Workflow
TechCrunch
icon
Search documents
Amazon reportedly submits last-minute bid to acquire TikTok
TechCrunch· 2025-04-02 16:43
Group 1 - Amazon has submitted a bid to acquire all of TikTok, coinciding with a deadline for TikTok to divest its Chinese ownership by April 5 to avoid a ban in the U.S. [1] - The seriousness of Amazon's bid is questioned, as the involved parties do not appear to take it seriously according to reports [1] - President Trump is set to meet with officials to discuss TikTok's future, indicating that a deal with ByteDance is expected to be finalized before the April 5 deadline [2] Group 2 - Andreessen Horowitz is reportedly in talks to invest in TikTok as part of an Oracle-led bid that includes other American investors [2] - Blackstone is considering joining ByteDance's current non-Chinese shareholders to provide fresh capital for a bid for TikTok's U.S. operations [3]
Tesla records worst deliveries in two years amid Elon Musk backlash
TechCrunch· 2025-04-02 13:13
Tesla recorded 336,681 deliveries, its worst quarterly performance in more than two years as the brand suffers a backlash to CEO Elon Musk’s political maneuverings.The dip in sales comes as Musk continues leading DOGE, the “advisory body” that has laid off thousands of federal employees and attempted to eliminate entire agencies and programs. His involvement in the government has not only proven controversial, but also unpopular, leading many to wonder what effect it might have on Tesla’s sales.  Even one ...
Andreessen Horowitz is trying to nab a piece of TikTok with Oracle, report says
TechCrunch· 2025-04-01 20:00
Group 1 - The venture capital firm is in talks to invest in TikTok as part of a bid led by Oracle and other American investors to buy out TikTok from ByteDance [1] - TikTok is facing a potential ban in the US on April 5th unless its Chinese-based owner sells its US branch to a non-Chinese owner [1] - The Oracle deal is considered one of the frontrunners in the bidding process for TikTok [1] Group 2 - Andreessen Horowitz has a history of investing in social media, being an early investor in Facebook and Instagram [2] - The firm invested $400 million to assist Elon Musk in acquiring Twitter [2] - Andreessen Horowitz did not respond to a request for comment regarding the TikTok investment [2]
Meta's head of AI research plans to leave the company
TechCrunch· 2025-04-01 17:23
In Brief Meta’s VP of AI research, Joelle Pineau, is planning to leave the company, she announced in a post on Facebook Tuesday. Pineau said she’s leaving in May after more than two years overseeing FAIR, Meta’s internal AI research lab led by Yann LeCun.Pineau’s exit comes as Meta ramps up its AI efforts, with the company planning to spend $65 billion on AI infrastructure in 2025. In a statement to Bloomberg News, a Meta spokesperson said the company does not have an immediate replacement for Pineau but i ...
Roblox partners with Google on ads
TechCrunch· 2025-04-01 15:40
Core Insights - Google has partnered with Roblox to enable advertisers to purchase and scale immersive ad formats, specifically targeting the Gen Z audience [1] - The partnership allows brands to reach "tens of millions" of daily active Gen Z users on Roblox through both direct and programmatic ad purchases [2] - Roblox's Rewarded Video ads allow users to watch up to 30 seconds of full-screen video ads in exchange for in-game perks, achieving over 80% completion rates in tests [3] - Roblox has also formed partnerships with companies like Cint, DoubleVerify, IAS, Kantar, and Nielsen to help advertisers measure the effectiveness of their ad campaigns [4]
Qualcomm acquires generative AI division of Vietnamese startup VinAI
TechCrunch· 2025-04-01 15:10
Qualcomm has acquired the generative AI division of VinAI, an AI research company headquartered in Hanoi, for an undisclosed amount, the companies announced on Monday. The move marks Qualcomm's continued expansion into the AI tooling sector. VinAI, which was founded by former DeepMind research scientist Hung Bui, develops a range of generative AI technologies, including computer vision algorithms and language models. "This acquisition underscores our commitment to dedicating the necessary resources to R&D t ...
Alphabet's AI drug discovery platform Isomorphic Labs raises $600M from Thrive
TechCrunch· 2025-03-31 20:58
Funding and Investment - Isomorphic Labs has raised $600 million in external capital for the first time, led by Thrive Capital with participation from GV and Alphabet [1] - The funding will accelerate the development of Isomorphic's AI drug design engine and support the goal of bringing discovered drugs to clinical trials [1] Company Background - Isomorphic Labs was founded by DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis, leveraging DeepMind's software for AI drug discovery, including the AlphaFold model [2] - The company secured strategic partnerships with Eli Lilly and Novartis last year, potentially generating up to $3 billion in milestone payments for access to its AI model [2] Leadership and Recognition - Demis Hassabis stated that while Isomorphic Labs did not need the capital, the funding will assist in hiring top research scientists [3] - Hassabis and DeepMind researcher John Jumper received a Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2024 for their work on AlphaFold [3]
Oracle under fire for its handling of separate security incidents
TechCrunch· 2025-03-31 18:19
Core Insights - Oracle is facing criticism for its handling of two separate data breaches, one involving patient data from its healthcare subsidiary Oracle Health and the other related to Oracle Cloud servers [1][7][10] Group 1: Oracle Health Breach - The breach involving Oracle Health affects patient data, with the unit having been formed after Oracle's acquisition of Cerner for $28 billion in 2022 [2][3] - Reports indicate that hackers accessed Oracle servers and stole patient data, with notifications sent to some healthcare customers about the breach occurring earlier this year [3][4] - A hacker is reportedly attempting to extort affected hospitals for millions of dollars, raising concerns about the transparency of Oracle's communication regarding the incident [5] Group 2: Oracle Cloud Breach - The separate breach involving Oracle Cloud servers has led to claims that a hacker is offering data of six million Oracle Cloud customers, including authentication data and encrypted passwords [7][9] - Despite mounting evidence, Oracle has denied any breach of its cloud services, stating that no customers experienced a breach or lost data [10][11] - Cybersecurity experts have criticized Oracle for its lack of transparency and communication regarding the incidents, emphasizing the importance of trust and responsibility in handling such cybersecurity issues [11][12]
Apple rolls out Priority Notifications as Apple Intelligence expands to EU
TechCrunch· 2025-03-31 17:42
Core Insights - Apple is enhancing its AI-powered tools, particularly with the introduction of Priority Notifications, which will help users identify time-sensitive notifications more easily [1][5] - The rollout of these features coincides with the release of new software updates, including iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4, expanding the availability of Apple Intelligence to more languages and regions [2][3] Feature Updates - Priority Notifications will allow important updates to be highlighted at the top of the notification stack, improving user experience by reducing the need to sift through nonessential notifications [5] - Additional features include the ability to create a "memory movie" on Mac and a new Sketch style in the Image Playground app for detailed sketches [6] Regional Expansion - Apple Intelligence is now available to iPhone and iPad users in the EU and on the Apple Vision Pro headset in U.S. English, with plans for further expansion [1][7] - The AI suite was initially expected to launch in the EU by April 2025, delayed due to regulatory challenges [7] Language Support - The AI features are now available in multiple new languages, including French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and simplified Chinese, along with localized English for Singapore and India [2]
EV truck maker Harbinger accuses Canoo of hiding assets in bankruptcy sale
TechCrunch· 2025-03-31 15:58
Core Viewpoint - Harbinger has filed an objection to the sale of Canoo's assets to its CEO, which may complicate the ongoing bankruptcy proceedings [1] Group 1: Objection Details - Harbinger's objection claims that Canoo has concealed certain assets from the sale process, including assets acquired from the bankrupt EV company Arrival [2] - The objection also states that Canoo listed assets that Harbinger believes the startup did not own, although specific assets were not identified [2] - Harbinger asserts that the sale process has unfairly favored Canoo's CEO, Anthony Aquila, as the bankruptcy trustee accepted his offer without adequately marketing the sale or obtaining an appraisal [3] Group 2: Background Context - The relationship between Harbinger and Canoo has been contentious, with Harbinger being formed by former Canoo employees in 2021, and Canoo previously suing Harbinger for allegedly stealing trade secrets [4] - The trade secret case remains active, and Aquila's purchase includes an interest in any potential settlement Harbinger may owe to Canoo [4] Group 3: Legal Implications - A clause in the purchase agreement gives Aquila and the trustee control over any settlement in the ongoing Harbinger case, which Harbinger argues could violate the Department of Justice's guidelines for Chapter 7 trustees [5]