Ethical electronics startup, Fairphone, has taken the recycled wrapping off a new flagship smartphone, the Fairphone 5, which will start shipping to buyers in Europe next month. The Android 13-powered handset comes with a five year warranty and the promise of software support that it says will last until at least 2028 — and even […]
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Hyperproof Raises $40 Million in Funding Round, Doubling Valuation
Hyperproof, a software-as-a-service risk and compliance management company, today announced that it raised $40 million in a funding round led by Riverwood Capital with participation from Toba Capital, an early-stage VC firm. The tranche brings Hyperproof’s total raised to $66.5 million and “doubles” the company’s valuation from nine months ago, according to co-founder and CEO […]
China’s New IPO Rules: How Chinese Companies Navigate Overseas Listings
Six months ago, China’s securities authority announced a set of new rules to facilitate overseas IPOs of Chinese companies, allowing Beijing to tighten its grip on businesses seeking to sell shares abroad. Since then, companies have committed themselves to meeting these new requirements, and now news is surfacing that some have managed to receive regulatory […]
Fitbit Faces Privacy Complaints for Allegedly Breaching EU Data Protection Rules
Google-owned Fitbit is facing a trio of privacy complaints in the European Union which allege the company is illegally exporting user data in breach of the bloc’s data protection rules. The complaints target Fitbit’s claim that users have consented to international transfers of their information — to the US and elsewhere — arguing the company […]
Google Discontinues Pixel Pass Subscription Service
Google is discontinuing its Pixel Pass subscription service, which allowed people to get a Pixel phone combined with premium services including YouTube Premium, Google Play Pass, and YouTube Premium for a monthly fee. The company said on its support page — spotted first by 9to5Google — that it will stop offering purchases or renewals for […]
PhonePe Launches Share.Market App, Expanding into Stock and Mutual Fund Investment
India’s PhonePe is getting into stock and mutual fund investment, the latest in a series of expansion by Walmart-backed payments app as it looks to leverage its 450 million-plus user base to win new categories. The Bengaluru-headquartered startup launched Share.Market, an app that allows users to open their trading accounts and invest in stocks, mutual […]
General Motors Collaborates with Google Cloud for Innovative OnStar Chatbot
General Motors has found a new way to get in on the generative AI buzz. The automaker is now using Google Cloud’s conversational chatbot, dubbed Dialogflow, to handle some non-emergency OnStar features. GM announced the collaboration alongside a keynote from Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai at the Google Cloud Next 23 event Tuesday. OnStar, GM’s in-car […]
Introducing SynthID: A Game-Changing Image Watermarking Tool by Google Deepmind
In partnership with Google Cloud, Google Deepmind, Google’s AI research division, is launching a tool for watermarking and identifying AI-generated images. But only images created by Google’s own image-generating model. The tool, called SnythID and available in beta for select users of Vertex AI, Google’s platform for building AI apps and models, embeds a digital […]
Starfish Space Triumphs Over Disaster, Regains Control of Tumbling Otter Pup Spacecraft
Against all odds, Starfish Space has managed to pull its first orbital mission back from the brink of catastrophe, with the startup saying Tuesday that it has re-gained control over the Otter Pup spacecraft that had been rapidly tumbling through space. The Kent, Washington-based startup said it will now move ahead with an “extensive checkout” […]
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Requests More Information from Tesla regarding Autopilot Safety
Once again, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is requesting more information from Tesla regarding the safety of Autopilot. In a special order dated July 26, the regulator shared concerns about a change to Tesla’s advanced driver assistance system that allows drivers to use the system for extended periods of time without prompting the […]