Battery recycling heats up with Ascend Elements’ $542M Series D
Venture funding for battery recycling startups is popping off lately, and the latest to see the IRA-driven upside is Ascend Elements, which announced a massive $542 million in Series D funding on top of $480 million in earlier DoE grants. The eight-year-old company recycles lithium batteries into black mass and
Read moreMeta Quest adds new avatar customization options, an unsend message feature and more
As part of the v57 software update for Meta Quest headsets, the company announced Monday a bevy of new features — including more avatar customization options, an unsend message feature, group links, free-form locomotion ability in Horizon Home and a rebranded Explore feed. Meta also made improvements to video recording,
Read moreMicrosoft promises to protect Copilot customers from copyright infringement claims
Last week, Microsoft announced the Copilot Copyright Commitment, aimed at protecting Copilot customers from copyright infringement claims. If a third-party sues a commercial customer for copyright infringement for using Microsoft’s Copilots or the output they generate, Microsoft promises to legally defend the customer and incur any damages and legal fees.
Read more5 more fantastic reasons to go to TechCrunch Disrupt 2023
Holy smokes, only one week to go before TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 takes over San Francisco! We can’t wait to see you there! If you haven’t already done so, buy your pass before Friday, September 15 at 11:59 p.m. PDT. After that, full-freight pricing goes into effect. Once more, and a
Read moreDivvy Homes goes from $2B valuation to third round of layoffs in a year
Divvy Homes, the rent-to-own startup that gained attention and investment from Tiger Global and other high-profile investors, is laying off 94 employees. The layoffs — its third round in the past year — represents the latest blow to the real estate tech company, as mortgage interest rates have continued to
Read moreThe FTC is setting its sights on generative AI
Generative AI startups should familiarize themselves with the parameters and limits of several common antitrust theories of harm.
Read moreSnapchat partners with MTV to let users vote for VMAs through Lenses
MTV has partnered with Snapchat to let users vote for a Video Music Awards category through Lenses. The entertainment company is leveraging Snap’s Camera Kit to integrate AR-based experiences into the award show. Users will be able to vote on the Best New Artists once the three finalists are decided.
Read moreApple Event 2023: How to watch the iPhone 15 reveal tomorrow
Apple is set to announce new iPhone models during its “Wonderlust” keynote on Tuesday at 10 AM PT (1 PM in New York, 6 PM in London, 7 PM in Paris), and you’ll be able to watch the event right here. Rumor has it that Apple will unveil the next
Read moreMGM Resorts blames ‘cybersecurity issue’ for ongoing outage
Hotel and casino giant MGM Resorts has confirmed a “cybersecurity issue” is to blame for an ongoing outage affecting systems at the company’s Las Vegas properties. “MGM Resorts recently identified a cybersecurity issue affecting some of the company’s systems,” the company said in a statement posted to X, formerly Twitter,
Read moreiPhone 15’s shift to USB-C has hidden potential to streamline computing
Apple is set to reveal the iPhone 15 at a special event held tomorrow, Tuesday September 12, and we already know a lot about what to expect thanks to rumors and supply chain sources — but this time thanks also to European Union regulators. That last source strongly suggests that
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