Klarna used an AI avatar of its CEO to deliver earnings, it said
Sebastian Siemiatkowski is leaning all the way into the idea that his buy-now-pay-later, IPO-bound startup Klarna is an AI company. When Klarna delivered updated quarterly earnings on Monday, it was his AI avatar (pictured above) that presented the highlights, according to the company’s YouTu
Spotify says support for external payments on iOS has already boosted subscriptions
Spotify says its ability to direct its customers to external payment links in its iOS app has already had a positive impact on sales. In a newly filed amicus brief in support of Epic Games in its ongoing legal battle with Apple over external payments on the App Store, Spotify claims its internal da
Wyden: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon weren’t notifying senators of surveillance requests
Sen. Ron Wyden sent a letter to fellow senators on Wednesday, revealing that three major U.S. cellphone carriers did not have provisions to notify lawmakers about government surveillance requests, despite a contractual requirement to do so.
In the letter, Wyden, a Democrat and longstanding membe
Spotify’s new ‘Upcoming Releases’ hub highlights future albums you may like
Spotify is launching a new hub dedicated to keeping users informed about soon-to-be-released albums, the company announced on Wednesday. The hub, called “Upcoming Releases,” will feature personalized recommendations based on a user’s listening history.
Users will be able to acces
Jony Ive to lead OpenAI’s design work following $6.5B acquisition of his company
OpenAI is acquiring io, the device startup that CEO Sam Altman and famed Apple designer Jony Ive have quietly been working on for two years, in an all-equity deal that values that startup at $6.5 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal. As part of the unusual deal announced Wednesday, Ive and
Filed raises $17M to automate the drudgery of tax prep
There is a new accounting software in town, coming in with a fresh $17.2 million raise and a desire to shake things up. The company, Filed, hopes to automate the grunt work.
“The tax industry is facing a genuine crisis,” Leroy Kerry, Filed's co-founder CEO, told technewss. Many CPAs are a
Meta launches program to encourage startups to use its Llama AI models
Meta is launching a new program to incentivize startups to adopt its Llama AI models.
The program, Llama for Startups, provides companies “direct support” from Meta’s Llama team, as well as funding in certain cases. Any U.S.-based firm that is incorporated, has raised less than
Trump administration may sell deep-sea mining leases at startup's urging
The U.S. Department of the Interior said Tuesday that it's beginning the process of selling deep-sea mining leases after a request from startup Impossible Metals (previously Impossible Mining).
The agency said the process would “evaluate a potential mineral lease sale in the waters offshore
Amazon rolls out short-form AI-powered audio product summaries for select items
Amazon is testing short-form AI-powered audio product summaries on select product pages, the company announced on Wednesday. The audio summaries are voiced by what Amazon calls “AI-powered shopping experts” that discuss key product features, customer reviews, and information from across
TED's app launches a short-form video feature ahead of potential TikTok ban
With TikTok still facing the possibility of a ban in the U.S., the popularity of short-form video content continues to grow. The latest company to enter this space is TED, the non-profit best known for its TED Talks featuring prominent figures like Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the late Po
Google is bringing ads to AI Mode
Google on Wednesday detailed its plans to bring ads to AI Mode, the company’s AI-powered experience in Google Search.
Ads may appear “where relevant” below and “integrated into” AI Mode responses as part of a test, Google says. AI Mode lets Google Search users ask a q
Siro lands $50M to expand its AI-powered coaching for sales reps
An increasing number of meetings have an AI note-taker present that transcribes the call and provides action items. Siro wants to do the same for sales folks who are on the ground and talking to customers face-to-face.
The company on Wednesday announced it has secured $50 million in a Series B rou
In a crowded VC landscape, Elizabeth Weil’s Scribble Ventures shows that networks still matter
In an era where hundreds of new venture funds have emerged, only to face a narrowing market as exits prove slippery, Elizabeth Weil’s Scribble Ventures stands out as a case study in the importance of deep networks.
Defying a contraction that is sidelining many newcomers, Weil just secured $8
US student agrees to plead guilty to hack affecting tens of millions of students
A Massachusetts student has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges relating to hacking and extorting one of the largest U.S. education tech companies, prosecutors confirmed Tuesday.
Matthew D. Lane, 19, is accused of using stolen login credentials to access the network of an unnamed softw