A Google-backed weapon to battle wildfires made it into orbit

The first satellite of the Google-backed FireSat constellation successfully made it to orbit over the weekend, kicking off what promises to be a new era in wildfire detection and monitoring. The constellation will keep a close eye on wildfires. When fully operational, the constellation’s mor

These fintech companies are hiring in 2025 after a turbulent year

The fintech segment, which saw massive growth during the pandemic and immediately after, had a fairly rough 2024, ending with the abrupt shutdown — and then unexpected acquisition — of accounting startup Bench. Though the rapid pace of funding has slowed, some fintechs are continuing to see gr

Flexport accuses former employees of stealing its source code to create a rival startup

Creating a startup that competes with your former employer can be risky. Apple, for example, once sued a former chip design executive who founded his own chip startup in a case that was dropped in 2023. A recent case involving logistics unicorn Flexport and a new competitor formed by two former

OpenAI to start testing ChatGPT connectors for Google Drive and Slack

OpenAI will soon begin testing a way for business customers to connect apps like Slack and Google Drive to ChatGPT. OpenAI plans to start beta testing a new feature called ChatGPT Connectors, according to a document viewed by technewss. ChatGPT Connectors will allow ChatGPT Team subscribers to l

Klarna nabs Walmart away from Affirm and boosts its IPO prospects

On the heels of its IPO filing, Swedish fintech giant Klarna announced on Monday that it will exclusively provide buy now, pay later loans for Walmart. The partnership with Walmart is one that rival Affirm had previously owned. Klarna will provide the loans to Walmart customers through OnePay, a f

YC-backed ReactWise is applying AI to speed up drug manufacturing

Artificial intelligence continues stirring things up in chemistry. To wit: Y Combinator-backed Cambridge, U.K.-based ReactWise is using AI to speed up chemical manufacturing — a key step in bringing new drugs to market. Once a promising drug has been identified in the lab, pharma firms need to b

TikTok rolls out a ‘Security Checkup’ tool to help users secure their accounts

TikTok is introducing a new “Security Checkup” tool that allows users to quickly review and update their account’s security settings from a single screen, the company announced on Monday. The feature is similar to Security Checkup tools offered by TikTok rival Instagram and tech g

Hackers are exploiting Fortinet firewall bugs to plant ransomware

Security researchers have observed hackers linked to the notorious LockBit gang exploiting a pair of Fortinet firewall vulnerabilities to deploy ransomware on several company networks.  In a report published last week, security researchers at Forescout Research said a group it's tracking

Nvidia GTC 2025: What to expect from this year’s show

GTC, Nvidia’s biggest conference of the year, begins Monday and runs till Friday in San Jose, with the biggest announcements probably coming Tuesday. technewss will be on the ground covering the news as it happens — and we’re expecting a healthy dose of announcements. And we’re

Bumble heightens safety measures with new ID verification feature

Bumble is finally catching up with competitor Tinder with a new ID verification feature as dating app users urge for more safety measures.  In addition to ID verification, the company also released three more features, including a feature that flags inappropriate messages in chat before users hit

DOGE staffer violated Treasury rules by emailing unencrypted personal data

A staffer working for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) broke Treasury policies by sending an email containing unencrypted personal information, according to testimony from a senior government cybersecurity official in a federal lawsuit. Marko Elez, a DOGE staffer working at the U.S.

Travis Kalanick wants to do a lot more than develop more ghost kitchens

Last week, at the Abundance Summit in Los Angeles, billionaire entrepreneur Travis Kalanick gave attendees a rare glimpse into his vision for the future of his newest company, CloudKitchens. While today the eight-year-old L.A.-based outfit is known for a growing real estate portfolio that it uses t

Snap expands Spectacles’ capabilities with GPS and hand-tracking features

It's only been around six months since Snap released the fifth generation of Spectacles, its AR glasses for developers, and the company is already enhancing its latest pair with new Lenses and platform features. Snap announced on Monday that it's launching the ability to create Spectacles-

Palmetto wants software developers to electrify America using its AI building models

For someone who wants solar panels, the question is often: “How many?” And for a heat pump, it's “how big?” Answering those questions typically requires a contractor to set foot on your property.  Yet over the last decade, solar installers have trimmed that time-consuming process