Aisha Malik, Author at TechCrunch

OpenAI brings ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode to the web

Aisha Malik — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 19:45:41 +0000

OpenAI is expanding ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode feature to the web, letting users talk to the AI chatbot right from their browser. The company’s chief product officer, Kevin Weil, announced the launch on X. The feature, which makes ChatGPT more natural to speak with, is rolling out to ChatGPT’s paying customers this week, which means […]

Oura valued at $5B following deal with medical device firm Dexcom

Aisha Malik — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 14:57:52 +0000

Smart ring maker Oura announced on Tuesday that it has received a $75 million investment from glucose device maker Dexcom. The investment marks Oura’s Series D funding round and brings the company’s valuation to more than $5 billion. The partnership paves the way for the two companies’ devices and apps to be used together, which […]

Google Lens can now check prices and inventory when shopping in the real world

Aisha Malik — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 14:00:00 +0000

After building out Google Lens to help users shop online more easily, Google is now updating the product to help people shop when they’re in a physical store by offering product insights, price comparisons, and local inventory availability. Alongside this news, the company is bringing new shopping features to Maps, and adding more Google Pay […]

Instagram will soon let you reset your recommendation algorithm

Aisha Malik — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Instagram is testing the ability for users to reset their recommendations, the company announced on Tuesday. By resetting your recommendations, you would be starting fresh and retraining the app’s algorithm about the content you enjoy across your Explore page, home feed, and Reels tab. The feature is geared toward users who feel like their content […]

Roblox no longer allows users under 13 to message others outside of games

Aisha Malik — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Roblox will not let users under the age of 13 message others outside of games and experiences on the platform, the company said Friday. Roblox also announced a series of other built-in protections for young users, such as age-gating certain experiences, along with enhanced parental controls. Roblox has been criticized for failing to protect children […]

Unlike X, Bluesky says it won’t train AI on your posts

Aisha Malik — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 21:26:11 +0000

Bluesky, a social network that’s experiencing a surge in users this week as users abandon X, says it has “no intention” of using user content to train generative AI tools. The social network made the announcement on the same day that X (formerly Twitter) is implementing its new terms of service that allow the platform […]

YouTube chases TikTok with new gifting feature for vertical livestreams

Aisha Malik — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 17:50:02 +0000

YouTube is launching a new way for creators to earn money during vertical livestreams, the company announced on Thursday. Viewers can now buy “Jewels,” a digital currency, to send “gifts” to creators. Gifts are animations that appear on screen during vertical livestreams. If this sounds familiar, it’s because it’s similar to TikTok’s live gifting feature […]

Amazon’s telehealth platform adds low-cost plans for hair loss, skin care, and more

Aisha Malik — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 15:17:17 +0000

Amazon One Medical is expanding its telehealth services with the launch of upfront and low-cost treatment plans and medication delivery for several beauty and lifestyle concerns. Customers can get treatment plans and medication for men’s hair loss for as low as $16 per month, anti-aging skin care for $10 per month, and erectile disfunction care […]

Snapchat will soon be able to alert parents when their teen leaves or arrives at certain locations

Aisha Malik — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Snapchat is bringing enhanced location sharing to Family Center, its parental controls hub, the company announced Thursday. Users have been able to share their location with others on Snapchat for quite some time now, but the new addition allows parents to get an alert from within the app’s Family Center when their teen departs from […]

Spotify will start paying video podcast hosts based on how well their videos perform

Aisha Malik — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 21:11:08 +0000

Spotify announced on Wednesday that it will start paying podcast hosts who make popular videos on its streaming platform, as the company looks to take on YouTube’s dominance in the video podcast space. The company announced a new “Partner Program” that lets creators monetizes their content beyond ad revenue. Although creators can already monetize their […]

Trump expected to try to stop looming TikTok ban

Aisha Malik — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 20:52:04 +0000

President-elect Donald Trump will try to prevent TikTok from getting banned in the United States, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday. During his campaign, Trump promised voters that he would save the popular social media app if elected. Former Trump adviser and campaign manager Kellyanne Conway told the Post that the president-elect “appreciates the breadth and […]

Chrome on iOS now lets you search using images and text at the same time

Aisha Malik — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 19:22:58 +0000

Google is rolling out a few new features for Chrome on iOS, the company announced on Tuesday. Most notably, Google Chrome on iOS now lets you search using images and text at the same time. While you could already do this using the Google Lens iOS app, you can now do so directly within the […]

TikTok launches integration with Lemon8, as US ban looms

Aisha Malik — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 15:33:23 +0000

Users will be able to directly access Lemon8, ByteDance’s newer social media app, with their TikTok account, the company announced Tuesday. ByteDance says the integration will make photo sharing more feasible, and give creators the ability to cross-share photo content between the apps. Lemon8 will remain a separate app, but the two platforms will share […]

Microsoft Outlook now lets you create personalized AI-powered themes

Aisha Malik — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 17:26:04 +0000

Microsoft announced on Thursday that Outlook is getting a new feature that will allow you to use generative AI to create themes based on your personal preferences. AI-powered themes are available to people who have a Copilot Pro consumer subscription and business accounts with Copilot enabled. They are available on iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, and […]

iRobot lays off another 105 employees

Aisha Malik — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 22:21:23 +0000

Roomba maker iRobot is laying off 105 employees — about 16% of the company’s workforce, per an SEC filing — saying the cuts are part of an “operational restructuring plan.” The move comes after iRobot slashed roughly 350 jobs — about 31% of its workforce — earlier this year. Those cuts were made after plans […]

Apple warns investors its new products might never be as profitable as the iPhone

Aisha Malik — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 23:47:17 +0000

Apple is warning investors that its new and future products might never be as profitable as the iPhone. The disclosure comes as the company is pursuing newer technologies like artificial intelligence and mixed-reality headsets. Apple added the warning in its latest annual report under the “business risks” section, as first reported by the Financial Times. […]

CoffeeSpace is a Hinge-like app that wants to help you find your co-founder

Aisha Malik — Sat, 02 Nov 2024 14:00:00 +0000

CoffeeSpace is on a mission to help people find partners for their startup ideas online. The startup, which exhibited as part of the Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024, has launched a social networking app that matches people exploring startup ideas and looking for co-founders. The startup’s algorithm only matches candidates who meet each […]

CareYaya is enabling affordable home care by connecting healthcare students with elders

Aisha Malik — Sat, 02 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000

CareYaya, a platform that matches people who need caregivers with healthcare students, is working to disrupt the caregiving industry. The startup, which exhibited as part of the Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt, is looking to enhance affordable in-home support, while also helping students prepare for their future healthcare careers. The startup was founded in 2022 […]

Google Maps is getting new AI features powered by Gemini

Aisha Malik — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 17:08:25 +0000

Google Maps is getting new features powered by Gemini, Google’s generative AI model. On Thursday the company announced incoming updates that will allow Google Maps users in the U.S. to tap into AI to help them find new places to visit and answer questions about different locations. The platform is also getting enhanced navigation features […]

NFL quarterback turned-founder Colin Kaepernick on the challenges facing disrupters

Aisha Malik — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 00:04:44 +0000

Former NFL quarterback and civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick took the stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 on Wednesday to talk about the challenges facing people who want to disrupt something — both inside and outside of the tech world. “One of the biggest challenges that you will likely face when you try to disrupt something […]