Monthly Archives: September 2022

Chrome’s new ad-blocker-limiting extension platform will launch in 2023

Enlarge (credit: Isaac Bowen / Flickr) Google’s journey toward Chrome’s “Manifest V3” has been happening for four years now, and if the company’s new timeline holds up, we’ll all be forced to switch to it in year 5. “Manifest V3” is the rather unintuitive name for the next version of Chrome’s extension platform. The update…

Joué Play MIDI controller review: Free your fingers and format

Joué Music Instruments’ Joué Play MIDI controller brings color and customization via swappable silicone mat control surfaces. Adam Douglas We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Every MIDI controller is the same, right? You’ve got some piano-style keys, a few buttons … maybe some knobs. No…

This robot broke a Guinness World Record for the 100-meter dash

Why are you in such a rush there, Cassie?. Oregon State University It may still trail the fastest humans on the planet, but Cassie proved it’s no slouch, either. Earlier this week, Oregon State University’s College of Engineering and its spinout company, Agility Robotics, released a video shot earlier this year showcasing their bipedal robot…

TechCrunch+ roundup: Insurtech investor survey, H-1B red flags, SaaS sales coaching

The demand for some services can be so high, it can insulate their providers against the vagaries of the market. During an economic downturn, consumers don’t cut back on pet food or toilet paper. Similarly, everyone needs insurance. Between 2016 and 2022, insurtech startups received around $43 billion in funding, and despite the downturn, most…

Show, don’t tell: Tips for robotics startups raising a Series B during a downturn

Jason Schoettler Contributor Share on Twitter Jason Schoettler is co-founder and managing partner of Calibrate Ventures. Raising a Series B for any startup is challenging right now, with many VCs pulling back on investments — funding for Series B rounds across all sectors fell 55% in August compared to a year earlier, for example. But…

Twitch is testing ‘elevated chats’ that let you pay to highlight a message

Between recent drama around gambling and its controversial decision to take a bigger slice of the subscription revenue pie, it’s been a dramatic couple of weeks for Twitch. Now, the company says it’s testing one new way for streamers to bring in cash from their most committed followers in the form of “elevated chats,” which…

Google’s Python-writing code system is going pay-as-you-go

Google is changing the payment model for Colaboratory, its Python-writing code system. Informally known as Colab, the platform is designed for users to write and execute Python code from within your browser, and is marketed to all types of users including students, data scientists, and AI researchers.  The company boasts that zero configuration is needed…

House sends bill to Biden to avert a government shutdown and further aid Ukraine

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. Scott J. Applewhite/AP Congress has moved to avert a government shutdown just hours before it would have begun. President Biden is expected to sign the bill into law before the midnight deadline. The legislation also contains funding for Ukraine, disaster relief, and heating assistance. House Democrats and ten…