Author: GT

Amazon is raising eyebrows with the timing of its big book sale for 2025, which runs from April 23 to 28 — which means it’s competing directly with Independent Bookstore Day. As writer Maris Kreisman explained in Lit Hub, Independent Bookstore Day is an annual event organized by the American Booksellers Association (ABA), with events, special guests, and exclusive merchandise at 1,600 participating bookstores. And this year, it’s taking place on April 26 (today). “I implore you: if you live near an indie bookstore (and I know that many of us still don’t and I hope one day we all…

Welcome back to Week in Review! We’ve got tons of news for you this week: Slate EVs spotted in the wild; Airbnb pricing updates; a hack at Blue Shield; and much more. Let’s go! Get a clue: Cluely is an AI-based tool that helps people cheat on exams, sales calls, and even job interviews. Though one of the co-founders was kicked out of Columbia over a similar tool, and one of the company’s ads falls short, Cluely boasts a $5.3 million monthly ARR. Guess cheaters do win sometimes? I’m interested: EV maker Slate has operated in relative secrecy until TechCrunch…

Google announced this week that beginning on October 25, it will no longer support or release software updates for the first and second generation Nest Learning Thermostats. And it will completely stop launching new Nest products in Europe. That means owners of the Nest thermostats released in 2011 and 2012 (as well as the version released in Europe in 2014) won’t receive updates, and their devices will no longer be supported in the Nest and Home apps. They will, however, be able to adjust temperature and schedules directly on their devices. “To fully invest in [future] advancements and bring you…

Around 300 London-based members of Google’s AI-focused DeepMind team are seeking to unionize with the Communication Workers Union, according to a Financial Times report that cites three people involved with the unionization effort. These DeepMind employees are reportedly unhappy about Google’s decision to remove a pledge not to use AI for weapons or surveillance from its website. They’re also concerned about the company’s work with the Israeli military, including a $1.2 billion cloud computing contract that has prompted protests elsewhere at Google. One source told the FT that team members feel “duped,” and correspondence reportedly shows that at least five…

Julie Wainwright has taken two companies public, a pretty incredible feat by any standard. Yet in her new memoir, Time to Get Real, she offers readers something even more valuable: a blunt look at the messy realities of leadership. Wainwright shares the kinds of tough truths that many high-achieving CEOs can relate to but rarely discuss publicly, including the aftermath of what many would consider her first major setback, which was shutting down Pets.com during the 2000 market crash. If you’re of a certain age, you definitely remember it. The online pet supplies startup had become instantly recognizable thanks to…

A data breach at Connecticut’s largest healthcare system Yale New Haven Health affects more than 5.5 million people, according to a legally required notice with the U.S. government’s health department. Yale New Haven said the March cyberattack allowed malicious hackers to obtain copies of patients’ personally identifiable information and some healthcare-related data.  Per a notice on the healthcare system’s website, the stolen data varies by person, but can include patient names, dates of birth, postal and email addresses, phone numbers, race and ethnicity data, and Social Security numbers. The stolen data also includes information about types of patients and medical…

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, walked into the sunlit hotel conference room in Brooklyn on Thursday to meet with a dozen youth leaders working in tech safety, policy, and innovation. The young adults chatted away at black circular tables, many unaware of his presence until he plopped down at a table and started talking with them.  After making his way through various tables in the room, he took the stage to talk about the hopes and harms of this era of technological progress. “Thank God you guys exist, thank God you guys are here,” he said. He spoke about tech…

DeFi Development Corp. (JNVR), formerly known as Janover, is doubling down on its plan to buy more Solana for its treasury as it looks to offer up to $1 billion worth of securities. The firm, formerly a commercial real estate lending tech platform, revealed in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing that it plans on using the funds for “general corporate purposes, including the acquisition of Solana.” The offering will include common and preferred stock, debt instruments, warrants, and units. DeFi Development has already acquired approximately $48.2 million of SOL and plans to operate validators on the Solana…

This is your last chance to put your brand at the center of the AI conversation during TechCrunch Sessions: AI Week — with applications to host a Side Event closing tonight at 11:59 p.m. PT. From June 1-7, TechCrunch is curating a dynamic weeklong series of Side Events leading up to and following the main event — TC Sessions: AI, taking place June 5 at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall. These are the gatherings where off-stage magic happens — and you still have a chance to lead one. Whether it’s a roundtable, workshop, happy hour, or meetup, your Side Event can…

We’re thrilled to announce that Roelof Botha, the managing partner of Sequoia Capital and one of the most influential figures in the venture capital world, will join us live onstage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 at Moscone West in San Francisco, which will take place from October 27 to 29. As part of our ongoing mission to bring smart, future-focused conversations to the venture and startup community, having Botha — a leader who’s helped shape some of the most iconic tech companies of the last two decades — join us feels particularly critical this year, and for good reason. First, the…