Author: GT

Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, speaks during the New York Times annual DealBook Summit at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City on Dec. 4, 2024.Michael M. Santiago | Getty ImagesOpenAI on Wednesday announced that it now has 3 million paying business users, up from the 2 million it reported in February. The San Francisco-based startup rocketed into the mainstream in late 2022 with its consumer-facing artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT, and began launching workplace-specific versions of the product the following year.The 3 million users include ChatGPT Enterprise, ChatGPT Team and ChatGPT Edu customers, OpenAI said. “There’s this really tight…

Elon Musk spent the last several months knee deep in government, sidelining his companies to pursue a longstanding Republican quest to weed out alleged waste and fraud.  Then, a few weeks ago, House Republicans passed a bill with provisions that would kneecap Tesla.  Now, Musk is fuming that the bill is “a disgusting abomination.” Plenty has been written about Musk’s motivations for cozying up to President Donald Trump; for spending 130 days as a special government employee; for spending time away from Tesla, the main source of his wealth. Whatever his reasons, Musk did come away with some wins: He…

Citi has downgraded Constellation Energy after the power company signed a major deal with Meta that indicates nuclear plant owners might not receive that high of a price premium for their electricity. Meta agreed to buy about 1.1 gigawatts of power from the Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois for a 20-year period that begins in 2027. Constellation stock rose as much as 9% intraday Tuesday on the deal, before closing slightly lower at $313.03 per share. Citi now rates Constellation as neutral and high risk, setting a stock price target of $318, which implies upside of less than 2%.…

We’re down to the final two days before TechCrunch Sessions: AI unites the broader AI community at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall on Thursday, June 5! Expect a packed agenda with top speakers, expert panels, top-tier networking, and Side Events from our partners. One of our speakers is Andrei Papancea, CEO and co-founder of NLX, who will share insights from the company’s successful partnership with Toyota — focused on building AI-powered conversational experiences for car repair. With the event just days away, now’s your last chance to lock in serious savings. Here’s how: Save $300 when you register solo. Bring a…

Venmo, long known for helping friends split dinner bills and birthday gifts, is jumping into the heart of consumer commerce. The PayPal-owned platform on Wednesday rolled out several updates designed to move beyond peer-to-peer transfers, transforming Venmo into a more robust fintech tool for everyday spending.The changes include upgraded rewards for Venmo Debit Mastercard users, expanded checkout options at major retailers, and a new brand campaign aimed at positioning Venmo, which has more than 64 million monthly active users, as a full-service commerce platform.”We’re transforming from a payments app into a full-service commerce experience for users to spend their balance…

Want to connect with 1,000+ founders, investors, and tech leaders gathering in Boston for TechCrunch All Stage on July 15? Apply by June 10 to host a Side Event during “TC All Stage Week” (July 13-19) — and put your brand front and center. Whether you’re planning a workshop, cocktail hour, product demo, or panel — you’re in control. Make your mark. Build buzz. Apply here before the deadline. Why host a Side Event? Side Events extend the action beyond the main event — and give your brand the spotlight. As a host, you’ll receive: Visibility to the full TechCrunch…

CALISTOGA, Calif. (AP) — For residents of this quaint tourist town on the northern edge of Napa Valley, the threat of wildfire is seldom out of mind. The hillside bears burn scars from a 2020 fire that forced all of Calistoga to evacuate, and the 2017 Tubbs fire that killed 22 people in wine country started just a few miles from downtown.When fire danger required shutting off transmission lines that might spark a blaze, the town relied on a bank of generators in a popular recreation area that belched choking diesel exhaust and rumbled so loudly it drove people away.…

As Apple prepares to unveil iOS 19 at WWDC 2025 on Monday, several rumors have surfaced, including a potential new name for the operating system, an entirely new design inspired by the Vision Pro, and more.   Here’s a roundup of the most notable features rumored to be coming to iOS 19.  New name Sources told Bloomberg that Apple plans to rename its operating systems to reflect the release year rather than using version numbers. This means that iOS 19 will be renamed iOS 26, similar to how car model years are designated. This name change will also apply to…

The Apple store on 5th Avenue is seen in New York on April 8, 2025. Timothy A. Clary | Afp | Getty ImagesForecasts for Apple and Samsung shipment growth this year were sharply slashed by Counterpoint Research on Wednesday amid uncertainty over U.S. tariff policy.The research outfit said it had revised down its 2025 global smartphone shipment growth forecast to 1.9% year-on-year from 4.2% previously, citing “renewed uncertainties surrounding U.S. tariffs.”U.S. President Donald Trump announced “reciprocal tariffs” on imports from countries around the world in April, but exempted smartphones and other electronics from those duties days later.Still, with tariff uncertainty looming,…

Indian grocery delivery startup KiranaPro has been hacked and all its data has been wiped, the company’s founder confirmed to TechCrunch. The destroyed data included the company’s app code and its servers containing banks of sensitive customer information, including their names, mailing addresses, and payment details, KiranaPro co-founder and CEO Deepak Ravindran told TechCrunch. The company’s app is online but cannot process orders, TechCrunch has found. Launched in December 2024, KiranaPro operates as a buyer app on the Indian government’s Open Network for Digital Commerce, allowing customers to purchase groceries from their local shops and nearby supermarkets. KiranaPro has 55,000…