Voice AI startup Subtle, which creates voice isolation models to have computers understand you better in loud environments, today launched a new pair of wireless earbuds that help users sound clear in calls and get clear transcription for notes. The company unveiled these earbuds ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas and said that it plans to ship them in the U.S. in the next few months. The buds cost $199 and will come with a year-long subscription to the iOS and Mac app. The app will let users take voice notes or chat with AI without…

While tech stocks were busy setting records in 2025, the executives behind those companies were equally busy turning their paper fortunes into actual cash — more than $16 billion worth, according to Bloomberg’s analysis of insider trading data. Jeff Bezos led the way. The Amazon founder sold 25 million shares for $5.7 billion in June and July, right around the time he was getting hitched to Lauren Sanchez in Venice. Oracle’s former CEO Safra Catz wasn’t far behind at $2.5 billion, followed by Michael Dell at $2.2 billion. Nvidia’s Jensen Huang watched his company become the world’s first $5 trillion…

California is giving residents a new tool that should make it easier for them to limit data brokers’ ability to store and sell their personal information. While state residents have had the right to demand that a company stop collecting and selling their data since 2020, doing so required a laborious process of opting out with each individual company. The Delete Act, passed in 2023, was supposed to simplify things, allowing residents to make a single request that more than 500 registered data brokers delete their information. Now the Delete Requests and Opt-Out Platform (DROP) actually gives residents the ability…

Ilya Lichtenstein, who pled guilty to money laundering charges tied to his role in the massive hack of crypto exchange Bitfinex, has apparently been released early from prison. In a Thursday evening post on X, Lichtenstein said he was out early “thanks to President Trump’s First Step Act” (a prison reform bill passed during Trump’s first term). “I remain committed to making a positive impact in cybersecurity as soon as I can,” Lichtenstein said. “To the supporters, thank you for everything. To the haters, I look forward to proving you wrong.” The Department of Justice arrested Lichtenstein and his wife…

If 2025 was the year AI got a vibe check, 2026 will be the year the tech gets practical. The focus is already shifting away from building ever-larger language models and toward the harder work of making AI usable. In practice, that involves deploying smaller models where they fit, embedding intelligence into physical devices, and designing systems that integrate cleanly into human workflows.  The experts TechCrunch spoke to see 2026 as a year of transition, one that evolves from brute-force scaling to researching new architectures, from flashy demos to targeted deployments, and from agents that promise autonomy to ones that…

Every year, TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield pitch contest draws thousands of applicants. We whittle those applications down to the top 200 contenders, and of them, the top 20 compete on the big stage to become the winner, taking home the Startup Battlefield Cup and a cash prize of $100,000. But the remaining 180 startups all blew us away as well in their respective categories and compete in their own pitch competition. Here is the full list of the logistics, manufacturing, and materials Startup Battlefield 200 selectees, along with a note on why they landed in the competition.  Logistics GigU  What it…

No company has capitalized on the AI revolution more dramatically than Nvidia. Its revenue, profitability, and cash reserves have skyrocketed since the introduction of ChatGPT over three years ago — and the many competitive generative AI services that have launched since. Its stock price has soared, making it a $4.6 trillion market cap company.  The world’s leading high-performance GPU maker has used its ballooning fortunes to significantly increase investments in startups, particularly in AI.  Nvidia has participated in nearly 67 venture capital deals in 2025, surpassing the 54 deals the company completed in all of 2024, according to PitchBook data. Note…

India has ordered Elon Musk’s X to make immediate technical and procedural changes to its AI chatbot Grok after users and lawmakers flagged the generation of “obscene” content, including AI-altered images of women created using the tool. On Friday, India’s IT ministry issued the order directing Musk’s X to take corrective action on Grok, including restricting the generation of content involving “nudity, sexualization, sexually explicit, or otherwise unlawful” material. The ministry also gave the social media platform 72 hours to submit an action-taken report detailing the steps it has taken to prevent the hosting or dissemination of content deemed “obscene,…

Moving into your first studio apartment can be exciting, but it can also feel a bit overwhelming. You quickly realize how much your old roommates helped out with stuff you took for granted, like light bulbs, smoke detectors, and even a vacuum.  To make your new place feel more like home, here are some must-have gadgets that can really help you out. SimpliSafe Home Security System – $282.94 Image Credits:SimpliSafe A home security system is a worthwhile investment to ensure your peace of mind in a new apartment. SimpliSafe offers an easy-to-install setup that’s perfect for renters. It’s tool-free to set…

Tesla annual sales have fallen for the second year in a row, a drop fueled by the removal of the federal tax credit in the U.S. and competition from Chinese automakers. Tesla delivered 1.63 million vehicles globally in 2025, a 9% fall from 1.79 million in 2024, according to figures released by the company. Notably, about 50,850 of those vehicles are considered “other models,” a collection that includes the Cybertruck as well as its older Model X and Model S. Tesla reported fourth-quarter sales of 418,227, a 15.6% drop from the same period last year and far more than analysts…