Microsoft today announced that Immersive Reader, its service for developers who want to add text-to-speech and reading comprehension tools to their applications, is now generally available. Immersive Reader, which is part of the Azure Cognitive Services suite of AI products, developers get access to a text-to-speech engine, but just as importantly, the service offers tools […]
Perhaps some day in the not-so-distant future, we’ll all be wearing smart glasses. Stranger things have happened. And hey, most people were fairly skeptical in the early days of smartwatches. And while I’m not saying that it will definitely take Apple launching its own pair to accelerate mainstream acceptance à la the Apple Watch, I […]
Microsoft today launched Transcribe in Word, its new transcription service for Microsoft 365 subscribers, into general availability. It’s now available in the online version of Word, with other platforms launching later. In addition, Word is also getting new dictation features, which now allow you to use your voice to format and edit your text, for […]
Palantir, the secretive data analytics startup founded by billionaire investor Peter Thiel, would challenge a government order seeking the company’s encryption keys, according to a leaked document. TechCrunch has obtained a leaked copy of Palantir’s S-1, filed with U.S. regulators to take the company public. We’ve covered some ground already, including looking at Palantir’s financials, […]
Facebook News, the social network’s dedicated news section launched to U.S. audiences in June, is soon expanding to international markets. The company announced today it plans to accelerate its plans to bring the product to non-U.S. markets, including the U.K., Germany, France, India, and Brazil, within the timeframe of six months to a year. As […]
After far too few startups appeared ready to take advantage of warm public market conditions and ecstatic IPO receptions, a deluge of private companies filed to go public yesterday. There was Sumo Logic in the morning and JFrog a bit later on. Unity filed in there as well. Snowflake also dropped, along with Asana later […]
The private launch industry isn’t showing any signs of slowing down, and a new $172 million Series B round of funding for China commercial launch startup iSpace indicates it could be heating up internationally. The new funding was led by Beijing Financial Street Capital Operation Center, CICC Alpha, Taizhonghe Capital and includes participation from existing […]
If 2020 hasn’t been wild enough, there’s an extra special twist going down at Disrupt 2020 beyond the fact that, for the first time ever, the conference will be fully virtual. It also happens to be the show’s 10th anniversary. Time flies when you’re changing the world, eh? As part of Disrupt’s 10th anniversary celebration, […]
The last couple of years have been tough on the smartphone industry, as sales plateaued and eventually eroded. But nothing could have prepared manufacturers for 2020. This was supposed to be the year numbers began bouncing back, courtesy of 5G and some radical new designs. But the real figures have been utterly dismal. According to […]
Manasi Vartak, founder and CEO of Verta, conceived of the idea of the open source project ModelDB database as a way to track versions of machine models while she was still in grad school at MIT. After she graduated, she decided to expand on that vision to build a product that could not only track […]
Firefly is expanding its ad business in New York City by acquiring the out-of-home business of Strong Outdoor, as well as by becoming the advertising partner for fleet operator Sally. Firefly launched in 2018 by offering Uber and Lyft drivers a digital display that they could place at the top of their vehicles, making extra […]
Global communications startup Kymeta has raised a new $85.2 million funding round, led by Bill Gates . The Redmond-based company has developed a new type of smart, powered flat panel antenna that can be used to to vastly improve satellite and cellular connection signal strength. Kymeta’s new funding is intended to help it continue with […]
Fitbit would be the first to admit it was late to the smartwatch game. When it did finally launch a proper smartwatch with the Ionic, it was something of a misfire. But the Versa helped the wearable pioneer make up for some lost ground, courtesy of a solid, Android-compatible device at a good price. In […]
Fitbit’s big news for today was the launch of the Sense, a new, more premium smartwatch line designed to compete directly against the likes of Apple and Samsung. But Fitbit has never been one for solitary product launches. As such, two of its biggest lines are also getting key updates. First off is the Versa. […]
Accessory maker Nomad has a long history of delivering great accessories for iOS and Android devices, using great quality materials and craftsmanship. Now, the company is partnering with wireless charging technology startup Aira to debut the later’s premiere product: FreePower, a position-free wireless charging technology. Nomad’s new Base Station Pro ($229) is the first product […]
Chicago has a long history of creating industry-leading companies and it doesn’t seem COVID-19 is slowing down the city. TechCrunch surveyed Chicago venture capitalists who remain optimistic despite the current crisis. COVID-19 could be good for Chicago, they told TechCrunch throughout their survey responses. It’s clear from the responses below investors in Chicago are interested […]
Smart frames as a gadget category might seem like they’ve already had and passed their moment in the sun, but Netgear’s Meural line, which originated with large connected smart canvases, has a new entrant that breathes new life into the concept. The Meural WiFi Photo Frame is a 15.6-inch connected smart frame, with the same […]
This morning MURAL announced that it has raised $118 million in an outsized Series B. The visual collaboration startup provides a whiteboard-like digital environment that allows for users to cooperate and brainstorm. MURAL announced that it had raised $23 million earlier this year, though that investment closed in 2019. The $23 million round was a […]
Pleasanton-based green energy startup NDB, Inc. has reached a key milestone today with the completion of two proof of concept tests of its nano diamond battery (NDB). One of these tests took place at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and the other at the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge University, and both saw NDB’s battery tech […]
Amazon is rolling out a new augmented reality shopping tool, Room Decorator, that will allow you to see furniture and other home décor in your own space. While the retailer had experimented with AR tools in the past, what makes Room Decorator different is that it’s capable of virtually adding multiple products to the room […]
