Decoding a Heatmap: Using Espionage in the Battle for Riddler Nation
Unraveling enemy battle plans, one pixel at a timeImage by Bing Image Creator, with out-painting by Dall-E, upscaling by waifu2x, and color quantization by pngquant.This weekend marks the eighth and final Battle for Riddler Nation hosted by FiveThirtyEight. The first was held back in 2017. I’m fond of it because I
Read moreChris’ Corner: If these computers are so smart, how come I have tell them what to do?
It’s clear that this current generation of “AI” / LLM tools likes offering a “chat box” as the primary interaction model. Both Bard and OpenAI’s interface center a text input at the bottom of the screen (like most messaging clients) and you converse with it a bit like you would
Read moreThoughtSpot acquires Mode Analytics, a BI platform, for $200M in cash and stock
ThoughtSpot, an AI-powered analytics startup, today announced that it’s entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Mode Analytics, a business intelligence platform, for $200 million in cash and stock. The deal, ThoughtSpot CEO Sudheesh Nair says, will bolster ThoughtSpot’s generative AI capabilities while doubling the company’s customer base and growing
Read moreMeta launches new VR subscription ‘Meta Quest+’ for $7.99
Meta Quest users are getting a new subscription that gives them access to the top two titles every month. Dubbed Meta Quest+, the virtual reality subscription costs $7.99 per month or $59.99 annually. The first hint of the subscription service occurred in March when a Twitter user discovered a description
Read moreAmazon wants to turn small shops into delivery partners
According to a new report from Axios, Amazon wants to partner with small businesses, such as bodegas and IT shops, so that they can become delivery partners. The company pays a small fee to small retailers for each package they deliver. With this program, Amazon wants to expand its last-mile
Read moreAs the generative AI craze rages on, Ramp acquires customer support startup Cohere.io
Want more fintech news in your inbox? Sign up here. Finance automation company Ramp has acquired Cohere.io, a startup that built an AI-powered customer support tool, the companies told TechCrunch exclusively. Founded in 2020, New York-based Cohere.io (not to be confused with Cohere, another AI startup that recently raised capital)
Read moreAWS invests $100 million in new Generative AI Innovation Center
Last week, Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced that it is investing US$100 million in a program it calls the Generative AI Innovation Center that will connect AWS artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) experts with customers to help them build and deploy generative AI products and services. Chief executive
Read moreGlean operational advice from Airbnb and Instacart at TC Disrupt 2023’s Builders Stage
What does it take to turn an unknown startup into a household name? The ability to scale. It’s the Holy Grail that every early-stage startup founder chases. Scaling internal operations may lack the glamor of funding rounds and founder profiles, but it’s essential heavy lifting for startup success. Founders looking
Read moreThe hardest part of building software is not coding, it’s requirements
With all the articles about just how amazing all the developments in AI have been, there’s plenty of hand wringing around the possibility that we, as software developers, could soon be out of a job, replaced by artificial intelligence. They imagine all the business execs and product researchers will bypass
Read moreEnergy producer Suncor admits ‘cyber security incident’
A major Canadian energy producer and owner of the Petro-Can gas station network has acknowledged suffering an undefined cyber attack. In a brief news release late Sunday, Suncor Engery said it “has experienced a cyber security incident. The company is taking measures and working with third-party experts to investigate and
Read more