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Meta to cut roughly 5% of its workforce based on performance

Meta is reducing its workforce by about 5% through performance-based terminations, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. The company plans to hire new people to fill the roles, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in an internal memo to staff. “I’ve decided to raise the bar on performance management and move out low-performers faster,” Zuckerberg said in the note. “We […]

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Massachusetts senator seeks to extend deadline for TikTok ban

Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) is planning to introduce legislation to extend the TikTok ban deadline by 270 days. TikTok has warned of a looming shutdown in just five days, but the new legislation, officially called the Extend the TikTok Deadline Act, would give TikTok more time to divest from its Chinese parent company ByteDance, if approved by Congress. TikTok […]

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Kayak founder returns with Steppin, an app that locks you out of social media until you go for a walk

App stores are filled with different services that are designed to help you cut down on your screen time and count your steps. A new iOS app called Steppin combines these two ideas to help users do both at the same time to bridge the gap between physical and mental health.  Steppin blocks your social […]

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As TikTok faces a US shutdown, here are some alternative apps to check out

TikTok has warned of a looming shutdown in just six days, as the Supreme Court is currently weighing the law that would ban the app. So we thought it’s time to take a look at other platforms that may be able to fill the TikTok-shaped hole in our lives.  The law gives TikTok parent company […]

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‘Free Our Feeds’ campaign aims to billionaire-proof Bluesky’s tech

As Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg continue to reshape the social media space, a group of international tech entrepreneurs and advocates has launched a campaign to protect social media from the control and influence of billionaires. The initiative, Free Our Feeds, aims to protect Bluesky’s underlying technology, the AT Protocol, and leverage it to create […]

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TikTok ban: How both sides made their case to the Supreme Court and what the justices asked

On Friday, the nation’s highest court heard arguments on whether to uphold or block a law that could effectively ban TikTok​ in the U.S. The bill, signed into law by President Biden in April 2024, gives TikTok’s parent company ByteDance until January 19 to divest its U.S. operations or face a ban in the country. […]

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TikTok warns of looming shutdown as Supreme Court weighs sell-or-ban law  

A lawyer for TikTok argued before the Supreme Court on Friday that a ban on the social network would violate TikTok’s and Americans’ First Amendment rights. The Supreme Court this morning heard arguments on whether to overturn or delay a law that could effectively ban TikTok​ in the U.S. The bill, officially titled the Protecting […]

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Google’s Daily Listen AI feature generates a podcast based on your Discover feed

Google is testing a new “Daily Listen” feature that automatically generates a podcast based on your Discover feed. The company confirmed to TechCrunch that Daily Listen is a personalized AI-powered audio experience that is designed to help you stay up to date on the topics you care about.  The feature is currently rolling out on […]

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Former CEO of MoviePass’ parent company pleads guilty to fraud over ‘unlimited’ plan

The former chief executive of the parent company of MoviePass, Theodore Farnsworth, pleaded guilty to charges of securities fraud and conspiracy after being accused of misleading investors over the service’s “unlimited plan.” Farnsworth also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud as the chief executive of Vinco Ventures, a publicly traded company. Helios & […]

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Threads prototypes custom display names and cover images for profiles

Instagram Threads is developing new features that would bring its user experience more in line with that of X (formerly Twitter) and the social network Bluesky. The Meta-owned company is internally prototyping the ability to set a display name and add a cover image to profiles. A spokesperson for the company confirmed to TechCrunch on […]

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Meticulous shows off its smart espresso machine at CES 2025

Meticulous is showcasing its smart espresso maker, which it says is the world’s first robotic lever espresso machine, at CES 2025 in Las Vegas this week. The prototype has raised nearly $5 million in funding on Kickstarter and another $1.6 million million on Indiegogo. The company’s first batch of espresso machines is set to ship […]

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Therabody launches Coach, an AI-powered digital recovery platform

Therabody, the maker of popular massage guns and other wellness devices, announced at CES 2025 that it’s launching a new AI-powered digital recovery platform called Coach. The new platform is launching in beta inside Therabody’s app. While the app currently gives users easy-to-follow proprietary routines, Coach takes recovery and wellness a step further by using […]

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Elvie unveils an app-controlled smart bouncer that transforms into a bassinet at CES 2025

Elvie, a female-founded hardware startup, has unveiled a new app-controlled smart bouncer that gently transforms into a bassinet — while the baby is still in it. With the new Elvie Rise, announced at CES 2025 on Monday, parents and caregivers don’t have to move their baby between soothing, sleep, and play products.  The startup is […]

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Circular unveils its next gen Ring 2 with ECG functionality and AFib detection at CES 2025

Smart ring maker Circular announced its next-gen Ring 2 with ECG (electrocardiogram) functionality and AFib (atrial fibrillation) detection at CES 2025 Unveiled on Sunday in Las Vegas. The wearable is set to go on sale in February or Mach for $380. The ring’s ECG capability and FDA-cleared AFib detection will gives users the ability to […]

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Apple TV+ is free to stream this weekend

Apple is allowing anyone to access its Apple TV+ streaming service for free from Friday through Sunday. The company announced the weekend of free streaming earlier this week alongside a short video featuring its most popular TV shows, including “Severance,” “Slow Horses,” “Shrinking,” and more. It’s worth noting that this is the first time that […]

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Best iPad apps for unleashing and exploring your creativity

There are a number of iPad apps that can help you explore and express your creativity. Although the iPad started off as a simple device that could be used to stream content or browse the web on the go, Apple has essentially turned its iPads into powerful machines that can be used to do things […]

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Instagram tests a way to show you Story Highlights you didn’t get a chance to see

Instagram is testing a way for you to see content from friends that you might have missed. The social network has started displaying unseen Story Highlights from a user’s mutual followers at the end of the Stories tray, which is the area at the top of your feed where you see Stories from your friends. […]

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Instagram teases AI tools for editing appearances, backgrounds in videos using prompts

Instagram head Adam Mosseri is teasing upcoming generative AI features for the social app that will allow creators to “change nearly any aspect” of their videos using text prompts. The editing tools will be powered by Meta’s Movie Gen AI model, and are expected to launch on the social network sometime next year, Mosseri said […]

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Oura closes $200M round, bringing its valuation to $5.2B

Smart ring maker Oura announced on Thursday that it has closed a $200 million Series D funding round, bringing the company’s valuation to $5.2 billion. The round included participation from Fidelity Management and glucose device maker Dexcom. Oura says the new capital will allow it to expand its product offerings and further invest in product, science, […]

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