Google pays $68 million to settle claims its voice assistant spied on users
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/26/google-pays-68-million-to-settle-claims-its-voice-assistant-spied-on-users/
Source:https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/26/google-pays-68-million-to-settle-claims-its-voice-assistant-spied-on-users/
TechCrunch
Google pays $68M to settle claims its voice assistant spied on users | TechCrunch
Google did not admit wrongdoing in the settlement of the class-action case, which accused the firm of "unlawful and intentional interception and recording of individuals’ confidential communications without their consent and subsequent unauthorized disclosure…
South Korea’s Edenlux set for U.S. debut of eye-strain wellness device
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/26/south-koreas-edenlux-set-for-u-s-debut-of-eye-strain-wellness-device/
Source:https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/26/south-koreas-edenlux-set-for-u-s-debut-of-eye-strain-wellness-device/
TechCrunch
South Korea’s Edenlux set for U.S. debut of eye-strain wellness device | TechCrunch
Edenlux builds wearable tech to protect and train your eyes, inspired by its founder’s personal vision recovery.
Qualcomm backs SpotDraft to scale on-device contract AI with valuation doubling toward $400M
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/26/qualcomm-backs-spotdraft-to-scale-on-device-contract-ai-with-valuation-doubling-toward-400m/
Source:https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/26/qualcomm-backs-spotdraft-to-scale-on-device-contract-ai-with-valuation-doubling-toward-400m/
TechCrunch
Qualcomm backs SpotDraft to scale on-device contract AI with valuation doubling toward $400M | TechCrunch
SpotDraft now processes over 1 million contracts annually using its AI tool, with contract volumes up 173% year-over-year.
‘Among the worst we’ve seen’: report slams xAI’s Grok over child safety failures
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/among-the-worst-weve-seen-report-slams-xais-grok-over-child-safety-failures/
Source:https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/among-the-worst-weve-seen-report-slams-xais-grok-over-child-safety-failures/
TechCrunch
'Among the worst we've seen': report slams xAI's Grok over child safety failures | TechCrunch
“We assess a lot of AI chatbots at Common Sense Media, and they all have risks, but Grok is among the worst we’ve seen,” Robbie Torney of Common Sense Media said.
Northwood Space secures a $100M Series B and a $50M Space Force contract
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/northwood-space-secures-a-100m-series-b-and-a-50m-space-force-contract/
Source:https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/northwood-space-secures-a-100m-series-b-and-a-50m-space-force-contract/
TechCrunch
Northwood Space secures a $100M Series B and a $50M Space Force contract | TechCrunch
This is the El Segundo, California-based startup's second raise in less than a year.
Uber launches an ‘AV Labs’ division to gather driving data for robotaxi partners
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/uber-launches-an-av-labs-division-to-gather-driving-data-for-robotaxi-partners/
Source:https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/uber-launches-an-av-labs-division-to-gather-driving-data-for-robotaxi-partners/
TechCrunch
Exclusive: Uber launches an 'AV Labs' division to gather driving data for robotaxi partners | TechCrunch
Uber is not developing its own robotaxis again; instead it plans to collect and offer data. It's a bet that more volume will help autonomous vehicle partners solve the weirdest edge cases.
Luminar receives a larger $33 million bid for its lidar business
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/luminar-receives-a-larger-33-million-bid-for-its-lidar-business/
Source:https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/luminar-receives-a-larger-33-million-bid-for-its-lidar-business/
TechCrunch
Luminar receives a larger $33 million bid for its lidar business | TechCrunch
A new leading bidder has appeared in the Luminar bankruptcy case: Redmond, Washington-based MicroVision, which beat out Quantum Computing Inc.'s bid by $5 million.
China’s Moonshot releases a new open-source model Kimi K2.5 and a coding agent
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/chinas-moonshot-releases-a-new-open-source-model-kimi-k2-5-and-a-coding-agent/
Source:https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/chinas-moonshot-releases-a-new-open-source-model-kimi-k2-5-and-a-coding-agent/
TechCrunch
China's Moonshot releases a new open source model Kimi K2.5 and a coding agent | TechCrunch
The company said that the model was trained on 15 trillion mixed visual and text tokens.
Node-based design tool Flora raises $42M from Redpoint Ventures
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/node-based-design-tool-flora-raises-42m-from-redpoint-ventures/
Source:https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/node-based-design-tool-flora-raises-42m-from-redpoint-ventures/
TechCrunch
Node-based design tool Flora raises $42M from Redpoint Ventures | TechCrunch
Flora lets customers use image, text, or video to create media assets, including images and video. Users can also use prompts to create modifications to build new nodes with multiple iterations. These generated versions are mapped with each other on a canvas…
Pinterest to lay off 15% of staff to redirect resources to AI
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/pinterest-to-lay-off-15-of-staff-to-redirect-resources-to-ai/
Source:https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/pinterest-to-lay-off-15-of-staff-to-redirect-resources-to-ai/
TechCrunch
Pinterest to lay off 15% of staff to redirect resources to AI | TechCrunch
Pinterest says it's "reallocating resources to AI-focused roles and teams that drive AI adoption and execution" and "prioritizing AI‑powered products and capabilities."
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Airtable gets into the AI agent game with Superagent
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/airtables-valuation-fell-by-7-million-its-founder-thinks-that-was-just-the-warm-up/
Source:https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/airtables-valuation-fell-by-7-million-its-founder-thinks-that-was-just-the-warm-up/
TechCrunch
Airtable jumps into the AI agent game with Superagent | TechCrunch
SuperAgent is Airtable's first stand-alone product in its 13-year history, and signals both the company's ambitions and the reality of the current AI moment: Every serious software player is racing to prove they can deliver on agents.
Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni’s Phia raises $35M to ‘make shopping fun again’
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/phoebe-gates-and-sophia-kiannis-phia-raises-35m-to-make-shopping-fun-again/
Source:https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/phoebe-gates-and-sophia-kiannis-phia-raises-35m-to-make-shopping-fun-again/
TechCrunch
Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni’s Phia raises $35M to ‘make shopping fun again’ | TechCrunch
“We are just at such a prime time of opportunity,” Gates said to explain the new fundraise. “Commerce itself for the consumer hasn’t really been adapted in the last 30 years, and the opportunity to make a truly personalized, end-to-end shopping experience…
Samsung’s TriFold phone will cost $2,899 in the US
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/samsungs-trifold-phone-will-cost-2899-in-the-us/
Source:https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/samsungs-trifold-phone-will-cost-2899-in-the-us/
TechCrunch
Samsung's TriFold phone will cost $2,899 in the US | TechCrunch
The phone's display unfolds twice to reveal a 10-inch display, which is the largest screen ever on a Galaxy phone.
Risotto raises $10M seed to use AI to make ticketing systems easier to use
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/risotto-raises-10m-seed-to-use-ai-to-make-ticketing-systems-easier-to-use/
Source:https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/risotto-raises-10m-seed-to-use-ai-to-make-ticketing-systems-easier-to-use/
TechCrunch
Risotto raises $10M seed to use AI to make ticketing systems easier to use | TechCrunch
"Our special sauce is the prompt libraries, the eval suites, and the thousands and thousands of real-world examples that the AI gets trained on to ensure it actually does what it's expected to do,” CEO Aron Solberg told TechCrunch.
Amazon is closing its physical Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh stores
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/amazon-is-closing-its-physical-amazon-go-and-amazon-fresh-stores/
Source:https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/amazon-is-closing-its-physical-amazon-go-and-amazon-fresh-stores/
TechCrunch
Amazon is closing its physical Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh stores | TechCrunch
Upon closing down some stores in 2024, an Amazon spokesperson said that the company "couldn't make the economics work with the lease cost." These retail closures will not impact customers who use Amazon for grocery delivery.
Google now lets users jump from AI Overviews into AI Mode conversations
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/google-now-lets-users-jump-from-ai-overviews-into-ai-mode-conversations/
Source:https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/google-now-lets-users-jump-from-ai-overviews-into-ai-mode-conversations/
TechCrunch
Google now lets users jump from AI Overviews into AI Mode conversations | TechCrunch
The tech giant also announced that it's making Gemini 3 the new default model for AI Overviews globally.
Indian states weigh Australia-style ban on social media for children
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/indian-states-weigh-australia-style-ban-on-social-media-for-children/
Source:https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/indian-states-weigh-australia-style-ban-on-social-media-for-children/
TechCrunch
Indian states weigh Australia-style ban on social media for children | TechCrunch
Any move to restrict children's access to social media in India would carry significant implications for global technology companies, for which the South Asian nation is a critical growth market.
Android phones are getting more anti-theft features
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/android-phones-are-getting-more-anti-theft-features/
Source:https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/android-phones-are-getting-more-anti-theft-features/
TechCrunch
Android phones are getting more anti-theft features | TechCrunch
Google says Android devices will get new security features, like stronger authentication safeguards and enhanced recovery tools.
Amid Trump attacks and weaponized sanctions, Europeans look to rely less on US tech
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/amid-trump-attacks-and-weaponized-sanctions-europeans-look-to-rely-less-on-us-tech/
Source:https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/amid-trump-attacks-and-weaponized-sanctions-europeans-look-to-rely-less-on-us-tech/
TechCrunch
Amid Trump attacks and weaponized sanctions, Europeans look to rely less on US tech | TechCrunch
European governments are looking to move away from U.S. tech and reclaim their digital sovereignty at a time of unpredictability and volatility in the United States.
OpenAI launches Prism, a new AI workspace for scientists
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/openai-launches-prism-a-new-ai-workspace-for-scientists/
Source:https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/openai-launches-prism-a-new-ai-workspace-for-scientists/
TechCrunch
OpenAI launches Prism, a new AI workspace for scientists | TechCrunch
OpenAI has launched a new scientific workspace program called Prism, which integrates AI into existing standards for composing research papers.
If you live in the UK, you probably won’t be able to visit Pornhub anymore
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/if-you-live-in-the-uk-you-probably-wont-be-able-to-visit-pornhub-anymore/
Source:https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/if-you-live-in-the-uk-you-probably-wont-be-able-to-visit-pornhub-anymore/
TechCrunch
If you live in the UK, you probably won't be able to visit Pornhub anymore | TechCrunch
Pornhub parent company Aylo will restrict access from U.K. users, rather than comply with age-verification mandates, which the company said it believes have not succeeded in promoting online safety.