Another person targeted by Paragon spyware comes forward

Another person who was allegedly targeted on WhatsApp with spyware made by Israeli company Paragon has come forward. Beppe Caccio, one of the co-founders of Mediterranea Saving Humans, an Italian non-government organization that helps immigrants, told TechCrunch that he had been targeted by the spyware campaign.  Caccio disclosed he was targeted after another one of … Read more

Apple reportedly partners with Alibaba after rejecting DeepSeek for China AI launch

According to a report published Tuesday by The Information, Apple is partnering Alibaba to bring its Apple Intelligence platform to China. The deal is said to arrive after the iPhone maker reportedly explored – but ultimately rejected – a potential partnership with uber-buzzy AI startup, DeepSeek, as well as with Bytedance. Apple initially selected Baidu … Read more

Pinkfish helps enterprises build AI agents through natural language processing

As the chief product officer for AI customer service startup TalkDesk, Charayna “CK” Kannan said that enterprises often say they want to automate different workflows but that it’s really hard to implement AI. Enterprises are dealing with clunky, legacy software, that often doesn’t have APIs, creating a daunting task their IT departments weren’t prioritizing. “Every … Read more

3D mood board and marketplace Mattoboard picks up $2M to launch AI visual search

Mattoboard, the makers of web-based software designed to simplify the creative process for interior designers and architects, is getting into AI. On Tuesday, the startup announced its $2 million seed funding round, which will support the launch of a new feature called Design Stream, an AI-driven visual search and discovery tool.  The company’s software, a … Read more

Ghanaian fintech Affinity bags $8M to scale digital banking in a mobile money-driven market

Africa’s top digital banking platforms typically come from high-growth, populous markets like Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt. But Affinity Africa, an upstart from Ghana, wants to join the conversation. The startup has raised $8 million in seed funding to expand its financial products further across the country, where mobile money is the dominant financial tool. … Read more

AI investments surged 62% to $110 billion in 2024 while startup funding overall declined 12%, says Dealroom

Venture capitalists are gobbling up term sheets for startups peddling artificial intelligence, even as they remain picky when it comes to funding the wider spectrum of technology.  According to new figures from analytics firm Dealroom, AI startups raised $110 billion in funding last year, up 62% on the year before. At the same time, privately-backed … Read more

Elon Musk-led team submits $97.4B bid for OpenAI

A team of investors led by Elon Musk submitted a $97.6 billion bid to purchase OpenAI on Monday. The news comes by way of Musk’s lawyer, Marc Toberoff, who confirmed the reporting with The Wall Street Journal. The unsolicited bid is the latest escalation by Musk in his war with co-founder Sam Altman, with whom … Read more

Apple Music adds a better-sounding Spatial Audio version of Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show

If you want to relive Kendrick Lamar’s headline-making Super Bowl halftime show, Apple Music just dropped a replay of the performance in its surround sound-like Spatial Audio. Because Apple currently sponsors the Super Bowl halftime show, the company has permission to republish these musical spectacles — but this is better than just a YouTube video … Read more

Apple and Google take down malicious mobile apps from their app stores

Apple and Google have pulled as many as 20 apps from their respective app stores after security researchers found the apps were carrying data-stealing malware for almost a year. Security researchers at Kaspersky said the malware, dubbed SparkCat, has been active since March 2024. Initially, the researchers found the malicious framework within a food delivery … Read more