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I Already Liked Anker's 'Built for the Wild' Bluetooth Speaker, but It's a Bargain at 32% Off

A little less than five years ago, Anker released a Bluetooth speaker called the Soundcore Motion Plus that turned out to be quite popular because it delivered surprisingly good sound for its fairly compact size and $100 price. In some ways, Anker's new Soundcore Boom 3i is the spiritual successor to that speaker. It's similarly shaped but has more of an outdoor adventure slant with Anker calling it "built for the wild" and billing it as the first Bluetooth speaker with playback in water, as it

The Architects of Project 2025 Are Suddenly Very Concerned About AI Safety

The Heritage Foundation — the group behind the infamous Project 2025, the conservative policy plan that outlined regressive social policies and the consolidation of executive power that's served as a playbook for the Trump administration — is suddenly really, really down with AI regulation. Who could have guessed! The conservative think tank has recently been sharing a clip from a May episode of the "Heritage Explains" podcast in which Wesley Hodges, the Heritage Foundation's Acting Director of

Introducing the Going Public Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025

For the first time ever, TechCrunch Disrupt is launching the Going Public Stage — a brand-new destination for founders navigating the mid and late stages of company building. This content is essential for any founder, but especially those scaling fast, preparing for exit, or reimagining what comes next. Because whether you’re at the seed stage or Series E, the most successful founders are always thinking 10 steps ahead. You’ll hear from some of the biggest names in tech and venture — including

Veloretti just made one of the best e-bikes lighter and cheaper

is a deputy editor and Verge co-founder with a passion for human-centric cities, e-bikes, and life as a digital nomad. He’s been a tech journalist for 20 years. Dutch bicycle brand Veloretti just announced a slimmed-down version of its excellent Electric Two series of electric bikes for European commuters. The step-over Ace Two Lite is a lighter and less expensive version of the very heavy Ace Two e-bike I reviewed back in 2023, which ditches the sublime Enviolo automatic shifter in favor of a

The best noise-canceling earbuds of 2025: Expert tested and reviewed

When did everything become so noisy? The best noise-canceling earbuds don't just improve your music-listening experience, they also offer up complete silence when you need zero distractions. Active noise-cancelation (ANC) is a highly coveted feature in the current earbud market. With the help of tiny microphones on the earbuds' exterior, ANC earbuds actively cancel out incoming sound waves, preserving quiet while amplifying in-ear sound. No matter how strong a pair's noise-canceling powers are,

This LG soundbar transformed my living room into a home theater - with Dolby Atmos included

ZDNET's key takeaways The LG S95TR soundbar with wireless subwoofer is optimized for the company's OLED TVs with immersive audio features. The LGS95TR may be expensive, but the high-quality audio is easily worth the price. The soundbar has many features, but some of the best ones require a newer LG TV model. View now at Best Buy View now at Amazon more buying choices It's been a year since LG released the S95TR soundbar, following much hype, as a high-end complement to its newest OLED TVs. Th

Google Cloud donates A2A AI protocol to the Linux Foundation

Google Cloud has donated its Agent2Agent (A2A) protocol to the Linux Foundation, which has now announced a new community-driven project called the Agent2Agent Project. A2A was originally developed by Google Cloud as a protocol specification, SDK, and tooling set that made communication between AI agents possible. The protocol allows AI agents from different vendors to discover each other, share capabilities and context, and securely collaborate on complex tasks. AI agents are AI-powered tools

The ‘GQuuuuuuX’ Finale Might Be One of the Most Hopeful ‘Gundam’ Endings in Years

So much of Gundam GQuuuuuuX‘s riffing on the legacy of the 1979 original across its 12 episodes has been almost about a yearning sense of inevitability that it could only end in one way—a retread of what came before narratively, and a continuation of the cycle of conflict that has broadly defined the franchise at large and the Universal Century setting that GQuuuuuuX played with in particular. But in its final episode, GQuuuuuuX played with its nostalgic sensibilities one last time to imagine fo

The All-In Podcast’s $1,200 tequila has already sold out

In Brief The VCs, pod bros, and self-proclaimed “besties” of the All-In Podcast launched their own tequila brand Saturday night and it promptly sold out, according to liquor ecommerce sites. Their version of the Mexican spirit cost a jaw-dropping $1,200 apiece but only 750 bottles were made. The stacked poker-chip container was inspired by the “besties” love of the card game. The All-In Podcast is one of the most popular shows by venture investors who have turned to politics. The besties cons

Apple’s Invites app just added a lot more backgrounds for your events

Apple Invites, the new app that debuted earlier this year for organizing events, has just been updated to add a lot more background options than before. Apple’s Invites app is now up to version 1.3, with the newest addition being new background options for your events. The latest App Store release notes say: New event backgrounds help bring to life your next pool day, drinks with friends, watch party for the big game, and more! Browsing the updated app, Apple has clearly expanded the built-i

At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, Medha Agarwal, Jyoti Bansal, and Jennifer Neundorfer discuss what makes a pitch land

Perfect your pitch for maximum impact. Investors hear hundreds of pitches, but only a few stand out. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, hear directly from Medha Agarwal, general partner, defy.vc; Jyoti Bansal, CEO and co-founder, Harness; Jennifer Neundorfer, co-founder and managing partner, January Ventures as they share what grabs their attention, what turns them off, and the subtle signals founders often miss. This candid panel reveals the insider strategies to help you build trust, stand out, and w

Expand.ai (YC S24) is hiring a founding engineer

What if the internet were a database you could query? At expand.ai we're making that a reality. A combination of distributed systems, custom models, browser infrastructure, and a lot of passion from a tiny team, in-person here in Dogpatch, SF, is all you need. Apply if you're interested in working on bleeding-edge web agents applied at a large scale. We have a very talented team, great architects, and some have even worked on custom hardware before. I'm Tim, a 2nd-time founder, and I have s

Anker Mini Bluetooth Speaker Drops Below Prime Day Prices, Backed by 100,000 Five-Star Reviews

Whether biking with mates, sunbathing at the beach or relaxing on your balcony, a good wireless speaker is your best friend. Every year, when the temperatures go up, so does demand for these convenient devices with sales peaking just before summer kicks in. Among all models available, there’s one that always stays in front: the Anker Soundcore 2 portable Bluetooth speaker. And it is currently the #1 best-selling portable Bluetooth speaker on Amazon. The Anker speaker currently retails at an all

Goldman Sachs and Citadel back crypto firm Digital Asset in $135 million funding round

Crypto company Digital Asset said Tuesday that it's netted $135 million in funding from a raft of major names in banking and finance. The firm, which touts itself as a regulated crypto player, said it raised the fresh cash in a funding round co-led by DRW and Tradeweb, with Goldman Sachs , BNP Paribas and Ken Griffin's Citadel Securities also investing. The investment highlights how large financial institutions are embedding themselves in the once murky world of cryptocurrencies. Previously a

IPX7 Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker Is 41% Off, Amazon’s Early Prime Day Price Revealed

Summer is upon us and a portable Bluetooth speaker is the ideal companion for beach days and pool parties. The right combination of sound quality, price, and waterproofing makes all the difference. Currently, Amazon has the Houl Zallee IPX7 waterproof Bluetooth speaker at its lowest price ever – $59, down from a list price of $100. That’s 41% off, and that’s the kind of deal that lets you have premium-quality features at an affordable price. See at Amazon Great Audio This speaker is built to

macOS Tahoe 26 beta 2 includes toggle to restore menu bar background

Apple has added a new toggle to show the menu bar background in macOS Tahoe 26 beta 2. The option was added after beta 1 arrived with no menu bar background and no toggle to restore it. The new option is available in Settings > Menu Bar > Show menu bar background. Currently off by default, the toggle works as advertised by simply restoring the frosted layer of menu bar background across the width of your Mac display. The toggle does not affect the placement of menu bar items or text. Apple rem

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory shares first images from planned decade-long survey of the sky

The National Science Foundation just shared the first images captured by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, a sample of the footage it'll capture as part of a planned decade-long survey that's starting later in 2025. The project, dubbed the "Legacy Survey of Time and Space" is predicted to lead to the discovery of "millions of new asteroids within the first two years" the survey is running. In just a 10 hour period, the National Science Foundation says that the Rubin Observatory "discovered 2,104 n

I'm taking this portable Sony speaker to the beach this summer. Here's why

Sony Ult Field 1 ZDNET's key takeaways The Sony Ult Field 1 is a portable speaker available for $130 (but it's currently $88 on Amazon) The speaker prioritizes crystal-clear sound and pronounced bass, with vibrant audio that sounds like it's coming from a much more expensive device It doesn't boast as long a battery life as its predecessor, but what it lacks in battery, it makes up for in stellar sound. $89.99 at Target Amazon is discounting this Sony Ult Field 1 speaker by $40 right now. My

Novo Nordisk Abruptly Ends Partnership with Hims, Claiming ‘Sham Compounding’ GLP-1 Drugs

Bad blood is brewing among some major players in the weight loss world. Novo Nordisk, the creator of Ozempic and Wegovy, cut short its partnership with telehealth company Hims & Hers Health Inc. over allegations that the latter is still trying to mass-market cheaper versions of the GLP-1 drugs. Bloomberg News reported the abrupt dissolution of the partnership Monday, just two months after it was struck. Novo claims that Hims is using “deceptive marketing” to widely sell compounded semaglutide t

Good News: Two of Apple TV+’s Most Slept-On Sci-Fi Shows Have Hopeful Plans for More

If you’re a sci-fi fan, you really must check out Apple TV+—streaming home of so many of the best genre shows right now. Two standouts happen to have the same executive producer among their credits: David S. Goyer, who’s part of team Murderbot as well as team Foundation. Murderbot‘s first season wraps up July 11, the same day Foundation returns for its third season. Neither show has been renewed beyond that, but to hear Goyer tell it, the future is looking bright. “I don’t want to give away too

JLab’s new party speaker puts a light show in your pocket

is a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid. JLab has announced a new Party line of wireless speakers that continues an industry trend of adding animated RGB lighting to anything that plays music. That even includes the new budget-minded JLab Pop Party speaker — which is small enough to squeeze into a pocket but still features customizable LEDs. The $19.99 Pop Party is the lightest and che

Forget JBL, Amazon Fire TV 3.1-channel Soundbar With Subwoofer Drops to Its Lowest Price for a Limited Time

Whether your main TV is in your living room, bedroom, basement, or dedicated home theater, you should seriously consider hooking up a soundbar. Don’t underestimate just how important audio is when it comes to immersive viewing. A really good sound system can make all the difference, and the good news is you don’t need to break the bank to install one. Right now, Amazon has its Fire TV soundbar with a subwoofer on sale for 23% off. Normally going for $375, that discount is enough to bring this te

Senators urge FTC to investigate Spotify’s higher-priced bundled subscription

Two U.S. senators have requested that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigate Spotify due to allegations that the company bundled its music streaming and audiobook services into a more expensive subscription without obtaining user consent, while also reducing royalty payments to creators in the process. On Friday, June 20, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Ben Ray Luján wrote a letter to the FTC, claiming that Spotify converted standard premium subscriptions into higher-cost bundled sub

Tired of whispery TV dialogue? I found 3 ways to fix that - easy and simple

Kerry Wan/ZDNET Say you're watching an edgy new streaming series and find yourself turning up the volume for every scene where two actors are engaged in a dramatic dialogue. It seems like both characters are whispering -- until an explosion happens on screen, and the sound is the opposite, almost deafening. Also: Why I recommend this TCL Mini LED TV to most people in 2025 - especially at this price What's up with that? It's not just the imbalanced proportion of sound that bothers you, and it'

SMB-focused Finom closes €115M as European fintech heats up

While funding may be scarce for some, Europe’s fastest-growing startups still have their pick. The latest beneficiary of that investor appetite is Finom, a five-year-old, Amsterdam-based challenger bank that targets small and medium-size businesses across Europe. The company, which claims to have doubled its revenue in 2024, just closed a €115 million Series C equity round (around $133 million), TechCrunch learned exclusively. This comes only a few weeks after it landed $105 million in growth f

This Bluetooth Waterproof Speaker by Anker Is Practically Free on Amazon, and It’s No Joke

It’s always convenient to have a tiny Bluetooth speaker handy whether you want to hear music in the shower, take it outdoors during summer activities or take it on a bicycle ride or boat trip. Anker is a trusted brand of portable electronics and the Soundcore Select 4 Go speaker receives rave reviews (4.7/5 on over 2,000 reviews) from users for sound quality. The great news is that the Soundcore Select 4 Go speaker is now available on Amazon for $19, an amazing deal considering it originally re

This Marshall Bluetooth speaker sounds better than audio systems that cost hundreds more

ZDNET's key takeaways The Marshall Killburn III Bluetooth speaker is available on Amazon for $379. With rich, dynamic bass and a wide soundstage, you'll enjoy music of all genres with this speaker You might run into trouble pairing the speaker with the Marshall app (as I had). $379.99 at Amazon $379.99 at B&H Photo-Video $379.99 at Crutchfield more buying choices I'm quite familiar with the Marshall brand and its lineup of audio products. I have a Marshall amp that sounds brilliant (much bett

Amazon Offers Fire TV Soundbar for Practically Free to Clear Out Stock Before Prime Day

It’s never a bad time to elevate your home entertainment setup whether it’s in your living room, bedroom or home theater, especially if you love hosting. Don’t underestimate just how important audio is when it comes to immersive viewing. What you want is a really good sound system, and the good news is you don’t need to break the bank to install one. Right now, Amazon has its Fire TV soundbar on sale for 29% off. Normally going for $120, that discount is enough to bring this television audio acc

The new math: Why seed investors are selling their winners earlier

Charles Hudson had just closed his fifth fund several months ago — $66 million for Precursor Ventures — when one of his limited partners asked him to run an exercise. What would have happened, the LP wondered, if Hudson had sold all his portfolio companies at Series A? What about Series B? Or Series C? The question wasn’t academic. After two decades in venture capital, Hudson has been watching the math of seed investing change, maybe permanently. LPs who’ve previously been patient with seven-to

Wiki Radio: The thrilling sound of random Wikipedia

The thrilling sound of random Wikimedia Inspired by WikiTok , I thought I'd make something to discover sounds uploaded to Wikimedia. From political speeches and bird noises to genuine bangers, it's mostly wholesome, though I cant guarantee it won't play you something horrible once in a while.If you want shorter sounds, try it in Revolution 9 Mode.