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As speed becomes the defining currency in an AI-driven software world, Blacksmith has raised another round led by Google Ventures — just four months after its seed — to accelerate how code gets shipped. The $10 million Series A closed in just 14 days, with Google Ventures doubling down after first backing Blacksmith’s $3.5 million seed in May. At the time, Alphabet’s VC arm bet on the size of the market and the founding team, which included veterans of Cockroach Labs, another GV portfolio company. But for this round, GV was swayed by results. Blacksmith, which offers a continuous integration…

SWANNANOA, N.C. (AP) — When 12-year-old Natalie Briggs visited the ruins of her home after Hurricane Helene, she had to tightrope across a wooden beam to reach what was once her bedroom.Knots of electrical wires were draped inside the skeleton of the house. Months after the storm, light filtered through breaks in the tarps over the windows. “All I could think of was, ‘This isn’t my house,’” said Natalie, who had been staying in her grandparents’ basement.At school, Natalie sometimes had panic attacks when she thought of her ruined home in Swannanoa.“There were some points where I just didn’t want…

As robots increasingly enter human spaces, robotics companies will need to think about safety differently than they did when robots were largely siloed from their human counterparts.   Sonair thinks its sensors can help robotics companies reach their safety goals — with a solution that is both better and cheaper than popular LIDAR technology.   The Oslo, Norway-based company built an ADAR (acoustic detection and ranging) sensor for robots that uses high frequency sound. These sensors send out ultrasound waves and capture how the sound echoes back. These signals give robots a three-dimensional view of their surroundings.  This data complements a robot’s…

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Anthony Roth Costanzo, the man who brought $11 opera tickets to Philadelphia, hopes to keep surprising audiences during the company’s new season.“It is very much opera. It’s dramatic, it’s cathartic, it’s collaborative in interdisciplinary ways,” Costanzo said of Opera Philadelphia’s 50th anniversary season — the first he’s been able to plan since taking charge of the financially teetering company last year. “But it’s different from what your perception of opera might be.”He slated a work by Rossini to kick things off, with opening night set for Friday. But instead of choosing a repertory staple, Costanzo picked the…

Icarus Robotics cofounders Ethan Barajas and Jamie Palmer spent hours interviewing astronauts about what it was like working in space as they homed in on their startup idea. Their big takeaway: the work was often more cargo logistics than cutting-edge science. “We’re Amazon warehouse workers with PhDs,” one astronaut said. If an experiment takes two hours on station, the person continued, the first ninety minutes are spent just moving around cargo and preparing tools. It’s a dismal waste of top talent. “These astronauts that are trained for two years, that come from some of the craziest military backgrounds and some…

NEW YORK (AP) — When we make mistakes at work, it can lead to a cycle of negative thinking.The damaging thoughts swirl: “I’m an impostor.” “I’m not smart enough.” “I’m failing at my job.”Feeling like an impostor — doubting one’s own abilities despite a track record of success — is common, especially among women and members of marginalized groups. Even on days when everything’s going right, it can be hard to shift out of a cycle of self-doubt.But there are ways to interrupt that downward spiral.Many people have found cognitive behavioral therapy, a form of talk therapy, helpful to examine…

Waymo has struck a deal with ride-hailing company Lyft to launch a robotaxi service in Nashville in 2026. The company said Wednesday it will begin testing its fleet of all-electric and autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicles in the Nashville area in the coming months and will open up the service to the public next year. The partnership agreement announced Wednesday comes as Waymo ramps up its robotaxi expansion from its initial commercial market of Phoenix to Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The Alphabet-owned company has previously announced plans to bring its robotaxis to Miami, Washington D.C., Dallas, and Denver.…

NEW YORK (AP) — ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show indefinitely beginning Wednesday after comments that he made about Charlie Kirk’s killing led a group of ABC-affiliated stations to say it would not air the show and provoked some ominous comments from a top federal regulator.The veteran late-night comic, made several remarks about the reaction to the conservative activist’s assassination last week on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Monday and Tuesday nights, including that “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk.” Jimmy Kimmel departed his studio in Hollywood on Wednesday as protesters gathered…

Carmen Roig, Vice President of Sales, Princess Cruises (Photo Credit: Courtesy Carmen Roig / Princess Cruises)WHY IT RATES: The industry icon is a respected sales, marketing and community leader, bringing more than 40 years of experience in the cruise business.—Patrick Clarke, TravelPulse Senior EditorPrincess Cruises today announced the promotion of Carmen Roig to senior vice president of sales, further cementing her leadership role in expanding consumer demand through strong trade relationships. Since joining Princess in 2022 as Vice President of Sales, Roig has successfully led North America Trade Sales, Trade Marketing, Inside Sales and Service, as well as spearheaded International…

When most kids rebel against their families, they might become a ski bum, join a band, or go to art school. Shen Ming Lee decided to start a company. “I grew up in the conventional palm oil industry,” Lee told TechCrunch. “My family’s business is one of the top producers in the palm oil space. And so I grew up a little bit — I have to admit —ashamed of what my family does.” Palm oil has come to dominate the market for vegetable oils, with the raw ingredient and its derivatives appearing in everything from snack foods and cosmetics…