Tesla will open controversial FSD beta software to owners with a good driving record
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company will use personal driving data to determine whether owners who have paid for its controversial “Full Self-Driving” software can access the latest beta version that promises more automated driving functions. Musk tweeted late Thursday night that the FSD Beta v10.0.1 software update, which has already been pushed out […]
Grab your free Disrupt Expo Pass to access these breakout sessions at Disrupt next week
As we get closer to TechCrunch Disrupt 2021, the list of our special breakout sessions just gets bigger and better. The wide range of tech startups is on full display in these sessions hosted by our partners. What’s more, these smaller, interactive gatherings pack a lot of advice, insight and value — with plenty of […]
Web host Epik was warned of a critical security flaw weeks before it was hacked
Hackers associated with the hacktivist collective Anonymous say they have leaked gigabytes of data from Epik, a web host and domain registrar that provides services to far-right sites like Gab, Parler and 8chan, which found refuge in Epik after they were booted from mainstream platforms. In a statement attached to a torrent file of the […]
Rolls-Royce’s all-electric aircraft completes 15-minute maiden voyage
Steve Dent Contributor Steve Dent is an associate editor at Engadget. More posts by this contributor Rolls-Royce’s all-electric aircraft completes 15-minute maiden voyage Amazon’s cashierless ‘Just Walk Out’ tech is coming to Whole Foods stores Rolls-Royce, best known in aviation for its jet engines, has taken an all-electric airplane on its maiden voyage. The “Spirit […]
Choices and constraints: How DTC companies decide which strategy to follow
Companies typically have to settle on strategies that align with their customers, employees, investors, and regulators. The more they know about how the other side will decide, the clearer their own strategies become. If regulators always prefer choice for consumers, then it is easy for a platform to allow multiple payment choices: Shopify allows multiple […]
WarnerMedia’s Andy Forssell will discuss HBO Max at Disrupt 2021
In May 2020, WarnerMedia launched HBO Max into a crowded streaming landscape. In spite of early struggles, the timing couldn’t have been better. When the world was stuck at home, struggling to find new sources of entertainment amid a global pandemic, HBO’s latest attempt at an app-based platform rose in the ranks alongside fellow newly […]
Boston Dynamics owner Hyundai deploys Spot for factory safety monitoring
Back in June, Hyundai completed a deal for controlling interest in Boston Dynamics. The Korean automotive giant no doubt has some grand plans for integrating the Massachusetts-based firm’s technology into a lot of their forward-looking concept mobility vehicles — for now, however, it’s more about putting existing robots to work. Hyundai today announced the arrival […]
Former Instacart CFO Sagar Sanghvi joins Accel as its newest partner
Instacart‘s chief financial officer Sagar Sanghvi has departed from the on-demand grocery delivery company after nearly six years and is returning to his investing roots. Specifically, Sanghvi has joined Accel as a partner focused on global growth-stage consumer and enterprise investments. Prior to becoming CFO of Instacart, Sanghvi served as the company’s vice president of […]
Aurora Propulsion Technologies closes €1.7M seed for spacecraft maneuvering and deorbiting tech
More spacecraft will be sent to orbit this year than ever before in human history, and the number of satellite launches is only anticipated to increase through the rest of the decade. Under these crowded conditions, being able to maneuver satellites in space and deorbit them when they reach the end of their useful life […]
Extra Crunch roundup: Adtech investing, Intuit buys Mailchimp, ideal customer profiles
Major gains in online advertising have boosted valuations for adtech startups since the pandemic began, but one insider says investors are missing the party. “Adtech is having a moment,” writes industry veteran Casey Saran. “And while much of the oxygen has been soaked up by large legacy companies hitting the public market, there have been […]