Author: GT

Apple’s next-generation version of its popular CarPlay infotainment software is finally launching three years after it was announced. The company said Thursday that this new version of CarPlay — now known as “CarPlay Ultra” — will start rolling out on new Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada, roughly half a year late. While still powered (wirelessly) by an iPhone, CarPlay Ultra takes over both the main infotainment screen as well as the digital dashboard in front of the driver, and is more deeply integrated with the vehicle’s systems. That means the new CarPlay software will display things like…

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Much like its creator, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot Grok was preoccupied with South African racial politics on social media this week, posting unsolicited claims about the persecution and “genocide” of white people.His company, xAI, said Thursday night that an “unauthorized modification” to the chatbot was the cause.That means someone — the company didn’t say who — made a change that “directed Grok to provide a specific response on a political topic,” which “violated xAI’s internal policies and core values,” the company said.A day earlier, Grok kept posting publicly about “white genocide” in response to users of Musk’s social media…

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Mike Novogratz’ crypto firm Galaxy Digital started trading on the Nasdaq Friday under the ticker GLXY. The stock opened at $23.50 per share on the U.S. exchange.Galaxy Digital, which has been traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange since 2020, shifted its shares to the Nasdaq through a direct listing — a move that follows a grueling, multi-year battle with U.S. regulators.Novogratz told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” Friday that Galaxy’s value now hinges on two high-growth areas: crypto and artificial intelligence.”These are the two most exciting growth areas in markets, right. AI and the infrastructure needed for AI to exist and crypto…

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Alexander Spatari | Moment | Getty ImagesSince ChatGPT’s big public debut already close to three years ago, Google has faced persistent questions about its decades-long hold over internet search traffic. That concern surfaced again in recent weeks after a top Apple executive alluded to a decline in search traffic on iPhone (where Google is the default search engine in the Safari browser) during court testimony. Amid a stock slide, Google was quick to issue a statement saying its search business was fine. In an earlier panic over ChatGPT, Google founder Sergey Brin spoke out to say he has full confidence…

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Instagram Threads is taking on Linktree and other “link-in-bio” solutions by introducing a way for creators to use their Threads profile to share links to their other interests and online presences. At launch, the feature will support adding up to five links to a bio, which can connect visitors to the creator’s blog, newsletter, website, or other social profiles, for example. In addition, creators will be able to access new tools to see how well those links perform. Image Credits:Threads The Meta-owned social app, which now has over 350 million monthly active users, is positioning the feature as an alternative…

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Urban India is becoming increasingly used to not having to wait — at least when it comes to getting goods and services delivered. You only need to look at the breakneck pace at which instant delivery apps like Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart have grown and continue to see adoption soar in the country. Pronto, one such startup that lets users book and avail cleaning, laundry, and home services within 10 minutes, is capitalizing on that change in consumer behavior, and it’s now come out of stealth with a $2 million seed round led by Bain Capital Ventures at a…

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BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union regulators will seek public comment on proposed changes from Microsoft for Teams, signaling the U.S. company may be nearing the end of a long-running antitrust case targeting its messaging and videoconferencing app. Microsoft had previously offered some modifications including unbundling Teams from its Office software suite in an attempt to head off the antitrust probe shortly after it was opened by the EU two years ago. But those proposals didn’t satisfy the European Commission, the 27-nation bloc’s top competition enforcer, which accused Microsoft last year of potentially abusive behavior. The Commission said Friday that it…

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Microsoft is cutting about 7,000 jobs, or 3% of its workforce.The move isn’t about poor performance or falling revenue. It’s a clear shift in strategy—fewer layers, more engineers, and more investment in artificial intelligence.The layoffs affect staff across divisions and global offices. But the bulk of those let go are in middle management and non-technical roles, a pattern showing up across tech. The message: reduce overhead, speed up product cycles, and make room for bigger AI spending.The numbers behind the shiftMicrosoft ended its latest quarter with $70.07 billion in revenue. That beat Wall Street estimates and shows strong business health,…

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TORONTO — Mike Novogratz said he spent nearly four years and more than $25 million trying to take crypto firm Galaxy Digital public in the United States.”It felt un-American, unfair, infuriating,” Novogratz said.Novogratz told CNBC that a process that should take 45 to 90 days stretched out to 1,320 days. He said it took nine rounds of comments with the Securities and Exchange Commission.”One of the things that people didn’t understand about the crypto tax is that you needed to be very well capitalized — and a pretty big, strong company — just to stay in the game,” he said.The…

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Looking to make a splash at TechCrunch All Stage 2025? Our Side Events initiative is a fantastic opportunity to engage with Boston’s tech community in a dynamic and memorable manner. Plus, we’ll assist in promoting your event at no cost to you! Submit your event here by June 10. Throw your own Side Event at TechCrunch All Stage 2025 What exactly are Side Events? Side Events give you a chance to grow your brand and network with 1,500 conference attendees and the local Boston tech community by hosting your own event as part of “All Stage Week” from July 13…

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