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Brian Singerman is raising over $500M for a new fund with a twist on the VC model

Former Founders Fund GP Brian Singerman and co-founder and managing partner of Quiet Capital, Lee Linden, are seeking over $500 million for a new fund called GPx, three people familiar with their strategy told TechCrunch. A portion of GPx’s fund will likely come from Founders Fund co-founder Peter Thiel, these people said. GPx uses a two-pronged strategy. The firm will invest approximately 20% of the capital into funds managed by emerging VCs who are targeting pre-seed and seed-stage startups;

Which Foldable Will You Flip For? Comparing Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Z Flip 7 FE

Samsung recently unveiled the Galaxy Z Flip 7, and while the phone is still expensive -- it'll set you back $1,100 to start -- it's matching the price of its predecessor. That's admirable considering this newest iteration of the Flip phone series features several upgrades, including bigger screens and more powerful hardware. But the Z Flip 7 isn't the only clamshell foldable Samsung is debuting this summer. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE is slightly smaller and bridges the gap between the two generatio

Brian Singerman’s new fund has a twist, and Peter Thiel as a big backer

Former Founders Fund GP Brian Singerman and co-founder and managing partner of Quiet Capital, Lee Linden, are seeking over $500 million for a new fund called GPx, three people familiar with their strategy told TechCrunch. A significant portion of GPx’s fund, potentially as much as 50%, will come from Founders Fund co-founder Peter Thiel, these people said. GPx uses a two-pronged strategy. The firm will invest approximately 20% of the capital into funds managed by emerging VCs who are targeting

Trade Desk's stock jumps on S&P 500 inclusion as Ansys exits index due to acquisition

Jeff Green, Founder, CEO, and Chairman, The Trade Desk and Andrew Wallenstein, Variety Intelligence Platform, President and Chief Media Analyst speak onstage at "Advertising’s New Normal: Unifying Streaming and Identity in 2023" during the Variety Entertainment Summit at CES at the Aria Resort & Casino on January 06, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Shares of The Trade Desk jumped 14% in extended trading on Monday, as the digital advertising company is set to join the S&P 500. S&P Global announced t

EU likely to shelve digital tax plan that would target Apple and other Big Tech companies

Just ahead of its next multi-year budget proposal, the European Commission is walking back plans to impose a digital tax on Big Tech companies, handing a win to both U.S. tech giants like Apple and Meta, and to President Trump. Out with the digital tax, in with a few more Initially pitched as a way to help repay the EU’s shared pandemic-era debt, the digital levy was floated in May and appeared in internal drafts of the bloc’s next seven-year budget, now expected to be published by the Europea

Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs. Z Fold 6: Slimmer Body, Bigger Screens and Slightly Higher Price

At Samsung Unpacked in July, the phonemaker introduced its most advanced foldable yet: the Galaxy Z Fold 7. It supersedes last year's Galaxy Z Fold 6 with upgrades big and small (or rather, big and thin), but how exactly do they compare? Here's the Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6 specs comparison. Samsung has been releasing foldable phones for over half a decade now since the initial Galaxy Fold (no "Z" back then) launched in 2019, and the company has gotten pretty good at the newer smartph

Malaysia will require trade permits for US AI chips

Malaysia is taking on a bigger role in helping the U.S. prevent advanced AI chips from ending up in China. The Malaysian Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry announced new restrictions on exporting AI chips of U.S. origin out of its country on Monday. Individuals and companies are now required to notify Malaysian authorities at least 30 days in advance when they are exporting or transshipping U.S. AI chips, effective immediately. “Malaysia stands firm against any attempt to circumvent ex

UK launches vulnerability research program for external experts

UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has announced a new Vulnerability Research Initiative (VRI) that aims to strengthen relations with external cybersecurity experts. The agency already conducts internal vulnerability research on a wide range of technologies and will continue to do so. However, the launch of VRI will create a parallel program designed to improve discovery and sharing of critical insights with the community more expeditiously. The NCSC is the UK's cybersecurity authority

Musk's xAI faces European scrutiny over Grok's 'horrific' antisemitic posts

The Grok logo is being displayed on a smartphone with Xai visible in the background in this photo illustration on April 1, 2024. The European Union on Monday called in representatives from Elon Musk's xAI after the company's social network X, and chatbot Grok, generated and spread anti-semitic hate speech, including praise for Adolf Hitler, last week. A spokesperson for the European Commission told CNBC via e-mail that a technical meeting will take place on Tuesday. xAI did not immediately re

I spent a weekend with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, and I became more of a fan

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET The Galaxy Z Flip lineup has been the most popular of Samsung's foldable devices, and its appeal is clear -- who can't benefit from a device with all the functionalities of a regular smartphone that can also shape-shift into a smaller phone for everyday ease? Also: My first 24 hours with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 left me completely mesmerized With its latest addition to the lineup, the Galaxy Z Flip 7, Samsung leaned into the phone's most attractive feature, making it even more

Dozens of ‘Ghost Galaxies’ Are Orbiting the Milky Way, Astronomers Suspect

The Lambda Cold Dark Matter (LCDM) theory suggests that most galaxies are low-mass dwarf galaxies, many of which orbit larger galaxies like the Milky Way. More broadly, the LCDM represents our best understanding of how the universe works. But there’s a problem. According to the theory, the Milky Way should have significantly more satellite galaxies than scientists have observed with telescopes and predicted with computer simulations. By combining the highest-resolution supercomputer simulations

Xbox Ally Gaming Handheld Price Could Be Higher Than Expected, Leak Suggests

The ROG Xbox Ally handheld gaming device from Asus and Microsoft debuted last month, and there were a lot of questions about the new portable. The big question about price might have been answered by a leak, and it looks like this handheld won't be cheap. A Google search screenshot showed a listing for the Xbox Ally and upgraded Ally X at 599 and 899 euros, as first spotted by Spanish gaming site 3DJuegos on Sunday and reported by Insider Gaming. This would put the Xbox Ally at approximately $7

Interlock ransomware adopts FileFix method to deliver malware

Hackers have adopted the new technique called 'FileFix' in Interlock ransomware attacks to drop a remote access trojan (RAT) on targeted systems. Interlock ransomware operations have increased over the past months as the threat actor started using the KongTuke web injector (aka 'LandUpdate808') to deliver payloads through compromised websites. This shift in modus operandi was observed by researchers at The DFIR Report and Proofpoint since May. Back then, visitors of compromised sites were prom

This entry-level robot vacuum left some of my expensive ones in the dust

ZDNET's key takeaways At $199, the Tapo RV20 Max is an affordable option that works surprisingly well. The RV20 Max robot vacuum features strong 5,300Pa suction, great navigation skills that don't use the bump-and-run system, and plenty of customization options for the price. On the downside, the Tapo RV20 Max doesn't have great obstacle avoidance, often getting its brush tangled with cables and small items. View now at Amazon While I love a hands-free robot vacuum and mop that can do it all

This security-focused Linux distribution is surprisingly good for everyday use

Ger Bosma/Getty There are some Linux distributions that were created for specific purposes. There are those for creating multimedia, developing software, network routing, ethical hacking, general use, and everything in between. And then there are some distributions that can easily serve multiple purposes. When I think of ParrotOS, I generally think of security: forensics, penetration testing, etc. I've used ParrotOS for similar purposes before, but always neglected to test the Home edition.

I replaced my TV with this long-throw projector, and it's absolutely worth it - now it's $450 off

Kerry Wan/ZDNET The Xgimi Horizon Ultra is on sale for $1,299 (save $450) at Xgimi. When it comes to reviewing tech, a lot of the things that fall into my wheelhouse revolve around mobility, from flipping smartphones to thumb-sized action cameras. When I'm not out and about, I like to dedicate my downtime to electronics that make life at home more enjoyable, like this projector I tested last year. The Horizon Ultra from Xgimi (pronounced "ex-gee-me") is the latest entry on my running list of

Embedding user-defined indexes in Apache Parquet

Embedding User-Defined Indexes in Apache Parquet Files Posted on: Mon 14 July 2025 by Qi Zhu, Jigao Luo, and Andrew Lamb It’s a common misconception that Apache Parquet files are limited to basic Min/Max/Null Count statistics and Bloom filters, and that adding more advanced indexes requires changing the specification or creating a new file format. In fact, footer metadata and offset-based addressing already provide everything needed to embed user-defined index structures within Parquet files w

Elon Musk Is Trying to Get His Other Companies to Foot the Bill for xAI

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is set to invest billions in his artificial intelligence company, and now he is hoping Tesla will do the same. Investors familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal that the rocket company SpaceX has agreed to invest a whopping $2 billion in xAI, the Musk-led firm behind the controversial large language model Grok. This investment makes up almost half of the $5 billion of equity that the AI company raised last month. Unsurprisingly, the richest man in the world isn

Governor of Texas Says He Can't Release His Emails With Elon Musk Because They Are "Intimate and Embarrassing"

Texas governor Greg Abbott is seemingly terrified of having his communications with billionaire Elon Musk come to light. As the Texas Tribune and public radio station the Texas Newsroom, report in an eye-opening, co-published investigation, the elected official's public information coordinator, Matthew Taylor, said that the communications are confidential — and should stay that way — because they include "information that is intimate and embarrassing and not of legitimate concern to the public,

Pixel 10 Pro Fold may not be skinny, but it might have a larger battery

TL;DR The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is expected to have a slightly larger cover display. Google may have also increased the Fold’s battery capacity. The foldable should have a Tensor G5 chip with 16GB of RAM and 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options. Recently, there has been a growing number of Pixel 10 series leaks as we inch closer to the eventual launch date. However, there isn’t nearly as much information about Google’s next foldable as there is about the rest of Pixel 10 family. That gets correc

I stopped buying ice after testing this smart cooler - and it's hit an all-time-low price

ZDNET's key takeaways The Anker Solix EverFrost 2 is available for $1,349 but currently on sale. This cooler works as a portable mini-fridge, with dual-zone cooling and the capacity to freeze or refrigerate. The Anker Solix EverFrost 2 is bulky and heavy, and it only comes with one battery so you have to purchase the second to reach the full 3.2 day capacity. View now at Best Buy View now at Amazon more buying choices The Anker Solix EverFrost 2 58L electric cooler is typically $1,100, but it

Why I recommend this Samsung Galaxy Watch over competing Androids

ZDNET's key takeaways The 47mm Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra normally retails for $650 on Amazon, although it occasionally goes on sale. It's a stylish-looking smartwatch with a slew of safety features and a long-lasting battery. However, it's only available in a single size (47mm, to be exact), meaning it may not be a good fit for folks with smaller wrists. $419.99 at Amazon Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra is the company's top-of-the-line wearable, sporting a tough exterior, an eye-catching design

The 41 Best Shows on Netflix Right Now (July 2025)

Streaming services are known for having award-worthy series but also plenty of duds. Our guide to the best TV shows on Netflix is updated weekly to help you know which series you should move to the top of your queue. They aren’t all surefire winners—we love a good less-than-obvious gem—but they’re all worth your time, trust us. Feel like you’ve already watched everything on this list that you want to see? Try our guide to the best movies on Netflix for more options. And if you’ve already comple

US government announces $200 million Grok contract a week after ‘MechaHitler’ incident

A week after Elon Musk’s Grok dubbed itself “MechaHitler” and spewed antisemitic stereotypes, the US government has announced a new contract granting the chatbot’s creator, xAI, up to $200 million to modernize the Defense Department. xAI is one of several leading AI companies to receive the award, alongside Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI. But the timing of the announcement is striking given Grok’s recent high-profile spiral, which drew congressional ire and public pushback. The use of technology

Malaysia will require trade permits for U.S. AI chips

Malaysia is taking on a bigger role in helping the U.S. prevent advanced AI chips from ending up in China. The Malaysian Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry announced new restrictions on exporting AI chips of U.S. origin out of its country on Monday. Individuals and companies are now required to notify Malaysian authorities at least 30 days in advance when they are exporting or transshipping U.S. AI chips, effective immediately. “Malaysia stands firm against any attempt to circumvent ex

5 Android phones you should buy instead of the Galaxy Z Flip 7

Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority As a big fan of flip phone foldables, the new Galaxy Z Flip 7 looks like a phone I’ve been wanting from Samsung for years. Samsung’s Z Flip handsets have always been a safe choice in the flip phone market, but the Flip 7 looks like a truly exciting one. Between the vastly improved cover screen, larger main display, and slimmer design, it’s an impressive piece of kit. But for everything Samsung seems to have gotten right with the Z Flip 7, I do have some conc

Not again: Sony’s WH-1000XM6 hinge shows signs of cracking

TL;DR A WH-1000XM6 user has reported a broken hinge, even after using the headphones “carefully.” While there has only been this one report so far, Sony supposedly redesigned the XM6 hinge to prevent this. The problem echoes an issue that plagued the previous XM5 model. The flagship Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones are barely two months old, but a new report is raising concerns about their durability. Specifically, it’s an issue from the predecessor device we had hoped was in the past. A Reddit po

xAI starts offering Grok to US government agencies

Just days after apologizing for Grok's recent hard turn toward antisemitism, xAI has announced a suite of AI products for government use. Grok for Government brings together the company's latest commercial products, including Grok 4 and Deep Search, with special considerations given to the needs of federal, state and local agencies. To that end, xAI says it will design custom models for specific national security and research customers. It will also develop specialized AI applications for use i