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Bambu Lab has released the R1, its second laser product, this time as a standalone 55W CO2 cutter and engraver rather than one built into a 3D printer. It offers a 600 x 300mm work area, expandable to 3000mm with an optional conveyor, along with an overhead camera for positioning and Bambu's own software suite. The 70-plus pound machine costs $2,499 and can cut and engrave wood, acrylic, glass and other materials.
Patagonia is launching a program that pays people $100 for getting three friends or family members to vote in the upcoming November election. The initiative targets an estimated 11.2 million environmentally minded Americans who skipped the last election, using peer pressure and financial incentive to boost turnout.
Apple has released the Beats 360, a new $349.99 over-ear headphone that sits between Beats Studio Pro and AirPods Max in price. The headphones use custom Beats silicon but now support automatic device switching tied to a user's Apple Account, Hey Siri, and Find My integration, alongside stronger noise cancellation, louder output, IPX4 water resistance, and longer battery life than Studio Pro. Apple simultaneously cut the price of Beats Studio Pro to $299.99, though the new 360 model drops wired connectivity entirely.
Beats executive Jaime Schusser explained that the new Beats 360 headphones were built around customization, letting wearers swap ear cushions between fabric and eco-friendly leather options to suit workouts or style. He said the design targets a broad audience but especially appeals to younger buyers who enjoy mixing and matching, likening it to owning multiple sneaker pairs. Schusser added that despite the fresh, lighter look, the headphones retain Beats' brand identity through its signature colors and logo.
A comparison of Apple's Beats 360 and Sony's WH-1000XM6 highlights contrasting design philosophies: Beats opts for a lighter, sportier, highly customizable plastic build with swappable ear cushions and headbands, while Sony offers a more understated, foldable design with a protective hard-shell case. Sony's headphones weigh less at 254 grams versus Beats' 294 grams, and each brand ships with a different accessory case—Sony's rigid and compact, Beats' a soft gym-bag-style pouch.
Beats' new 360 headphones adopt design elements from Apple's AirPods Max 2, including rotating ear cups, a stainless steel arch, and a more flexible headband, while still carrying the Beats logo. Unlike the aluminum AirPods Max 2, the Beats 360 uses mostly plastic construction, making them noticeably lighter at 294 grams versus 386 grams. The two also differ in accessories, with Beats offering a magnetic fabric case compared to Apple's minimal Smart Case.
Beats has launched the Beats 360, a redesigned headphone with fully removable ear cups that twist off to swap between two cushion types: a knit fabric built for workouts and a plush option for everyday listening. Each earpiece runs independently with its own battery and processing chip instead of a wired connection through the headband, and extra cushion kits cost $50.
While Waymo cites data showing its robotaxis crash far less often than human drivers, a TechCrunch investigation using OSHA records found that Waymo and Amazon-owned Zoox caused dozens of test-driver injuries like whiplash and sprains during 2026 training runs, often from abrupt braking or driving errors. The report notes OSHA's data is incomplete due to narrow reporting requirements, and injuries reportedly continued at Zoox through the year.
Caraway, known for ceramic-coated cookware, has released a new drip coffee maker built without any plastic in the brew path. The machine uses a stainless steel brew basket, a reusable stainless steel filter, and a 10-cup glass carafe with a stainless steel lid interior, though silicone is used around the lid's exterior.
Bambu Lab has released the R1, its first standalone CO2 laser engraver, priced at $2,500 and built to fit into the same ecosystem as its 3D printers. The device borrows acceleration algorithms and vision-encoder camera technology from Bambu's printer lineup to reduce cutting artifacts and improve accuracy when aligning material on the bed.
TechCrunch is offering early registration discounts of up to $200 off passes for its Disrupt 2026 conference, plus 50% off a second ticket, with the deal expiring September 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT. The event runs October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco and will feature over 10,000 attendees, 200+ sessions, and 250+ tech leaders across six stages.
TikTok's newly spun-off U.S. entity, TikTok USDS Joint Venture, has joined Lantern, an industry-wide program that lets tech firms share signals about child exploitation across platforms. The company also pledged $2 million toward a three-year, $10 million effort by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to upgrade its CyberTipline reporting system with automation and advanced search tools.