August 13, 2026

In a first, US will allow some private firms to carry out cyberattacks: The new order sweeps away decades of existing U.S. cybersecurity policy prohibiting private companies from conducting 'hack back' attacks or offensive cyber operations. Read More

Some Claude users are mad that Anthropic's new watermarks will catch them using it at their jobs, classes: Is Anthropic's new watermarking system a travesty? Some have taken to social media to complain that it is. Read More

Apple in talks to pay publishers to provide Siri with current news: report: The tech giant has considered a nine-figure budget for the payments, according to the WSJ. Read More

Alumni Ventures is giving readers early access to high-potential startup opportunities across today’s most active sectors, co-invested alongside name-brand VC firms like Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Bessemer, & Y Combinator. You Get: Curated deal flow of high-potential startups, Investing alongside name-brand vc firms, No cost to see deals, No obligation to invest.

AI coding startup Cognition reportedly already in talks to raise at $40B valuation: Cognition may be looking to raise another mega round just a few months after raising $1 billion at a $26 billion valuation. Read More

Uber Freight reportedly investigating after hacking group claims data breach: An extortion gang known for targeting transportation companies and private equity firms has taken credit for a breach at Uber Freight. Read More

OpenAI-backed Thrive Holdings raises $2B to bring AI to the enterprise: Thrive Holdings has raised $2 billion in new funding at a $12 billion valuation from investors like SoftBank, D1 Capital Partners, and Altimeter Capital.  Read More

Can social media start over? Bluesky's CEO and COO deliver their case at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 : Bluesky CEO Toni Schneider is joined by COO Rose Wang for a Disrupt Stage session on whether social media can start over and where Bluesky fits into that potential reboot.  Read More

Amazon will train on Twitch streamers' content by default, unless they opt out: "If this was opt-in, nobody would opt in," Twitch CPO Mike Minton said on a livestream responding to user feedback. "That's honestly the answer." Read More

Northrop's robot space mechanic is a new way to keep satellites at work longer: The Mission Robotic Vehicle is making the first attempt to attach a new thruster to an aging satellite. Read More

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August 12, 2026

OpenAI-backed Thrive Holdings raises $2B to bring AI to the enterprise: Thrive Holdings has raised $2 billion in new funding at a $12 billion valuation from investors like SoftBank, D1 Capital Partners, and Altimeter Capital.  Read More

AI coding startup Cognition reportedly already in talks to raise at $40B valuation: Cognition may be looking to raise another mega round just a few months after raising $1 billion at a $26 billion valuation. Read More

As AI safety concerns mount, three pioneers make the case for staying open: At Ai4, three of the world's most respected AI experts — Geoffrey Hinton, Fei-Fei Li, and Andrew Ng — debated regulation, open source access, and how America can compete as China advances in Asia. Read More

Alumni Ventures is giving readers early access to high-potential startup opportunities across today’s most active sectors, co-invested alongside name-brand VC firms like Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Bessemer, & Y Combinator. You Get: Curated deal flow of high-potential startups, Investing alongside name-brand vc firms, No cost to see deals, No obligation to invest.

After Microsoft threatened legal action, a security researcher publishes a new Windows zero-day bug: This is the latest zero-day released by security researcher Nightmare Eclipse, despite Microsoft publicly threatening to take legal action against them. Read More

Everything announced at Made by Google '26: Pixel 11, Pixel Watch 5, Pixel Tag, and tons of Gemini features: From the Pixel 11 series and a brand new competitor to Apple’s AirTag, here are all the announcements from the Made by Google 2026 event. Read More

Reservoir raises $8M to make water heaters that people — and the grid — will actually want: Reservoir has built an ultra-efficient water heater that can predict hot water demand, store energy, and detect plumbing leaks throughout a home. Read More

Uber Freight reportedly investigating after hacking group claims data breach: An extortion gang known for targeting transportation companies and private equity firms has taken credit for a breach at Uber Freight. Read More

Google takes on AirTag with the new $29 Pixel Tag: Google’s new Pixel Tag taps into its Find Hub network to help users track lost keys, bags, and other items. Read More

Lovable confirms new $13.3B valuation, raises another $400M: This new funding comes after Lovable hit $500 million in annualized run rate revenue in June, the startup told TechCrunch. Read More

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