Author: GT

Spotify said on Friday that Apple has approved its U.S. app update that will allow users to access pricing information and external payment links. The approval comes days after a U.S. judge ordered Apple to stop charging commissions on purchases through iPhone apps. “In a victory for consumers, artists, creators, and authors, Apple has approved Spotify’s U.S. app update,” Spotify spokesperson Jeanne Moran said in a statement to TechCrunch. “After nearly a decade, this will finally allow us to freely show clear pricing information and links to purchase, fostering transparency and choice for U.S. consumers.” She continued. “We can now give consumers lower…

Bitcoin’s halvings tend to spur periods of excitement and opportunity for investors. The supply implications of the halving are key to Bitcoin being a good investment. It’s nice to see your portfolio gaining value, too. It’s been just over a year since Bitcoin’s (CRYPTO: BTC) last halving, which happened on April 20, 2024. The next halving isn’t estimated to occur until mid-April 2028. But I’m already looking forward to it for at least three reasons, and I’m already preparing for it. You might want to do the same. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they…

What if cheating was just…the future of work? That’s the pitch behind Cluely, the viral AI startup that claims its stealthy browser overlay is “undetectable” and can help users bluff their way through everything from job interviews to exams. The company has raised $5.3 million and sparked a wave of backlash from startups building tools to catch cheaters. Cluely’s response? They’ll just build smart glasses or brain chips.  Today, on TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, hosts Kirsten Korosec, Max Zeff and Anthony Ha are getting into the week’s headlines, including whether Cluely’s viral strategy is genius, gross, or both, and what it…

Bitcoin has been on a tear during the past year. There are quite a few factors driving its price higher, and most will stay in play. Three things in particular are pushing it higher, and none are linked to the halving. Bitcoin’s (CRYPTO: BTC) price is up almost 40% in the past six months, and it might be going even higher soon. This trend is not simply random fluctuation in the asset’s price. There are at least three things that are driving the coin’s surge. All are likely to continue, so let’s take a look at each. Where to invest…

Google’s NotebookLM Android and iOS apps are expected to launch on May 20, according to app store listings. The apps are currently available for preorder. Since its launch in 2023, the AI-based note-taking and research assistant has only been accessible via desktop. Google is now gearing up to make the service available on the go. NotebookLM is designed to help students, professionals, and researchers better understand complex information through features like smart summaries and the ability to ask questions about documents and other materials. The research assistant also lets you generate AI podcasts, called Audio Overviews, to make it easier…

OpenAI says it’ll make changes to the way it updates the AI models that power ChatGPT, following an incident that caused the platform to become overly sycophantic for many users. Last weekend, after OpenAI rolled out a tweaked GPT-4o — the default model powering ChatGPT — users on social media noted that ChatGPT began responding in an overly validating and agreeable way. It quickly became a meme. Users posted screenshots of ChatGPT applauding all sorts of problematic, dangerous decisions and ideas. In a post on X last Sunday, CEO Sam Altman acknowledged the problem and said that OpenAI would work on fixes “ASAP.” On Tuesday, Altman announced the GPT-4o…

Many cryptocurrencies have surged since Donald Trump won the presidential election last November. The Trump administration is more pro crypto than arguably any administration before. Michael Saylor has been extremely bullish on crypto for years. He expects one cryptocurrency, in particular, to absolutely soar over the next 20 years. It’s been a wild ride for the market this year, especially in April, largely due to the volatility caused by President Donald Trump’s tariffs. No asset has been spared, including the world’s largest cryptocurrency Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), which bounced as low as $75,000 in early April but has proven fairly resilient,…

Plenty of startups hit a wall after their first few rounds of funding, having grown too big for venture funds but still in need of cash. For startups specializing in industrial-scale hardware, which includes many climate tech companies, the problem is especially acute because the capital requirements are so large. Infrastructure funds have long filled that gap, but many have been hesitant to dive into climate tech.  One firm thinks that spells opportunity, though. Ara Partners recently raised an $800 million infrastructure fund focused on reducing carbon emissions in industrial sectors, which historically have been hard to decarbonize. Ara had…

Welcome to Startups Weekly — your weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. Want it in your inbox every Friday? Sign up here. This week was low on M&A and IPO news, but there was still some drama to follow, if that’s your thing — and more importantly, some worthy startups getting funded. Most interesting startup stories from the week Image Credits:Bloomberg / Contributor / Getty Images From frivolous to more serious, there was no shortage of legal startup developments this week. Clued up: Startups launched products such as “Truely” to catch people using viral…

A security lapse at dating app Raw publicly exposed the personal data and private location data of its users, TechCrunch has found. The exposed data included users’ display names, dates of birth, dating and sexual preferences associated with the Raw app, as well as users’ locations. Some of the location data included coordinates that were specific enough to locate Raw app users with street-level accuracy. Raw, which launched in 2023, is a dating app that claims to offer more genuine interactions with others in part by asking users to upload daily selfie photos. The company does not disclose how many…