April 17, 2026

Bluesky confirms DDoS attack is cause of continued app outages: Bluesky has been experiencing ongoing service disruptions since just before 3 a.m. ET. on April 15. Read More

With US spy laws set to expire, lawmakers are split over protecting Americans from warrantless surveillance: Some lawmakers are calling for widespread reforms following years of surveillance scandals and abuses across successive U.S. administrations. But even if the spy law known as Section 702 expires in April, the government's spy powers will not automatically lapse. Read More

Google's AI Mode can now help you find products in stock nearby: Although you can already track hotel prices at the city level, the new update lets you do so for a specific hotel that you're interested in. Read More

Oct 13–15 at San Francisco's Moscone West, 10,000 founders, investors, and operators gather for high-signal insights, curated connections, and real momentum.

StrictlyVC kicks off the series in SF on April 30. Be in the room for unfiltered fireside chats on fundraising and AI accuracy with industry leaders like Forum AI founder Campbell Brown, Replit co-founder Amjad Masad, and more. Make high-value connections that actually move the needle. Tickets are limited.

Physical Intelligence, a hot robotics startup, says its new robot brain can figure out tasks it was never taught: The new model, called π0.7, represents what the company describes as an early but meaningful step toward the long-sought goal of a general-purpose robot brain. Read More

Luma launches AI-powered production studio with faith-focused Wonder Project: The studio's first project will be about Moses and star Academy Award-winner Ben Kingsley, to be released this spring on Prime Video. Read More

OpenAI takes aim at Anthropic with beefed-up Codex that gives it more power over your desktop: OpenAI's agentic coding tool has gotten a major makeover, with a variety of new powers and abilities. Read More

From the Startup Battlefield stage to the International Space Station: geCKo Materials built a sticky product: This week on Build Mode, Isabelle Johannessen speaks with Capella Kerst, founder and CEO of geCKo Materials. Read More

Slash, a Ramp competitor founded by teenagers, raises $100M at $1.4B valuation: Five years later the founders, now 24 years old, say their startup has achieved $300 million in annualized revenue. Read More

REM sleep is when your brain consolidates memories, processes emotions, and restores itself. Pod members see up to 60% more REM sleep by maintaining the precise temperatures your body needs at each sleep stage. Better sleep architecture, better you. Use code TECHCRUNCH for up to $350 off. Individual results may vary.

SaySo is a new short-form video app that aims to restore users' trust in news: Users are fed up with misinformation and AI slop cluttering their feeds. SaySo is a new short-form video app that delivers news from vetted creators and journalists. Read More

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