Made by Google was this week, that includes a full vary of reveals from Google’s largest {hardware} occasion. Google unveiled its new lineup of Pixel 9 telephones, together with the $1,799 Pixel 9 Fold Professional; superior AI-powered photo-editing instruments; and the brand new Pixel Buds Professional 2, that are infused with Gemini AI. The corporate additionally introduced Gemini Stay, a conversational AI voice assistant to compete with OpenAI’s Superior Voice Mode, although the reside demo had a couple of hiccups.
Epic Video games launched its rival iOS app retailer within the European Union. It’s launching with video games like Fortnite, Rocket League, Sideswipe and Fall Guys, and is working with builders to launch their video games on the Epic Video games Retailer sooner or later. Fortnite’s return to iOS comes over 4 years after Apple first eliminated the sport from its App Retailer, years of authorized battles, and regulatory adjustments introduced by EU’s Digital Markets Act.
X launched Grok-2 and Grok-2 mini in beta with improved reasoning. The brand new Grok AI mannequin can now generate photographs on X, although entry is at the moment restricted to the social community’s Premium and Premium+ customers. Nonetheless, Grok’s image-generation function doesn’t appear to have any guardrails round creating photographs of political figures like comparable merchandise do — and many customers are making the most of it.
That is TechCrunch’s Week in Evaluate, the place we recap the week’s largest information. Need this delivered as a e-newsletter to your inbox each Saturday? Enroll right here.
Information
The “most epic fail” award goes to…: CrowdStrike accepted the award for Most Epic Fail at Def Con’s Pwnie Awards, only a few weeks after its software program replace triggered a worldwide IT meltdown. At the very least they had been a very good sport about it. Learn extra
Waymo takes its driverless robotaxis to the freeway: Waymo will begin testing its totally autonomous robotaxis on freeways within the San Francisco Bay Space after getting approval from California regulators to cost for autonomous rides on the freeway. Learn extra
20 years of competing with Google Maps: OpenStreetMap is a community-driven platform that serves firms and software program builders with maps to allow them to rely rather less on proprietary merchandise like Google — and it simply celebrated its twentieth birthday. Learn extra
Productiveness your approach: If you wish to keep productive whereas distancing your self from the standard Huge Tech gamers, we put collectively some open supply options to well-liked productiveness apps like Calendly, Zoom and Substack. Learn extra
The FBI goes after Radar: The FBI seized the servers of a ransomware and extortion gang referred to as Radar (aka Dispossessor). It’s a uncommon win for the FBI, which has struggled to comprise and curtail the rising menace from ransomware. Learn extra
Rating shuts down: The relationship app for individuals with good to glorious credit score shut down in early August, the corporate advised TechCrunch. What was solely presupposed to be a pop-up app acquired a lot person curiosity that it stayed reside for six months earlier than lastly shutting down. Learn extra
Apple goes after Patreon: Apple threatened to take away Patreon from the App Retailer if creators use unsupported third-party billing choices or disable transactions on iOS, as an alternative of utilizing its in-app buying system for Patreon’s subscriptions. Learn extra
California helps digital IDs: Residents of California will quickly be capable to retailer their driver’s license or state ID of their Apple Pockets or Google Pockets apps, because the state works to launch assist for digital IDs within the coming months. Learn extra
Extra unhealthy information for Byju’s: India’s prime court docket has placed on maintain a tribunal ruling that halted Byju’s insolvency proceedings — a win for U.S. collectors which are in search of to get well $1 billion from the once-celebrated edtech startup that has since fallen from grace. Learn extra
Make cash on Telegram: Telegram introduced new methods for creators to earn cash on its platform, together with month-to-month paid subscriptions that customers can buy utilizing the app’s digital forex as a way to get entry to a creator’s additional content material. Learn extra
That’s a yikes from me: Palo Alto Networks is getting plenty of grief for a latest commerce present occasion by which two ladies posed with lampshades on their heads. CEO Nikesh Arora apologized in a LinkedIn put up, saying it was not “in step with our values.” Learn extra
Evaluation
Will AI change artwork as we all know it? The newest AI fashions can produce nice demos, however will they actually change how individuals make films and TV? A panel at SIGGRAPH explored the potential of generative AI and different programs to vary the way in which media is created at the moment. Whereas filmmakers and VFX specialists assume the usefulness of those instruments may pave the way in which for movie within the quick time period, it may additionally change the medium past recognition in the long run. Learn extra
Pour one out for CrowdTangle: Journalists, researchers and politicians are mourning Meta’s shutdown of CrowdTangle, a instrument used for monitoring the unfold of disinformation on Fb and Instagram. Its substitute is much less accessible and has fewer options, critics say, main many individuals to query why the corporate axed the useful gizmo simply three months earlier than a contentious U.S. election that’s already threatened by AI and misinformation. Learn extra
