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New York City and others like it are filled with old buildings that are for the most part fine, except they’re not all that comfortable to live in. Built in an era when massive boilers were cutting-edge technology, the buildings are usually too hot or too cold, but seldom just right. There are companies trying to rectify that using clever horseshoe-shaped heat pumps. Superficially, they’re similar to window air conditioners, except they don’t block the view and they can heat as well as cool. Gradient makes one of those heat pumps, but now it’s adding a twist: In multifamily buildings,…
For Publicis CEO Arthur Sadoun, Working With Cancer isn’t a side project. The initiative, launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos three years ago to eradicate the stigma of cancer in the workplace, is inseparable from his role as CEO. “I want to erase the stigma of cancer in the workplace,” he said.On Wednesday (Feb. 4), World Cancer Day, Publicis Groupe announced it has expanded the initiative with new peer-reviewed research and an AI-powered coach designed to help employees, managers, and companies navigate cancer at work: safely, privately, and without replacing human judgment.The research, led by Memorial Sloan Kettering…
Semiconductor startup Positron has secured $230 million in Series B funding, TechCrunch has exclusively learned. The outfit plans to use the capital to speed up deployment of its high-speed memory chips, a critical component for the chips used for AI workloads, sources familiar with the matter told TechCrunch. Investors in the round include Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the country’s sovereign wealth fund, which has been increasingly focused on building out AI infrastructure, the sources said. The Reno-based startup’s Series B comes as hyperscalers and AI firms push to reduce their reliance on longstanding leader Nvidia. These firms include OpenAI, which,…
Apple is bringing agentic coding to Xcode. On Tuesday, the company announced the release of Xcode 26.3, which will allow developers to use agentic tools, including Anthropic’s Claude Agent and OpenAI’s Codex, directly in Apple’s official app development suite. The Xcode 26.3 Release Candidate is available to all Apple Developers today from the developer website and will hit the App Store a bit later. This latest update comes on the heels of the Xcode 26 release last year, which introduced support for ChatGPT and Claude within Apple’s integrated development environment (IDE) used by those building apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac,…
There’s also the physiological effect of heat itself on our breathing. “Heat may also destabilize breathing control, increase fluid retention, and promote dehydration, all of which can make the upper airway more collapsible and increase the likelihood of sleep apnea,” says Lucia Pinilla, another researcher at Flinders University investigating the subject.At the same time, sleep apnea is already expected to become a growing problem for those living in cities, due to the chronic impact of air pollution on nighttime breathing, something which is only predicted to get worse. Last year, Hong Kong researchers led a study where they found that…
Skyryse, an El Segundo, California-based aviation automation startup, has raised more than $300 million in a Series C investment, pushing its valuation to $1.15 billion and into unicorn territory. The round, which was announced Tuesday and led by Autopilot Ventures, provided a multimillion-dollar accelerant for the startup as it nears the end of a lengthy Federal Aviation Administration certification process for its flight control system. The capital will also be used to integrate its operating system, known as SkyOS, across numerous aircraft, including U.S. military Black Hawk helicopters. Other investors in this round include Fidelity Management & Research Company, ArrowMark…
In the 100-plus years since the first Winter Olympics took place in 1924 in Chamonix, France, many events have come and gone. Curling and short track have held on. Slightly quirkier events like ski ballet have fallen by the wayside. Below are several of the events you will definitely not be seeing at the 2026 Winter Olympics.The Lost Sports Not Being Held at the 2026 Winter OlympicsAccordionItemContainerButtonBandyA mix of field hockey and soccer, bandy—also known as “banty” or Russian hockey—was a demonstration sport at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo. Unlike a hockey stick, the bandy stick is curved; instead…
The Department of Homeland Security has been quietly demanding tech companies turn over user information about critics of the Trump administration, according to reports. In several cases over recent months, Homeland Security has relied on the use of administrative subpoenas to seek identifiable information about individuals who run anonymous Instagram accounts, which share posts about ICE immigration raids in their local neighborhoods. These subpoenas have also been used to demand information about people who have criticized Trump officials or protested government policies. Unlike judicial subpoenas, which are authorized by a judge after seeing enough evidence of a crime to authorize…
With each passing Olympic Games, there’s something new to admire. Typically, it’s a cool costume at the opening ceremony, or a new cauldron for the Olympic flame, or maybe a new fancy stadium the host city will have no use for in 10 years. Then there are the brand-new records set during each Games, jaw-dropping examples of human strength, talent, and mind-melting perseverance.But for the 2026 Winter Olympics, some of the most notable firsts are coming out of the Olympic Village rather than the individual venues. They are the ones pushing their sports forward and making history in the process.…
Sabrina Carpenter is sick and tired of all these man-children. The pop star fronts Pringles’ Super Bowl 60 ad, “Pringleleo,” released today, in which she laments being “so tired of boys.” “I need a man,” she says, holding a tin of Pringles. Suddenly, the chip brand’s mustachioed mascot, Julius Pringle, comes to life on the tin and replies in an ominous whisper, “Build him.” Carpenter proceeds to build her perfect man out of a stack of Pringles, naming him “Pringleleo.” The couple share a series of romantic experiences, from dinner dates to long drives in a convertible to lazy mornings in bed, with…
TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 is the flagship early-stage startup competition held at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, spotlighting the world’s most promising young companies. Each year, thousands of applicants from around the globe vie for one of 200 slots in the cohort, which provides unparalleled visibility, access to top-tier investors, and opportunities to grow. Early-stage startups from around the world are joining the Startup Battlefield email list to be the first to know when applications open this month. Don’t miss a beat if you’re ready to join the action. What is Startup Battlefield? Image Credits:Kimberly White / Getty Images Startup Battlefield 200 is a highly selective startup launch program designed to…
Pit Viper’s Magic Magnet system makes lens changes easy, even with gloves on. Goepper rotates between just two: a blackout lens for daytime sessions and a clear lens for nighttime. With an ultrawide field of view, the BN5000 delivers sharper spatial awareness at full throttle, and the bold flames on the grippy strap don’t hurt either. “They make you go faster,” he jokes, “and they keep your head nice and warm on those cold days.”His Bluetooth SpeakerSonySRS-XB100 Compact Bluetooth Wireless Speaker“I’ve got music going 24/7,” he says, holding up his Sony SRS-XB100. It’s compact enough to clip onto a backpack…
Volkswagen’s famous “Drivers Wanted” campaign helped the German carmaker reach record U.S. sales after it launched in 1995. Now the company is hoping to recreate that magic by reimagining the campaign for 2026 with a 30-second Super Bowl ad. The spot, “The Great Invitation: Drivers Wanted,” will run during the second half of Super Bowl 60 on NBC and Telemundo. It follows a longer 90-second film that launches today (Feb. 3). The spots were directed by Leigh Powis of ProdCo, and the campaign was developed by Johannes Leonardo, Volkswagen’s longtime creative and advertising agency. The ad, set to House of Pain’s 1992 hit…
Varaha, an India-based climate tech startup, has raised $20 million in fresh funding as it looks to scale carbon removal projects from the Global South and position itself as a lower-cost supplier for verified emissions reductions. The investment marks the first portion of a planned $45 million Series B round led by WestBridge Capital, the venture firm’s first investment in climate tech, with participation from existing investors including RTP Global and Omnivore. Founded in 2022, Varaha has raised about $33 million in equity to date, alongside $35 million in project financing and $500,000 in grants, as it builds carbon removal…
We’ve all been in situations where we’ve had to sleep on a sofa bed. I can recall many childhood vacations where I’d be tossing and turning on a squeaky setup. If this was also you, sofa beds might not jump out as the most appealing option. But they’ve evolved from the rickety pull-out mattresses of yore—today’s sofa beds are a far more comfortable and efficient way to create a guest bed wherever you need, whether in a spare room or a small apartment.That said, sofa beds, also known as sleeper sofas, are not all of the same caliber. This is…
The meaning of home has changed. It is no longer just about maintenance or necessity; it reflects how people live, grow, and plan for the future. In this episode of The Speed of Culture podcast, Matt Britton sits down with Jennifer Wilson, senior vice president and CMO at Lowe’s, to examine how one of America’s largest retailers is executing a modern marketing strategy rooted in culture, experience, and long-term relevance. Jennifer breaks down Lowe’s brand transformation, from expanding beyond traditional home improvement into lifestyle and community, to using AI in home improvement retail, scaling creator partnerships, and building a powerful retail media…