Crunchbase data shows global venture funding hit $300 billion in the first quarter of 2026, an all-time high, with AI companies capturing $242 billion, or 80% of that total. Despite the surge, an advisor to high-growth and venture-backed firms notes that founders are increasingly losing deals not because of weak technology, but because of shaky financial and operational foundations that investors uncover during due diligence.
Apple increased its Apple TV streaming service price from $12.99 to $14.99 per month, with the annual rate rising from $99 to $119. The Apple One bundle, which includes Apple TV alongside iCloud storage and Apple Music, also rose from $19.95 to $21.95 for individual plans.
Samsung has begun rolling out the One UI 9 Watch beta to US-based owners of the Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic, following an earlier launch in South Korea. The update, accessible through the Samsung Members app, brings a redesigned Galaxy Wearable app, revamped Samsung Health metrics, and new workout and camera remote features.
WhatsApp has begun rolling out five new chat theme categories on iOS: Featured, Nature, Live, Minimal, and Doodle, according to WABetaInfo. The standout is Live, which offers slowly moving animated backgrounds marked by a small icon, while the app automatically matches chat bubble colors to the chosen theme.
Amazon has cut the price of Samsung's new Freestyle Plus portable projector by $250, from its $1,197.99 list price to $947.99, a 21% reduction. This marks the first time the device has been discounted since its release, and it's the best offer seen on it so far this year.
A new Entrepreneur op-ed argues that identifying a profitable niche is only the first step for e-commerce founders, who often stall by over-researching or polishing websites before validating demand. The author outlines a practical approach: define a single customer and problem, translate that problem into a specific offer, and test it cheaply before scaling.
LG's Monitor App Installer software was found sneaking pop-up ads, disguised as driver updates, onto customers' PCs, with McAfee promotions appearing at every boot even on premium $1,200 UltraGear monitors. After PC hardware outlet Gamers Nexus exposed the issue, Microsoft stepped in and pressured LG to pull the ads.
MSI's new Katana 15 HX C14 gaming laptop offers a choice of DDR4-3200 or DDR5 memory across two regional variants, a move aimed at keeping prices down amid soaring DRAM costs. The laptop can be configured with up to a 24-core Intel Core i9-14900HX processor and an Nvidia RTX 5070 GPU, alongside dual PCIe Gen 4x4 M.2 slots and a cooling system rated for 170W combined power.
According to The Information, the Trump administration is preparing a new export control aimed at closing a loophole that lets Chinese firms tap advanced AI compute through remote servers hosted in Thailand and Singapore, countries not currently bound by China-specific chip restrictions. The Commerce Department could circulate the draft rule to industry groups for feedback as early as September.
Retro, a friend-focused photo-sharing app founded by former Instagram engineers Nathan Sharp and Ryan Olson, closed a Series A round of more than $21 million in December, according to an SEC filing spotted by Business Insider. The filing was made under the startup's legal name, Lone Palm Labs, and Pitchbook now pegs the company's valuation above $100 million.
Nvidia has registered a new federal political action committee that will collect voluntary donations of up to $5,000 a year from eligible employees to fund candidates and party committees. The company told staff that upcoming congressional decisions on AI regulation, export controls and infrastructure could significantly affect the industry. This move follows Nvidia's hiring of a new chief external affairs officer and five outside lobbying firms, alongside a jump in federal lobbying spending to over $2.5 million this year.
A widely discussed Hacker News post argued developers should favor GUIs over terminal user interfaces (TUIs), sparking pushback from commenters who claimed TUIs are superior because they're keyboard-driven. The author counters that keyboard-driven design isn't exclusive to TUIs, pointing to guidelines like GNOME's HIG that explicitly require GUIs to support full keyboard navigation.
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