German LLM maker, Aleph Alpha, pivots to AI support
Europe doesn’t have many large language model (LLM) makers but one of these rare AI beasts — Germany’s Aleph Alpha — appears to be preparing to rule itself out of the running, per Bloomberg, which has an interview with CEO Jonas Andrulis on its pivot to a broader generative AI-support
Read moreThe AI industry is obsessed with Chatbot Arena, but it might not be the best benchmark
LMSYS' Chatbot Arena is perhaps the most popular AI benchmark today — and an industry obsession. But it's far from a perfect measure. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Read moreRivian’s chief software designer is coming to TechCrunch Disrupt 2024
Every automaker is aiming to build and sell the so-called software-defined vehicle. Rivian may have actually done it, but getting there wasn’t easy. Just ask Rivian’s chief of software Wassym Bensaid. In a bid to drive down manufacturing costs and improve the performance of its EVs, Rivian changed 600 parts
Read moreDJI takes another crack at palm-sized drones, and this one is $199
This week at IFA in Berlin, DJI is once again going small with the new Neo. Like the Spark before it, the drone’s ability to land in the palm of the user’s hand is a major selling point. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Read morePortex founder Brittany Ennix learned the importance of supply chains from Uber and Flexport
Brittany Ennix launched Portex, a company that allows SMBs to connect with freight partners and manage shipments and operations in one place. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Read moreVerizon bets on fiber’s staying power as it acquires Frontier for $20B
Some major consolidation is afoot in the world of internet communications — and it will have implications for competition and consumer internet access in U.S. On Thursday, Verizon announced that it would gobble up Frontier Communications for $20 billion — more than double Frontier’s market cap at the close of
Read moreSedric monitors the communications of employees at financial institutions to ensure compliance
For financial institutions, complying with regulations is becoming a costlier proposition. According to a recent poll, 76% of financial services firms increased their compliance expenditure from 2022 to 2023, with most blaming new laws. With the cost of compliance averaging out to around $10,000 per employee these days, many firms
Read moreKinsome aims to bridge the generation gap with its new app for kids and grandparents
Over a year ago, former Session M exec Eben Pingree received the news that his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Two days later, his father-in-law was given the same diagnosis. To create lasting memories and help his three young children bond with their grandparents, Pingree — along with his co-founders
Read moreReonic raises €13 million to help small installers of green tech like heat pumps and solar panels
European regulators are pushing hard for greener energy. The REPowerEU plan calls for 10 million additional heat pumps to be added by 2027, and solar panels are also on the rise. But most installations are done by small businesses that could be more productive with better work processes. This is
Read moreBoom’s macOS camera app lets you customize your video call appearance
As someone who talks to many people outside my time zone, I often spend at least a few minutes on a video call explaining my location, time, and weather. That information became easier to convey with a Mac app called Boom, now available as a freemium product. Boom is a
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