Author: GT

Cooling towers are seen at the nuclear-powered Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Waynesboro, Georgia, U.S. Aug. 13, 2024. Megan Varner | ReutersNuclear power stocks surged Friday on a report that President Donald Trump will sign executive orders to speed the construction of reactors and secure key materials for the industry.Advanced reactor companies Oklo and NuScale jumped more than 25% and 18%, respectively. Constellation Energy, the largest nuclear operator in the U.S., was up more than 1%. Cameco Corp., one of the biggest uranium miners in the world, rose about 8%.Trump could sign the orders as early as Friday, sources familiar with…

From a struggling family tea estate to an innovative climate venture, Alt Carbon has raised $12 million in a seed round as it plans to scale its carbon dioxide removal work in the South Asian nation. The climate tech startup, which locks away carbon for thousands of years through enhanced rock weathering on farmlands, attracted investment led by Lachy Groom, the co-founder of the robotics AI company Physical Intelligence. The journey began in May 2020 with a bittersweet homecoming. Siblings Shrey and Sparsh Agarwal drove 16 hours from the eastern state of Kolkata to Darjeeling — a city known for…

OpenAI pushed generative AI into the public consciousness. Now, it could be developing a very different kind of AI device. According to a WSJ report, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told employees Wednesday that the company’s next major product won’t be a wearable. Instead, it will be a compact, screenless device, fully aware of its user’s surroundings. Small enough to sit on a desk or fit in a pocket, Altman described it as both a “third core device” alongside a MacBook Pro and iPhone, and an “AI companion” integrated into daily life. The preview followed OpenAI’s announcement that it will acquire…

Oil prices held near two-week highs in early trading on Wednesday, supported by an agreement between the U.S. and China to temporarily lower their reciprocal tariffs and a falling U.S. dollar.Imaginima | E+ | Getty ImagesA protracted slump in crude prices has ramped up the pressure on Big Oil’s commitment to allocate cash to shareholders.Western energy supermajors have long sought to return cash to investors through buyback programs and dividends to keep their shareholders happy. Energy executives have also expressed confidence that they can continue to reward investors following a relatively robust set of first-quarter earnings.Some analysts, however, are less…

Signal said today that it is updating its Windows app to prevent the system from capturing screenshots, thereby protecting the content that is on display. The company said that this new “screen security” setting is enabled by default on Windows 11. Signal said that this new feature is designed to protect users’ privacy from Microsoft’s Recall feature, which was announced last year. Recall captures screenshots of the system continuously to remember all of your activities, so you can scroll back in time to remember what you were looking at. While the company paused the rollout of the feature last year…

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to put a 25% tariff on Apple products unless iPhones are manufactured in the United States.The threat delivered over social media could dramatically increase the price of iPhones, potentially hurting sales and the profits of one of America’s leading technology companies. The company now joins Amazon, Walmart and other major companies as being in the White House’s crosshairs as they try to respond to the uncertainty and inflationary pressures unleashed by the import taxes being imposed by Trump.“I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhone’s…

The social fitness app Strava has made two acquisitions over the last month and change: On Thursday, Strava acquired cycling app The Breakaway, following its acquisition of Runna last month. Incubated in Y Combinator’s Summer 2021 class, The Breakaway uses AI to create personalized training plans for cyclists working toward specific goals. Runna, a U.K.-based and JamJar-backed app, functions similarly, but is built for runners, rather than cyclists. Needless to say, Strava is signaling a very strong interest in selling training plan tools to its users. As one of the highest-grossing and most popular fitness apps, Strava allows users to…

Here’s the deal: Only four days left to save up to $900 on your TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 ticket — and an additional 90% off for your +1. From October 27-29, San Francisco’s Moscone West transforms into the epicenter of tech innovation as 10,000 tech, startup, and VC leaders gather for the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt — celebrating two decades of championing startups, driving innovation, and fueling growth across the ecosystem. The clock’s ticking. Lock in your ticket here before the price jumps on May 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT. What makes the 20th TechCrunch Disrupt unmissable Disrupt isn’t just…

Get ready to amplify your TechCrunch Sessions: AI experience with the electrifying lineup of Side Events taking Berkeley by storm during the week of June 1-7. As the countdown to TC Sessions: AI begins, we’re thrilled to share our Side Events lineup to foster meaningful connections within the vibrant Berkeley, California, tech community. Whether you’re a seasoned industry pro or a budding entrepreneur, our Side Events promise an unforgettable week filled with networking opportunities, innovation showcases, and engaging conversations. So mark your calendars, secure your spot, and dive into the excitement of Sessions: AI Week like never before! Quick Side Event disclaimers: Registering/RSVPing to a Side…

The tale of how smart toilet startup Throne landed its seed round is so full of serendipities, one could almost believe it was orchestrated by the hand of Fortuna, Roman goddess of providence. Throne is an Austin-based company working on an AI-powered toilet device for consumers. It uses computer vision (cameras pointing in the bowl plus AI software) to monitor gut health conditions. It just raised $4 million in seed financing led by Moxxie Ventures’ founder Katie Jacobs Stanton, with a bunch of other VCs participating and several famous angels like Lance Armstrong, Rupa Health co-founder Tara Viswanathan, and TrueMed…