Techin' Geek

Claude has now incorporated Microsoft 365, enabling access to documents, emails, chats, and calendars to provide contextual responses and enterprise-wide search, converting disorganized organizational data into actionable insights for teams and businesses.

A federal judge has approved WhatsApp’s request, owned by Meta, for a permanent injunction preventing Israeli cyberintelligence firm NSO Group from targeting users of the messaging application. Concurrently, the judge significantly reduced the fine that NSO Group must pay to Meta.

Earlier this year, a jury ruled that NSO Group would owe Meta over $167 million following a 2019 operation that affected more than 1,400 WhatsApp users, which included human rights defenders and journalists. 

However, U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton determined on Friday that there was insufficient evidence to classify NSO Group’s actions as “particularly egregious,” thus limiting the punitive damages ratio to 9 to 1, bringing the payment down to approximately $4 million.

In a statement to Courthouse News Service, WhatsApp Head Will Cathart remarked that the ruling “prohibits spyware creator NSO from ever targeting WhatsApp and our users worldwide again.”

“We commend this decision that follows six years of litigation aimed at holding NSO accountable for its targeting of civil society members,” Cathart stated.

NSO Group has recently announced its acquisition by U.S. investors.

Wikipedia is frequently characterized as the last reliable website amidst a growing internet dominated by harmful social media and AI content. However, indications suggest that the online encyclopedia is not entirely shielded from larger patterns, with human pageviews dropping 8% year-over-year, as noted in a recent blog post by Marshall Miller from the Wikimedia Foundation.

The foundation aims to differentiate between human and bot traffic, with Miller stating that the recent decline “over the past few months” was uncovered following an upgrade to Wikipedia’s bot detection systems, which seemed to indicate that “a significant portion of the unusually high traffic during May and June was generated by bots designed to avoid detection.”

What is causing the decrease in traffic? Miller highlights “the influence of generative AI and social media on how individuals seek information,” especially as “search engines are steadily employing generative AI to deliver answers directly to users rather than linking to sites like ours” and as “younger users are searching for information on social video platforms instead of the open web.” (Google has challenged the assertion that AI summaries diminish traffic from searches.)

Miller mentions that the foundation embraces “innovative methods for individuals to acquire knowledge” and argues that this does not lessen Wikipedia’s significance, as knowledge derived from the encyclopedia continues to reach users even if they do not visit the site. Wikipedia has even tested AI summaries of its own, but the initiative was halted after complaints from editors.

Nevertheless, this shift poses risks, particularly if individuals are becoming less conscious of the origins of their information. As Miller remarks, “With a decline in visits to Wikipedia, there may be fewer volunteers to grow and enhance the content, and fewer individual donors to support this initiative.” (Some of these volunteers are truly exceptional, having reportedly disarmed a gunman at a Wikipedia editors’ conference last Friday.)

For this reason, he asserts that AI, search, and social companies utilizing content from Wikipedia “must promote increased visits” to the website itself.

He also notes that Wikipedia is implementing its own measures, such as developing a new framework for crediting content from the encyclopedia. The organization has two teams focused on attracting new readers to Wikipedia, and it is seeking volunteers to assist.

Miller also urges readers to “support content integrity and creation” in a wider context.

“When searching for information online, look for citations and click through to the original source material,” he advises. “Discuss with people you know about the significance of trustworthy, human-curated knowledge, and help them realize that the content fueling generative AI was produced by real individuals who deserve their support.”

Kevin Hartz often leads the way. In 2001, he established Xoom, at a time when sending money internationally required waiting in line at Western Union. It went public in 2013, and in 2015, PayPal acquired it for $1.1 billion. Just four years after introducing Xoom, he launched Eventbrite, which became publicly traded in 2018, transforming the ticket-buying experience into a hassle-free process.

Following a period at Founders Fund, Hartz founded his own investment firm, A* Capital (named after a computer science algorithm). In 2020, he recognized another emerging trend: the SPAC surge. His blank-check venture, “one,” acquired 3D printing company Markforged in a $2.1 billion reverse merger in 2021, coinciding with the moment every other financier in Silicon Valley suddenly deemed SPACs as essential.

Currently, Hartz is focused on teenage entrepreneurs, not as an experiment but as an unexpected investment strategy. His firm recently invested in Aaru, an AI-driven prediction platform with a founder who was too young to obtain his driver’s license at the time. Hartz is not isolated in this endeavor. The dropout-and-build movement, popularized by founders such as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg, is now a common lifestyle choice for a specific group of ambitious youth.

Take Cory Levy, who interned at Founders Fund, Union Square Ventures, and Techstars while still in high school, then left the University of Illinois after his first year. He now operates Z Fellows, a one-week accelerator providing technical founders — including high schoolers — with $10,000 grants. When Levy dropped out a decade back, the Thiel Fellowship was a groundbreaking concept. Now, the “community of dropouts is at an unprecedented high,” he revealed to Business Insider last spring. “At a large group dinner of 15 or 20 people, we’ll glance around the table, and no one holds a college degree.”

This trend is gaining such traction that the accelerator Y Combinator, which has subtly supported dropout culture since its inception, recently introduced a program designed for students aspiring to launch companies without leaving school. This initiative allows them to apply while still enrolled, gain acceptance and funding immediately, and postpone their involvement in YC until after graduation. (For YC, known for its countercultural ethos, this move aligns perfectly.)

Not surprisingly, TechCrunch has been reporting on this trend: see here and here and here. To delve deeper, I’ll chat with Hartz at the StrictlyVC gathering during TechCrunch’s energetic Disrupt event, commencing in San Francisco on Monday, October 27. (Hartz is scheduled to speak on Tuesday, October 28.)

Meanwhile, here are highlights from a conversation we had on Friday as we began to delve into the subject:

TC: Teenagers have always launched businesses, but it undeniably seems like we’re witnessing more of it than ever, and you’re indicating this is true behind the scenes. What do you believe accounts for this?

Kevin Hartz: You discover these exceptionally bright youths who feel quite uninterested in school. I observe Stanford freshmen or sophomores who fit this description — they were utterly disengaged, some even resorted to homeschooling, and excelled. Even in prestigious universities, they still leave to pursue their desire to create, learn, and innovate. We supported one firm where the founders were ages 18, 18, and 15. The CTO is now probably 16, but at the time we invested, he was just 15. But that isn’t particularly unusual.

How does Z Fellows stack up against the Thiel Fellowship, established years ago by Peter Thiel?

It’s immensely comparable. The distinction is that the Thiel Fellowship is a nonprofit, and — I truly admire Peter — but as a nonprofit, it may not pursue opportunities as aggressively. Cory has been tirelessly building Z Fellows over recent years, and it’s an excellent program. It reflects Peter’s foresight in recognizing the irony of providing funds to dropouts. This trend has been expanding and evolving, and who knows how much further it will go, particularly with rising university costs and many perceiving a detrimental atmosphere in universities due to inadequate administration. All of this converges to compel teenagers to ponder, ‘Why not drop out and create?’

Does Z Fellows take equity in the businesses?

They provide a modest amount — $10,000. Then there’s a fund that supports individuals later on. It’s primarily a no-strings-attached $10,000 seed contribution. I believe Cory selects a few individuals for $100K investments into pre-seed [rounds] as well.

What are your thoughts on the statistics showing young people struggling to secure jobs after graduation? I assume part of this stems from the realization that even with a degree, jobs may be hard to find.

Another phenomenon is materializing — a shift anticipated around ’26 or ’27 where there will be more 1099s than W-2s. This suggests that three decades ago, people worked for major corporations like Nestlé or McKinsey or IBM. Nowadays, they’re becoming self-employed. They’re trading cryptocurrency or establishing their own enterprises. This trend highlights American individualism. It almost appears that the United States is entering a phase of extreme entrepreneurship.

While I believe people aspire to establish companies, I also think many are compelled to do so as they are sidelined from traditional roles due to efficiencies gained through AI and other advancements.

Paul Graham remarked years ago, something that has lingered in my mind, that it’s both beneficial and detrimental for a young founder when their startup succeeds, as it overtakes their life. You were a young entrepreneur. What’s your perspective on funding a 15-year-old, knowing their venture might succeed and this individual might miss out on typical experiences of most 15-, 16-, or 17-year-olds?

I found it to be an exhilarating journey, yet fraught with painful obstacles. It amplifies everything. And that’s a valid observation. [Seventeen] is the age when Marines are sent into combat because they’re fearless. Perhaps there’s something about that age that drives people intensely. But I wonder if it’s premature to grasp the ramifications, considering how recent this trend is.

We’re merely at the outset of what I would term a super cycle of growth in technology, especially with AI and all that encompasses it — particularly AI. We’re in the very early phases. You have OpenAI and Anthropic expanding rapidly in the foundational model area. Now we’re beginning to concentrate on the application layers. You have coding co-pilots like Cognition, and then Decagon and Sierra in the AI CRM sector. Yet, many other categories remain ripe for disruption. Even Sierra and Decagon are still in the nascent stages of their endeavors.

You have daughters. Would you prefer to see them attend college? How would you react if they declared, “Dad, I want to start something now and bypass college”?

Our 17-year-old is currently applying to colleges. She desires the college experience. She craves that aspect of life. She has never truly questioned it. I’ve tried to provide her with various opportunities to consider alternatives, and I will do the same with our 13-year-old when her time comes.

Of the investments you’ve made in the past year, how many would you estimate involve teenagers?

Approximately 20%.

And what percentage would you have stated two years ago?

Roughly 5%.

YouTube has established itself as the leading platform, providing numerous avenues for creators to make a living. In June, the organization disclosed that its creative ecosystem contributed over $55 billion to the U.S. GDP and generated more than 490,000 full-time jobs.

Nonetheless, numerous YouTubers have decreased their dependence on advertisement earnings and brand partnerships. Several factors have influenced this change. Firstly, ad revenues can fluctuate. As YouTube consistently revises its regulations, some creators struggle to obtain ads for their content, potentially harming their income. They’ve also come to understand that revenue from these sources can disappear without warning.

Acknowledging the instability of revenue reliant on platforms, many YouTubers are transitioning from mere creators to vertically integrated media enterprises with supplementary businesses, such as product lines, physical locations, and consumer brands that can endure algorithm updates and policy modifications.

In certain instances, these side ventures are developing quicker and more sustainably than their YouTube platforms.

MrBeast

Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, with 442 million subscribers, is not only one of YouTube’s top figures — he is also its most enterprising entrepreneur.

What commenced as a merchandise shop in 2018 — ShopMrBeast — has blossomed into a collection of business ventures, including his three-year-old snack brand, Feastables.

Feastables’ debut product was the “MrBeast Bar,” a chocolate confection that accrued over $10 million in sales within its first 72 hours, moving more than 1 million bars at launch. As of now, Feastables is more lucrative than his YouTube content and even his “Beast Games” competition series on Prime Video. In 2024, Feastables produced around $250 million in revenue and over $20 million in profit, while his media business incurred approximately $80 million in losses.

Other initiatives include his packaged food line Lunchly (co-founded with YouTubers Logan Paul and KSI), the toy collection MrBeast Lab, MrBeast Burger, and the analytic service Viewstats. He even tried to acquire the U.S. operations of TikTok by joining the American Investor Consortium, a group led by Employer.com founder Jesse Tinsley.

Currently, MrBeast is branching out into new sectors. He intends to create a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), potentially collaborating with one of the major networks, such as AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon. Furthermore, the YouTuber was seen submitting a trademark request for a mobile application providing banking, financial advisory, and cryptocurrency exchange services.

Emma Chamberlain

Emma Chamberlain, who gained recognition as a teenage vlogger in 2016, now boasts over 12 million subscribers and has achieved success in the beverage market.

She established her coffee brand, Chamberlain Coffee, in 2019, which provides an array of products, including cold brew, coffee pods, ground coffee, and whole beans, alongside tea and matcha. Notably, other YouTubers have followed her lead, such as Jacksepticeye with his Top of the Mornin’ Coffee brand and Philip DeFranco with Wake & Make Coffee.

In 2023, Chamberlain Coffee experienced a notable year, launching ready-to-drink canned lattes and achieving around $20 million in revenue, as reported by Forbes. The brand has recently witnessed substantial growth, opening its first physical store in January. Previously, it had solely an online and retail presence in outlets like Target, Sprouts, and Walmart. 

Though Chamberlain Coffee encountered some difficulties last year stemming from supplier challenges, it is anticipated to recover, with projected revenue growth of over 50% by 2025, approaching $33 million, according to Business Insider. The brand also aims for profitability by 2026.

Logan Paul

Logan Paul (23.6 million subscribers) is currently recognized for his wrestling career but previously was enveloped in various controversies, including a notorious 2017 video and a dubious NFT project, CryptoZoo. 

He gained prominence through his energy drink brand, Prime, which experienced swift viral growth in 2022. Co-founded with YouTuber KSI, the brand surpassed $1.2 billion in sales in 2023, a sum greatly exceeding what most creators earn through views, ads, and brand partnerships. However, it has since encountered diminishing sales, regulatory scrutiny due to its high caffeine content, and litigations from business associates. Particularly in the U.K., the brand’s revenue declined by about 70% from 2023 to 2024.

His other enterprise, Maverick Apparel, generated between $30 million and $40 million in 2020. 

His sibling, Jake Paul, is also engaged in various initiatives, including co-founding the Anti Fund, which has highlighted prior investments in OpenAI, Anduril, Ramp, and Cognition, among others. The younger Paul also oversees a grooming line named W and a mobile betting platform termed Betr.

Ryan’s World

Ryan’s World, hosted by 13-year-old Ryan Kaji, is another significant YouTube presence with an impressive following. Ryan gained popularity through his toy reviews and unboxing videos, which have attracted nearly 40 million young viewers. 

Alongside his YouTube triumph, Kaji has broadened his brand with a series of toys and clothing items available at major retail outlets, reportedly generating over $250 million in revenue in 2020. Kaji and his family have since diversified their endeavors, launching a television show and an app that provides educational material designed for children.

Rosanna Pansino

Rosanna Pansino is a well-known baker on YouTube recognized for her baking tutorials and themed desserts. With 14.8 million subscribers, she gained notoriety for her recipes inspired by various aspects of pop culture, gaming, and films. 

Outside of YouTube, Pansino has published several cookbooks that have received positive feedback, elevating her Nerdy Nummies brand. She also markets baking products at several retailers, including Amazon.

Other YouTube personalities have ventured into cookware and food-related offerings as additional income sources. Noteworthy examples include chef and author Andrew Rea, known as Babish, who debuted his Babish Cookware brand in 2021, along with comedy duo Rhett & Link, who market MishMash Cereal.

Michelle Phan

Michelle Phan first gained recognition in 2007 through her makeup tutorials, becoming one of the pioneers in effectively monetizing her content in the beauty space. In addition to her thriving YouTube career, she co-founded the beauty subscription service Ipsy, which has gained immense popularity. Phan has also developed her own cosmetic line, EM Cosmetics. 

Huda Kattan

In 2013, Huda Kattan founded the internationally acclaimed beauty line Huda Beauty. She divested a minority share to private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners in 2017 but reacquired it in June amidst pressure from investors for changes in senior leadership that conflicted with her vision for the rapidly evolving brand, which is said to generate hundreds of millions in sales annually.

Numerous influencers have started their own makeup brands. Other prominent makeup lines established by YouTube influencers are Jeffree Star Cosmetics and Tati Beauty. 

In an era where the hustle culture of startups has made a resurgence, and tech entrepreneurs working “996” hours — 9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week — have become commonplace, employing an AI application to fabricate vacation images of oneself feels rather surreal.

Yet, here we find ourselves.

Laurent Del Rey, a product designer who has recently become part of Meta’s Superintelligence Lab, has introduced a side venture named Endless Summer, a photobooth application for iPhone that produces AI-crafted vacation images showcasing you in various global locations. Imagine yourself wandering through a beach town, or sipping coffee while overlooking a European city from a balcony. There you are, shopping, dining with friends, or mingling at social events.

In these images, no one seems to be discussing AI, entrepreneurship, or sleep deprivation.

As Del Rey shared on X during the launch announcement, the app is designed for moments when “burnout strikes and you wish to manifest the tranquil life you deserve.”

(When real life isn’t an option, why not pretend, right?)

made this little photobooth app called endless summer for when burnout hits and you need to manifest the soft life u deserve – with fake vacation pics of you :’)

first app 100% made by me! just released it on the app store try it out <33 pic.twitter.com/i55nRcE71V

— saint laurent del rey (@laurentdelrey) October 6, 2025

Del Rey told TechCrunch that his motivation for developing the app stemmed from summer being his favorite time of year, when life feels most vibrant.

“As the season draws to a close, I wanted to create something that encapsulated that feeling. I reverse-engineered the product experience from that emotion,” he explains. “I initiated an Xcode project and began iterating from there, shaping the coding experience, if you will.”

The end result was a user-friendly interface featuring a small camera preview button at the bottom of the screen. By tapping the button, you generate an AI-created “summer” image. As you click, the photos appear on your display in a camera roll-like layout. Each image displays you, or an AI-generated version of you, enjoying the journey and looking pleasantly satisfied.

Behind the scenes, Gemini’s Nano-Banana image model handles the heavy lifting, prompting for various iterations of the summer image outputs.

Del Rey states that the app does not store your selfies, unless you activate the optional auto-generation feature. Additionally, users can easily delete their account in just two taps, erasing all data.

While Nano-Banana is relatively affordable, it does come with a cost. Consequently, you cannot endlessly generate images for free with Endless Summer. Instead, a paywall appears after your initial six images, along with prompts suggesting payment options even earlier.

The pricing is reasonable for those wanting to experiment with the personalized AI imagery out of curiosity — or due to regrets over missing this year’s summer vacation.

It costs $3.99 for 30 images, $17.99 for 150, and $34.99 for 300. There is an option to enable or disable a “Room Service” mode that automatically delivers two photos to your device each morning, showcasing your latest summer adventures and travels. You can also specify your gender or allow the app to guess (“Auto” mode) and choose whether to enable or disable an option for automatically saving AI-generated images to your iPhone’s Camera Roll.

A new feature of the app now allows you to create Halloween-themed images instead of summer ones, depicting you in various costumes.

since halloween’s coming up, i just released a special theme in my photobooth app to help u figure out how to dress up for it pic.twitter.com/6TaIj04iwY

— saint laurent del rey (@laurentdelrey) October 14, 2025

The images have a vintage film look, giving them the appearance of the casual lifestyle pictures they aim to mimic. This adds a nostalgic element to the app, reminiscent of the mid-2000s.

This mirrors current trends regarding online photo sharing. Whether it’s embracing retro technology, such as young people using disposable cameras, or sharing Instagram photo dumps filled with imperfect pictures, there’s a craving among some for a more unrefined, less “technically perfect” portrayal of life.

How peculiar is it that AI is the one bringing this to you now?

Marc Benioff, Salesforce’s co-founder and CEO, seems to be retracting his statements regarding the National Guard’s presence in San Francisco.

“After attentively hearing from my fellow residents of San Francisco and our local leaders, and following the safest and largest Dreamforce ever, I believe the National Guard is unnecessary for ensuring safety in San Francisco,” Benioff stated on a post on X. “My previous remark stemmed from an excess of caution surrounding the event, and I sincerely apologize for any distress it caused.”

Benioff sparked controversy last week during an interview with The New York Times in which he voiced his backing for President Donald Trump’s threats to send National Guard troops to San Francisco and other Democratic-led cities.

While Benioff’s remarks were seemingly influenced by his worries about public safety expenses during the massive Dreamforce conference in San Francisco last week, the billionaire, who has historically leaned liberal, also took the opportunity to show support for Trump, saying at one point, “I fully support the president,” and remarking that Trump is “doing an excellent job.” (At the conclusion of the interview, he reportedly asked his startled PR representative, “Too spicy?”)

Furthermore, although Benioff’s pro-Trump views seem to align with a broader rightward trend among tech leaders, his suggestion for the National Guard’s involvement in San Francisco quickly resulted in backlash from long-time supporters and Democratic officials. Notably, prominent VC Ron Conway resigned from the board of the Salesforce Foundation, reportedly telling Benioff in an email, “I hardly recognize the individual I have admired for so long.” 

An event that was set to feature Benioff and San Francisco Mayor Dan Lurie was also canceled, with organizers stating that rain was the reason.

State Senator Scott Wiener, who represents San Francisco, informed Politico, “I appreciate that Marc has retracted his request for the National Guard to be deployed in San Francisco. Marc has contributed many positive things to our city — addressing numerous civic needs — and I’m pleased to observe this change.”

Trump has previously dispatched the National Guard to various cities including Washington, DC, and Chicago, while a judge has so far hindered his efforts to do the same in Portland. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, has consistently termed this an “invasion” of his state.

This week, WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, updated its business API policy to prohibit general-purpose chatbots from its platform. This decision is expected to impact companies such as OpenAI, Perplexity, Luzia (backed by Khosla Ventures), and Poke (backed by General Catalyst), which rely on WhatsApp-based assistants.

A new section has been introduced in the business API terms addressing “AI providers” with an emphasis on general-purpose chatbots. These terms, set to take effect on January 15, 2026, stipulate that Meta will not permit AI model providers to share their AI assistants on WhatsApp.

Providers and developers of artificial intelligence or machine learning technologies, including but not limited to large language models, generative AI platforms, general-purpose AI assistants, or similar technologies as defined by Meta at its sole discretion (“AI Providers”), are strictly forbidden from accessing or utilizing the WhatsApp Business Solution, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of supplying, delivering, offering, selling, or otherwise making such technologies available for use when such technologies represent the primary functionality being offered, as determined by Meta at its sole discretion.

Meta confirmed this decision to TechCrunch, clarifying that it will not impact businesses using AI to assist customers via WhatsApp. For example, a travel agency operating a bot for customer service will not be excluded from the service.

According to Meta, this decision stems from the fact that the WhatsApp Business API is intended for businesses to provide customer service and not as a platform for the distribution of chatbots. The company noted that while the API was designed for business-to-business scenarios, it encountered unintended usage involving general-purpose chatbots in recent months.

“The WhatsApp Business API is designed to assist businesses in providing customer support and sending important updates. Our priority is to support the numerous businesses that are creating these experiences on WhatsApp,” a spokesperson from Meta said in a statement to TechCrunch.

Meta mentioned that the new chatbot functionalities placed a significant strain on its system with rising message volumes and necessitated a different level of support, which the company was not equipped to handle. The firm is prohibiting applications that are beyond “the intended design and strategic focus” of the API.

Ultimately, this decision will render WhatsApp an unsuitable platform for distributing AI solutions such as assistants or agents. It also implies that Meta AI will be the sole assistant available on the messaging app.

Previously, OpenAI launched ChatGPT on WhatsApp, and earlier this year, Perplexity introduced its bot on the messaging app to reach the user base exceeding 3 billion people. Both bots could respond to queries, comprehend media files, answer questions regarding them, reply to voice messages, and create images. This likely resulted in a substantial increase in message volume.

However, Meta faced a larger issue. WhatsApp’s Business API is one of the main revenue streams for the chat app. It charges businesses based on various message templates such as marketing, utility, authentication, and support. Since there was no provision for chatbots within this API design, WhatsApp could not impose charges on them.

During Meta’s Q1 2025 earnings call, Mark Zuckerberg highlighted that business messaging represents a significant opportunity for the company to generate income.

“Currently, the vast majority of our revenue comes from advertising in feeds on Facebook and Instagram,” he stated. “However, WhatsApp now boasts over 3 billion monthly [active users], with more than 100 million individuals in the US and rapidly growing. Messenger also has over a billion active users each month, and messages sent daily on Instagram now match those on Messenger. Business messaging should become the next cornerstone of our enterprise.”