Author: GT

Apple’s iOS 26 software update for iPhones is available Monday to people who have an iPhone 11, iPhone SE 2, and later. The marquee feature of iOS 26 is Apple’s Liquid Glass design, which includes elements on-screen that resembled a “glassy” look. Other features include a call screening assistant, a new gaming and preview app, in-app translation across the system, and updates to Genmoji and Image Playground apps. The operating system update also went through a big numerical change as Apple jumped from iOS 18 to iOS 26 for two key reasons. First, it wanted to bring all operating systems…

Snap has unveiled the second version of its Snap OS, the software powering its AR glasses known as Snap Spectacles. The update includes a new native browser, WebXR support, and more. The launch comes as the company rolled out its fifth-generation Snap Spectacles for developers last year and plans to launch a consumer version sometime in 2026. The release also comes just ahead of Meta’s Connect conference this week, where the company is expected to reveal its latest updates in smart glasses, AI, and other technology. Snap OS 2.0 introduces a faster browser that’s easier to use, the company says.…

A new iOS app called Awake, designed specifically for heavy sleepers who must complete missions to turn off their alarms, launched Monday. The app is only available to users with the iOS 26 update, which also came out on Monday.  Unlike traditional alarm clocks that can be silenced with a simple tap, Awake is intended to actively engage users’ brains to ensure they fully wake up. Once the alarm sounds, users must complete a series of interactive missions to turn it off.  These tasks include a variety of challenges, such as rotating the iPhone, completing a set of push-ups, or…

As the startup world descends on San Francisco for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 — happening October 27–29 at Moscone West — one question looms large: Does building in Silicon Valley still give founders an edge? With 10,000+ startup and VC leaders gathering for this milestone Disrupt, the conversation around access, geography, and opportunity has never been more timely. On the Builders Stage, Anh-Tho Chuong (Lago), David Hall (Revolution), and Tawni Nazario-Cranz (SignalFire) lead a must-attend session for anyone looking to scale smart in today’s startup landscape. Register now to save up to $650 Why this conversation matters now As distributed teams,…

Y Combinator hosted its Summer 2025 Demo Day last week, showcasing the latest batch of over 160 startups. As with recent batches, the majority of startups presented AI-centric solutions. However, a clear evolution was evident. Instead of  “AI-powered” products, many companies are now building AI agents or the infrastructure and tools needed to develop them. For instance, this batch had a flurry of voice AI solutions and new businesses focused on helping others monetize the “AI economy” with ads and marketing tools. We spoke with a handful of YC-focused  investors to learn which startups they found most interesting and which…

Robinhood announced Monday it has filed an application with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to launch a new publicly traded fund that will hold shares of startups. The idea behind the “Robinhood Ventures Fund I” is to allow every retail investor access to make money on the hottest startups before they go public. While the current version of the application is public, Robinhood hasn’t filled in the fine-print yet. This means we don’t know how many shares it plans to sell, nor other details like the management fee it plans to charge. It’s also unclear which startups it hopes this…

TikTok users in the U.S. may get a reprieve from the threat of a shutdown after the Trump administration announced it has reached a framework deal with China for the ownership of the popular social video platform.U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a press conference after the latest round of trade talks between the world’s top two economies concluded in Madrid that U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping would speak Friday to possibly finalize the deal. He said the objective of the deal would be to switch to American ownership.He did not disclose the terms of…

Rodatherm Energy, a new geothermal startup, emerged from stealth Monday with $38 million in funding and a plan to build a pilot plan in Utah.  The startup differentiates itself by plumbing its boreholes with a closed loop, likely made of steel, that’s filled with a refrigerant. That contrasts with other enhanced geothermal companies, which tend to use water to transport heat from deep within the Earth. The Series A round was led by Evok Innovations with participation from Active Impact Investments, Giga Investments, Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, MCJ, TDK Ventures, Tech Energy Ventures, and Toyota Ventures. Rodatherm…

Clinics, advocacy groups and individuals who share abortion-related content online say they are seeing informational posts being taken down even if the posts don’t clearly violate the platforms’ policies. The groups, in Latin America and the United States, are denouncing what they see as censorship even in places where abortion is legal. Companies like Meta claim their policies have not changed, and experts attribute the takedowns to over-enforcement at a time when social media platforms are reducing spending on content moderation in favor of artificial intelligence systems that struggle with context, nuance and gray areas. But abortion advocates say the…

Following its long-awaited launch of lossless streaming for paid subscribers, Spotify is upgrading its service for free users, too. On Monday, the company announced that free users globally will now be able to search and play any song they want or play a song shared by a friend or an artist they follow on social media. The company calls the new features “Pick & Play,” “Search & Play,” and “Share & Play,” respectively. With the former, free users can hit play in the Spotify app to pick and play any song they want, or can even search for a particular…