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Salesforce says some of its customers' data was accessed after Gainsight breach
TechCrunch· 2025-11-20 19:12
Core Insights - Salesforce is investigating a data breach involving certain customers' data that was compromised through applications published by Gainsight [1] - The breach is linked to Gainsight's external connection to Salesforce, with no indication of a vulnerability in the Salesforce platform itself [1] - Gainsight is conducting its own investigation into the Salesforce connection issue but has not confirmed a breach [2] Group 1: Breach Details - The hacking group ShinyHunters claims responsibility for the breach and has threatened to create a website to advertise the stolen data if Salesforce does not negotiate [5] - The hackers assert that they have stolen data from nearly a thousand companies, including sensitive information [6] - This breach is similar to a previous incident involving Salesloft, where hackers accessed connected Salesforce instances to steal sensitive data [7] Group 2: Impact on Companies - Victims of the Salesloft breach included major companies such as Allianz Life, Cloudflare, Google, and Qantas, indicating the potential scale of the impact [7] - Gainsight confirmed it was among the victims of the earlier Salesloft-linked breaches, raising questions about the origins of the current breach [8]
Another fire breaks out at aluminum plant that supplies Ford
TechCrunch· 2025-11-20 15:01
Core Insights - A new fire has broken out at the Novelis aluminum plant in Oswego, NY, which supplies sheet metal for Ford's trucks, including the all-electric F-150 Lightning [1] - The recent fire follows a major fire in September that halted operations and is estimated to cost Ford around $2 billion in disruptions [2] - Ford had to reduce production of its F-150 trucks due to the September fire, prioritizing gas and hybrid versions over the F-150 Lightning [2] Company Impact - The new fire's impact on Ford's production plans remains unclear, as the company has not yet commented on the situation [2] - The Oswego plant was expected to restart production in December after a smaller fire in October, but the new incident raises concerns about further delays [2] Industry Context - Other automakers, such as Stellantis and Nissan, have also experienced production setbacks due to the September fire at the Novelis plant [2]
Waymo enters 3 more cities: Minneapolis, New Orleans and Tampa
TechCrunch· 2025-11-20 14:57
Core Insights - Waymo is expanding its robotaxi service to three new cities: Minneapolis, New Orleans, and Tampa, with manual driving starting soon before testing driverless technology [1] - The company plans to launch commercial robotaxi services in these cities after validation [1][2] - Waymo's expansion includes a total of 13 cities by 2026, with international plans for London and Tokyo [3] Expansion Plans - Waymo is already operational in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta [2] - Future expansions include Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, San Antonio, San Diego, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. by 2026 [3] Challenges - Unique challenges are anticipated in the new cities, such as harsh winters in Minneapolis affecting vehicle performance and tight, pedestrian-heavy streets in New Orleans [4] Partnerships - Waymo collaborates with various partners for fleet operations, including Uber in Austin and Atlanta, Moove in Phoenix and Miami, and Avis Budget Group in Dallas [5] - It remains unclear if similar partnerships will be established in the newly announced cities [5] Competitive Landscape - Waymo is leading in city expansions compared to competitors like Amazon-owned Zoox, which is still awaiting regulatory approval for full commercial operations [6]
Nvidia's record $57B revenue and upbeat forecast quiets AI bubble talk
TechCrunch· 2025-11-19 22:17
Core Viewpoint - Nvidia's third-quarter earnings report indicates strong growth driven by its data center business, with significant revenue and profit increases compared to the previous year [1][2][6]. Financial Performance - Nvidia reported a revenue of $57 billion for the fiscal third quarter, a 62% increase year-over-year [1]. - The company's net income on a GAAP basis was $32 billion, reflecting a 65% year-over-year increase [1]. - Both revenue and profit exceeded Wall Street expectations [1]. Data Center Business - The data center business generated a record revenue of $51.2 billion, up 25% from the previous quarter and 66% from a year ago [2]. - The demand for Nvidia's GPUs is broad, spanning various markets including cloud service providers, sovereign entities, and supercomputing centers, with a total sale of 5 million GPUs [3]. Product Demand - The Blackwell Ultra GPU, launched in March, has become a leading product for the company, with strong ongoing demand for previous versions of the Blackwell architecture [4]. - Sales of Blackwell GPU chips are described as "off the charts," with cloud GPUs reportedly sold out [6]. Future Outlook - Nvidia forecasts a revenue of $65 billion for the fourth quarter, contributing to a more than 4% increase in share price during after-hours trading [6]. - The company emphasizes a continuous growth trajectory, dismissing concerns about a market bubble and highlighting the accelerating demand for AI technologies [7].
Spotify acquires music database WhoSampled
TechCrunch· 2025-11-19 19:59
Core Insights - Spotify has acquired WhoSampled, a community-run database that tracks sampled music, enhancing its music discovery features [1][2] - The acquisition includes both the WhoSampled team and its database, which contains over 1.2 million songs and nearly 622,000 samples [1] - WhoSampled will maintain its standalone platform and brand post-acquisition, with plans for user-facing improvements [3][4] Company Overview - WhoSampled, launched in 2008 and based in London, provides an extensive database of songs, samples, covers, and remixes [1] - The company had a small team of around 10 employees prior to the acquisition [1] Strategic Implications - The acquisition aligns with Spotify's vision of enhancing musical context and improving user engagement with music [4] - WhoSampled's data will support Spotify's new features, including the upcoming music discovery tool SongDNA [1]
Warner Music settles copyright lawsuit with Udio, signs deal for AI music platform
TechCrunch· 2025-11-19 19:57
Core Insights - Warner Music Group (WMG) has settled a copyright infringement case with AI music startup Udio and entered into a licensing deal for an AI music creation service set to launch in 2026 [1][6] - The new platform aims to create revenue streams for artists and songwriters while ensuring their work is protected [2] - The collaboration reflects a shift in the music industry's approach to AI, with major labels exploring licensing agreements with AI platforms [6][7] Group 1: Partnership and Licensing - WMG and Udio's partnership will enable a subscription service allowing users to create remixes, covers, and new songs using the voices and compositions of participating artists [2] - The platform will ensure that artists and songwriters are credited and compensated for their contributions [2][3] Group 2: Industry Context - The settlement indicates a significant shift in the music industry's stance on AI, as WMG, Universal Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment previously sued Udio and rival Suno for copyright infringement [6] - Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment are reportedly in discussions to license their works to Udio and Suno, indicating a broader trend towards collaboration with AI technology [6] Group 3: Investor Confidence - Suno has raised $250 million in a Series C funding round, achieving a post-money valuation of $2.45 billion, reflecting investor confidence in AI music technology [7]
Adobe to buy Semrush for $1.9 billion
TechCrunch· 2025-11-19 15:42
Core Insights - Adobe has agreed to acquire Semrush for approximately $1.9 billion in cash, offering $12 per share, nearly double Semrush's closing price of $6.89 prior to the announcement [1][2] - The acquisition aims to enhance Adobe's marketing offerings, capitalizing on the growing trend of companies investing in search engine optimization to improve visibility in the context of increasing AI usage [2][4] Company Overview - Semrush had a market capitalization of about $1 billion as of the close on Tuesday before the acquisition announcement [1] - The company has been focusing on "generative engine optimization" and has recently launched tools to track and enhance website performance using both traditional SEO and AI optimization techniques [3] Market Trends - Traffic to retail websites from generative AI chatbots surged by 1,200% year-over-year as of October, indicating a significant shift in consumer behavior towards AI tools [3] - The integration of Semrush into Adobe's offerings is seen as a strategic move to unlock new growth channels for marketers, enhancing brand visibility and customer engagement in the evolving digital landscape [4]
With upcoming ban, Meta begins to notify Australian teens that their accounts will be shut down
TechCrunch· 2025-11-19 15:29
Group 1 - Meta is notifying teenage users on Facebook and Instagram about the upcoming social media ban for users under 16, which will take effect on December 10 [1] - As of December 4, Meta will prevent users under 16 from creating new accounts, and existing accounts will be inaccessible until users turn 16 [1] - Once users turn 16, they will regain access to their accounts as they were prior to the ban [1] Group 2 - Determining the age of users under 16 poses a challenge for Meta, as users may not provide accurate age information during sign-up [2] - Digital age verification is difficult to implement safely and effectively, with identity verification services being vulnerable to hacks [2] - Security vulnerabilities in identity verification platforms can lead to severe exposure of personal information, as evidenced by a past incident involving AU10TIX [3]
Trump DOE gives Microsoft partner $1B loan to restart Three Mile Island reactor
TechCrunch· 2025-11-19 00:03
Core Insights - The Trump administration is providing Constellation Energy with a $1 billion loan to restart the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor, which has been offline since 2019 [1] - Microsoft has committed to purchasing all electricity generated by the 835 megawatt power plant for 20 years, facilitating the reactor's reopening [1] - The total estimated cost for the refurbishment project is $1.6 billion, with completion expected in 2028 [1] Company and Industry Summary - The deal between Microsoft and Constellation is estimated to cost around $110 to $115 per megawatt-hour over the 20-year period, which is cheaper than new nuclear plants but more expensive than wind, solar, and geothermal energy [2] - Tech companies are increasingly interested in nuclear energy due to rising power demands for data centers and AI initiatives, as evidenced by Meta's recent agreement with Constellation for clean energy attributes from a nuclear power plant [3] - The reactor being restarted is Unit 1, not the infamous Unit 2 that melted down in 1979, and it was taken offline due to reduced profitability from cheap natural gas [4] - The loan is facilitated through the Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office, which aims to promote clean energy technologies [4][6] - The LPO has a low default rate of 3.3% and has previously supported successful projects, including a $465 million loan to Tesla [6] - The Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment program, created under the Inflation Reduction Act, aims to restore existing power plants while reducing pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions [8]
Tesla receives ride-hailing permit in Arizona in last required step to launch robotaxi service
TechCrunch· 2025-11-18 22:26
Core Insights - Tesla has received a Transportation Network Company permit from Arizona regulators, allowing it to operate a robotaxi service in the state [1][2] - This permit is the final regulatory requirement for launching the service, positioning Arizona as a key area for autonomous vehicle technology [2][3] Regulatory Process - Arizona state law requires companies to apply for a Transportation Network Company permit to operate a ride-hailing service, whether human-driven or autonomous [3] - Tesla initiated the certification process for autonomous vehicle ride-sharing services in June and completed the self-certification process in September [4][5] Competitive Landscape - Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has been the dominant robotaxi provider in the U.S., operating in the Phoenix area since 2018, covering a service area of 315 square miles [2] - Tesla's interest in the Phoenix Metro area aligns with its broader strategy to expand its robotaxi services in various states [5] Current Operations - Tesla has launched a limited robotaxi service in South Austin, which still requires a human safety operator, and has initiated a pseudo-robotaxi service in California without the necessary permits for commercial operation [7]