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JetBlue will use Amazon's Project Kuiper satellites for free in-flight internet
TechCrunch· 2025-09-04 15:05
Core Insights - JetBlue is partnering with Amazon to utilize Project Kuiper satellites for in-flight connectivity, diverging from the trend of airlines using SpaceX's Starlink [1][3] - The service is set to launch in 2027, making JetBlue the first airline to implement Kuiper satellites [3] Group 1: Partnership and Technology - JetBlue will provide free in-flight internet with download speeds of up to 1 Gbps, surpassing Starlink's maximum of 250 Mbps [2] - Amazon plans to deploy a network of 3,226 satellites for Project Kuiper, significantly fewer than SpaceX's over 8,000 satellites [2] Group 2: Project Development and Challenges - Project Kuiper has faced production challenges but aims to meet the mid-2026 deadline set by the Federal Communications Commission for launching the first half of its satellite network [4] - Amazon has previously emphasized a focus on underserved communities, although this language has been removed from its website [2]
Atlassian to buy Arc developer The Browser Company for $610M
TechCrunch· 2025-09-04 12:45
Group 1 - Atlassian has agreed to acquire The Browser Company for $610 million in cash, aiming to reimagine the browser for knowledge work in the AI era [1][2] - The acquisition will allow The Browser Company to operate independently under Atlassian while continuing to develop its browser, Dia [2][3] - The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of Atlassian's fiscal year 2026 [3] Group 2 - The Browser Company raised $50 million at a $550 million valuation last year, bringing its total funding to $128 million from various investors [4]
Google avoids break up, faces new oversight in search antitrust trial
TechCrunch· 2025-09-02 20:45
Core Viewpoint - A federal judge has ordered changes to Google's business practices to prevent anticompetitive behavior, but has not mandated a breakup of its search business [1][4]. Group 1: Court Orders and Remedies - U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta has outlined remedies that will prevent Google from entering exclusive deals that tie the distribution of its services to other apps or revenue arrangements [2]. - Google is required to share certain search index and user-interaction data with "qualified competitors" and must offer search and search ad syndication services at standard rates [3][4]. - A technical committee will be established to enforce the final judgment, which will last for six years and take effect 60 days after entry [4]. Group 2: DOJ's Position and Proposals - The Department of Justice (DOJ) had advocated for stronger penalties, including the divestiture of Google's Chrome browser and possibly Android, as well as ending agreements with major partners [5]. - The DOJ also requested that Google share its search index, user-side data, and ads data with competitors under privacy-protected terms [6]. Group 3: Market Context and Implications - Google has maintained approximately 90% market share in the traditional search market for the last decade and argues that the government's proposals could stifle innovation and jeopardize user privacy [8]. - Judge Mehta's decision may influence a separate antitrust trial related to Google's advertising technology business, with a remedies trial scheduled for late September [11]. - The ongoing legal proceedings may extend until late 2027 or early 2028, as appeals and potential escalations to the Supreme Court are anticipated [13].
Tesla's Dojo, a timeline
TechCrunch· 2025-09-02 16:39
Core Viewpoint - Tesla aims to transition from being solely an automaker to an AI company, focusing on achieving full self-driving capabilities through advanced computing power and data processing [1][2]. Development of Dojo - Dojo was introduced as a custom-built supercomputer designed to train Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) neural networks, which at the time required human oversight despite some automated capabilities [2][3]. - The timeline of Dojo's development includes its first mention in 2019, with Musk highlighting its potential to process vast amounts of video data for training AI [4][5][8]. - By 2021, Tesla officially announced Dojo, introducing its D1 chip and outlining plans for a supercomputer capable of significant AI training [9][10]. Progress and Challenges - Throughout 2022 and 2023, Tesla reported progress on Dojo, including the installation of its first cabinet and plans for a full Exapod cluster by early 2023 [10][12]. - Musk indicated that Dojo could significantly reduce training costs and potentially become a sellable service, similar to Amazon Web Services [11][12]. - However, by mid-2023, Tesla faced challenges with Nvidia hardware supply, prompting a renewed focus on Dojo to ensure adequate training capabilities [16]. Transition to Cortex - In 2024, Tesla began transitioning from Dojo to a new supercomputer called Cortex, which utilizes Nvidia GPUs and aims to enhance AI training for FSD [18][19]. - The Cortex supercomputer was reported to consist of approximately 50,000 H100 Nvidia GPUs, facilitating improvements in FSD performance [19][20]. - By early 2025, the Dojo project was officially shut down, with Tesla consolidating its resources towards the development of the AI6 chip, which is intended to serve multiple AI applications [22][23]. Future Directions - Tesla's future plans include scaling AI capabilities with the AI6 chip, which is designed for both inference and training, indicating a strategic shift in its AI development approach [22][23]. - The company aims to maintain a competitive edge in AI by focusing on integrated chip designs rather than dividing resources across different projects [23].
Tesla Dojo: the rise and fall of Elon Musk's AI supercomputer
TechCrunch· 2025-09-02 16:18
Core Insights - Tesla has decided to shut down its Dojo AI supercomputer project and disband the associated team, marking a significant shift in its AI strategy [2][10][44] - The decision comes after years of hype and promises from CEO Elon Musk regarding Dojo's potential to revolutionize Tesla's self-driving capabilities and AI initiatives [2][12][13] - The company is now pivoting towards partnerships for chip development, particularly focusing on its new AI6 chips from Samsung, which are intended to support various AI applications [11][31] Group 1: Dojo's Development and Shutdown - Dojo was designed as a custom-built supercomputer to train Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) neural networks, aiming to achieve full autonomy and support the robotaxi initiative [3][4][18] - Despite initial ambitions, Tesla failed to effectively link its self-driving advancements to Dojo, leading to a lack of focus on the project in recent communications [5][8] - The shutdown of Dojo was announced shortly after Tesla signed a $16.5 billion deal for next-generation AI6 chips, indicating a strategic shift away from self-reliant hardware [11][12] Group 2: Implications for Tesla's AI Strategy - The closure of Dojo has sparked mixed reactions, with some viewing it as a failure of Musk's promises, while others see it as a necessary pivot towards a more sustainable AI strategy [8][9] - Analysts have noted that losing key talent from the Dojo team could hinder future AI projects, especially given the specialized nature of the technology [10] - Tesla's future AI efforts will now rely more on partnerships with established chip manufacturers like Nvidia and AMD, moving away from its previous goal of self-sufficiency in chip production [31][32] Group 3: Financial and Market Impact - The initial projections for Dojo included significant financial commitments, such as a $500 million investment for a supercomputer at the Buffalo gigafactory, which will now not be allocated to Dojo [39][44] - Analysts had previously estimated that Dojo could potentially add $500 billion to Tesla's market value by creating new revenue streams through AI and robotaxi services [35] - The shift in strategy may impact investor sentiment, as the ambitious goals set for Dojo were not met, leading to questions about Tesla's long-term AI vision [38][40]
Klarna revives IPO plans, aims to raise $1.27B
TechCrunch· 2025-09-02 14:30
Core Viewpoint - Klarna, a Swedish buy-now, pay-later startup, is reviving its initial public offering (IPO) with the aim of raising up to $1.27 billion, which would value the company at up to $14 billion [1][2]. Group 1: IPO Details - The company and its shareholders are selling approximately 34.3 million shares priced between $35 and $37 each, with Klarna receiving proceeds from about 5.6 million shares [2]. - The shares are planned to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker "KLAR" [2]. Group 2: Company Performance - Klarna's revenue increased by 54% to $823 million in the second quarter compared to the previous year, driven by a 14% rise in gross merchandise value to $6.9 billion [4]. - Despite the revenue growth, the company reported a net loss of $53 million, which is 42% less than the net loss of $92 million from a year earlier [4]. Group 3: Market Context - Klarna's IPO plans were delayed due to market conditions, with its valuation dropping from over $45 billion in 2021 to $6.5 billion following the venture capital valuation bubble burst [3]. - The company has been expected to go public due to the success of its BNPL lending model, particularly after the post-pandemic boom [3]. Group 4: Underwriters - The offering is being managed by Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, and Morgan Stanley, with additional support from BoFA Securities, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Societe Generale, UBS, and several other banks [5].
Nvidia says two mystery customers accounted for 39% of Q2 revenue
TechCrunch· 2025-08-30 21:40
Core Insights - Nvidia reported record revenue of $46.7 billion for Q2, marking a 56% year-over-year increase driven by the AI data center boom [1] - Nearly 40% of this revenue came from just two customers, with one customer accounting for 23% and another for 16% of total Q2 revenue [1] - For the first half of the fiscal year, these two customers represented 20% and 15% of total revenue, respectively [1] Customer Concentration - The two major customers are classified as "direct" customers, including original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), system integrators, or distributors [2] - Indirect customers, such as cloud service providers and consumer internet companies, purchase Nvidia chips from these direct customers [2] Revenue Sources - Large cloud service providers are not likely to be the identified major customers, but they contribute significantly to Nvidia's revenue [3] - Nvidia's Chief Financial Officer stated that large cloud service providers accounted for 50% of the company's data center revenue, which represents 88% of total revenue [3] Future Prospects - Analyst Dave Novosel noted that while the concentration of revenue among a small group of customers presents a risk, these customers have substantial cash reserves and are expected to invest heavily in data centers in the coming years [6]
Cracks are forming in Meta's partnership with Scale AI
TechCrunch· 2025-08-30 01:34
Core Insights - Meta's $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI has shown early signs of strain, with key executives leaving and concerns about data quality emerging [1][2][5][10]. Company Dynamics - Ruben Mayer, a former executive from Scale AI, left Meta after two months, indicating potential issues with integration and alignment within Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL) [2][3]. - MSL is reportedly working with competitors of Scale AI, such as Mercor and Surge, to train AI models, raising questions about the effectiveness of the partnership [4][5][10]. - Despite the significant investment, researchers at MSL have expressed a preference for data from competing vendors over Scale AI, suggesting dissatisfaction with the quality of Scale AI's offerings [5][9]. Market Position and Competition - Scale AI's business model, which initially relied on a low-cost workforce for data annotation, is struggling to adapt to the demand for high-quality data from skilled domain experts [6][8]. - Following the loss of major clients like OpenAI and Google, Scale AI laid off 200 employees and is shifting focus towards government contracts, including a $99 million deal with the U.S. Army [11]. Talent Acquisition and Retention - Meta's AI unit has faced internal chaos and talent turnover since the arrival of Alexandr Wang, with several new hires from OpenAI and Scale AI leaving the company [14][19]. - The departure of key personnel raises concerns about Meta's ability to stabilize its AI operations and retain necessary talent for future projects [21][22]. Future Prospects - MSL is reportedly working on its next-generation AI model, aiming for a launch by the end of the year, amidst ongoing challenges in talent retention and operational stability [22].
Tesla challenges $243 million verdict in Autopilot death trial
TechCrunch· 2025-08-29 18:37
Core Argument - Tesla is seeking to overturn a $243 million verdict related to a lawsuit involving its Autopilot system, claiming the decision contradicts Florida tort law and due process [1][6] Group 1: Case Details - The jury attributed two-thirds of the blame to the driver, George McGee, and one-third to Tesla in a case stemming from a 2019 crash in Florida [2] - The crash involved McGee driving a Tesla Model S at night while using the Autopilot system, which requires drivers to keep their hands on the wheel [2] - McGee's vehicle failed to stop at a stop sign, resulting in a collision that killed a 20-year-old and severely injured another individual [3] Group 2: Legal Arguments - Tesla's legal team argues that product liability laws should penalize manufacturers only when their products perform in ways that are unreasonably dangerous or defy consumer expectations [4] - The company claims that McGee's "extraordinary recklessness" was the primary cause of the accident, as he was distracted by his phone at the time of the crash [6] - Tesla's lawyers assert that the trial was improperly influenced by irrelevant evidence presented by the plaintiffs' counsel, which detracted from the specifics of the case [6]
Meta updates chatbot rules to avoid inappropriate topics with teen users
TechCrunch· 2025-08-29 17:04
Core Points - Meta is changing its approach to training AI chatbots to prioritize the safety of teenage users, following an investigative report highlighting the lack of safeguards for minors [1][5] - The company acknowledges past mistakes in allowing chatbots to engage with teens on sensitive topics such as self-harm and inappropriate romantic conversations [2][4] Group 1: Policy Changes - Meta will now train chatbots to avoid discussions with teenagers on self-harm, suicide, disordered eating, and inappropriate romantic topics, instead guiding them to expert resources [3][4] - Teen access to certain AI characters that could engage in inappropriate conversations will be limited, with a focus on characters that promote education and creativity [3][4] Group 2: Response to Controversy - The policy changes come after a Reuters investigation revealed an internal document that allowed chatbots to engage in sexual conversations with underage users, raising significant concerns about child safety [4][5] - Following the report, there has been a backlash, including an official probe launched by Senator Josh Hawley and a letter from a coalition of 44 state attorneys general emphasizing the importance of child safety [5] Group 3: Future Considerations - Meta has not disclosed the number of minor users of its AI chatbots or whether it anticipates a decline in its AI user base due to these new policies [8]