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LOS GATOS, Calif. (AP) — Like many retirement communities, The Terraces serves as a tranquil refuge for a nucleus of older people who no longer can travel to faraway places or engaging in bold adventures.But they can still be thrust back to their days of wanderlust and thrill-seeking whenever caretakers at the community in Los Gatos, California, schedule a date for residents — many of whom are in their 80s and 90s — to take turns donning virtual reality headsets.Within a matter of minutes, the headsets can transport them to Europe, immerse them in the ocean depths or soar them…

There was a time when most Americans had little to no knowledge about their local data center. Long the invisible but critical backbone of the internet, server farms have rarely been a point of interest for folks outside of the tech industry, let alone an issue of particularly captivating political resonance. Well, as of 2025, it would appear those days are officially over. Over the past 12 months, data centers have inspired protests in dozens of states, as regional activists have sought to combat America’s ever-increasing compute buildup. Data Center Watch, an organization tracking anti-data center activism, writes that there…

Nvidia has struck a non-exclusive licensing agreement with AI chip competitor Groq. As part of the deal, Nvidia will hire Groq founder Jonathan Ross, president Sunny Madra, and other employees. CNBC reported that Nvidia is acquiring assets from Groq for $20 billion; Nvidia told TechCrunch that this is not an acquisition of the company and did not comment on the scope of the deal. But if CNBC’s numbers are accurate, this purchase is expected to be Nvidia’s largest ever, and with Groq on its side, Nvidia is poised to become even more dominant in chip manufacturing. As tech companies compete…

Mill may have started with households, but co-founder and CEO Matt Rogers says the food waste startup has long aspired to expand to commercial customers. “This has been part of our plan since our Series A deck,” Rogers told TechCrunch. Now, with an official deal locked in with Amazon and Whole Foods the company’s plan to profit from handling other people’s food waste is a bit more public. Whole Foods will deploy a commercial-scale version of Mill’s food waste bin in each of its grocery stores beginning in 2027. The bins will grind and dehydrate waste from the produce department,…

Nestled along the picturesque coastline of Juan Dolio in the Dominican Republic, Emotions Juan Dolio by Hodelpa offers guests an all-inclusive beachfront escape that combines relaxation with family-friendly amenities. Located just 29 miles from La Romana and 17 miles from Las Americas Airport, this resort provides convenient access while maintaining a tranquil atmosphere away from the bustle of larger tourist hubs. Emotions Juan Dolio (Photo Credit: Emotions by Hodelpa)The property features 336 air-conditioned rooms, each designed to offer comfort and modern conveniences. Guests will find flat-screen TVs with cable channels, free WiFi, private balconies and well-appointed bathrooms in every accommodation. Many…

Every year, TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield pitch contest draws thousands of applicants. We whittle those applications down to the top 200 contenders, and of them, the top 20 compete on the big stage to become the winner, taking home the Startup Battlefield Cup and a cash prize of $100,000. But the remaining 180 startups all blew us away as well in their respective categories and compete in their own pitch competition. Here is the full list of the biotech and pharma Startup Battlefield 200 selectees, along with a note on why they landed in the competition.  CasNx What it does: CasNx has…

Talitha Park (Photo Credit: Talitha Park)Travel Advisor Success Stories focus on veteran advisors and how they achieved success. Here’s a look at Talitha Park, the top-producing agent at Anew Travel. How did you get your start as a travel advisor?For many years – and still today – I’ve worked as a hair stylist. My salon chair has always been more than a place for haircuts and color; it’s where people open up, dream aloud and share pieces of their lives. No matter who sits down, one topic consistently brings joy, connection and a spark of excitement: travel. I’ve always loved…

Waymo appears to be testing adding Google’s Gemini AI chatbot to its robotaxis in an effort to integrate an AI assistant that would accompany riders and answer their queries, according to findings by researcher Jane Manchun Wong. “While digging through Waymo’s mobile app code, I discovered the complete system prompt for its unreleased Gemini integration,” Wong wrote in a blog. “The document, internally titled ‘Waymo Ride Assistant Meta-Prompt,’ is a 1,200+ line specification that defines exactly how the AI assistant is expected to behave inside a Waymo vehicle.” The feature hasn’t shipped in public builds, but Wong says the system…

There’s plenty of hype around AI and robots in healthcare, but the problem that’s actually costing hospitals money right now is operating room coordination. Two to four hours of OR time is lost every single day, not because of the surgeries themselves, but because of everything in between, from manual scheduling and coordination chaos to guesswork about room turnover.   Today on TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, we’re bringing you a conversation that TechCrunch AI Editor Russell Brandom had with Conor McGinn, co-founder and CEO of Akara, the startup that recently landed a spot on Time’s Best Inventions of 2025 and is building…

Leading travel search engine, Kayak, unveiled its 2026 Travel Trends Forecast revealing increasing travel interest, lower airfares and emerging global hotspots.Flight data searches found that travel interest has increased by 9 percent while airfares have decreased 3 percent domestically and 10 percent internationally. “Lower fares and rising interest mean travelers can stretch their budgets further in 2026,” said a KAYAK spokesperson. “Couple lower fares with new routes expanding access to historically under-the-radar cities and you’ve got travelers finding more reasons and more ways to explore the world.”Eastern Europe Dominates 2026 DestinationsEurope is leading 2026 travel trends with Eastern Europe setting…