• TV channel, start time, where to stream, nominations list and more

    January 31, 2026

    The 2026 Grammy Awards honor music’s biggest achievements of the year, and some of the biggest stars on the planet are nominated this year. Kendrick Lamar leads the way with nine nominations, including for Record and Song of the Year for “luther,” his collaboration with SZA. Other top nominees this year include Lady Gaga, Jack Antonoff, and Cirkut with seven nominations apiece, and Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, and Leon Thomas, who have six. The 2026 Grammy Awards will be hosted by comedian Trevor Noah, who also happens to be a nominee this year in the Best Audio Book, Narration &…

  • OpenClaw’s AI assistants are now building their own social network

    January 31, 2026

    The viral personal AI assistant formerly known as Clawdbot has a new name — again. After a legal challenge from Claude’s maker, Anthropic, it had briefly rebranded as Moltbot, but has now settled on OpenClaw as its new name. The latest name change wasn’t prompted by Anthropic, which declined to comment. But this time, Clawdbot’s original creator Peter Steinberger made sure to avoid copyright issues from the start. “I got someone to help with researching trademarks for OpenClaw and also asked OpenAI for permission just to be sure,” the Austrian developer told TechCrunch via email. “The lobster has molted into…

  • New users get one year of access for only $50

    January 31, 2026

    The start of the new year is a great time to get your finances in order, and a good budgeting app can help with that. Instead of laboring over a spreadsheet, you can try one of our favorite budgeting apps for less than usual. Monarch Money is running a sale that gives new users 50 percent off one year of the service, bringing the final cost down to just $50. Just use the code NEWYEAR2026 at checkout to get the discount. Monarch Money makes for a capable and detailed budgeting companion. You can use the service via apps for iOS,…

  • OnlyFans considering selling majority stake to Architect Capital

    January 31, 2026

    OnlyFans — the massive adult creator network where performers and influencers sell subscription-based content directly to fans — is considering selling a majority stake of its business to investment firm Architect Capital, a source close to the deal told TechCrunch. The deal would value the platform at $5.5 billion. The source said that of that $5.5 billion, $3.5 billion would be equity and $2 billion would be debt. Under those terms, Architect would assume a 60% stake in the business. The two parties are in exclusivity, meaning that OnlyFans is barred from negotiating with other potential buyers for a set…

  • Robbyant Open Sources LingBot World: a Real Time World Model for Interactive Simulation and Embodied AI

    January 31, 2026

    Robbyant, the embodied AI unit inside Ant Group, has open sourced LingBot-World, a large scale world model that turns video generation into an interactive simulator for embodied agents, autonomous driving and games. The system is designed to render controllable environments with high visual fidelity, strong dynamics and long temporal horizons, while staying responsive enough for real time control. From text to video to text to world Most text to video models generate short clips that look realistic but behave like passive movies. They do not model how actions change the environment over time. LingBot-World is built instead as an action…

  • The best cheap VPN in 2026

    January 31, 2026

    When talking about the best VPNs, I frequently warn about the dangers of trusting free VPNs without verifying them. Although there are a few free VPNs worth recommending, many other free providers are ineffective, malicious or looking to profit off their users (or sometimes all three). Even the best free VPNs work a lot better once you subscribe and access their full service. This can be frustrating if you want to enjoy the benefits of a VPN but don’t have the budget for yet another subscription. To help you out, I put together a list of the best paid VPN…

  • a16z partner Kofi Ampadu to leave firm after TxO program pause

    January 31, 2026

    Kofi Ampadu, the partner at a16z who led the firm’s Talent x Opportunity (TxO) fund and program, has left the firm, according to an email he sent to staff that TechCrunch obtained. This comes months after the firm paused TxO and laid off most of its staff. “During my time at the firm, I was deeply grateful for the opportunity and the trust to lead this work,” Ampadu wrote in the email, sent Friday afternoon, with the subject line “Closing My a16z Chapter.” “Identifying out-of-network entrepreneurs and supporting them as they sharpened their ideas, raised capital, and grew into confident…

  • Save up to 81 percent on ExpressVPN two-year plans right now

    January 31, 2026

    If you’re looking to up your privacy game on the internet in the new year, you can do so for a little less than usual thanks to ExpressVPN’s latest deal. Its two-year plans are up to 81 percent off right now: the Advanced tier is on sale for $88 for two years, plus four additional free months. The Basic plan is where you’ll see the biggest discount: it’s $68 for two years, plus the same four additional free months. We’ve consistently liked ExpressVPN because it’s fast, easy to use and widely available across a large global server network. In fact,…

  • Physical Intelligence, Stripe veteran Lachy Groom’s latest bet, is building Silicon Valley’s buzziest robot brains

    January 31, 2026

    From the street, the only indication I’ve found Physical Intelligence’s headquarters in San Francisco is a pi symbol that’s a slightly different color than the rest of the door. When I walk in, I’m immediately confronted with activity. There’s no reception desk, no gleaming logo in fluorescent lights. Inside, the space is a giant concrete box made slightly less austere by a haphazard sprawl of long blonde-wood tables. Some are clearly meant for lunch, dotted with Girl Scout cookie boxes, jars of Vegemite (someone here is Australian), and small wire baskets stuffed with one too many condiments. The rest of…

  • Sonos home theater gear is up to 20 percent off ahead of Super Bowl LX

    January 30, 2026

    Like many other companies during Super Bowl season, Sonos is discounting its home theater gear. Today, you can save $130 on the Beam (Gen 2) soundbar, bringing its price down to $369. You’ll also find deals on the flagship Arc Ultra Soundbar, Sonos subwoofers, and more. The Sonos Beam is the company’s sub-$500 soundbar. Engadget’s pick for the best midrange model, the compact speaker has impressive sound for its size. Part of that is its Dolby Atmos support. Although the soundbar lacks upward-firing speakers, it uses software tricks to compensate. Audio timing and frequency adjustments make sound seem to come…