Connie Loizos, Author at TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com Startup and Technology News Mon, 18 Nov 2024 18:05:49 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/cropped-cropped-favicon-gradient.png?w=32 Connie Loizos, Author at TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com 32 32 Consumer tech is bouncing back, and consumer founders like Brynn Putnam are bouncing back with it https://techcrunch.com/2024/11/16/consumer-tech-is-bouncing-back-and-consumer-founders-like-brynn-putnam-are-bouncing-back-with-it/ Sun, 17 Nov 2024 01:14:09 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=2916581 When Brynn Putnam sold her last company, Mirror, to Lululemon for $500 million at the start of the pandemic, it looked to this editor like she’d sold the smart fitness company too soon.  Instead, the timing proved brilliant. The home fitness craze crashed nearly as abruptly as it peaked during that first year of lockdowns. […]

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Marc Lore has big plans for Wonder that go beyond fast casual https://techcrunch.com/podcast/marc-lore-has-big-plans-for-wonder-that-go-beyond-fast-casual/ Sat, 16 Nov 2024 18:10:00 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?post_type=tc_podcast&p=2916479 This week on Strictly VC Download, Connie Loizos is joined live on stage by serial entrepreneur Marc Lore to discuss his newest venture, Wonder, a vertically integrated dining and delivery platform. From its origins in food trucks to its innovative electric kitchens and recent $650 million acquisition of Grubhub, Lore shares his creative vision for […]

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‘AI Granny’ is happy to talk with phone scammers all day https://techcrunch.com/2024/11/15/ai-granny-is-happy-to-talk-with-phone-scammers-all-day/ Sat, 16 Nov 2024 05:11:58 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=2916527 On Thursday, the U.K.’s largest mobile network operator, O2, introduced a chatbot designed to frustrate phone scammers. Called “dAIsy,” it mimics an older woman with all kinds of time to chat — about knitting, her cat Fluffy — with the aim of keeping fraudsters endlessly engaged as they try obtaining her (fake) bank details. A […]

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Standing desks don’t do squat, per new study https://techcrunch.com/2024/11/09/standing-desks-dont-do-squat-per-new-study/ Sat, 09 Nov 2024 18:02:23 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=2912993 Over the years, numerous startups have gained traction by designing, making, and selling standing desks as part of a workspace innovation trend to promote better health, and a lot of executives swear by them, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, who once called sitting “the new cancer.” But per the Washington Post, a new study of […]

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Murder trial for tech exec Bob Lee enters next phase https://techcrunch.com/2024/11/08/murder-trial-for-tech-exec-bob-lee-enters-next-phase/ Sat, 09 Nov 2024 05:30:26 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=2912971 Roughly 19 months after the fatal stabbing of tech exec Bob Lee in San Francisco attracted the nation’s attention, the trial of the man accused of killing him, tech entrepreneur and consultant Nima Momeni, will soon enter its next phrase. It should be riveting, if the prosecution’s newly wrapped case against Momeni is any indication. […]

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Australia looks to ban social media for kids under age 16 https://techcrunch.com/2024/11/06/australia-looks-to-ban-social-media-for-kids-under-age-16/ Thu, 07 Nov 2024 00:48:56 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=2911746 Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday announced plans in the country to ban social media for children under 16, saying that “social media is doing harm to our kids, and I’m calling time on it.” The proposed legislation will enter parliament this year, taking effect a year after lawmakers ratify it, said Albanese, adding […]

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‘Prediction markets’ set to pay out $450M to election bettors https://techcrunch.com/2024/11/06/prediction-markets-set-to-pay-out-450m-to-election-bettors/ Thu, 07 Nov 2024 00:02:01 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=2911727 Following Donald Trump’s election victory, thousands of bettors anticipate a potential $450 million payout from online betting sites, says Reuters. As Trump’s odds surged on so-called prediction markets near the end of the race, platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket gained attention for diverging sharply from traditional polls, which suggested a much closer race.  Talking with […]

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General Catalyst layers in financing to boost its fortunes https://techcrunch.com/podcast/general-catalyst-layers-in-financing-to-boost-its-fortunes/ Sun, 27 Oct 2024 17:30:00 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?post_type=tc_podcast&p=2903559 In this episode of the StrictlyVC Download, hosts Connie Loizos and Alex Gove speak with Pranav Singhvi and Hemant Taneja of General Catalyst, one of the biggest venture firms on the planet. One of the central themes? A product that General Catalyst created some five years ago that’s almost reminiscent of GE leasing. In essence, […]

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Billionaire Frank McCourt wants to buy TikTok; here’s his plan  https://techcrunch.com/podcast/billionaire-frank-mccourt-wants-to-buy-tiktok-heres-his-plan/ Sat, 26 Oct 2024 18:14:00 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?post_type=tc_podcast&p=2903544 This week on the StrictlyVC Download, hosts Connie Loizos and Alex Gove explore the intersection of technology, power, and the future of the internet with billionaire investor and philanthropist Frank McCourt. McCourt used to make headlines as the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers; now, he’s making waves with his ambitious efforts to reshape the […]

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TikTok accounts are becoming divorce fodder https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/24/tiktok-accounts-are-becoming-divorce-fodder/ Thu, 24 Oct 2024 23:46:56 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=2905589 When Kat and Mike Stickler divorced, their biggest challenge was dividing a shared TikTok account with millions of followers that generated significant income, and they aren’t alone, reports The WSJ. A growing number of couples — and divorce attorneys — are grappling with how to assess the value of social media accounts when a couple […]

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Tim Cook’s other job https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/21/tim-cooks-other-job/ Tue, 22 Oct 2024 05:37:58 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=2902936 In May, while unveiling the newest iPad at an Apple event, CEO Tim Cook wore a custom-made, one-of-a-kind pair of Nike sneakers whose decorative stitching included the words “Made on iPad.”  It wasn’t just a collab between Apple and Nike. As Bloomberg reminds readers, Cook has been on Nike’s board since 2005, when Cook was […]

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The surprising way OpenAI could get out of its pact with Microsoft https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/17/the-surprising-way-openai-could-get-out-of-its-pact-with-microsoft/ Fri, 18 Oct 2024 06:39:20 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=2901152 The New York Times on Thursday published a look at the “fraying” relationship between OpenAI and its investor, partner, and, increasingly, rival, Microsoft, reporting their five-year romance has cooled owing to financial pressure on OpenAI, the limited computing power Microsoft is providing OpenAI, and disagreements between the two about ground rules. Most fascinating perhaps is […]

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Are Cybertrucks too angular for Europe? https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/16/are-cybertrucks-too-angular-for-europe/ Wed, 16 Oct 2024 16:40:12 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=2899781 Tesla’s Cybertruck is facing blowback in Europe, particularly over pedestrian safety concerns. Euro NCAP, a voluntary but influential car safety assessment program in Europe, has not in any way tested the Cybertruck, but based on a visual assessment alone, raised alarms over its sharp, angular design, saying it could pose a serious threat to pedestrians. […]

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The woman who filmed Waymo’s honking robotaxis got an apology promo — then spent all day using it https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/15/the-woman-who-filmed-waymos-honking-robotaxis-got-an-apology-promo-then-spent-all-day-using-it/ Wed, 16 Oct 2024 05:41:48 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=2899524 Sophia Tung set up a livestream this past summer, showing self-driving Waymo cars honking from the San Francisco parking lot near her apartment at all hours of the night. As a kind of apology for the nuisance, Waymo threw an ice cream party in Tung’s building and gave Tung, a software engineer, some promo codes […]

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Nvidia, the AI chipmaker, just hit another record high https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/14/nvidia-the-ai-chipmaker-just-hit-another-record-high/ Tue, 15 Oct 2024 03:38:46 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=2898658 Nvidia shares hit a record high on Monday, closing at $138.07 as Wall Street anticipates earnings updates from Microsoft, Meta, Google, and Amazon on their AI infrastructure spending. The stock’s climb has been stupefying — surging nearly 180% this year, following a rapid climb last year; it’s also a reflection of Nvidia’s renowned stronghold on […]

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California police aren’t loving their Tesla cop cars https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/11/california-police-arent-loving-their-tesla-cop-cars/ Sat, 12 Oct 2024 04:01:59 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=2898074 Elon Musk on Thursday night rolled out the latest tech from Tesla, saying of its sleek Cybercab robotaxis and a prototype of its new electric van that “the future should look like the future.” Back in the present day, however, California police departments are beginning to regret the decision to replace their fleets with Tesla […]

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How stuck is the startup exit market? Pretty stuck, says PitchBook https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/10/how-stuck-is-the-startup-exit-market-pretty-stuck-says-pitchbook/ Thu, 10 Oct 2024 16:34:32 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=2896770 Deal analysis outfit PitchBook today released a new report that underscores how fewer exits are impacting the startup investing ecosystem.  Among its findings? Beyond what’s commonly known — that a lot of the fundings today are insider rounds and bridge financings aimed at keeping companies alive — cash back to the limited partners (LPs) who […]

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The Internet Archive slammed by DDoS attack and data breach https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/09/the-internet-archive-slammed-by-ddos-attack-and-data-breach/ Thu, 10 Oct 2024 05:19:29 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=2896565 The Internet Archive, the nonprofit organization that digitizes and archives materials like web pages, came under attack Wednesday. Several users – including over at The Verge – confronted a pop-up when visiting the site, reading, “Have you ever felt like the Internet Archive runs on sticks and is constantly on the verge of suffering a […]

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The Boring Company’s Las Vegas loop is attracting riders, and trespassers https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/08/the-boring-companys-las-vegas-loop-is-attracting-riders-and-trespassers/ Wed, 09 Oct 2024 06:00:13 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=2895578 The Boring Company’s 2.4-mile underground Loop in Las Vegas is proving anything but boring for management, with at least 67 trespassing occurrences since 2022, according to a deep dive by Fortune.   Designed for Tesla models to shuttle passengers underneath the Las Vegas Convention center, others who’ve found their way into the tunnels include a skateboarder, […]

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Ashton Kutcher, Effie Epstein, and Guy Oseary are coming to TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/08/ashton-kutcher-effie-epstein-and-guy-oseary-are-coming-to-techcrunch-disrupt-2024/ Tue, 08 Oct 2024 23:38:18 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=2851892 Last year, Sound Ventures, the 9-year-old, Beverly Hills, California-based venture firm led by general partners Ashton Kutcher, Guy Oseary, and Effie Epstein, announced a new $265 million AI fund that was betting big on large language model companies, including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Hugging Face. In fact, the plan was to invest in just six companies […]

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