Whether it’s an online marketplace, store or social media platform, virtually every site today uses some kind of recommendation service to personalize its offerings. Shaped, which is announcing an $8 million Series A funding round today, wants to make it easier for businesses of all sizes to combine the data …...Read More

If you play Wordle every day but also happen to enjoy chess, we’ve got great news for you. Echo Chess, a game built by a company called Echo Chunk, is trying to become Wordle for Chess. No, you’re not playing Wordle and only guessing words like “QUEEN” or “CHECK.” Echo …...Read More

Last year, Coinbase launched Base, its own layer-2 blockchain. It’s an ambitious project that could profoundly change not only Coinbase, but also the entire cryptocurrency industry. That’s why we’re excited to invite Jesse Pollak to TechCrunch Disrupt 2024. He’s head of protocols at Coinbase. And more importantly, he’s also the …...Read More

As Humane struggles to find its footing in the nascent world of AI hardware, two top employees have exited the company to found their own startup. It’s a story that, in some ways, echoes Humane’s own origin story, as founders Bethany Bongiorno and Imran Chaudhri left longtime roles at Apple …...Read More

In a first, the Federal Trade Commission is banning an app from serving users under the age of 18. The agency announced on Tuesday that it’s banning NGL, an anonymous social app, from marketing or offering its app to minors. NGL will pay $5 million to settle the lawsuit. Launched …...Read More

Google Maps has introduced speedometer and speed limits on iOS and CarPlay — more than five years after their debut on Android — to help iPhone users avoid speed ticketing while driving. TechCrunch has exclusively learned that Google has begun rolling out speedometers and speed limits for iPhone users globally. …...Read More

Language-learning app Duolingo has made its second acquisition in the design space following its 2021 IPO. On Tuesday, the company announced that it’s completed a deal to buy the Detroit-based animation and motion design studio Hobbes. The studio had already been working with Duolingo on several features, including its newer …...Read More

Two of my friends died within the last three years. By some coincidence, both of their birthdays fall in the beginning of July. So, twice this week, Facebook has reminded me to write “happy birthday” to two people who will never respond. Facebook’s algorithms can’t comprehend death. All it knows …...Read More

Running a small business means doing more with less. AI agents can help, but building custom agents for specific workflows remains challenging, even with today’s low-code/no-code tools. The idea behind Enso — which is came out of stealth by announcing a $6 million seed funding round Tuesday — is to …...Read More

A new iOS app called Wayther wants to help you better plan your road trips by giving you real-time road conditions and weather forecasts along your route. Created by indie developer Axel Le Pennec, Wayther gives you weather forecasts along your route up to 10 days in advance. Le Pennec, …...Read More