Cruise, the self-driving subsidiary of General Motors, has agreed to pay a $112,500 fine for failing to provide full information about an accident involving one of its robotaxis last year. The settlement with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) not only avoids litigation, it puts Cruise in a position to restart operations in the state. … Read more
In 2013, there were 26 reported school shootings in the U.S. That figure rose to 82 a decade later. America has a school shooting problem, this much we can agree on. The cause of — and solution to — the issue, on the other hand, is where things start to fall apart. It has become … Read more
Earlier in February, Meta said that it would start labeling photos created with AI tools on its social networks. Since May, Meta has regularly tagged some photos with a “Made with AI” label on its Facebook, Instagram, and Threads apps. But the company’s approach of labeling photos has drawn ire from users and photographers after … Read more
Google said today that it is globally pausing its experiment of allowing real-money games on the Play Store, citing the lack of a central authority to approve such apps as a challenge. In January, the company said it would start allowing real-money apps widely in June in India, Brazil, and Mexico. Notably, India has had … Read more
AI-powered language learning app Speak is on a tear. Since launching in its inaugural market of South Korea in 2019, Speak has grown to over 10 million users, CEO and co-founder Connor Zwick told TechCrunch. Its user base has doubled every year for the last five years, and Speak now has customers in more than 40 … Read more
YouTube appears to be taking a firm stance against Premium subscribers who attempt to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to access cheaper subscription prices in other countries. This week, a number of users took to Reddit to express their frustration after their Premium plans were canceled for using a VPN to purchase the subscription … Read more
LTK (formerly LiketoKnow.it and RewardStyle), the influencer shopping app with 40 million monthly users, announced on Thursday the launch of a free direct message tool for creators to instantly share pre-set responses with followers. The new tool, called LTK DM, is integrated into the posts section of the LTK app. When a creator shares an … Read more
The global freelancer market, a $1.3 trillion industry fueled by over 200 million knowledge workers, drives demand for solutions that automate payroll and streamline employment and tax regulations worldwide. However, most existing products fail to address the legal landscape of emerging markets, such as differences in employment laws. This oversight means global hiring platforms, which … Read more
Robotics funding has broadly cooled off since its 2021-2022 peaks, but plenty of the issues exposed by the pandemic remain firmly in place. The biggest push behind venture funding in the category is an ongoing labor shortage. Analyst firm Garner forecasts that by 2028, half of large enterprise companies will employ robots in their warehouse … Read more
Instagram is introducing the ability for users to broadcast live to just their Close Friends list, the company announced on Thursday. The new “Close Friends on Live” feature allows users to go live with up to three other people. Instagram says the new feature can be used to share what’s on your mind, spontaneously catch … Read more
