Monthly Archives: August 2022

What do AC limits mean for a heatwave-stricken Europe?

Climate change is hitting all over the world—even the parts not used to pumping AC to keep buildings livable. Jose Antonio Gallego Vázquez on Unsplash Europe is facing another heat wave after July’s record-breaking bout of heat that caused deadly wildfires in the UK, France, and Spain. Seville, Spain, became the first city in the world to name a heat wave,…

United Airlines just preordered $10 million worth of private air taxis

United Airlines argues these tiny air taxis will help alleviate traffic congestion in major cities. Archer Aviation Personal flying cars remain a dream mostly relegated to science fiction, but the introduction of “air taxis” above our heads is starting to look far more likely—for better or worse. Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported United…

Unity rejects AppLovin’s $20 billion merger offer

Unity announced this morning that it is committed to its merger with ironSource and will reject AppLovin’s $20 billion proposal. Last month, the news broke that Unity — a widely-used game engine — would merge with ironSource, a mobile app monetization and distribution company. But the Israeli company’s larger competitor AppLovin submitted an unsolicited takeover…

U.K. government pushes ‘social tariffs’ to bring cheaper broadband to hard-up households

The U.K. government is rolling out a new scheme designed to create and promote cheaper broadband for lower-income households across the country. Several internet service providers (ISPs) in the U.K., including Virgin Media O2 and BT, already offer so-called “social tariffs,” which are cheaper broadband and phone packages for those who receive social security payments…

What you might have missed at Black Hat and Def Con 2022

Hackers, researchers, cybersecurity companies, and government officials descended on Las Vegas last week for Black Hat and Def Con, a cybersecurity double-bill that’s collectively referred to as “hacker summer camp.” This year’s cyber gathering was particularly exciting: not only did it mark Black Hat’s 25th anniversary, but also the first time since the start of…

Announcing the first tranche of Startup Battlefield judges

The Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch Disrupt on October 18–20 is set to be our most epic yet. This year’s competitors, selected from our handpicked cohort, the Startup Battlefield 200, are some of the most promising, imaginative startups in tech. We’re excited to begin announcing the innovators and investors who will judge this world-renowned pitch competition…