26 Crypto across Europe. At … Read more
Last month, on International Equal Pay Day, the International Labour (ILO) Organization revealed that on average, women globally are paid about 20 percent less than men. This pay gap is even bigger for Black and Hispanic women, where Black women were found to earn over 63% less than white men, and Hispanic or Latina women … Read more
Jio Platforms has quietly launched its first laptop, entering into a new product category as the Indian telecom giant aggressively expands its offerings. The laptop, called JioBook, runs Android-based JioOS and is selling at 15,799 Indian rupees, or $190. The laptop has been in the works for at least two years. The company quietly demonstrated … Read more
Five years after Google released the first version of Android Go, its mobile operating system for entry-level devices, the program has now crossed the mark of 250 million monthly active devices. Last December, Google announced the milestone of 200 million Android Go monthly active users. So manufacturers have shipped more than 50 million lightweight Android … Read more
General Atlantic is in talks to invest about $50 million in Acko, two sources familiar with the matter told TechCrunch, doubling down on its bet on the Indian insurtech at a time when most investors are treading investment opportunities carefully. The New York-headquartered growth equity investor is positioning to lead a new financing round of … Read more
During the last two days, 20 startups pitched their companies as part of TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield at Disrupt 2022. These 20 companies were selected as the best of the brand-new Startup Battlefield 200 and competed for a chance to take home Battlefield Cup and $100,000. TechCrunch editors and expert judges winnowed them down to the … Read more
Singapore-based Skuad helps companies hire employees in different countries while staying compliant with local employment regulations and processing cross-border payroll. The startup announced today it has raised $15 million in Series A funding. Skuad has signed up more than 350 employers so far, mostly from North America, Europe and Southeast Asia. This funding round, which … Read more
There’s an abundance of dating apps on the market, but there aren’t many apps that aim to keep the spark alive after you enter a relationship. Enter Sparks, an app catering to existing couples looking to introduce new and fun experiences to their lives. The Barcelona-based startup, which exhibited as part of the Battlefield 200 … Read more
The UK’s media watchdog, Ofcom, has published a debut report on its first year regulating a selection of video-sharing platforms (VSPs) — including TikTok, Snapchat, Twitch, Vimeo and OnlyFans — following the introduction of content-handling rules aimed at protecting minors and others from viewing harmful user-generated video content online. As well aiming to shrink the risk … Read more
To get a roundup of TechCrunch’s biggest and most important stories delivered to your inbox every day at 3 p.m. PDT, subscribe here. What’s uuuuup, you wonderful humans. We’re psyched to be reporting live from TechCrunch Disrupt — without ignoring the rest of the world, natch. It’s been a super fun day, and we’re here … Read more
A new company is taking a leaf out of Stripe’s API playbook with a platform that makes it easy for any company to create clear API documentation, while also allowing non-technical team members to contribute to the process. Demoing as part of the Battlefield 200 cohort at TC Disrupt this week, TechCrunch met up with … Read more
The Biden administration said it will launch a cybersecurity labeling program for consumer Internet of Things devices starting in 2023 in an effort to protect Americans from “significant national security risks.” It’s no secret that IoT devices generally have weak security postures. Weak default passwords have allowed botnet operators to hijack insecure routers to pummel … Read more
Several years ago, Kevin DeMarco’s aunt was an operating room nurse who asked DeMarco — knowing that he programmed robots for a living — if there was a robot that could prepare surgical equipment. After investigating the problem with a colleague at Georgia Tech, where DeMarco was working as a research faculty member, he decided … Read more
OnlyFans has been putting a lot of effort into upcycling its image from an adult content subscription platform to a Patreon-like home for all kinds of creators, but it’s far from moving away from them as users. Today CEO Ami Gan of the platform confirmed that adult content will still have a home on the … Read more