Author: GT

Golden Dome, the Trump administration’s gambit to build a next-generation missile defense system, has startups and longstanding defense contractors preparing to duke it out for a piece of a $151 billion multi-year contract.  The process to qualify for the $151 billion contract vehicle, essentially an umbrella program, is stacked against most startups — not because of their tech. Instead, smaller companies may be thwarted by a multi-layered, expensive bureaucratic process used to ensure a company can meet security and other compliance requirements.  Ultimately, Golden Dome may not be the zero-sum battle of emerging tech versus incumbents. The startups that do…

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg published a letter outlining his vision for “personal superintelligence” Wednesday, giving investors a glimpse into his artificial intelligence strategy ahead of Meta’s second-quarter earnings report.The company has shelled out billions of dollars hiring top AI researchers and engineers in recent weeks, and Wall Street will be listening for what Zuckerberg has to say about the spending spree.Zuckerberg did not outline specific products or applications that Meta plans to build in his letter, but he said he views superintelligence as a tool for “personal empowerment” over automation and efficiency.”This is distinct from others in the industry who…

When Esther Hallam welcomed her daughter, Nara, into the world, she faced the challenge of searching for trustworthy brands that offered high-quality organic infant formula in the U.S.  Despite being available for nearly 160 years, the quality of infant formula options in the U.S. is still lacking, she believes. Many manufacturers opt for skim milk to cut costs, which allows them to add oils to meet nutritional requirements. Several formulas contain palm oil, soy, and corn syrup, which aren’t recommended for infants due to their potential health risks. For instance, research has linked corn syrup to an increased risk of…

Cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks is buying CyberArk in a cash-and-stock deal valued at approximately $25 billion.CyberArk, which is based in Petach-Tikva, Israel, develops software that detects attacks on privileged accounts.CyberArk shareholders will receive $45 in cash and 2.2005 shares of Palo Alto Networks common stock for each share of CyberArk that they own.Palo Alto Networks Inc. said Wednesday that the transaction will give it access to the identity security market.“Our market entry strategy has always been to enter categories at their inflection point, and we believe that moment for identity security is now,” Palo Alto Networks Chairman and CEO…

Alibaba has released a new AI coding model called Qwen3-Coder, built to handle complex software tasks using a large open-source model. The tool is part of Alibaba’s Qwen3 family and is being promoted as the company’s most advanced coding agent to date.The model uses a Mixture of Experts (MoE) approach, activating 35 billion parameters out of a total 480 billion and supporting up to 256,000 tokens of context. That number can reportedly be stretched to 1 million using special extrapolation techniques. The company claims Qwen3-Coder has outperformed other open models in agentic tasks, including versions from Moonshot AI and DeepSeek.But…

TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 lands in San Francisco this October, and if you’re eager to break into the tech world, here’s your chance to be in the room where it all happens. We’re looking for curious, driven volunteers to join our team at Moscone West from October 27–29, and help power one of the most iconic startup events in the world. There’s no better way to experience Disrupt and learn from the best You’ll do more than just lend a hand. As a volunteer, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at the production of a high-energy tech event packed with big names,…

As Robinhood investors await second-quarter earnings, expectations are sky-high.The online broker, known for popularizing stock and crypto trading with young investors, has seen its shares surge 177% this year, outpacing all other U.S. tech companies valued at $5 or more, excluding those that went public in 2025. The next best performer is Palantir, up 107%.Robinhood’s pop this year follows a 192% rally in 2024. The company’s market cap now sits at $91 billion, putting it slightly behind Coinbase, one of its top rivals in the market for buying crypto.Still, Robinhood was left out of the S&P 500 in the latest…

Foxconn Hon Hai Technology Group signage during the Nvidia GPU Technology Conference (GTC) in San Jose, California, US, on Thursday, March 20, 2025. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesFoxconn on Wednesday said it is taking a stake in TECO Electric & Machinery Co., as it looks to supercharge its efforts to become a key player in building artificial intelligence data centers.The Taiwanese firm, formally known as Hon Hai, is looking to replicate the success it has had in consumer electronics in the world of AI. It’s a play that could unlock Foxconn’s access to a potential $1 trillion…

Microsoft is reportedly in advanced talks with OpenAI for a new agreement that would give it ongoing access to the startup’s technology even if OpenAI achieves what it defines as AGI, or advanced general intelligence. If the deal goes through, it would clear a key hurdle in OpenAI’s transition toward becoming a fully commercial enterprise. The companies have been negotiating regularly, and they could come to an agreement in a few weeks, Bloomberg reports, citing three anonymous sources. The report cited some of the sources as saying that while the talks have been positive, other roadblocks could emerge in the…

Bitchat, a messaging app created by Twitter and Block founder Jack Dorsey, is available to download from the iOS App Store. Dorsey says he coded the basis of the app over the course of a weekend in early July. Bitchat operates through Bluetooth mesh networks, which means that users can send messages to others within the range of Bluetooth connectivity — usually around 100 meters — without cell reception or a Wi-Fi connection. The app’s UX is very minimal. There is no log-in system, and you’re immediately brought to an instant messaging box, where you can see what nearby users…