TalkTalk investigating data breach after hacker claims theft of customer data
U.K. telecoms giant TalkTalk has confirmed that it is investigating a data breach after a hacker claimed to have stolen the personal information of millions of customers.
In a post on a popular cybercrime forum seen by technewss, an individual using the alias “b0nd” claimed to have stolen the
DeepSeek gets Silicon Valley talking
Since Chinese AI company DeepSeek released an open version of its reasoning model R1 at the beginning of this week, many in the tech industry have been making grand pronouncements about what the company achieved, and what it means for the state of AI.
Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, for exampl
Why Reid Hoffman feels optimistic about our AI future
In Reid Hoffman's new book “Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future,” the LinkedIn co-founder makes the case that AI can extend human agency — giving us more knowledge, better jobs, and improved lives — rather than reducing it.
That doesn't mean he'
2025 will likely be another brutal year of failed startups, data suggests
More startups shut down in 2024 than the year prior, according to multiple sources, and that's not really a surprise considering the insane number of companies that were funded in the crazy days of 2020 and 2021.
It appears we're not nearly done, and 2025 could be another brutal year
Real estate firms pivot to energy development amid booming data center demand
Brendan Wallace has a lot on his mind lately. Wallace is the co-founder of Fifth Wall Ventures, a 9-year-old proptech venture firm with $3.2 billion in assets under management. He's also a homeowner in L.A., which continues to battle raging wildfires. While his place remains intact, many of his
Will states lead the way on AI regulation?
Last year was a busy time for lawmakers and lobbyists concerned about AI — most notably in California, where Gavin Newsom signed 18 new AI laws while also vetoing high-profile AI legislation.
And 2025 could see just as much activity, especially on the state level, according to Mark Weatherford.
UnitedHealth confirms 190 million Americans affected by Change Healthcare data breach
UnitedHealth has confirmed the ransomware attack on its Change Healthcare unit last February affected around 190 million people in America — nearly double previous estimates.
The U.S. health insurance giant confirmed the latest number to technewss on Friday after the markets closed.
In motion to dismiss, chatbot platform Character AI claims it is protected by the First Amendment
Character AI, a platform that lets users engage in roleplay with AI chatbots, has filed a motion to dismiss a case brought against it by the parent of a teen who committed suicide after allegedly becoming hooked on the company’s technology.
In October, Megan Garcia filed a lawsuit against Ch
AI companies upped their federal lobbying spend in 2024 amid regulatory uncertainty
Companies spent significantly more lobbying AI issues at the U.S. federal level last year compared to 2023 amid regulatory uncertainty.
According to data compiled by OpenSecrets, 648 companies spent on AI lobbying in 2024 versus 458 in 2023, representing a 141% year-over-year increase.
ElevenLabs has raised a new round at $3B+ valuation led by ICONIQ Growth, sources say
Companies that want to build AI voice into their products are rushing to work with ElevenLabs, the startup that develops synthetic voice technology like voice cloning and dubbing tools. Now ElevenLabs is turning up the volume on its business with a huge Series C raise, just a year after a sizable S
Ditching Meta? Open source alternatives to Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp fundraise on Kickstarter
The developer behind Pixelfed, Loops, and Sup, open source alternatives to Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp, respectively, is now raising funds on Kickstarter to fuel the apps’ further development.
The trio is part of the growing open social web, also known as the fediverse, powered by the sa
Stargate will use solar and batteries to power $100B AI venture
The massive $100 billion Stargate joint venture will reportedly be powered, at least in part, by solar and batteries.
The renewable power installations will be built by SoftBank-backed SB Energy, according to a report from Bloomberg, though they're unlikely to be the venture's sole source
iOS 18 hits 68% adoption across iPhones, per new Apple figures
Apple released new figures Friday, highlighting user adoption of iOS 18. Released in public form back in September 2024, the mobile operating system is now installed on 68% of compatible devices. That number jumps to 78% on iPhones released in the last four years.
As for the remaining iPhones out
Neko Health’s unicorn-sized Series B is larger than some Series C rounds
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This week was supposed to be a short one in the U.S., as it started with a holiday. But Inauguration Day kept some founders busy, and the