Amazon is shutting down “Inspire,” its TikTok-like, short-form video and photo feed that was previously available in its mobile app. The feed allowed users to discover products and shop from content created by influencers, brands, and other customers. A company spokesperson confirmed the move to TechCrunch, saying, “We regularly evaluate various features to better align … Read more
Niantic, the company behind the popular augmented reality game Pokémon Go, is looking to sell its game development business, Bloomberg reported, citing anonymous sources. The company is reportedly exploring a deal with mobile game developer Scopely, which is owned by Saudi Arabia-based Savvy Games Group, to sell the unit for about $3.5 million. Niantic and Scopely … Read more
Facebook announced on Tuesday that live videos will now only be stored on the social network for 30 days, after which they will be deleted. Previously, these videos were stored indefinitely. The change goes into effect on Wednesday. All live videos that are currently older than 30 days will be removed from the platform as … Read more
Gig marketplace Fiverr wants to let freelancers train AI on their bodies of work and use it to automate future jobs. At an event on Tuesday, Fiverr announced the launch of several new efforts aimed at attracting gig workers to its platform and equipping them with generative AI tools. Perhaps the most ambitious is a … Read more
U.S.-based venture capital firm Insight Partners has confirmed that hackers breached its systems in January. When reached by TechCrunch, Insight Partners confirmed the cybersecurity incident in a statement published Tuesday. Calcalist first reported the breach earlier in the day. In its statement, Insight Partners said it detected that an “unauthorized third party” had accessed “certain … Read more
A change requiring app developers to disclose their address, phone number, and email information to consumers has gone live on the App Store within the European Union. Apple on Tuesday announced it has removed any EU apps that haven’t yet complied with the Digital Services Act (DSA), a regulation that had added a requirement in … Read more
Humane announced on Tuesday that most of its assets have been acquired by HP for $116 million. The hardware startup is immediately discontinuing sales of its $499 AI Pins. Humane alerted customers who have already purchased the Pin that their devices will stop functioning before the end of the month — at 12 PM PST … Read more
A senior Elon Musk staffer has created a custom AI chatbot that purports to help the Department of Government Efficiency eliminate government waste and is powered by Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI, TechCrunch has learned. The chatbot, which is publicly accessible, is hosted on a DOGE-named subdomain on the website of Christopher Stanley, who works … Read more
Humane announced on Tuesday that it has been acquired by HP for $116 million. The hardware startup is immediately discontinuing sales of its $499 AI Pins. Humane alerted customers who have already purchased the Pin that their devices will stop functioning before the end of the month — at 12 PM PST on February 28, … Read more
Duolingo’s mascot, Duo the owl, is dead. Okay, Duo isn’t really dead (we think), but the language learning app committed so hard to this bit that its CEO, Luis von Ahn, read a eulogy for this beloved green bird on TikTok. As any fiction author could probably tell you, killing everyone’s favorite character is not … Read more