timef 03/04/2026
- TikTok won’t add end-to-end encryption to direct messages, report says techcrunch.com2026-03-04 23:15:31
The social media giant says that end-to-end encryption would make users less safe.
- Father sues Google, claiming Gemini chatbot drove son into fatal delusion techcrunch.com2026-03-04 22:58:36
A father is suing Google and Alphabet, alleging its Gemini chatbot reinforced his son’s delusional belief it was his AI wife and coached him toward suicide and a planned airport attack.
- Meet the MacBook Neo, Apple’s colorful answer to the Chromebook, starting at $599 techcrunch.com2026-03-04 22:57:17
Apple is offering the MacBook Neo at a more affordable price point by using an A18 Pro chip, which is used in the iPhone 16 Pro.
- One startup’s pitch to provide more reliable AI answers: crowdsource the chatbots techcrunch.com2026-03-04 22:00:00
CollectivIQ looks to give users more accurate answers to their AI queries by showing them responses that pull information from ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Grok — and up to 10 other models — all at the same time.
- Who needs data centers in space when they can float offshore? techcrunch.com2026-03-04 20:00:00
Offshore wind developer Aikido will deploy a small data center beneath a floating offshore wind turbine later this year.
- Eight Sleep raises $50M at $1.5B valuation techcrunch.com2026-03-04 19:00:00
Eight Sleep said it was free-cash-flow positive in 2025, and plans to use the new funding for new products, global expansions, and clinical validation.
- Why AI startups are selling the same equity at two different prices techcrunch.com2026-03-04 08:31:25
Some AI founders are using a novel valuation mechanism to manufacture unicorn status.
- A suite of government hacking tools targeting iPhones is now being used by cybercriminals techcrunch.com2026-03-04 07:27:31
Security researchers say exploits used by governments to hack into Apple iPhones have been found used by cybercriminals. They warned of an emerging market for "second hand" exploits.
- Alibaba’s Qwen tech lead steps down after major AI push techcrunch.com2026-03-04 07:16:36
Reactions rippled through Alibaba's Qwen team after tech lead Junyang Lin stepped down following a major model launch.
- Just three companies dominated the $189B in VC investments last month techcrunch.com2026-03-04 06:38:58
Crunchbase data shows a record $189 billion of global venture capital flowed to startups last month, with AI startups nabbing 90% of the capital.
- TikTok down for some in U.S., thanks to second Oracle outage since sale techcrunch.com2026-03-04 06:33:57
TikTok experienced a similar outage just days after ByteDance divested the app's U.S. operations.
- AI companies are spending millions to thwart this former tech exec’s Congressional bid techcrunch.com2026-03-04 05:44:09
A tech billionaire-backed super PAC is spending $125 million to undercut candidates pushing for AI regulation. New York's Alex Bores, a former tech executive himself, is one of them.
- ChatGPT’s new GPT-5.3 Instant model will stop telling you to calm down techcrunch.com2026-03-04 04:20:56
The company says the new model will reduce the "cringe" that's been annoying its users for months.
- Anduril aims at $60 billion valuation in new funding round techcrunch.com2026-03-04 04:06:45
The funding round would come less than a year after Anduril's Series G, which closed in June with $2.5 billion against a $30 billion valuation.
- Claude Code rolls out a voice mode capability techcrunch.com2026-03-04 04:02:10
Anthropic is stepping up its game in the AI coding space with the rollout of Voice Mode in Claude Code.
- Android users can now share tracker tag info with airlines to help locate lost luggage techcrunch.com2026-03-04 03:00:00
More than 10 global airlines now accept Find Hub locations as part of their baggage recovery process.
- X says it will suspend creators from revenue-sharing program for unlabeled AI posts of ‘armed conflict’ techcrunch.com2026-03-04 02:27:47
Creators who break the rules will get a 3-month suspend, and if they continue to violate the policy, they'll be banned.
- The new MacBook Pro laptops are up to $400 more expensive than their predecessors, thanks to the RAM shortage techcrunch.com2026-03-04 01:39:35
With the demands for more computers and data centers to power AI, the market is experiencing a shortage of RAM, causing memory prices to surge.
- The new MacBook Pro laptops are as much as $400 more expensive than their predecessors. Thank the RAM shortage. techcrunch.com2026-03-04 01:39:35
With the demands for more computers and data centers to power AI, the market is experiencing a shortage of RAM, causing memory prices to surge.
- Hacked traffic cams and hijacked TVs: How cyber operations supported the war against Iran techcrunch.com2026-03-04 01:37:59
After U.S. and Israeli forces started bombing Iran, reports say cyber operations have disrupted communications, supporting surveillance activities, and have been used in psychological operations.
- Activist investor Elliot takes a $1B stake in Pinterest, betting on AI-driven growth techcrunch.com2026-03-04 01:27:37
Activist Investor Elliott Investment Management has taken a $1 billion stake in Pinterest.
- Apple’s rumored MacBook Neo, a lower-cost, colorful laptop, could launch this week techcrunch.com2026-03-04 01:22:42
This would mark the first time Apple competes with cheaper hardware like the Chromebook.
- Amid new competition, Chrome speeds up its release schedule techcrunch.com2026-03-04 01:00:00
Google Chrome will begin shipping new releases every two weeks in September, instead of monthly.
- Audible launches a cheaper ‘Standard’ subscription plan, challenging Spotify techcrunch.com2026-03-04 00:40:19
The new plan is $6 cheaper than the platform's existing "Premium" plan, which costs $14.95 per month.
