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The bewildering phenomenon of declining quality

It’s as if the smell of burnt plastic from a dollar store has permeated the world. Things are worse: chipboard furniture, T-shirts unrecognizable after a second wash, packaged foods with more preservatives than ingredients. Airplane seats turned into backrests. Automatic restroom lights that turn off at a whim. But also newspaper articles shamelessly written with ChatGPT and its algorithmic prose. Nothing is made to be loved. Only to be bought. In a study titled The Concept and Measurement of P

Travelers to the U.S. must pay a new $250 'visa integrity fee' – what to know

Visitors to the United States will need to pay a "visa integrity fee," according to a provision of the Trump administration's recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The fee applies to all visitors who need nonimmigrant visas to enter, and cannot be waived. However travelers may also be able to get the fees reimbursed, according to the provision. Details about the new requirement are scant, which has resulted in "significant challenges and unanswered questions regarding implementation,"

Why is AI so slow to spread?

T alk to executives and before long they will rhapsodise about all the wonderful ways in which their business is using artificial intelligence. Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase recently said that his bank has 450 use cases for the technology. “ AI will become the new operating system of restaurants,” according to Yum! Brands, which runs KFC and Taco Bell. AI will “play an important role in improving the traveller experience”, says the owner of Booking.com. In the first quarter of this year executiv

Hackers are trying to steal passwords and sensitive data from users of Signal clone

Hackers are targeting a previously reported bug in the Signal clone app TeleMessage in an effort to steal users’ private data, according to security researchers and a U.S. government agency. TeleMessage, which earlier this year was revealed to be used by high-ranking officials in the Trump administration, already experienced at least one data breach in May. The company markets modified versions of Signal, WhatsApp, and Telegram for corporations and government agencies that need to archive chats

Tesla reportedly close to starting sales in India

In Brief Tesla is nearly ready to start selling its electric vehicles in India, according to Bloomberg News, after years of flirting with the idea. The company is about to open its first showroom in Mumbai and could start deliveries as early as August, according to the report. A few hours after Bloomberg published its report, Tesla created an account specifically for its Indian operation on CEO Elon Musk’s social media platform X. The account has one post so far: an illustration of the Mumbai

OpenAI tightens the screws on security to keep away prying eyes

In Brief OpenAI has reportedly overhauled its security operations to protect against corporate espionage. According to the Financial Times, the company accelerated an existing security clampdown after Chinese startup DeepSeek released a competing model in January, with OpenAI alleging that DeepSeek improperly copied its models using “distillation” techniques. The beefed-up security includes “information tenting” policies that limit staff access to sensitive algorithms and new products. For exa

Trump inaugural impersonators scammed donors out of crypto, feds say

Scammers impersonating the President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance Inaugural Committee fraudulently stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, according to a new complaint filed by federal prosecutors. The perpetrators used phony email addresses made to look like they belonged to the inaugural committee to " trick or coerce victims into providing them money," according to the civil complaint filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. Using email addres

Tripadvisor stock surges 17% as Starboard Value builds sizable stake in online travel company

Tripadvisor stock jumped 17% Thursday after Starboard Value revealed a more than 9% stake in the online travel company, according to a securities filing. The position was valued at about $160 million as of Wednesday's close. Tripadvisor shares have been flat since the start of the year after plummeting more than 30% in 2024. Last year, the travel review and booking company said it created a special committee to explore potential options.

Tripadvisor stock surges 10% as Starboard Value builds sizable stake in online travel company

Tripadvisor stock jumped 10% Thursday after Starboard Value revealed a more than 9% stake in the online travel company, according to a securities filing. The position was valued at about $160 million as of Wednesday's close. Tripadvisor shares have been flat since the start of the year after plummeting more than 30% in 2024. Last year, the travel review and booking company said it created a special committee to explore potential options.

Tesla shares drop on Musk, Trump feud ahead of Q2 deliveries

Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., during a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa's president, not pictured, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. Tesla shares have dropped 7% from Friday's closing price of $323.63 to the $300.71 close on Tuesday ahead of the company's second-quarter deliveries report. Wall Street analysts are expecting Tesla to report deliveries of around 387,000 — a 13% de

Apple sues former Vision Pro employee for allegedly stealing 'thousands of documents' before joining Snap

A customer tries on the Apple Vision Pro headset during the product launch at the Apple Store in New York City on February 2, 2024. Apple has accused a former engineer for its Vision Pro headset computer of stealing company trade secrets before starting a new job at Snap , according to a lawsuit filed in California last week. In the June 24 court filing, Apple accuses Di Liu, a senior design engineer, of downloading thousands of documents in his final days at the Cupertino company last year an

Apple to Release Cheaper MacBook Air Powered by iPhone Processor, Analyst Says

Apple will release a cheaper MacBook Air laptop powered by an iPhone processor, according to a Monday post on X by respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities. According to the report, the 13-inch thin-and-light laptop will enter production in late 2025 or early 2026 and will be powered by the A18 Pro processor, the same chip powering the iPhone 16 Pro. This laptop might also give you more color options, including pink and yellow, along with the standard silver. Apple is targ

Mexican drug cartel hacker spied on FBI official’s phone to track and kill informants, report says

In 2018, a hacker hired by the Mexican Sinaloa drug cartel run by the infamous kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán spied on the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City with the goal of identifying “people of interest” for the cartel to target and kill, according to a new U.S. government watchdog report. On Friday, the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General revealed the incident as part of a published report auditing the FBI’s efforts to counter surveillance with the goal of protecting “its e

Oracle stock jumps after $30 billion annual cloud deal revealed in filing

Oracle CEO Safra Catz speaks at the FII PRIORITY Summit in Miami Beach, Florida, on Feb. 20, 2025. Oracle shares jumped more than 5% after a recent filing showed a cloud deal that would add over $30 billion annually. CEO Safra Catz is slated to share the deal news at a company meeting Monday, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The revenues are expected to start hitting in the 2028 fiscal year. "Oracle is off to a strong start in FY26," Catz is expected to say,

Rivian cuts dozens on manufacturing team ahead of R2 launch

Rivian has laid off around 140 employees, or roughly 1% of its workforce, as it prepares for the launch of its more affordable R2 SUV in 2026, TechCrunch has learned. The cuts were mostly made to Rivian’s manufacturing team and have been ongoing since Wednesday, according to multiple former employees who were granted anonymity to speak about the layoffs. Some employees were told that the company was eliminating roles that created “process inefficiencies.” Rivian confirmed the cuts in an email

Cargo Ship Carrying Flaming EVs Sinks Off the Coast of Alaska

If you were waiting on a new car, the Domino’s Pizza Tracker equivalent for vehicle orders might be stuck at the “Delivery” spot for a while. A cargo ship carrying a fleet of electric vehicles, hybrids, and gas-powered vehicles sank, according to the New York Times, after catching fire while crossing the Pacific. The Morning Midas, a ship sailing under a Liberian flag and managed by international shipping firm Zodiac Maritime, went under about 360 nautical miles from the coast of Alaska, accord

Trump Mobile Draws Attention to Purism's $1,999 Liberty Phone

The Trump Organization drew headlines last week when it announced the launch of Trump Mobile, a cell service with plans to release a gold T1 phone in September. One of its selling points, according to the website, is that the T1 phone is "Proudly made in America," though that does not appear it will be the case when the phone launches, among other issues. An independent phone maker based in San Francisco, however, has been working on the closest thing to a smartphone made almost entirely in the

OpenAI weighs "nuclear option" of antitrust complaint against Microsoft

OpenAI executives have discussed filing an antitrust complaint with US regulators against Microsoft, the company's largest investor, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions between the two long-term AI partners. OpenAI, which develops ChatGPT, has reportedly considered seeking a federal regulatory review of the terms of its contract with Microsoft for potential antitrust law violations, according to people familiar with the matter. The potential antitr

OpenAI weighs “nuclear option” of antitrust complaint against Microsoft

OpenAI executives have discussed filing an antitrust complaint with US regulators against Microsoft, the company's largest investor, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions between the two long-term AI partners. OpenAI, which develops ChatGPT, has reportedly considered seeking a federal regulatory review of the terms of its contract with Microsoft for potential antitrust law violations, according to people familiar with the matter. The potential antitr

The cracks in the OpenAI-Microsoft relationship are reportedly widening

In Brief OpenAI and Microsoft may be reaching an inflection point in their relationship, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. The report, citing anonymous sources, says OpenAI executives have considered publicly accusing Microsoft of anticompetitive behavior throughout their partnership. OpenAI executives also mulled whether to seek a federal regulatory review of their contract with Microsoft. OpenAI is trying to loosen Microsoft’s grip on its intellectual property and computin

Suspect in Minnesota Shooting Linked to Security Company, Evangelical Ministry

A man named Vance Boelter allegedly shot and killed Melissa Hortman, a Democratic Minnesota state representative, and her husband Mark Hortman at their home at some point early Saturday morning while, according to law enforcement, impersonating a police officer. He also allegedly shot state senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman at their home. They are alive, but remain in critical condition. Law enforcement has said they found a manifesto and hit list in the alleged suspect’s car, wh

One Survivor Walks Away From Air India Plane Crash That Killed 241: Report

A London-bound plane carrying 242 people crashed in Ahmedabad, India, shortly after takeoff on Thursday. Air India flight 171 crashed into B.J. Medical College, where early reports suggest dozens more have been killed on the ground, according to the New Indian Express. There was one survivor from the plane, according to the BBC. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh survived the crash, according to the Hindustan Times and the BBC, which cites Ahmedabad’s police chief GS Malik as a source. The man, a 40-year-ol

Crypto exchange Bybit says it was hacked and lost around $1.4B

Crypto exchange Bybit announced on Friday that “a sophisticated attack” led to the theft of Ethereum (ETH) from one of the company’s offline wallets. Bybit’s chief executive and co-founder Ben Zhou said in a livestream that the hackers stole around 401,346 ETH, which at the time of the theft amounts to about $1.4 billion. Both crypto security firm Elliptic, as well as crypto security researcher ZachXBT, the total amount of ETH stolen is worth around $1.4 billion, making this the largest known

Crypto exchange Bybit says it was hacked and lost around $1.4 billion

Crypto exchange Bybit announced on Friday that “a sophisticated attack” led to the theft of ethereum (ETH) from one of the company’s offline wallets. Bybit’s chief executive and co-founder Ben Zhou said in a livestream that the hackers stole around 401,346 ETH, which at the time of the theft amounts to about $1.4 billion. Both crypto security firm Elliptic, as well as crypto security researcher ZachXBT, the total amount of ETH stolen is worth around $1.4 billion, making this the largest known

61 US startups became unicorns in 2024: Here’s the full list

Despite the tight venture capital market, unicorns are still being created every month. Using data from Crunchbase, CB Insights, and PitchBook, TechCrunch tracked down the newly minted unicorns so far this year. The list includes Elon Musk’s xAI, which is already valued at a staggering $24 billion, as well as a good number of other AI startups. But cybersecurity, health tech, and fintech have also done well. This list will be updated throughout the year, so check back and see the powerhouses ra

SpaceX engineers brought on at FAA after probationary employees were fired

Engineers who work for Elon Musk’s SpaceX have been brought on as senior advisers to the acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), sources tell WIRED. On Sunday, Sean Duffy, secretary of the Department of Transportation, which oversees the FAA, announced in a post on X that SpaceX engineers would be visiting the Air Traffic Control System Command Center in Virginia to take what he positioned as a tour. “The safety of air travel is a nonpartisan matter,” Musk replied. “S

CEO of Clearview AI, a controversial facial recognition startup, has resigned

The CEO of Clearview AI, the controversial facial recognition startup that created a searchable database of 30 billion photos by scraping the internet, has resigned, according to a statement he supplied to TechCrunch. The CEO, Hoan Ton-That, said “it is time for the next chapter in my life” and that he would remain on as a board member of Clearview AI. He declined to comment when asked for more details on what specifically sparked his resignation. The news was first reported by Forbes. Clearvi

These Are the SpaceX Engineers Already Working Inside the FAA

Engineers who work for Elon Musk’s SpaceX have been brought on as senior advisers to the acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), sources tell WIRED. On Sunday, Sean Duffy, secretary of the Department of Transportation, which oversees the FAA, announced in a post on X that SpaceX engineers would be visiting the Air Traffic Control System Command Center in Virginia to take what he positioned as a tour. “The safety of air travel is a nonpartisan matter,” Musk replied. “S

After raising $1 billion, fintech Varo closes another $29 million, replaces founder CEO

Fintech Varo has been hoping to raise a $55 million Series G round but has, so far, closed on $29 million to date, according to a recent SEC filing. Varo declined to comment on this new round but the fintech has raised just over $1 billion in funding since its 2015 inception, according to PitchBook. It wouldn’t be the first time its fundraising didn’t go as hoped for. In 2023, Varo raised a $50 million equity round at a lower valuation ($1.85 billion post-money) than its massive and, it said,