Horses has become the current face of the fight against video game censorship and what gets to be art. After getting banned from Steam and the Epic Game Store, the narrative horror game has become a bestseller on GOG.com, and has brought gamers of all stripes together in support of it. But as a game, … Read more
Spotify’s annual Wrapped feature just dropped, giving listeners a fun, personalized summary of their listening habits. It has gained immense popularity over the years, and as a result, many companies have seized the opportunity to create similar year-in-review experiences, offering users a recap of their habits, preferences, or interactions from the past year. Here are … Read more
One study, from the Environmental Investigation Agency in 2018, found that only one-third of tropical timber shipments from Peru to China were properly inspected, and of those that were inspected, 70 percent were found to be from illegally deforested land. Another study published in May found that Chinese imports of products known to cause deforestation … Read more
Mike Winkelmann, the digital artist known as Beeple, has placed himself at the center of the pack — literally — with his latest viral installation at Art Basel Miami Beach, and there’s still time to see it through Sunday. His “Regular Animals” project features $100,000 robotic dogs outfitted with hyper-realistic heads resembling Elon Musk, Mark … Read more
The holidays have a way of sneaking up on us. One minute you’re trick-or-treating with your kids, and the next you’re panic shopping in a Buc-ee’s gift aisle. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With the right cheat sheet, you can keep the holiday spirit high and stress levels low. Fortunately, we did … Read more
Aaru, startup that provides near-instant customer research by using AI to simulate user behavior, has raised a Series A at led by Redpoint Ventures, according to three people familiar with the deal. The funding round included different valuation tiers, these people said. Although some equity was acquired at a $1 billion valuation, a lower valuation … Read more
Yoodli, an AI-powered communication training startup, has reached a valuation of more than $300 million — more than triple its level six months ago — as it builds technology meant to assist people rather than replace them with machines. The valuation increase follows Yoodli’s $40 million Series B round, led by WestBridge Capital with participation … Read more
Waymo plans to voluntarily issue a software recall with federal safety regulators related to how its robotaxis operate around school buses, the Alphabet-owned company told TechCrunch. The voluntary software recall will be filed early next week, according to the company. Waymo’s decision follows increased scrutiny by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and criticism by … Read more
Somewhere, a pig is catching some sweet air. In a rare move for a streaming service, Fubo announced today that it’s lowering the prices for some of its subscription plans. Fubo is a sports-focused vMVPD (virtual multichannel video programming distributor, or a company that enables people to watch traditional TV channels live over the Internet). … Read more
Warner Bros. has an infamous history of being bought by other companies and then quickly ending up back on the market after its new owners realize how difficult it is to capitalize on a legacy production studio’s assets. Those challenges are part of what doomed WB’s mergers with AOL and AT&T, who bought the studio … Read more