Back in November, Google showcased a few of its funky machine learning experiments, and among them was Quick, Draw! (their bang, not mine) — a game where you sketch something and an image recognition system guesses what it is. Now the company is releasing the millions upon millions of sketches players submitted as an open data set for AI developers to play with. Read More
Facebook says it’s looking to become more open and transparent about its decisions, and it’s hired Liz Spayd, a former public editor of The New York Times, to consult on the process.
The hire comes as Facebook — or at least, parts of Facebook — seems to be wrestling with its role in the public sphere. There have been specific controversies, like the debate over… Read More
Everyone who’s flown around a drone (or UAV, or multirotor, or what have you) knows that they’re a lot of fun. But they’re being used all over the world for more serious purposes — after all, an autonomous flying vehicle is a great place to start for all kinds of applications, from delivery to archaeology. Here’s a sampling of what drones are getting up to across… Read More
The Essential Phone started arriving in the hands of media and reviewers just last week, and as of today it’s now also shipping out to its first customers. Essential announced the news via its Twitter account, and told early buyers to keep an eye out for tracking info sent out via email. Read More
Pioneer’s new AVH-2330NEX, which the company officially revealed at CES this year and started shipping just recently, offers both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in a single package, which is very convenient if you happen to spend time on both platforms. It also offers a CD/DVD slot, accessible via the sliding front faceplate, and a 7-inch resistive touchscreen with 800×480 screen… Read More
Elon Musk wants to connect your brain directly to a computer, and investors are ready to make that science fiction a reality. Musk’s startup Neuralink has raised the $26.96 million of a technically still-open funding round that could grow to $100 million, according to a new SEC filing. However, Musk himself tweets that Neuralink is no longer raising cash. Read More
Some Uber investors are demanding that the company inspect its records to find evidence of Benchmark Capital leaking confidential information to employees and others. On the heels of yesterday’s motion to intervene in the Benchmark lawsuit, lawyers for Uber investors Shervin Pishevar and Stephen Russell have submitted a “Rule 220 demand.” Read More
Price comparison websites for insurance products have been around for many years. However, typically, people buy from these based just on price, with zero customization based on the person. What’s required is a much more tailor-made service, changing the culture from strictly price-only focused to the “best cover for you.” That’s the pitch of U.K. startup Sherpa. Read More
Uber seems to be looking to make amends to the tech industry in light of its tumultuous year that kicked off with former engineer Susan Fowler’s allegations of sexual harassment and management issues at the company. Just yesterday, Uber offered $125,000 to Black Girls Code, but the organization turned it down, Black Girls Code founder Kimberly Bryant told TechCrunch. Read More
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is nearly here, with general availability set for September 15 and pre-orders on now. The smartphone was revealed with much fanfare during an event in NYC on Thursday, and Samsung drew particular attention to its new optically stabilized dual-camera system and improved S Pen stylus as the features that set it apart from the similar Galaxy S8 and S8+. The Note… Read More
Apps are dominating consumers’ digital media habits, but getting people to try new ones is still a tough sell. That’s the latest from comScore’s newly released 2017 U.S. Mobile Apps Report, which finds that 57 percent of consumers’ time spent using digital media is now taking place in mobile apps. Of that, 50 percent is occurring in smartphone apps versus only 7 percent… Read More
We were pretty enthusiastic when we reviewed The Defenders last week, but we’d only seen the four episodes that Netflix gave reviewers in advance. How did the rest of it hold up? In the latest episode of Original Content — TechCrunch’s new podcast discussing the latest streaming shows, movies and more — Darrell Etherington and Anthony Ha offer their thoughts on the… Read More
Tesla CEO Elon Musk himself has dropped hints that the car and energy company wants to also offer its own musical solution for playlists in the car, and now we have more evidence that’s on its way. Electrek reports that software clues from the most recent updates pushed out to Tesla cars include a reference to a music service called “TTunes.” There’s nothing there yet… Read More
Uber may not move into Oakland after all. The transportation company is now exploring other options, including sale, for the former Sears building it purchased in downtown Oakland, The San Francisco Business first reported and has since been confirmed by TechCrunch. “As we look to strengthen our financial position so we can better serve riders and drivers for the long term,… Read More
Google’s next-generation Pixel devices could arrive in a little over a month, according to prolific (and often accurate) leak source Evan Blass. The Pixel 2 (or whatever they end up being called) will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 836 mobile system-on-a-chip, Blass claims, and based on previous rumors, these devices look like a solid follow-up to Google’s debut premium… Read More
If you believe the hype, homes in the US are already lousy with speakers containing embodied AI — the most high profile being Amazon’s Echo, in its various incarnations, whose Alexa voice assistant can be commanded to do things like play music, answer trivia questions or tap into third party apps. But the truth is… Read More
Wattpad, the social publishing platform behind apps for sharing original stories and chat fiction, is today venturing into video with the launch of a new app called Raccoon. Unlike its predecessors, Raccoon will focus on non-fiction video-based storytelling, with the goal of connecting people who want to create and watch stories that either entertain or inspire. While Raccoon still fits… Read More
What if you could see if your Instagrams made people happy, surprised or disgusted? That’s just one of the innovative features of new photo-sharing social network Polygram. Using facial detection, Polygram gives you analytics about the emotional reactions people have to the photos you post. Read More
That pounding intro music is now enough on its own to make me feel nervous and anxious, thanks to the success of Black Mirror over the years. The Netflix exclusive is back for Season 4 later this year, with six brand new episodes penned by series creator Charlie Brooker. The teaser features a lot of quick cuts and short glimpses, but I’m most intrigued by this Star Trek-looking… Read More
Go-Jek, the on-demand transportation company that rivals Uber and Grab in Indonesia, is getting close to pulling in its next huge funding round. That’s because JD.com, the China-based e-commerce firm that rivals Alibaba, has agreed to join Go-Jek’s upcoming $1.2 billion round, a source with knowledge of discussions told TechCrunch. The news was first reported by The Information.… Read More
