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The tie between startups and the U.S. government have strengthened in recent years, a shift buoyed by an interest in using AI, automation, space, robotics, and climate tech for defense. And while that has provided another welcome path to capital, the relationship is getting complicated. A growing share of startups have the U.S. government as customers, or are aiming for permits and defense-related contracts. When the government is operational, that connection can provide a needed boost and revenue to startups. But when the government ceases to function, as it did starting October 1, those close ties can stifle or even…
South Korea is world-famous for its blazing-fast internet, near-universal broadband coverage, and as a leader in digital innovation, hosting global tech brands like Hyundai, LG, and Samsung. But this very success has made the country a prime target for hackers and exposed how fragile its cybersecurity defenses remain. The country is reeling from a string of high-profile hacks, affecting credit card companies, telecoms, tech startups, and government agencies, impacting vast swathes of the South Korean population. In each case, ministries and regulators appeared to scramble in parallel, sometimes deferring to one another rather than moving in unison. Critics argue that…
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos made a rare public appearance at Italian Tech Week in Turin on Friday and used the opportunity to predict that millions of people will be living in space “in the next couple of decades,” the Financial Times reports. Speaking with John Elkann, a scion of Italy’s Agnelli dynasty, Bezos, who also founded rocket company Blue Origin, insisted people will be living in space “mostly because they want to,” and that robots will handle the grunt work, while vast AI data centers float overhead. The pronouncement sounds a little like Bezos trying to one-up his space rival.…
Tesla has been hit with an enforcement action by California’s Department of Insurance (CDI) for routinely denying or delaying customer claims despite years of warnings from the state regulator, according to a new pair of filings. Tesla’s insurance arm, along with its partner State National Insurance Company, engaged in “willful unfair claims settlement practices” including “egregious delays in responding to policyholder claims in all steps” of the process and “unreasonable denials,” CDI wrote. This has allegedly caused “financial harm” and “distress to policyholders.” CDI first approached Tesla about these issues in 2022, according to the filings, yet it claims things…
The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) has launched a new online tool for its travel advisor members to report and track delays in hotel commission payments.Available via ASTA’s Commission Reporting Portal, the tool aims to collect and escalate advisor concerns directly with hotel partners to draw attention to commission payment issues that can disrupt cash flow, erode trust and add unnecessary administrative burdens for advisors, the organization says. “To support our members, we’ve created this dedicated webpage and commission issue reporting tool. If more than 45 days have passed since your client completed their hotel stay and you still…
Social event planning app Partiful, which calls itself “Facebook events for hot people,” has firmly replaced Facebook as the go-to platform for sending party invitations. But what Partiful also has in common with Facebook is that it’s collecting a tsunami of user data, and Partiful could have done better at keeping that data secure. On Partiful, hosts can create online invitations with a retro, maximalist vibe, allowing guests to RSVP to events with the ease of ordering a salad on a touch-screen. Partiful aims to be user-friendly and trendy, propelling the app to #9 on the iOS App Store’s Lifestyle…
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — More than 600 couples married simultaneously Saturday in Asunción, Paraguay. Thousands said “I do” in unison as part of a government initiative to make civil weddings more accessible across the country.The campaign, called “United by Love and Protected by Law,” aims to legalize relationships in which couples forgo marriage because of economic or bureaucratic reasons, preventing them from receiving benefits such as social security, pensions and inheritance rights.The Civil Registry and the first lady’s office prioritized weddings for long-term couples considered vulnerable. Nearly half of the newlyweds brought their children to the ceremony.“It was about…
Travelers to Taiwan are required to complete a digital arrival card before departure from October 1, 2025.The new requirement eliminates the option of completing a paper version and is designed to streamline the entry process while ensuring safety and security. How to Complete Your Taiwan Arrival CardTravelers heading to Taiwan can visit the Ministry of the Interior National Immigration Agency, Republic of China (Taiwan) website to complete and submit their arrival card within three days before they arrive. Users will have the option to submit or update an existing arrival card and will require a valid passport and email address…
OpenAI may be reversing course on how it approaches copyright and intellectual property in its new video app Sora. Prior to Sora’s launch this week, The Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI had been telling Hollywood studios and agencies that they needed to explicitly opt out if they didn’t want their IP to be included in Sora-generated videos. Despite being invite-only, the app quickly climbed to the top of the App Store charts. Sora’s most distinctive feature may be its “cameos,” where users can upload their biometric data to see their digital likeness featured in AI-generated videos. At the same…
Agriculture is a thirsty industry, consuming 70% of all fresh water used worldwide. In some countries, like India or Chile, it can be more than 90%. For Mario Bustamante, who lives in Chile, the problem hits close to home. “Lack of water is a big issue here,” he told TechCrunch. Bustamante is betting that AI can help slash water use in farms across the world. His startup, Instacrops, was originally founded to deploy internet-of-things (IoT) sensors on farms to warn farmers about damaging frost conditions, but as the hardware became commoditized, the company pivoted to software and water use. Now,…