The TechCrunch Podcast

The TechCrunch team made the hard choice to stop production on this show but we encourage everyone who has enjoyed listening to Darrell break down the week's top stories to go check out and subscribe to  Equity, which comes out every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and covers the numbers and nuance behind the headlines.

Darrell called it last October: Meta has built their own Twitter dupe, Threads, and it's going pretty well so far with 30 million signups in the first 24 hours. Of course, this is a Meta product, so the platform isn't perfect with it's non-chronological timeline and security issues. This week we're hearing from TechCrunch's Taylor Hatmaker and Morgan Sung on Threads' staying power and how Meta nailed the timing of this launch.Articles from the episode:Twitter limits the number of tweets users can read amid extended outageTwitter silently removes login requirement for viewing tweetsDoorDash offers delivery workers hourly rate, but there's a catchMeta's Threads app is a privacy nightmare that won't launch in EU yetThreads passes 30M sign-ups in less than 24 hoursMeta's Threads app is a privacy nightmare that won't launch in EU yetThe TechCrunch Podcast posts every Friday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity, Found and Chain Reaction.

hein invited several fashion influencers to its facilities in China and, surprising no one but Shein and the influencers who took the trip, the internet isn't thrilled with the viral factory tours. Shein doesn't appear to think this latest press is bad, though, as they filed confidentially for a US IPO this week. This week Darrell is talking with Amanda Silberling about why Shein is on the "sheouts."Articles from the episode:How Shein's influencer trip to a Chinese factory backfiredNetflix quietly axes its basic plan in CanadaUnicorn social app IRL to shut down after admitting 95% of its users were fakeDeepMind claims its next chatbot will rival ChatGPTLetMeSpy, a phone tracking app spying on thousands, says it was hackedThe TechCrunch Podcast posts every Friday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity, Found and Chain Reaction.

It's rare for all of a company's users to turn against it in such an intense way, but Reddit has managed to alienate all of their users at once. After a recent announcement that the company will no longer be offering their API for third-party apps, users have closed ranks and made the site virtually unusable. This week guest-host Haje Kamps talks with TechCrunch Sr. Reporter Morgan Sung about whether there is room for compromise between the moderators who keep the site running, third-party apps that users love, and the profit-motivated Reddit management team.Articles from the episode:A whistleblower raised safety concerns about OceanGate's submersible in 2018. Then he was fired.Volkswagen's breakthrough could spark a battery manufacturing gold rushWhatsApp introduces feature to automatically silence calls from unknown numbersNetflix launches website based on the fictional streaming service from ‘Black Mirror'Hundreds of subreddits plan to go dark indefinitely after Reddit CEO's internal memoReddit communities adopt alternative forms of protest, as the company threatens action on moderatorsHackers threaten to leak 80GB of confidential data stolen from RedditThe TechCrunch Podcast posts every Friday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity, Found and Chain Reaction..

This week we're revisiting Inside Startup Battlefield,  the four-part series that takes you behind TechCrunch's Startup Battlefield competition. If you haven't already be sure to get your tickets to TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco on September 19-21. Save an additional 15% with promo code CRUNCH. Visit techcrunch.com/disrupt to learn more.In this episode, our host and Startup Battlefield Editor Neesha Tambe breaks down how the Battlefield companies are selected for the TechCrunch Disrupt stage. Then we take a deep dive into what makes a pitch-perfect with pitch coach and TechCrunch writer Haje Jan Kamps and Startup Battlefield judge and VC Nisha Dua. You'll also hear from: Julia Somerdin from Labby, Young-Jae Kim and Tara Peters from Anthill, Quddus Pativada from Digest AI, Blessing Adesiyan from Mother Honestly, Hikari Senju from Omneky, Mitch Tolson from Ally Robotics, Elizabeth Lawler from App map, Aaron Hall from Intropic materials. Sheeba Dawood from Minerva. The TechCrunch Podcast posts every Friday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity, Found and Chain Reaction.

At WWDC this week, Apple revealed its new Vision Pro headset, a platform it described as the advent of spatial computing. The company clearly put a lot of work into building Vision Pro, and VisionOS, the software that powers it, but is it as revolutionary as Apple marketing would have you believe? Today, Darrell is joined by Brian Heater to talk about Apple Vision Pro, and what the future might hold for spatial computing.Articles from the episode:Fidelity has cut Reddit valuation by 41% since 2021 investmentCharacter.AI, the a16z-backed chatbot startup, tops 1.7M installs in first weekFirst impressions: Yes, Apple Vision Pro works and yes, it's goodApple WWDC 2023: Everything announced from the Apple Vision Pro to iOS 17, MacBook Air and moreThe TechCrunch Podcast posts every Friday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity, Found and Chain Reaction.

Many of the leading voices in AI have co-signed yet another ominous open letter warning that we should be“Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI." However, the voices shouting for regulation the loudest have us wondering how much of the AI fear-mongering is warranted, and how much is self-serving theater. This week Darrell is joined by Devin Coldewey to talk about  why AI doomerism is overblown, and why the blowhards doing the blowing want it that way.Articles from the episode:OpenAI's Altman and other AI giants back warning of advanced AI as ‘extinction' riskEU and US lawmakers move to draft AI Code of Conduct fastA popular Android app began secretly spying on its users months after it was listed on Google PlayElizabeth Holmes is now behind bars: How we got hereNo ChatGPT in my court: Judge orders all AI-generated content must be declared and checkedWhile parents worry, teens are bullying Snapchat AIMeta Quest 3 revealedThe TechCrunch Podcast posts every Friday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity, Found and Chain Reaction.

This week Meta was ordered to suspend Facebook EU's data flows and was hit with a fine of 1.2 billion Euros under GDPR. This fine has big implications for the way these companies will be allowed to collect and share data and it may lead to big changes - either in the laws that govern the use and protection of data, or in the way Meta and other tech giants operate at a fundamental level - or both. In this episode, Natasha Lomas is here to break down a years-long security saga that's still unfolding.Articles from the episode:Meta ordered to suspend Facebook EU data flows as it's hit with record €1.2BN privacy fine under GDPRTwitter technical issues crash Ron DeSantis's 2024 campaign announcement The surgeon general's advisory on risks of youth social media use could shift the conversationVirgin Orbit's launch business sold for parts to Vast, Stratolaunch, and Rocket LabOpenAI launches an official ChatGPT app for iOSThe TechCrunch Podcast posts every Friday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity, Found and Chain Reaction..

We don't spend a lot of time taking a deep-dive into the consumer experience of gaming. But one of the biggest stories in tech this week is the much-anticipated release of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for the Nintendo Switch. So Darrell is joined by Taylor Hatmaker to have a moderately spoiler-free conversation about what Link is getting up to.Articles from the episode:Hardware startup Telly launches a free smart TV entirely supported by adsTelly, the ‘free' smart TV with ads, has privacy policy red flagsAfter a 29-year run, Vice files for bankruptcyElon Musk appoints new Twitter CEO, NBCU's Linda YaccarinoThe TechCrunch Podcast posts every Friday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity, Found and Chain Reaction.

Tech conference season is here and this week TechCrunch reporters attended Google I/O to try the tech, attend talks and demos, and listen to Google CEO Sundar Pichai talk about how they're integrating AI responsibly. On this episode, Darrell is joined by TechCrunch reporter Brian Heater to talk about all the hits from Google I/O.Articles from the episode:Peloton recalls millions of exercise bikes after reports of injuriesShopify to reduce workforce by 20%, sells logistics business to Flexport for 13% equityHow Shopify bungled its latest layoffs and made employees feel like NPCsIBM intros a slew of new AI services, including generative modelsThe TechCrunch Podcast posts every Friday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts  to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity, Found and Chain Reaction.

Meta is monetizing kids as much as they are the rest of us. But this week the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has alleged that Meta has violated a 2020 order to protect kids on the site, as well as running afoul of the agency's Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. The FTC will not just be doling out another financial slap on the wrist, they're moving to completely prohibit Meta from monetizing children at all. This is the TechCrunch Podcast where we talk about the top stories in tech with the people who cover them. This week, Darrell is joined by TechCrunch reporter Devin Coldewey to talk about if Meta's cavalier approach to compliance will finally be coming to a close.Articles from the episode:FTC moves to completely prohibit Meta from monetizing kidsAI can't replace human writersHackers are increasingly using ChatGPT lures to spread malware on FacebookStripe, a longtime partner of Lyft, signs a big deal with UberMicrosoft launches Pegasus program for startups, awarding up to $350,000 in creditsThe TechCrunch Podcast posts every Friday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episode drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity, Found, and Chain Reaction.

Snapchat Rolled out their generative AI chatbot, My AI to their 750 million monthly users so it feels like the right time to pause and ask whether we're ready for the real thing – and ready or not, whether anybody wants one. This week on the TechCrunch Podcast, Darrell Etherington is talking to TechCrunch reporter, Amanda Silberling about making robot friends on the internet.Articles from the episode:Snapchat's AI chatbot is now free for all global usSnapchat sees spike in 1-star reviews as users pan the ‘My AI' feature, calling for its removalMissouri trans ‘snitch form' down after people spammed it with the ‘Bee Movie' scriptSpaceX's successful failure is a wake-up call for Starship's timelineGoogle's Bard AI chatbot can now generate and debug codeApple wins antitrust court battle with Epic Games, appeals court rules

Welcome back to the TechCrunch podcast. This week we're bringing you a special treat from our friends over at Equity. This week,  Alex recorded at Early Stage, TechCrunch's event for founders who are building startups from the ground up. Happily,  Darrell from the TechCrunch team was sitting next to us on the show floor so we tagged him in for some rocket knowledge.Anyhoo, here's the run of show!All things Early Stage: Notes from the show floor, what we can infer about attendance and a vibe check.Elon's new, larger rocket went up (very good) and then went "boom" (not as good). Happily for the space race, the overall result of the launch was good. Rockets have a tendency to go boom when they are new, and it's a bit of the, well, testing process to have them do so. Sure, a non-boom result would have been better, but SpaceX wasn't planning on trying to reuse the parts anyway.Tesla's earnings came out and investors are not that pleased. While there was some good stuff in the numerical set, price cuts at the company and moderating cash flow indicate that profitability gains could be harder to reach in the future.And layoffs. Meta is cutting staff. Insider is cutting staff. BuzzFeed is cutting staff. It's a mess out there.

Blue checkmarks on Twitter and Instagram are used by public figures and media outlets to say, “you can trust I am who I say I am and you can trust me.” But now both Twitter and Meta have changed the rules of how to get verified, and in the process have stripped some of the legitimacy of the all-powerful checkmark. This week on the TechCrunch Podcast, Darrell Etherington is talking to TechCrunch's newest reporter, Morgan Sung about the price of being verified on social media.Use Promo code TCPOD to ger 40% founder and investor passes to Early Stage on April 20 in Boston.Articles from the episode:Meta Verified is under fire in sex work circles for revealing users' legal namesElon Musk admits he only bought Twitter because he thought he'd be forced toWith Bedrock, Amazon enters the generative AI raceFTC orders supplement maker to pay $600K in first case involving hijacked Amazon reviewsTruecaller brings live caller ID to iPhone… but with a catch

The internet is always changing but something about Generative AI feels different. With the advent of Open AI's Chat GPT, the machines are evolving beyond remix and delivery machines to become the content creators themselves. In this week's episode of the TechCrunch Podcast, Darrell Etherington talks with Techcrunch Senior reporter Devin Coldewey about how the AI hype is overshadowing some of its shadier possible cultural side effects. Use Promo code TCPOD to ger 40% founder and investor passes to Early Stage on April 20 in Boston.Articles from the episode:The Great PretenderThe takeaways from Stanford's 386-page report on the state of AIA knife so sharp you don't feel it cut More from TechCrunchThousands of Gen Z creators are using Fanfix to monetize content and interact with fansHype grows for SpaceX's Starship orbital flight test, but barriers remainTwitter's new dog icon is sending dogecoin — sigh — to the moonTwitter's new homepage logo is very doge-yBob Lee, creator of Cash App and former CTO of Square, stabbed to death

Welcome to another episode of The TechCrunch Podcast where we break down the biggest stories in tech news with the people who cover it. This week Darrell Etherington talks with Paul Sawers about the company that made a Woolly Mammoth meatball (and other lab-grown meat). And Amanda Silberling explains how AI images of Donald Trump getting arrested, the Balenciaga pope and a natural disaster that didn't happen are fooling the internet. Use Promo code TCPOD to ger 40% founder and investor passes to Early Stage on April 20 in Boston.Articles from the episode:From Balenciaga Pope to the Great Cascadia Earthquake, AI images are creating a new realityCultured meat firm resurrects woolly mammoth in lab-grown meatballMore from TechCrunchFormer FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried charged for allegedly bribing Chinese officialsBinance and CEO Changpeng Zhao sued by CFTC over trading and derivative violationsOpenAI connects ChatGPT to the internetThat was fast! Microsoft slips ads into AI-powered Bing ChatTwitter announces new API with only free, basic and enterprise levels

Welcome to another episode of The TechCrunch Podcast where we break down the biggest stories in tech news with the people who cover it. This week Darrell Etherington talks with Taylor Hatmaker about the TikTok CEO's congressional testimony and Jaquie Melinek is here to catch us up on everything that's been going on in Crypto from Do Kwon's arrest to the SEC suing the Tron founder and many celebrities.Use Promo code TCPOD to get 40% founder and investor passes to Early Stage on April 20 in Boston.Articles from the episode:Terra creator Do Kwon reportedly arrested at Montenegro airport SEC sues Tron founder and celebrities, including Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul and Soulja Boy, for crypto securities violations Coinbase execs weigh in on the crypto's future in US amid regulatory scrutinyTikTok CEO testifies before CongressTikTok CEO says it wasn't ‘spying' when ByteDance employees surveilled journalistsMore from TechCrunchAmazon kills DPReview, the best camera review site on the webGoogle's Bard lags behind GPT-4 and Claude in head-to-head comparisonAWS takes a hit in latest round of Amazon layoffsMicrosoft brings OpenAI's DALL-E image creator to the new Bing

Welcome to another episode of The TechCrunch Podcast where we break down the biggest stories in tech news with the people who cover it. This week Darrell Etherington talks with Dom-Madori Davis about how the SVB crash disproportionately affects Black founders. And Devin Coldewey fills us in on the improved capabilities of Open AI's GPT-4.Articles from the episode:‘Trust is a hard thing to earn': SVB's closure could disproportionately affect Black founders5 ways GPT-4 outsmarts ChatGPTMore from TechCrunchMicrosoft lays off an ethical AI team as it doubles down on OpenAIY Combinator cuts nearly 20% of staff, scales back growth stage investmentsQualtrics accepts $12.5B all-cash acquisition offer to go private

Welcome to another episode of The TechCrunch Podcast. To address the elephant in the newsroom, the SVB debacle happened mere hours after we recorded this episode. So, this week Romain Dillet is here to talk about another big story the proposed bipartisan bill that could lead to banning TikTok in the US. And Zack Whittaker comes on to warn us about the dangers of startups selling our data.Articles from the episode:Proposed US bipartisan bill could lead to TikTok banToday's startups should terrify youMore from TechCrunchRussian game developer bans and doxes 6,700 cheatersElon Musk apologizes after publicly mocking Twitter employee with disabilityMicrosoft brings an AI-powered Copilot to its business app suite

It's the moment we've all been waiting for—the winner is announced! In this episode, we get to know the winner of the 2022 Startup Battlefield competition. We'll hear what's next for their company and get insight from TechCrunch staff, VCs, and audience members on why they were the right choice.Be sure to check out all of the other podcasts in the TechCrunch Podcast Network: Found, Equity, The TechCrunch Podcast, Chain Reaction and The TechCrunch Live Podcast.

This week Haje Jan Kamps is once again stepping in for Darrell and he's talking with  Amanda Silberling about Twitter's recent accessibility foibles and Mary Ann Azevedo is here to discuss the unlikely partnership that is enabling Amazon employees to use equity to finance a home. But first, Haje goes over some of the top news from the week. Articles from the episode:Senator Markey calls on Elon Musk to reinstate Twitter's accessibility teamAmazon is letting employees use their stock to finance home purchases and even second homesMore from TechCrunchGamers are fixing a video game ‘taken over' by hackersSnapchat launches an AI chatbot powered by OpenAI's GPT technology. Dish hit by multiday outage after reported cyberattack

Inside Startup Battlefield is back in our feed with episode three. There are 180 companies solving crucial problems that didn't make it to the Disrupt stage, but that doesn't mean they're making any less of an impact. TechCrunch writers Devin Coldewey and Harri Weber take us on a walk through the Expo Hall and let us listen into their conversations with a handful of the most interesting companies in the Battlefield 200.New episodes of Inside Startup Battlefield drop every Monday. Be sure to check out all of the other podcasts in the TechCrunch Podcast Network: Found, Equity, The TechCrunch Podcast, Chain Reaction and The TechCrunch Live Podcast.

This week Haje Jan Kamps is stepping in for Darrell and he's talking with Taylor Hatmaker about the supreme court cases that could change the internet as we know it. And Jacquie Melinek is here to talk about Coinbase's surprisingly positive Q4 results. But first, Haje goes over some of the top news from the week. Articles from the episode:Supreme Court arguments this week could reshape the future of the internetDigging into Coinbase's better-than-expected Q4 resultsMore from TechCrunchSensitive US military emails spill onlineNHTSA requests info after Tesla crashes into a fire truckInstagram co-founders' personalized news app Artifact launches to the public with new features

Inside Startup Battlefield is back in our feed with episode two. In the second episode of Inside Startup Battlefield, we take a trip to TechCrunch Disrupt 2022 to hear pitches from the top five companies: Aaron Hall from Intropic Materials, Elizabeth Lawler from App Map, Chad Mason from Advanced Ionics, Sheeba Dawood from Minerva Lithium, Tim Lichti from Swap Robotics. We get to know the companies and the unique problems they're solving through their pitches and the judges' follow-up questions. Plus we hear from our host and Battlefield Editor, Neesha Tambe, about what working with each company was like.New episodes of Inside Startup Battlefield drop every Monday. Be sure to check out all of the other podcasts in the TechCrunch Podcast Network: Found, Equity, The TechCrunch Podcast, Chain Reaction and The TechCrunch Live Podcast.

This week Darrell is talking with Rebecca Bellan about who's behind the Super Bowl ad aimed at taking down Tesla's FSD tech and Aria Alamalhodaei is here to discuss why investors are taking a renewed interest in defense startups.But first, Darrell goes over some of the top news from the week. Articles from the episode:Tesla's biggest hater airs Super Bowl ad against FSDSilicon Valley goes to warMore from TechCrunchSalesforce yields to activist pressure with harsh new policies for engineers, salespeopleMeta is reportedly planning a fresh round of layoffsThe AI photo app trend has already fizzled, new data showsYouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki steps down, will assume advisory role at Google and Alphabet

Check out the newest podcast from the TechCrunch Podcast Network: Inside Startup Battlefield, the four-part series that takes you behind TechCrunch's Startup Battlefield competition. In this episode, our host and Startup Battlefield Editor Neesha Tambe breaks down how the Battlefield companies are selected for the TechCrunch Disrupt stage. Then we take a deep dive into what makes a pitch perfect with pitch coach and TechCrunch writer Haje Jan Kamps and Startup Battlefield judge and VC Nisha Dua. You'll also hear from: Julia Somerdin from Labby, Young-Jae Kim and Tara Peters from Anthill, Quddus Pativada from Digest AI, Blessing Adesiyan from Mother honestly, Hikari Senju from Omneky, Mitch Tolson from Ally robotics, Elizabeth Lawler from App map, Aaron Hall from Intropic materials. Sheeba Dawood from Minerva.New episodes of Inside Startup Battlefield drop every Monday. Be sure to check out all of the other podcasts in the TechCrunch Podcast Network:Found, Equity, The TechCrunch Podcast, Chain Reaction and The TechCrunch Live Podcast.

This week Romain Dillet is here to tell us all about Google's Live from Paris event and then we dig more into how exactly Google is trying to join the conversational AI game with Devin Coldewey. But first, Darrell goes over some of the top news from the week. Articles from the episode:Google intros new features for EVs with Maps built inGoogle Maps launches Immersive View in five cities, will roll out ‘glanceable directions' soonGoogle announces improved contextual translation featuresGoogle's AI-powered ‘multisearch,' which combines text and images in a single query, goes globalGoogle takes on ChatGPT with Bard and shows off AI in searchMore from TechCrunchQuora opens its new AI chatbot app Poe to the general publicMicrosoft launches the new Bing, with ChatGPT built inBing's app saw a 10x jump in downloads after the AI Twitter is telling users that they're over the daily tweet limitApple execs on M2 chips, winning gamers and when to buy a Mac

This week Darrell talks with Amanda Siberling about how the founder of Spill, a new social app, secured funding after he was laid off from Twitter. And new TC writer Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai talks about his illuminating scoop about a recent Google Fi hack. But first, Darrell goes over some of the top news from the week. Articles from the episode:Three months ago, he was laid off from Twitter. Now, his competing app Spill is fundedGoogle Fi hack victim had Coinbase, 2FA app hijacked by hackersMore from TechCrunchNetflix lists rules and exemptions to prevent account sharing outside householdHacker finds bug that allowed anyone to bypass Facebook 2FAOpenAI launches ChatGPT Plus, starting at $20 per monthTwitter to end free access to its API in Elon Musk's latest monetization push

This week instead of a typical interview we're going to share a bit from our friends over at the Equity who are talking about what Google's antitrust lawsuit means for startups, how the downturn impacted the way companies are hiring and why femtech stood out in 2022. But first, Darrell goes over some of the top news from the week.  Be sure to listen to Equity where ever you listen to podcasts: pod.link/equityArticles from the episode:US sues Google over ‘anticompetitive, exclusionary, and unlawful' ad tech monopolyStartups should expect more scrutiny from VCs on their hiring plansCrypto recruiters see opportunity to snatch up talent amid Big Tech layoffsMore from TechCrunchWith Starship testing, SpaceX moves one step closer to making science fiction a realityAmazon launches RxPass, a $5/month Prime add-on for all-you-need generic drugs covering 80 conditionsLastPass owner GoTo says hackers stole customers' backups

Welcome back to the TechCrunch Podcast. This week Amanda Silberling is here to talk about how Dungeons and Dragons creators are fighting to keep their livelihoods and Rebecca Bellan comes on to talk about how a tweet has gotten Elon Musk into legal trouble…again. And as always, Darrell breaks down the biggest stories in tech.Articles from the episode:Dungeons & Dragons content creators are fighting to protect their livelihoodsMusk stands to lose billions in trial over ‘funding secured' tweet More from TechCrunchDiscord acquires Gas, a compliments-based social media app for teensNorton LifeLock says thousands of customer accounts breachedAmazon fined by regulators for unsafe warehouse work conditionsBoston Dynamics' latest Atlas video demos a robot that can run, jump and now grab and throw

Welcome back to the TechCrunch Podcast. This week Christine Hall is here to talk about how VCs are using ChatGPT and Natasha Lomas comes on to explain why meta is in  regulatory hot water. And as always, Darrell breaks down the biggest stories in tech.Articles from the episode:Some investors are (cautiously) implementing ChatGPT in their workflowsMeta's ads being found unlawful in the EU is a warning to other ad-funded platformsMore from TechCrunchOpenAI begins piloting ChatGPT Professional, a premium version of its viral chatbotA big CES 2023 trend: All battery power, everywhere, all the timeMicrosoft 365 Basic launches with 100 GB of storage, Outlook and more for $1.99 per monthAll US domestic flights grounded as key FAA system goes down

This week Darrell talks with Kyle Wiggers about a few interesting AI announcements from CES and Natasha Mascarenhas comes on to talk about how tech workers are handling the mass layoffs we've seen in the past few months. .  And as always, Darrell breaks down the biggest stories in tech.Articles from the episode: Here's a roundup of the top AI-powered products we saw at CES 2023Burned by layoffs, tech workers are rethinking riskMore from TechCrunchSony and Honda reveal AfeelaIndia set an ‘incredibly important precedent' by banning TikTok, FCC Commissioner saysThere's now an open source alternative to ChatGPT, but good luck running itSalesforce to cut workforce by 10% after hiring ‘too many people' during the pandemic

It's that very slow week before the new year, so we're bringing you a bite-sized episode. No interviews this week, just Darrell walking you through a few of the most interesting stories from the past week  Please take a second to rate and review The TechCrunch Podcast and follow us wherever you listen to podcasts. We'll see you in 2023!Articles from the episode:Twitter suffered outage after Elon Musk made ‘significant' backend server architecture changesLastPass says hackers stole customers' password vaultsKickstarter shut down the campaign for AI porn group Unstable Diffusion amid changing guidelines

This week we're bringing you a very special episode from our friends over at Equity.To end the year, the Equity crew is bringing back their predictions episode: Alex, Natasha, Mary Ann, Theresa, Maggie, and Becca. Grace couldn't make the mic but we have a feeling she'd agree with at least 2% of our predictions, anyways.Let's not ruin the episode, but to give you a taste, here's what topics we based our predictions on:Startup building and culture trendsM&A and the return of secondariesThe future of media and how social will shiftDeep tech and generative AIAnd, of course, cryptoWe end on an earnest note. Good luck to Alex as he embarks on parenthood, welcome to Becca, who will be joining Equity in the new year, and, of course, thank you to all of you for sticking by us during this rollercoaster of a year.And with that, chat in 2023!

This week Darrell talked with Tim De Chant about his coverage of fusion energy and what feels like a rare hopeful story in renewable energy tech. And Jacquelyn Melinek walks us through Sam Bankman-Fried's alleged crimes and confirmed arrest.  Plus he goes over the top stories in tech from the week.  And as always, Darrell breaks down the biggest stories in tech.Articles from the episode:World-record fusion experiment produced even more energy than expectedFTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has been arrested in the BahamasUS attorney says ‘we are not done' charging individuals for FTX collapseOther news from the week:Instagram adds text updates with new Notes featureOpenAI's attempts to watermark AI text hit limitsElon Jet, the Twitter account tracking Elon Musk's flights, was permanently suspended

This week Darrell talks with Taylor Hatmaker on to talk about Lensa AI and the possible ramifications for artists. Then we'll hear from some attendees at the TC sessions: Space event  And as always, Darrell breaks down the biggest stories in tech.Articles from the episode:Lensa AI, the app making ‘magic avatars,' raises red flags for artistsUPDATED: It's way too easy to trick Lensa AI into making NSFW imagesRead all of the stories from TC Sessions: SpaceOther news from the week:Meta won't let staff discuss topics like abortion, gun control and vaccines at workAmazon will give your overworked delivery driver $5 if you ask Alexa to say thank youConfirmed: Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield stepping down in JanuaryThe FTC is suing to block Microsoft from buying Activision

This week Darrell talks with Rita Liao about the great wall of porn obscuring information about protests in china. And Ron Miller comes on to recap the AWS re:invent event and his story on Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor stepping down. And as always, Darrell breaks down the biggest stories in tech.Articles from the episode:Great Wall of porn obscures China protest news on Twitter Bret Taylor steps down as co-chair and CEO of SalesforceAll of TC's AWS re:invent converageOther news from the week:Instafest app lets you create your own festival lineup from SpotifyMusk at Twitter has ‘huge work' ahead to comply with EU rules, warns blocBeReal wins ‘app of the year' in Apple's annual App Store Awards in 2022

This week Darrell was busy hosting TC Sessions: Crypto, so producer Maggie interviewed  Dom-Madori Davis  about what Dom calls Vibe Capitalists and the kind of patterns they are matching. You'll also hear Anita Ramaswamy talk to Binance CEO CZ on FTX, building trust in crypto and revenue opportunities in a truly DeFI world. And as always, Darrell breaks down the biggest stories in tech.Articles from the episode:Long live the vibe capitalist!Binance's CZ on FTX: ‘We were the last straw that broke the camel's back'Other news from the week:Is Elon Musk's Twitter about to fall out of the GDPR's one-stop shop?Musk poses workers with a choice: quit Twitter, or prepare to get ‘hardcore'In his first emails to Twitter staff, Musk talks about ending remote work and battling verified spamAmazon begins layoffs as economic woes mountSBF regrets declaring FTX bankrupt

This week Darrell talks with Dom-Madori Davis about the coalition of VCs that are standing for reproductive rights. And Jacquelyn Melinek comes on the break down the FTX- Binance saga that's unfolded over the past week. And as always, Darrell breaks down the biggest stories in tech.Articles from the episode:More than 100 VC firms join VCs for Repro coalition to support reproductive rightsHere's the rundown on the Binance and FTX fiasco Binance's plan to acquire FTX is ‘real-life Game of Thrones' as crypto winter winds blowBinance backs out of deal to buy FTXCrypto giant Binance agrees to buy rival FTX amid ‘liquidity crunch'Other news from the week:All of the Elon Musk and Twitter news hereUS DOJ announces seizure of $3.36B in cryptocurrencyMeta confirms 11,000 layoffs, amounting to 13% of its workforceSalesforce confirms it has laid off hundreds of employees

This week Amanda Silberling and DarrellI went live on LinkedIn and Twitter Spaces to talk about Elon Musk's questionable plans for blue checks on Twitter. Then he talks with Natasha Mascarenhas about a new startup, Rewind, that wants to help humans have perfect memory. And as always, we break down the biggest stories in tech.Articles from the episode:Elon Musk's plan to charge for Twitter verification will be a misinformation nightmareElon Musk's Twitter already looks grim for the LGBTQ communityRewind wants to revamp how you remember, with millions from a16zOther news from the week:Watch SpaceX launch a Falcon Heavy for the first time in three yearsAmazon Prime now comes with a full music catalog of 100 million songs and ad-free podcastsGoogle puts an end to Google Hangouts once and for all

It's official - Elon Musk has sealed the deal on Twitter, and we're bringing you a bonus episode to talk through it all. In case you missed it, Alex took to Twitter Spaces with Darrell Etherington, Amanda Silberling, Anita Ramaswamy, and Taylor Hatmaker to process some of what's gone done, and what comes next on a special joint Equity/TechCrunch Podcast episode, so have a listen and be sure to read all about the Elon era at Twitter on TechCrunch.TechCrunch also has a great show on crypto, a show that interviews founders, and one that dives into the numbers and nuance behind the headlines.

This week Darrell talks with Taylor Hatmaker about Elon Musk officially buying Twitter. He also talks with Amanda Silberling about Youtuber MrBeast's business and why a billion-dollar-plus valuation for it makes us nervous. Plus he chats about the scoop of the week with Kirsten Korosec who broke the news that Argo is shutting down. And as always, he breaks down the biggest news in tech this week.Articles from the episode:Is MrBeast actually worth $1.5 billion?Ford, VW-backed Argo AI is shutting downElon Musk owns Twitter: The story so farRead all of TC's coverage on Mosk buying Twitter hereOther news from the week:WhatsApp back after massive global outage that lasted for two hoursTesla said to face criminal investigation by the Department of Justice over self-driving claims

This week was TechCrunch Disrupt and the whole team zeroed in on the event so we have a bite-sized episode. Darrell is talking with Jordan Crook about her TechCrunch Disrupt interview with tennis GOAT and investor Serena Williams. And as always, Darrell will catch you up on the tech news you may have missed this week.Articles from the episode:Check out all of our coverage of TechCrunch Disrupt Watch Serena Williams talk about the biggest investment she missed out on and moreHow Serena Williams brings her killer instinct to early-stage investingOther news from the week:Kanye West to acquire ‘uncancelable' social media platform ParlerKanye West and Elon Musk provide a new exit path: The billionaire tantrumNetflix launches new ‘Profile Transfer' feature to help monetize account sharingWatch Google's Ping-Pong robot pull off a 340-hit rally

This week Darrell talks with Taylor Hatmaker about her adventure into the metaverse at the Meta Connect event. And Haje Jan Kamps comes back to take the guest seat and talk about a Dutch Court's ruling that employee productivity monitoring using webcams is a human rights violation. And as always, Darrell will catch you up on the tech news you may have missed this week.Articles from the episode: My virtual torso went to Meta Connect 2022 Here's what you missed at Meta Connect 2022 It's painful how hellbent Mark Zuckerberg is on convincing us that VR is a thing Meta announces legs Meta's vision for the future of VR is a worse version of the past Other news from the week:Microsoft brings DALL-E 2 to the masses with Designer and Image CreatorNetflix's ad supported tier is coming November 3Federal gig worker proposal tanks Uber, Lyft and DoorDash stocks

This week Haje Jan Kamps, stepping in for Darrell, talks with Dominic-Madori Davis about how conservative VCs are shaping the startup landscape and, by extension, the world. He also talked with Taylor Hatmaker about all things Elon, from his cringey tweets to his most recent flip-flopping on will-he-or-won't he buy Twitter. And as always, we'll catch you up on the tech news you may have missed this week.TechCrunch Disrupt is coming up on October 18-20, live in San Francisco. We'll be hearing from guests like Dylan Field, Serena Williams, and Kevin Hart. Use code TCPOD all one word to get 15% Off Passes. Articles from the episode:It's official, Elon Musk is buying TwitterHere are some of the cringiest revelations in the Elon Musk text dumpJust before Musk backtracked, a judge said Twitter could hunt for secret chats with whistleblowerConservative capitalists are funding their vision of the future Other news from the week:Let's not defend Kim Kardashian for shilling cryptoKim Kardashian charged by SEC for pushing crypto, reaches $1.26M settlementTesla's robot is a real robot now, not just a guy in a suitSpotify cancels 11 original podcasts, lays off under 5% of podcast staff

This week Amanda Silberling comes on to talk about the rumor that porn may be coming back to Tumblr (spoiler alert: it's not) and Devin Coldewey discusses if NASA's DART spacecraft could really save us from a planet-threatening asteroid. And as always, Darrell will catch you up on the tech news you may have missed this week.If you recently were laid off, TechCrunch is offering a free expo pass to Disrupt (Oct. 18-20) in San Francisco.  No strings attached. These tickets get you access to the expo floor, breakout sessions, and plenty of networking opportunities like partner roundtables and parties. For more info, check out this page.Articles from the episode:No, Tumblr is not bringing back pornWatch the asteroid-smashing DART spacecraft make its 6-million-mile shot todayNASA's DART anti-asteroid satellite successfully smashes into space rockOther news from the week:UK police arrest teenager suspected of Uber, GTA 6 hacksInterpol issues red notice for Terra founder Do KwonHere are all of the new features and updates coming to Google MapsThe OG App promised an ad-free Instagram feed then got pulled from App Store

This week is all about hacks. First, Carly Page comes on to talk about the “completely compromising” Uber hack and then we're joined by Jordan Crook to go over what we know about the Grand Theft Auto 6 video leak. And as always, Darrell will catch you up on the tech news you may have missed this week.Articles from the episode:Massive GTA 6 gameplay video leak depicts male and female playable charactersRockstar Games confirms GTA 6 footage leakUber investigating cybersecurity incident after hacker breaches its internal networkHow do you stop another Uber hack?Other news from the week:Google's new Chromecast costs $30 — and it has a remoteRevolut confirms cyberattack exposed personal data of tens of thousands of usersKitty Hawk, the electric aircraft moonshot backed by Larry Page, is shutting downKia, Hyundai sued after viral TikTok causes rise in theftsApple Watch Ultra first impressions

This week Matthew Panzarino tells us about his week on the dynamic island with the new iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro. We're also joined by Becca Szkutak talking about the unpredictable state of VC as we enter the fall. And as always, Darrell will catch you up on the tech news you may have missed this week.Articles from the episode:Review of Apple's iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro: They're leaning into itVC fundraising gets weird as autumn nearsOther news from the week: Adobe snaps up Figma for $20B, taking out one of its biggest rivals in digital designEthereum switches to proof-of-stake consensus after completing The MergeGoogle cancels half the projects at its internal R&D group Area 120Uber investigating cybersecurity incident after hacker breaches its internal networkNow that the Ethereum Merge is behind us, what's next?

Welcome Back to the TechCrunch Podcast! This week we have an extra special guest host, Haje Jan Kamps walking us through the top TC stories of the week and talking to the writers who wrote them. He talks with Natasha Mascarenhas about YC demo day, executive changes, and the shrinking diversity in the accelerator's cohort. He's also joined by Anita Ramaswamy to talk about Ethereum's impending Merge and what it means for its users and the world of blockchains at large.  And of course, Haje will catch you up on the tech news you may have missed this week.Articles from the episode:Garry Tan's return is a full circle moment for Y CombinatorDelving into YC's diversity data following a category shakeupCatch up on all of TechCrunch's YC demo day coverage here.How the upcoming Ethereum Merge could change crypto's rewards, costs and reputationOther news from the week:Check out all the TechCrunch coverage of the Apple iPhone event hereJuul agrees to pay $438.5M in a record settlement, while a newer vape maker gains steamElon Musk can lean on the Twitter whistleblower but he can't push the trial date back

This week we're talking to  Kyle Wiggers is back to talk about Stable Diffusion, a new open source AI generator that allows for unfiltered creation and has led to a deepfake free for all. Brian Heater also comes on to talk about what we can expect from Apple's iPhone event and what we know so far about the reported antitrust lawsuit against Apple . And as always, Darrell will catch you up on the tech news you may have missed this week.Articles from the episode:Deepfakes for all: Uncensored AI art model prompts ethics questions What we expect from Apple's iPhone 14 eventJustice Department in early stages of filing an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, says reportOther news from the week:Twitter's attempt to monetize porn reportedly halted due to child safety warningsRoyal Caribbean will equip all its cruise ships with Starlink internetSnap cuts 20% of staff amid major restructuring

This week on the TechCrunch Podcast we're talking to Zack Whittaker about TechCrunch's new spyware lookup tool and a whistleblower complaint against Twitter alleging massive security issues. Tim De Chant also comes on to explain how the Inflation Reduction Act could make EVs more available and affordable. And as always, Darrell will catch you up on the tech news you may have missed this week.Articles from the episode:TechCrunch launches TheTruthSpy spyware lookup toolManchin's ultimatum may turn the US into a battery powerhouseEx-security chief accuses Twitter of cybersecurity mismanagement in an explosive whistleblower complaintOther news from the week:Meta officially rolls out its new metaverse ID systemDeepfakes for all: Uncensored AI art model prompts ethics questionsOracle's ‘surveillance machine' targeted in US privacy class actionT-Mobile phones will connect to Starlink for free starting next year