Tech Crunch

1. Chris Lehane: The SEC isn’t handling crypto regulation ‘strategically’

   As developers turn their gears in the crypto world, regulatory uncertainty is casting a shadow over the work they’re doing.

2. Niura’s EEG-implemented earbuds scan your brain health and recommend music to your mood

   Niura has developed a pair of earbuds that monitor brain activity and, it claims, can both watch for potential health issues and match music to a user’s mood. The founders, Ryan Ahmed, Shahriar Huda, Dang Nguyen, and Authoy Das, had the idea of neuromonitoring during their high school years after their family members grappled with […]

3. Intel (re)fined $400M by EU for ‘naked restrictions’ dating back to the noughties

   Talk about old news: The European Union has reimposed a fine (totalling €376.36 million) on Intel for antitrust violations dating back decades. Veteran tech watchers may recall the chipmaker was slapped with a much bigger fine, of over a billion euros, by the EU back in 2009 which found Intel had abused its dominance in […]

4. Amazon Prime Video will start showing ads from early next year

   After Netflix and Disney+ introduced ad-supported plans last year, Amazon said in an update today that it will start showing ads on Prime Video early next year. The company said it will offer an ad-free tier additional $3 per month. to Prime members. Amazon noted that ads will be introduced in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and […]

5. South Africa’s FinanceGPT simplifies financial analysis, set to interface in local languages

   FinanceGPT is a generative AI startup built to help companies in their financial analysis tasks. Initially built for startups without in-house finance teams, and VCs looking to run financial health checks for their portfolios in Africa, FinanceGPT (Ipoxcap) says it has over the last two years grown to attract a diverse range of clientele including […]

6. Threads adds easy profile switching to its mobile apps

   Meta-owned Twitter rival Threads has finally added a way to switch between multiple accounts without logging out. The social networking app announced Thursday that users can now swap accounts on its mobile apps by long pressing on the profile icon in the bottom right. Users can tap on the “Add profile” option after the long […]

7. Microsoft-Activision: UK looks poised to clear restructured deal

   The UK’s competition watchdog has signalled it’s preparing to greenlight a restructured proposal for Microsoft to acquire Activision. In an update on its ongoing assessment today it said the deal “makes important changes that substantially address the concerns it set out in relation to the original transaction earlier this year”. The Competition and Markets Authority […]

8. X is shutting down its Circle feature in October

   Elon Musk-owned X, formerly Twitter, is shutting down its Circle feature — bringing an end to its glitchy history — The feature allowed users to share a post only with a set of people. It was the social network’s take on Instagram’s “Close Friends” feature. The company said the feature will go away on October […]

9. Plantiga Technologies’ AI-powered footwear sensor pod aims to reduce injury risks

   Plantiga Technologies, a Vancouver-based movement analytics company, wants to help people improve rehabilitation and reduce injury risks through an artificial intelligence-powered monitoring sensor pod that can be embedded into shoes, orthotics or insoles to analyze users’ movement patterns.  Plantiga is participating in Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023, and while it’s been around for a […]

10. HME Square aims to measure glucose painlessly with photoacoustics

    People with diabetes have to monitor their blood sugar levels regularly by pricking their skin. Many glucose-monitoring device makers worldwide are pursuing needle-free approaches to make this painful process more manageable. Among them is a South Korean company called HME Square, which uses photoacoustics to test glucose levels noninvasively. HME Square was founded in 2020 […]