OnePlus’s departure from Western markets is due to financial pressure, geopolitical conflict, a legal action from Apple, and an expensive worldwide shortage of memory chips overall.
5 Questions Every CIO Must Consider Prior to Introducing an Additional Software ToolÂ
In 2023, the typical tech stack comprised 291 applications — which means a significant amount of funds is allocated to software costs. By 2026, numerous enterprise tech stacks have evolved to be even more intricate as businesses persist in integrating AI functionalities throughout their processes. As vibe coding spreads and the number of SaaS platforms keeps increasing, how can a leader discern which […]
Google has merely hinted at a Pixel 11 capability we’ve been anticipating for months.
A vibrant light in Google’s latest Pixel 11 series teaser might disclose the functionality of Pixel Glow in the forthcoming Pixel 11 Pro.
Galaxy Z Fold 8: All we are aware of regarding Samsung’s broader and shorter foldable
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 might ultimately provide the broader, more functional foldable that enthusiasts have been anticipating.
Dislike editing videos? This innovative AI application transforms your camera roll into instantly shareable reels.
Reelful is an artificial intelligence application that creates polished reels using your images and video snippets, featuring voiceovers, captions, and music.
Apple now allows you to finance cellular iPads over a period of 3 years, and itâs indicative of an expensive trend that is unlikely to stop anytime soon.
Cellular iPads acquired from Apple can now be settled over a span of three years, allowing for the company’s elevated tablet prices to be more manageable.
Canadian Wildfire Smoke Covers the Northeast
Smoke emanating from significant wildfires in Canada is drifting into the Midwest and Northeast, triggering air quality warnings in cities throughout the region.
The elevated smoke levels imply that even healthy adults should take precautions to safeguard their wellbeing. The intensifying severity of wildfires across the continent, partly attributed to climate change, indicates that regions without active fires will still experience repercussions.
As of Wednesday, more than 100 uncontrolled blazes are raging in Canada, with numerous others being monitored or extinguished. The smoke has spread south and east, creating hazy skies from Minnesota to New York. Notably, on Wednesday, Toronto encountered orange-hued skies. The area is also enduring a heatwave, with temperatures exceeding 90 degrees Fahrenheit in many spots and an even higher heat index.
On Wednesday evening, the air quality index (AQI) in New York City reached 180, classifying the air as “unhealthy” according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Other regions faced worse situations, with Duluth, Minnesota, registering an AQI above 500 (anything over 301 is classified as “hazardous” and dangerous for everyone). Smoky conditions are likely to intensify in parts of the Northeast US on Thursday, impacting areas such as New York.
The smoke contains tiny PM2.5 particles, measuring less than 2.5 micrometers, about 30 times finer than a human hair.
Exposure to PM2.5 can aggravate numerous health problems, particularly in vulnerable populations. Nicholas Nassikas, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, recommends that his patients with ailments like asthma avoid being outdoors in these smoky situations. Children breathe more rapidly, resulting in greater exposure, while the elderly, often residing in poorly-ventilated spaces, are also at greater risk.
Jennifer Stowell from the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health mentions that even those in good health should exercise caution when the AQI surpasses 100. She advises limiting outdoor activities to lower exposure and, if necessary to be outside for extended periods, wearing an N95 mask is recommended. Stowell, located in Boston where the AQI reached 110 on Wednesday, chose to skip outdoor activities until later in the evening.
Dan Westervelt from Columbia University is also wary, deciding to keep his children indoors and forgoing physical activities such as running.
Climate change is raising temperatures, extending wildfire seasons, and fostering hotter, drier conditions that facilitate large fires. A study released last year suggests that wildfire smoke already causes 40,000 US deaths annually, potentially rising to 70,000 by 2050 if warming trends continue. As days with poor air quality from wildfire smoke become more common, research into the long-term effects of exposure is ongoing. The Northeast saw a comparable smoke event from Canadian wildfires in 2023.
Westervelt articulates, “Extended exposure to high air pollution has been demonstrated in numerous studies to cause premature mortality. Frequent encounters with elevated air pollution levels can decrease life expectancy.”
Microsoft is said to be training its sales staff to downplay OpenAI and Anthropic.
Microsoft seems to be gearing up its sales team to enhance competitiveness with other significant players in the AI sector.
During an internal meeting on Tuesday, company executives detailed a strategy for salespeople to draw unfavorable comparisons between AI offerings from competitors like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic with its own products, as reported by Bloomberg. This meeting, framed as a strategy briefing for the upcoming fiscal year, reportedly focused strongly on promoting the efficiency and cost advantages of Microsoft’s proprietary models over those of its competitors.
“While others sell components — we provide the complete end-to-end solution. That’s the narrative we must communicate effectively in FY27,” Executive Vice President Jay Parikh reportedly stated in the discussion.
Executive Vice President Jacob Andreou reportedly elaborated further, presenting a direct comparison between Copilot and Anthropic’s chatbot Claude. According to Bloomberg, Andreou highlighted that with respect to performance in Microsoft’s office applications, Anthropic’s model was “slower, less precise, and lacked adequate security integrations,” as reported by Bloomberg.
TechCrunch has reached out to both Microsoft and Anthropic for remarks and will update this article if we receive responses from either company.
It’s not particularly surprising for a company to coach its sales team on how to disparage competitors. What stands out more is the fact that Microsoft is now targeting its former partners — the same companies whose AI models have been integral to its own products.
This is just the latest development in this direction. A report earlier this month indicated that Microsoft has been replacing OpenAI and Anthropic’s models in flagship applications like Word and Excel with its own — a cost-reduction strategy, according to that report.
There was a period when Microsoft and OpenAI were closely intertwined. Years ago, the two firms entered a distinctive agreement wherein Microsoft supplied funding and computing resources to OpenAI while securing exclusive access to OpenAI’s API and models. The partnership was revised in April, removing the exclusivity clause and enabling OpenAI to sell to Microsoft’s rivals.
This altered relationship may shed light on the sales team’s fresh approach. Microsoft has experienced a challenging stock outlook over the past year, as investors express concerns about the company’s extensive spending on its AI expansion. Promoting the competitiveness of those products is likely an effort to stabilize investor sentiments and bolster confidence in Microsoft’s long-term AI strategy.
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Tesla operator in deadly Texas collision fully engaged accelerator at 100%, NTSB verifies
On Wednesday, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that a Tesla driver, involved in a June accident that resulted in a crash into a home, had pressed the accelerator to 100%, bypassing the manufacturer’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) technology.
Data retrieved from the Tesla indicated that the car was exceeding 70 miles per hour at the time of impact in Katy, Texas, leading to the death of 76-year-old Martha Avila, according to the NTSB. The victim’s family has filed a lawsuit against the purported driver, 44-year-old Michael Butler, and Tesla, alleging negligence. Butler faces charges of manslaughter as well.
This data was shared by the safety board as part of a preliminary report regarding the ongoing investigation into the accident. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is also examining the situation.
The findings support Tesla’s version of events, which the company released shortly following the incident to demonstrate that its advanced driver assistance system was not at fault. Tesla CEO Elon Musk commented on X soon after the accident, stating, “[T]his [allegation] makes no sense. FSD drives slowly through neighborhood streets and this was a high speed crash!”
The NTSB indicated on Wednesday that the 44-year-old operator was utilizing Full Self-Driving (Supervised) on Rose Hollow Lane, a two-lane residential road with a 30 miles per hour speed limit, prior to the accident. Security camera footage obtained by the safety board depicted the vehicle accelerating through an intersection, veering off the road, and colliding with the residence. It was noted by the NTSB that “weather was clear, the roadway was dry, and daylight conditions were present.”
Tesla mandates that drivers using Full Self-Driving (Supervised) remain attentive to the road and be prepared to regain control at a moment’s notice. Butler allegedly informed authorities that he had “passed out” and that he was using Tesla’s driver assistance system. Reports from local ABC news affiliate KTRK TV revealed that police found his Google searches included phrases like “Tesla FSD not aggressive enough 2026,” “Tesla not aggressive enough,” and “Tesla FSD too timid.”
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Daniel Ek’s body-scanning venture Neko Health secures an additional $700M
Neko Health, the startup focused on body scanning and health evaluations, was established by Spotify’s Daniel Ek (depicted above, right) alongside his co-founder Hjalmar Nilsonne (above, left). The company has successfully secured a $700 million Series C funding round.
The funding round was spearheaded by Lightspeed Venture Partners and O.G. Venture Partners. This follows the firm’s previous Series B funding of $260 million gathered in January 2025.
Neko Health has created its own body-scanning technology, which it combines with blood analysis to evaluate an individual’s health. For fitness enthusiasts, the scan now offers body composition data as well. The assessment can also integrate with Apple Health information, providing medical professionals with real-world data for their evaluations, according to Nilsonne.
With offices in the U.K. and Sweden, Neko Health is preparing to launch its first location in the U.S. in New York. The company reports that over 100,000 individuals have already undergone scans, with more than 350,000 having either signed up for the waitlist or booked an appointment.
One notable individual who had a scan at Neko Health is Calm founder Alex Tew. He shared on X that the scan detected a malignant mole on his back, which he then had removed. “I’m thankful to Neko for helping me discover this – I’m uncertain how I would have learned of it otherwise.”
Neko Health is not the sole health scanning company initiated by technology entrepreneurs. Midjourney, the AI Lab renowned for its AI-driven image and video creation platform, is also developing a body scanner, which it intends to integrate into a spa experience featuring hot tubs and saunas, set to debut in San Francisco in 2027.
Additional investors in Neko Health’s recent funding round comprise Atomico, General Catalyst, Lakestar, Liberty City Ventures, Positive Sum, and BDT & MSD.