Author: GT

LE BOURGET, France (AP) — About once a month, French drone manufacturer Henri Seydoux makes what has become a necessary pilgrimage for many in his business — he goes to Ukraine.Because for drone technology, there is no harder place to survive than the frontlines of the war against Russia’s invasion, where both sides are using unmanned aerial machines of all shapes and sizes to kill and to observe, reshaping modern warfare.And because the battlefields also bristle with electronic countermeasures and weapons to confuse, jam and shoot down drones, Ukraine has also become an extreme real-life proving ground for advances in…

For some tense minutes on Wednesday, X users were surprised to see one of those crypto “airdrop” posts on Andreessen Horowitz’s blue check-marked account. A second tweet said that $5 million had already been given away. That account has 851,000 followers. A member of a16z’s crypto team saw the tweet and immediately posted a warning not to engage. X quickly took down the post. Airdrops are usually used as ways for cryptocurrencies to promote themselves. a16z tells TechCrunch, and posted on the account: “Earlier today, our X account was briefly compromised. During that time, the account promoted a token and…

The pro-Israeli hacktivist group Predatory Sparrow claimed on Tuesday to have hacked and taken down Iran’s Bank Sepah.  The group, which is also known by its Persian name Gonjeshke Darande, claimed responsibility for the hack on X.  “We, ‘Gonjeshke Darande,’ conducted cyberattacks which destroyed the data of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ ‘Bank Sepah,’” the group wrote.  The group claimed Bank Sepah is an institution that “circumvented international sanctions and used the people of Iran’s money to finance the regime’s terrorist proxies, its ballistic missile program and its military nuclear program.” Contact Us Do you have more information about Predatory…

Intel will begin a new round of layoffs next month. The semiconductor giant plans to lay off 15% to 20% of workers in its Intel Foundry division starting in July, according to an internal memo originally reported on by The Oregonian. Intel Foundry designs, manufactures, and packages semiconductors for external clients. It’s unclear how many workers this will directly impact. Intel’s total workforce was 108,900 people as of December 2024, according to the company’s annual regulatory filing. TechCrunch reached out to Intel for more information. This news is not a particular shock. Since Intel’s CEO Lip-Bu Tan took the helm…

Facebook announced on Tuesday that all videos on its platform will soon be shared as reels, regardless of their length or orientation. Up until now, users have been able to share both video posts and reels. The company is also renaming the “Video” tab on its platform to the “Reels” tab. The update won’t change what videos are recommended to you, Facebook says. In the coming months, users won’t have to choose between uploading a video or reel, as it will automatically be shared as a reel. In addition, reels on Facebook won’t be bound by length or format restrictions.…

Buzzy autonomous vehicle software company Applied Intuition has closed a $600 million Series F and tender offer, pushing its valuation up to $15 billion. The round was co-led by BlackRock-managed funds and Kleiner Perkins, and included new investments from the Qatar Investment Authority, Abu Dhabi Investment Council, Greycroft, and more. Existing investors General Catalyst, Lux, Elad Gil, and Mary Meeker’s growth fund Bond also participated. Applied Intuition’s raise comes just one year after it completed a $250 million Series E, which put the company at a $6 billion valuation. The company makes software that helps companies and government agencies develop…

T-minus 6 days until TechCrunch All Stage ticket prices rise. From now until June 22 at 11:59 p.m. PT, founders save $210 and investors save $200 on passes. Are you ready to push your startup to the next level? Or are you an investor looking to back the next big breakthrough? Join TC All Stage on July 15 at SoWa Power Station in Boston for the founder summit built for traction and breakout growth. Give your startup a competitive edge. Secure your pass now and save up to $210. Why attend TC All Stage From early traction to long-term scale,…

NEW YORK (AP) — More and more celebrities are looking to attach their names to your phone. Or rather, wireless services that could power it.From cosmetics to snacks and signature spirits, brands launched or co-owned by high-profile figures are just about everywhere you look today. But several big names are also venturing into the market for mobile virtual network operators — or MVNOs, an industry term for businesses that provide cell coverage by leasing infrastructure from bigger, more established carriers.U.S. President Donald Trump’s family was the most recent to join the list with the launch of Trump Mobile this week.…

Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle Internet Group, the issuer of one of the world’s biggest stablecoins, and Circle co-founder Sean Neville pose outside the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), on the day of the company’s IPO in New York City, U.S., June 5, 2025. NYSEShares of Circle and Coinbase rallied on Wednesday, as Wall Street cheered the Senate’s passage of the GENIUS Act, which would establish a federal framework for U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoins.Circle, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin, rose 33% following the passing of the bill late Tuesday. It’s the continuation of a remarkable run for Circle’s stock since…

Tumblr is the latest tech company to grapple with automated flagging and takedowns that have gone haywire and raised the ire of users. In recent days, Tumblr users have complained their content is being flagged as “mature,” even when that’s not the case. The problem has reduced the visibility of users’ posts because many people on the platform have configured their settings to hide mature content by default. According to numerous posts from impacted Tumblr users, posts have been falsely flagged despite not being sexual or violent, and these false flags have included everything from cat GIFs to fandom content…