TechCrunch Industry News

A significant data breach at Volkswagen revealed location data for thousands of vehicles, raising privacy concerns. Meanwhile, the U.K. is investigating IBM's acquisition of HashiCorp for potential competitive issues. Apple is offering free access to its popular streaming service, enticing new viewers. In a move to strengthen its robotics division, Samsung has become the largest shareholder of Rainbow Robotics, signaling a bold step into the future of humanoid technology.

On December 27, a Waymo robotaxi and a Serve Robotics sidewalk delivery robot collided at a Los Angeles intersection, according to a video that’s circulating on social media. The footage shows a Serve bot crossing a street in West Hollywood at night and trying to get onto the sidewalk. Also, Treasury officials attributed the December theft of unclassified documents to China ... and Nearly a quarter century after its founding, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is gearing up to launch an orbital rocket for the first time — and finally enter the competitive launch industry that is currently dominated by SpaceX.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ah, 2024: the year we debated how to pronounce “hawk tuah,” pondered the health benefits of eating rocks, and held space for a Broadway showstopper. It was a year when the discourse could feel shockingly pure and joyful — at least for a few minutes, before we all came tumbling back down to reality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

These simple cybersecurity resolutions can help keep your startup protected from most malicious hackers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Three crypto industry groups — the DeFi Education Fund, the Blockchain Association, and the Texas Blockchain Council — are suing the Internal Revenue Service to block new regulations that require decentralized finance (DeFi) entities to report customer information. The IRS has been finalizing crypto tax regulations as part of the Biden Administration’s Infrastructure Investment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A year after Onyx Motorbikes owner James Khatiblou died suddenly, leaving customers with unfulfilled orders and millions in unpaid debts, the brand has been revived by its original founder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While most seed investors believe founders should spend their raised cash however they want to, those VCs will still be judging founders’ cash management. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Principle Venture Partners will write early-stage checks anywhere from $100,000 to “single digit millions.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before the elections, the cybersecurity team of U.S. vice president and then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris reached out to Apple asking for help, according to Forbes, after a tool that’s designed to detect spyware on iPhones flagged anomalies on two devices belonging to campaign staffers. Apple declined to forensically analyze the phones. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With 25M users, Bluesky launches a $1M fund to take on social media and AI. The fund will offer grants to those building on BlueSky’s open source AT Protocol. Apple and Meta go to war over interoperability vs. privacy. The two are warring in Europe over the balance between interoperability and privacy, Reuters reports. The fight focuses on the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), a competition regulation that requires designated gatekeepers (including Apple and Meta) not to restrict rivals’ access to so-called core platform services. California can ban new gas cars starting in 2035. California’s phase out would begin in 2026, when the state will require 35% of automakers’ sales to be zero emissions vehicles. Bugs in a major McDonald’s India delivery system exposed sensitive customer data. McDonald's India exposed the personal information of customers and drivers due to security flaws impacting its APIs. Tracker firm Hapn spilling names of thousands of GPS tracking customers. A security researcher found customer names and workplace affiliations spilling directly from Hapn's servers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices