Technology

==================================================================== Introduction In a significant development for the climate tech sector, Plan A, a carbon accounting and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting platform, has raised $27 million in a Series A round of funding. The investment was led by US VC giant Lightspeed Venture Partners and marks an extension of the company's previously announced $10 million Series A round. With this fresh capital, Plan A's total raised now stands at $42 million across its six-year history. A SaaS Solution for Net-Zero Goals Plan A is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform that helps corporations achieve their net-zero goals by providing them with a comprehensive suite of tools and services. The company's platform enables organizations t...

Volkswagen Offshoot Scout Motors to Debut Satellite Connection at CES 2025 As the tech world converges on Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025, one of the most talked-about newcomers is Volkswagen's offshoot, Scout Motors. The company has been making waves with its plans to revolutionize the electric vehicle market, and it appears that they are taking a significant step forward in terms of connectivity. According to sources close to the matter, Scout Motors' upcoming Traveler SUV and Terra pickup will feature a built-in satellite connection. This innovative technology promises to provide drivers and passengers with seamless access to internet services even when they venture far off the beaten path. How Does it Work? While Scout Motors has been tight-lipped about the speci...

In the current economic climate, startups are facing a moment of reckoning. One of the more promising fintech companies, Railsr (formerly known as Railsbank), has announced that it has been acquired by a shareholder consortium and is going into administration. This move allows the company to continue operating as a going concern while it restructures. The Consortium and Acquisition The consortium, trading under the name Embedded Finance Ltd, includes previous investors D Squared Capital, Moneta VC, and Venture Capital. The exact value of the deal has not been disclosed, but Railsr was valued at around $250 million in October 2022. This represents a significant decline from its earlier valuation of nearly $1 billion. Background on Railsr Railsr is an early mover in the world of embedded fin...

The article discusses the advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) research, particularly in natural language processing (NLP) and deep learning. The author highlights ByteDance's AI lab, which has made significant progress in developing a large language model that can generate human-like text. Here are some key points from the article: Large Language Model: The AI lab at ByteDance has developed a large language model that can generate coherent and context-specific text. Advancements in NLP: The lab's work in NLP has led to improvements in areas such as machine translation, sentiment analysis, and question answering. Deep Learning: The use of deep learning techniques, such as transformers and attention mechanisms, has enabled the model to learn complex patterns in language and generat...

WP Engine, a leading WordPress hosting service, has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, over comments made by Automattic's CEO Matt Mullenweg. The letter, dated September 23, 2024, demands that Automattic retract its statements and stop making disparaging comments about WP Engine. Background The controversy began last week when Mullenweg described WP Engine as a "cancer to WordPress" in a blog post. WP Engine has taken issue with this comment, stating that it is false and damaging to their reputation. In response to the criticism, Automattic started asking WP Engine to pay a significant percentage of its gross revenues on an ongoing basis for a license to use trademarks like 'WordPress.' The Letter WP Engine's cease-and-desist letter ac...

Here are the key points about ChatGPT from the article: What is ChatGPT? ChatGPT is a text-generating AI model developed by OpenAI. It's a conversational AI that can understand natural language and respond in a way that simulates human-like conversation. Features and Capabilities Can understand and respond to a wide range of topics and questions. Can generate text based on user input, including creative writing and even entire articles. Can be fine-tuned with specific traits or characteristics, such as "chatty" or "Gen Z". Controversies and Concerns Has been accused of promoting plagiarism and misinformation. Several major school systems and colleges have banned ChatGPT from their networks and devices. There are concerns about the accuracy of information generated ...

As an essential executive living and working in the U.S. on an L-1A visa, you're not alone in facing challenges related to outdated numerical caps and country-of-birth limits for employment-based green cards. In this column, we'll explore L-1A visa extensions and O-1A options to help you navigate these complexities. L-1A Visa Extensions The L-1A non-immigrant visa allows intracompany transferees to work in the U.S. for a U.S.-based subsidiary or affiliate of their foreign employer. To extend your L-1A status, you'll need to file Form I-129 with USCIS and demonstrate that you've been employed by your foreign company for at least one year within the three years preceding the petition. When filing for an L-1A extension, be sure to provide documentation demonstrating your employment history, i...

At TechCrunch, we're dedicated to shining a light on the remarkable women who are driving the AI revolution. Our latest profile highlights the work of Urvashi Aneja, founding director of Digital Futures Lab and associate fellow at Chatham House's Asia Pacific program. A Conversation with Urvashi Aneja We sat down with Urvashi to discuss her journey into AI, her current research focus on algorithmic decision-making systems in India, and the pressing issues facing the field as a whole. How did you get your start in AI? I began my career in research and policy engagement in the humanitarian sector. For several years, I studied the use of digital technologies in protracted crises in low-resource contexts. This experience taught me that there's a fine line between leveraging technology to impro...

The arrival of Instagram Threads has been met with unprecedented enthusiasm, with the app already surpassing 100 million users in a remarkably short span. However, new data from app intelligence firm data.ai reveals that the app's success is not limited to its user base alone. Threads’ User Base Matches One-Fifth of Twitter’s According to data.ai, Threads has already achieved one-fifth of the weekly active user base of Twitter worldwide. This is a staggering accomplishment, especially considering that Threads has only been available for a short period. Furthermore, the app's weekly active user base is significantly larger than its closest competitor in the U.S., Truth Social. Threads’ User Base Outnumbers Truth Social by 86 Times Truth Social, which had a weekly active user base of 1 milli...

The Activist Investor's Move on Apple Activist investor Carl Icahn has made his move on Apple, revealing a significant stake in the computing giant through a series of tweets. In a bid to increase stock value and personal wealth, Icahn is pushing for Apple to deploy more of its vast cash reserves towards share buybacks. A Large Position in Apple Icahn's first tweet sparked a frenzy in the market, sending Apple's stock 4 percent higher and adding over $10 billion to the company's market capitalization. The activist investor stated that he had amassed "a large position" in Apple, implying a significant holding of shares. Stock Buybacks: A Familiar Play Icahn's proposal is not new; it bears resemblance to his previous push for Dell to tender a higher per-share price for its public e...