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Brand entertainment, or brands creating original content that can sit alongside Hollywood movies and TV shows, was once a marketer’s fantasy. Now, its becoming reality. In the past few months, more brands have followed in the footsteps of Nike’s Waffle Iron Entertainment and LVMH’s 22 Montaigne Entertainment to set up their own in-house own production studios that create Hollywood-caliber content. One of these, Dick’s Sporting Goods’ Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios, made its South by Southwest Film & TV Festival debut in March with Summer of ’94, a documentary about the U.S. men’s national team’s journey to the 1994 FIFA…

For half a century humans thought they understood the moon: a static, airless, waterless landscape without many mysteries to solve. But orbiting instruments and robotic missions have proven otherwise. The most studied satellite in the solar system is more complex than it seems, and many fundamental questions remain open.NASA is about to return to the moon with the Artemis program. While Artemis II and III will be missions to orbit the satellite, Artemis IV will put astronauts on the surface for the first time since the Apollo era. The ambitious plan is to lay the groundwork for a sustained presence…

In the U.S., discussions about top camera phones largely center around iPhones, the Samsung Galaxy series, and, lately, the Google Pixel. In contrast, people in Asia and parts of Europe get a wider range of choice with companies like Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo upping their camera game. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra, which recently had its global launch, is one of those devices, with a big camera bump that houses a versatile set of sensors, and a partnership with the storied German camera maker Leica to supply software-level changes and sensibilities to how scenes are shot. The camera has tons of…

A Democratic congressman had harsh criticism for Polymarket for allowing users to bet on the date the United States would confirm the rescue of Air Force service members shot down over Iran. In a social media post on Friday, Representative Seth Moulton wrote, “They could be your neighbor, a friend, a family member. And people are betting on whether or not they’ll be saved. This is DISGUSTING.” (President Donald Trump announced early Sunday that the second service member, a weapons system officer, has been rescued.) Moulton also described Polymarket as a “dystopian death market” and noted that Donald Trump Jr.…

AI skeptics aren’t the only ones warning users not to unthinkingly trust models’ outputs — that’s what the AI companies say themselves in their terms of service. Take Microsoft, which is currently focused on getting corporate customers to pay for Copilot. But it’s also been getting dinged on social media over Copilot’s terms of use, which appear to have been last updated on October 24, 2025. “Copilot is for entertainment purposes only,” the company warned. “It can make mistakes, and it may not work as intended. Don’t rely on Copilot for important advice. Use Copilot at your own risk.” A…

In recent years, people have been increasingly looking for new ways to form platonic connections, as loneliness and social isolation have become more prevalent. In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General went so far as to label this issue a public health crisis. Remote workers, who miss the everyday interactions found in an office, and younger individuals eager to create their adult social circles based on shared interests and hobbies, are among those seeking meaningful friendships. Thanks to online dating apps, the stigma associated with finding connections online has largely faded away. This has welcomed a new wave of apps focused…

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! You might recall the congressional hearing last month that sparked criticism against Waymo over its use of remote assistance workers in the Philippines. We have covered that issue extensively. You can read about the company’s remote assistance and road assistance teams here and here.  Waymo tends to get the most attention because, well, those robotaxis are now operating commercially in 10 U.S. cities, with more coming…

SpaceX has reportedly filed confidential paperwork for an initial public offering in which the company would raise $75 billion at a $1.75 trillion valuation. And according to CEO Elon Musk, orbital data centers will be a big part of SpaceX’s future. On the latest episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Kirsten Korosec, Sean O’Kane, and I discussed Musk’s vision, as well as other companies that are pursuing similar goals. It will take significant tech development and massive capital spending to make orbital data centers a reality, but as Sean noted, with “opposition happening around the country to data centers in general,”…

When a wave of unusual activity swept through Syrian government accounts on X in March, it first looked like pure chaos—trolling, parody names, and even explicit content. But beneath the noise lay something far more telling: a state still struggling with the most basic layer of its cybersecurity.In early March, several official Syrian government accounts on X—including those linked to the presidency’s General Secretariat, the Central Bank, and multiple ministries—were hacked. The compromised profiles posted “Glory to Israel,” retweeted explicit material, and briefly renamed themselves after Israeli leaders.Authorities moved to restore control within days, with the Ministry of Communications and…

Physical AI is emerging as one of the next major industrial battlegrounds, with Japan’s push driven more by necessity than anything else. With workforces shrinking and pressure mounting to sustain productivity, companies are increasingly deploying AI-powered robots across factories, warehouses, and critical infrastructure. Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in March 2026 that it aims to build a domestic physical AI sector and capture a 30% share of the global market by 2040. The country already holds a strong position in industrial robotics, with Japanese manufacturers accounting for about 70% of the global market in 2022, according to…

If you’ve been holding off on picking up a PlayStation 5 in hopes of a price cut, bad news: the cost of every model of Sony’s all-conquering console has instead just gone up considerably.It’s a move that breaks with decades of tradition (or at least consumer expectations) and is undoubtedly a blow for anyone hoping for a discount, five years into the current console generation. However, it’s also a sign that the current generation is likely to stick around for a while yet—and that may be a good thing, for the industry and players alike.Historically, at this point in a…

But once you’ve set up your device, Heatbit will track and file your mining revenue to your phone, even if you don’t yet have a bitcoin wallet set up. After you reach the transfer minimum of 100,000 satoshis, or one thousandth of one bitcoin ($66 at April 2026 prices), you can transfer this to your wallet and, presumably, spend it. Heatbit’s app is compatible with the Lightning networks and most major exchanges (Coinbase, Binance, OKX, BitFinex).Unlike many air purifiers that activate only when there are air quality issues, the Heatbit continually pushes air through its HEPA filter while the miner…

Apple Watches are smart little gadgets, but they don’t always fit the vibe. There were plenty of nights and dressier events when I left mine at home because—as much as I wanted to check my notifications discreetly—it didn’t match my outfit. I’ve also had my fair share of faux pas and just let the neon orange sport band clash with my neutral ensemble.Fortunately, Apple Watch bands are a simple and relatively affordable way to zhuzh up the look of your wearable. Beyond aesthetics, different styles also impact performance and functionality. For example, personally, I don’t want a heavy stainless steel…

Mowers I Am Currently TestingWe are just into a new cutting season here, so I haven’t tested these new robot mowers enough to make a full recommendation, but here are my impressions so far.Photograph: Simon HillMammotion Luba 3 AWD for $2,399: If this robot mower continues to perform as well as it has in its first week, it will earn a spot above. It is pricey, but the Mammotion Luba 3 AWD can handle relatively rough terrain and steep slopes, and it combines three technologies (GPS, LiDAR, and AI vision) to ensure it can cut larger lawns even where there…

Since March, Israeli attacks on Beirut and the occupation of southern Lebanon have displaced over 1 million people. Families are sheltering with relatives, renting if they can, or sleeping in cars and out in the open, placing immense strain on already fragile infrastructure. Over 130,000 people have also crossed into Syria, many in urgent need of food, cash assistance, and shelter, according to a report by the International Organization for Migration.As humanitarian needs surge, so does the flow of money from abroad. Yet much of this support is not moving through traditional aid channels. Instead, it is being routed through…

Founders Fund has made its name backing what Peter Thiel calls “zero to one” companies — businesses that don’t just improve on existing ideas but create something entirely new. Its portfolio includes Facebook, SpaceX, and Palantir. Its latest bet is a New Zealand startup that puts solar-powered smart collars on cows. Halter, which closed a $220 million Series E at a $2 billion valuation last month, with Founders Fund leading the round, isn’t the kind of company that tends to dominate technology headlines. There is no agentic AI involved, no humanoid robots. There is, however, a very large and largely…