Netflix is betting on podcasts to become the new daytime talk show
Netflix is making exclusive deals with podcast studios to compete with YouTube, but podcasters have mixed feelings.
From Roombas to e-bikes, why are hardware startups going bankrupt?
The hardware world had a brutal week, with iRobot, Luminar, and Rad Power Bikes all filing for bankruptcy. Each company faces its own mix of tariff pressures, supply chain issues, and shifting markets, but together
OpenAI adds new teen safety rules to ChatGPT as lawmakers weigh AI standards for minors
OpenAI updated its guidelines for how its AI models should behave with users under 18, and published new AI literacy resources for teens and parents. Still, questions remain about how well policies translate into
Known uses voice AI to help you go on more in-person dates
In its test phase in San Francisco, Known said it observed 80% of its introductions led to physical dates, which is much higher than swipe-based dating apps.
Netflix acquires gaming avatar maker Ready Player Me
The gaming startup will allow Netflix subscribers to create avatars that can extend across gaming titles.
Meta is developing a new image and video model for a 2026 release, report says
The company is working on an image and video model and new text-based model, which aids with coding.
Krafton hikes India bet with new $670M fund
Called the Unicorn Growth Fund, the investment vehicle is a collaboration between Krafton and South Korean internet conglomerate Naver, and investor Mirae Asset. It aims to deploy around $669.3 million over four years.
Hacks, thefts and disruption: The worst data breaches of 2025
TechCrunch looks back at the biggest data breaches, disruptive cyberattacks, and damaging hacks of 2025, from the raiding of U.S. government databases to a hack every month in South Korea.
OpenAI is reportedly trying to raise $100B at an $830B valuation
The ChatGPT maker is aiming to raise the funding by the end of the first quarter in 2026, and the company may ask sovereign wealth funds to invest in the round.
TikTok agrees to deal to cede control of U.S. business to American investor group
The deal closes a long-running drama in which U.S. authorities have sought to compel ByteDance to divest.