and SpaceX are closer than ever to a moment both have been preparing for since the beginning of the Commercial Crew program in 2010. Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon spacecraft are now set to fly with NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken onboard, making a trip to the International Space Station, and both the agency and SpaceX announced today that they have officially passed the final flight readiness review, meaning everything is now a ‘go’ for launch.According to NASA Commercial Crew Program manager Kathy Leuders during a press conference on Monday, everything went well with all pre-launch...…and SpaceX are closer than ever to a moment both have been preparing for since the beginning of the Commercial Crew program in 2010. Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon spacecraft are now set to fly with NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken onboard, making a trip to the International Space Station, and both the agency and SpaceX announced today that they have officially passed the final flight readiness review, meaning everything is now a ‘go’ for launch.According to NASA Commercial Crew Program manager Kathy Leuders during a press conference on Monday, everything went well with all pre-launch...WW…

High-quality data is the fuel that powers AI algorithms. Without a continual flow of labeled data, bottlenecks can occur and the algorithm will slowly get worse and add risk to the system.It’s why labeled data is so critical for companies like Cruise and which use it to train machine learning models to develop and deploy autonomous vehicles. That need is what led to the creation of Scale AI, a startup that uses software and people to process and label image, lidar and map data for companies building machine learning algorithms. Companies working on autonomous vehicle technology make up a...…High-quality data is the fuel that powers AI algorithms. Without a continual flow of labeled data, bottlenecks can occur and the algorithm will slowly get worse and add risk to the system.It’s why labeled data is so critical for companies like Cruise and which use it to train machine learning models to develop and deploy autonomous vehicles. That need is what led to the creation of Scale AI, a startup that uses software and people to process and label image, lidar and map data for companies building machine learning algorithms. Companies working on autonomous vehicle technology make up a...WW…

is the associate director of Surveillance and Cybersecurity at the .The debate over encryption continues to drag on without end.In recent months, the discourse has largely swung away from encrypted smartphones to focus instead on . But a recent by the heads of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) showed that the debate over device encryption isn’t dead, it was merely resting. And it just won’t go away.At the presser, Attorney General and FBI Director Chris Wray announced that after months of work, FBI technicians had succeeded in unlocking the two...…is the associate director of Surveillance and Cybersecurity at the .The debate over encryption continues to drag on without end.In recent months, the discourse has largely swung away from encrypted smartphones to focus instead on . But a recent by the heads of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) showed that the debate over device encryption isn’t dead, it was merely resting. And it just won’t go away.At the presser, Attorney General and FBI Director Chris Wray announced that after months of work, FBI technicians had succeeded in unlocking the two...WW…

has cast a light on decades of cumulative efforts to manipulate and suppress voters, showing that the country is completely unprepared for any serious challenge to its elections system. There can be no more excuses: Every state must implement voting by mail in 2020 or be prepared to admit it is deliberately sabotaging its own elections. (And for once, tech might be able to help.)To visualize how serious this problem is, one has only to imagine what would happen if quarantine measures like this spring’s were to happen in the fall — and considering experts predict a second wave in that...…has cast a light on decades of cumulative efforts to manipulate and suppress voters, showing that the country is completely unprepared for any serious challenge to its elections system. There can be no more excuses: Every state must implement voting by mail in 2020 or be prepared to admit it is deliberately sabotaging its own elections. (And for once, tech might be able to help.)To visualize how serious this problem is, one has only to imagine what would happen if quarantine measures like this spring’s were to happen in the fall — and considering experts predict a second wave in that...WW…

Damon Vander Lind is general manager for Heaviside at , a company whose mission is to free the world from traffic with eVTOL vehicles.We are at the dawn of a new era in transportation.At the turn of the 20th century, cars began to replace horses. Now, a century later, we would like to see mobility move to the sky. has built several prototype vehicles that are electrically powered, take off and land vertically and fly in between like a fixed-wing plane. Collectively, these are called eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft.eVTOLs — such as the ones built by Project Heaviside —...…Damon Vander Lind is general manager for Heaviside at , a company whose mission is to free the world from traffic with eVTOL vehicles.We are at the dawn of a new era in transportation.At the turn of the 20th century, cars began to replace horses. Now, a century later, we would like to see mobility move to the sky. has built several prototype vehicles that are electrically powered, take off and land vertically and fly in between like a fixed-wing plane. Collectively, these are called eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft.eVTOLs — such as the ones built by Project Heaviside —...WW…

Image Credits: Bloomberg / Getty ImagesAnother tech company is joining the list of those planning on going remote for the long haul: Box.Box CEO Aaron Levie announced this morning that the company will “remain a digital-first organization” moving forward. While it sounds like they’re still working out exactly what that entails, one key aspect is that Box employees will be able to work “from anywhere” until at least January of 2021.Box isn’t planning to ditch the office outright. In a blog post , Levie notes that plenty of people prefer working from an office, and that the company is aware...…Image Credits: Bloomberg / Getty ImagesAnother tech company is joining the list of those planning on going remote for the long haul: Box.Box CEO Aaron Levie announced this morning that the company will “remain a digital-first organization” moving forward. While it sounds like they’re still working out exactly what that entails, one key aspect is that Box employees will be able to work “from anywhere” until at least January of 2021.Box isn’t planning to ditch the office outright. In a blog post , Levie notes that plenty of people prefer working from an office, and that the company is aware...WW…

confirmed reports from overnight that it is conducting layoffs, but wouldn’t provide details related to location, departments or number of employees involved. The company framed it in terms of replacing people with more needed skills as it tries to regroup under .“ work in a highly competitive marketplace requires flexibility to constantly remix to high-value skills, and our workforce decisions are made in the long-term interests of our business,” an IBM spokesperson told TechCrunch.Patrick Moorhead, principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, says he’s hearing the layoffs are hitting...…confirmed reports from overnight that it is conducting layoffs, but wouldn’t provide details related to location, departments or number of employees involved. The company framed it in terms of replacing people with more needed skills as it tries to regroup under .“ work in a highly competitive marketplace requires flexibility to constantly remix to high-value skills, and our workforce decisions are made in the long-term interests of our business,” an IBM spokesperson told TechCrunch.Patrick Moorhead, principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, says he’s hearing the layoffs are hitting...WW…

the open source force behind .com, WooCommerce, Longreads, Simplenote and , has made a $4.6M strategic investment into — the creators of an open, decentralized communications standard called . They also develop a Slack rival () which runs on Matrix.The investment by Automattic, which is at a higher valuation than the last tranche took in, extends an , from enterprise tech specialists  and plus European seed fund — and brings the total raised to date to $18.1M (which includes an earlier in strategic investment from an Ethereum-based secure chat and crypto wallet app, ).New Vector’s...…the open source force behind .com, WooCommerce, Longreads, Simplenote and , has made a $4.6M strategic investment into — the creators of an open, decentralized communications standard called . They also develop a Slack rival () which runs on Matrix.The investment by Automattic, which is at a higher valuation than the last tranche took in, extends an , from enterprise tech specialists  and plus European seed fund — and brings the total raised to date to $18.1M (which includes an earlier in strategic investment from an Ethereum-based secure chat and crypto wallet app, ).New Vector’s...WW…

In a live-streamed town hall, Mark Zuckerberg gave an overview for what he expects in the near future as pursues accommodations to keep workers productive and safe during the COVID-19 crisis. The move comes as large tech companies reassess the viability of their iconic Silicon Valley campuses, now empty as the pandemic keeps most employees at home.Part of Zuckerberg’s vision, announced Thursday, includes the surprise announcement that Facebook will be setting up new company hubs in Denver, Dallas and Atlanta. Zuckerberg also noted that Facebook will focus on finding new hires in areas near...…In a live-streamed town hall, Mark Zuckerberg gave an overview for what he expects in the near future as pursues accommodations to keep workers productive and safe during the COVID-19 crisis. The move comes as large tech companies reassess the viability of their iconic Silicon Valley campuses, now empty as the pandemic keeps most employees at home.Part of Zuckerberg’s vision, announced Thursday, includes the surprise announcement that Facebook will be setting up new company hubs in Denver, Dallas and Atlanta. Zuckerberg also noted that Facebook will focus on finding new hires in areas near...WW…

said Thursday it will ask customers who have not watched anything on the on-demand video streaming service in a year or more if they wish to maintain their subscription — and will cancel their membership if it does not hear back.The company said it has started to notify customers who have’t watched anything on the platform in 12 months since they became a subscriber to check if they wish to keep their membership. The company is also reaching out to those who haven’t streamed anything in more than two years, it said.“You know that sinking feeling when you realize you signed up for something...…said Thursday it will ask customers who have not watched anything on the on-demand video streaming service in a year or more if they wish to maintain their subscription — and will cancel their membership if it does not hear back.The company said it has started to notify customers who have’t watched anything on the platform in 12 months since they became a subscriber to check if they wish to keep their membership. The company is also reaching out to those who haven’t streamed anything in more than two years, it said.“You know that sinking feeling when you realize you signed up for something...WW…

In one Atlanta suburb, finding and returning an electric shared scooter will be taken care of by teleoperators some 1,700 miles away in Mexico City.Riders in the enclave of Peachtree Corners will be able to use an app beginning this week to hail a GoX scooter equipped with tech from teleoperations startup Tortoise. Using the Go X Apollo app developed by GoX, riders can have the scooter cruise on its own to their location. After riders complete trips, the scooters will drive themselves back to a safe parking spot. From here, GoX employees charge and sanitize the scooters and then mark them...…In one Atlanta suburb, finding and returning an electric shared scooter will be taken care of by teleoperators some 1,700 miles away in Mexico City.Riders in the enclave of Peachtree Corners will be able to use an app beginning this week to hail a GoX scooter equipped with tech from teleoperations startup Tortoise. Using the Go X Apollo app developed by GoX, riders can have the scooter cruise on its own to their location. After riders complete trips, the scooters will drive themselves back to a safe parking spot. From here, GoX employees charge and sanitize the scooters and then mark them...WW…

Dr. Johannes Lenhard is Centre Coordinator at the .One of the VC partners in a well-established London firm told me straight out:Venture capital is money [laughs], it is a risky asset class, perhaps the wildest asset class […] and it has the biggest possible returns.I have how I think caring more beyond the immediate-return mentality often associated with shareholder value capitalism makes sense (financially and ethically). But the arguments I am making are normative and ideological and don’t describe the status quo of VC investing. The more VCs I speak to — so far more than 150 between...…Dr. Johannes Lenhard is Centre Coordinator at the .One of the VC partners in a well-established London firm told me straight out:Venture capital is money [laughs], it is a risky asset class, perhaps the wildest asset class […] and it has the biggest possible returns.I have how I think caring more beyond the immediate-return mentality often associated with shareholder value capitalism makes sense (financially and ethically). But the arguments I am making are normative and ideological and don’t describe the status quo of VC investing. The more VCs I speak to — so far more than 150 between...WW…

has rolled out a new safety feature in India that will enable users to easily lock their account so that people they are not friends with on the platform cannot view their posts and zoom into and download their profile picture and cover photo.The feature is especially aimed at women to give them more control over their Facebook experience, the company said. “We are deeply aware of the concerns people in India, particularly women, have about protecting their online profile,” said Ankhi Das, Public Policy director at Facebook India, in a statement.Locking the profile applies multiple existing...…has rolled out a new safety feature in India that will enable users to easily lock their account so that people they are not friends with on the platform cannot view their posts and zoom into and download their profile picture and cover photo.The feature is especially aimed at women to give them more control over their Facebook experience, the company said. “We are deeply aware of the concerns people in India, particularly women, have about protecting their online profile,” said Ankhi Das, Public Policy director at Facebook India, in a statement.Locking the profile applies multiple existing...WW…

has released iOS 13.5, which includes support for the that it co-created with Google to support public health authorities in their contact-tracing efforts to combat COVID-19. The API requires third-party apps developed by public health authorities for use, and none have yet been released, but iOS device users already have access to COVID-19 Exposure Logging global settings.As previewed in the beta release, you can access the Exposure Logging settings under the Settings app, then navigate to the Privacy subsection. From there, you can select the Health submenu and find the COVID-19 Exposure...…has released iOS 13.5, which includes support for the that it co-created with Google to support public health authorities in their contact-tracing efforts to combat COVID-19. The API requires third-party apps developed by public health authorities for use, and none have yet been released, but iOS device users already have access to COVID-19 Exposure Logging global settings.As previewed in the beta release, you can access the Exposure Logging settings under the Settings app, then navigate to the Privacy subsection. From there, you can select the Health submenu and find the COVID-19 Exposure...WW…

Over the years I’ve seen hundreds, probably thousands, of data breach notifications warning that a company’s data was lost, stolen or left online for anyone to grab.Most of them look largely the same. It’s my job to decode what they actually mean for the victims whose information is put at risk.Data breach notifications are meant to tell you what happened, when and what impact it may have on you. You’ve probably already seen a few this year. That’s because most U.S. states have laws that compel companies to , like a data breach, as soon as possible. Europe’s rules , and fines can be a...…Over the years I’ve seen hundreds, probably thousands, of data breach notifications warning that a company’s data was lost, stolen or left online for anyone to grab.Most of them look largely the same. It’s my job to decode what they actually mean for the victims whose information is put at risk.Data breach notifications are meant to tell you what happened, when and what impact it may have on you. You’ve probably already seen a few this year. That’s because most U.S. states have laws that compel companies to , like a data breach, as soon as possible. Europe’s rules , and fines can be a...WW…

So much for Walmart’s big and expensive effort to take on Amazon with a digitally-native brand. Amid the coronavirus crisis and its impact on the retail industry, today the retail giant quietly  that it would be discontinuing Jet.com, the online-only marketplace that it  (plus $300 million in earn-outs over time), as it struggles to bring its e-commerce operations into that black after  seeing a loss of $2 billion in the division in 2019 and shifting how to deliver its e-commerce strategy: by betting on giant stores, rather than online warehouses, as the hubs of its online delivery...…So much for Walmart’s big and expensive effort to take on Amazon with a digitally-native brand. Amid the coronavirus crisis and its impact on the retail industry, today the retail giant quietly  that it would be discontinuing Jet.com, the online-only marketplace that it  (plus $300 million in earn-outs over time), as it struggles to bring its e-commerce operations into that black after  seeing a loss of $2 billion in the division in 2019 and shifting how to deliver its e-commerce strategy: by betting on giant stores, rather than online warehouses, as the hubs of its online delivery...WW…

, the world’s largest contract semiconductor maker, has stopped taking new orders from , one of its largest customers, according to the .Orders taken before the ban or already in production will not be affected, if they can ship before September 14. Huawei, the world’s largest telecom equipment maker, is TSMC’s second-biggest customer after Apple. TSMC makes many of the advanced chips used by Huawei, including in its smartphones.The U.S. Commerce Department released its new orders on Friday, which specifically target Huawei by making it harder for the company to create chips using U.S....…, the world’s largest contract semiconductor maker, has stopped taking new orders from , one of its largest customers, according to the .Orders taken before the ban or already in production will not be affected, if they can ship before September 14. Huawei, the world’s largest telecom equipment maker, is TSMC’s second-biggest customer after Apple. TSMC makes many of the advanced chips used by Huawei, including in its smartphones.The U.S. Commerce Department released its new orders on Friday, which specifically target Huawei by making it harder for the company to create chips using U.S....WW…

is laying off another 3,000 employees, . Uber is also closing 45 offices, and rethinking its approach in areas like freight and autonomous vehicle technology.“I knew that I had to make a hard decision, not because we are a public company, or to protect or stock price, or to please our Board or investors,” CEO wrote to employees today in a memo, viewed by . “I had to make this decision because our very future as an essential service for the cities of the world — our being there for millions of people and businesses who rely on us — demands it. We must establish ourselves as a self-sustaining...…is laying off another 3,000 employees, . Uber is also closing 45 offices, and rethinking its approach in areas like freight and autonomous vehicle technology.“I knew that I had to make a hard decision, not because we are a public company, or to protect or stock price, or to please our Board or investors,” CEO wrote to employees today in a memo, viewed by . “I had to make this decision because our very future as an essential service for the cities of the world — our being there for millions of people and businesses who rely on us — demands it. We must establish ourselves as a self-sustaining...WW…

Kevin Frazier, a Masters of Public Policy student at the Harvard Kennedy School and JD candidate at the UC Berkeley School of Law, uses his spare time to advocate for better government.There’s a lot of chatter around what kind of stimulus is needed to save the economy and ensure financially vulnerable Americans can retain some degree of stability. Talks have included everything from to a (UBI). But if policymakers want to do more than just keep the floor from falling out and start laying the groundwork for an actual recovery, then they ought to be discussing a different UBI as well:...…Kevin Frazier, a Masters of Public Policy student at the Harvard Kennedy School and JD candidate at the UC Berkeley School of Law, uses his spare time to advocate for better government.There’s a lot of chatter around what kind of stimulus is needed to save the economy and ensure financially vulnerable Americans can retain some degree of stability. Talks have included everything from to a (UBI). But if policymakers want to do more than just keep the floor from falling out and start laying the groundwork for an actual recovery, then they ought to be discussing a different UBI as well:...WW…

With many major sectors totally frozen and reeling from losses, tech’s biggest players are proving themselves to be the exception to the rule yet again. Friday, , a popular gif search engine, in a deal believed to be worth $400 million.Facebook has indicated it wants to forge new developer and content relationships for Giphy, but what the world’s largest social network really wants with the popular gif platform might be more than meets the eye. As and other outlets have suggested, it’s possible that Facebook really wants the company as a lens into how users engage with its competitors’...…With many major sectors totally frozen and reeling from losses, tech’s biggest players are proving themselves to be the exception to the rule yet again. Friday, , a popular gif search engine, in a deal believed to be worth $400 million.Facebook has indicated it wants to forge new developer and content relationships for Giphy, but what the world’s largest social network really wants with the popular gif platform might be more than meets the eye. As and other outlets have suggested, it’s possible that Facebook really wants the company as a lens into how users engage with its competitors’...WW…

and a group of telecom companies including China Mobile International, MTN GlobalConnect, Orange and are collaborating to build the “most comprehensive” subsea cable to serve the African continent and Middle East region where nearly a billion people are still offline.The project, called , will see the companies lay cables that will stretch to 37,000km (22,990 miles) and interconnect Europe (eastward via Egypt), the Middle East (via Saudi Arabia), and 21 landings in 16 countries in Africa.In a , the companies said they expect the system to be live by 2023 or early 2024. Once live, it should...…and a group of telecom companies including China Mobile International, MTN GlobalConnect, Orange and are collaborating to build the “most comprehensive” subsea cable to serve the African continent and Middle East region where nearly a billion people are still offline.The project, called , will see the companies lay cables that will stretch to 37,000km (22,990 miles) and interconnect Europe (eastward via Egypt), the Middle East (via Saudi Arabia), and 21 landings in 16 countries in Africa.In a , the companies said they expect the system to be live by 2023 or early 2024. Once live, it should...WW…

Everlywell was one of the first startups to announce that it was working on a self-administered, at-home COVID-19 diagnostic kit, but it initially sought out to ship kits before regulators made clear that this was not in line with its guidelines. Everlywell then became intent on working with the FDA to secure a proper Emergency Use Authorization for its kits before sending any to consumers, and that approach has paid off with the U.S. drug regulator issuing an EUA for Everlywell’s tech today.‘s COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit is the first standalone sample collection kit to be granted a...…Everlywell was one of the first startups to announce that it was working on a self-administered, at-home COVID-19 diagnostic kit, but it initially sought out to ship kits before regulators made clear that this was not in line with its guidelines. Everlywell then became intent on working with the FDA to secure a proper Emergency Use Authorization for its kits before sending any to consumers, and that approach has paid off with the U.S. drug regulator issuing an EUA for Everlywell’s tech today.‘s COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit is the first standalone sample collection kit to be granted a...WW…

France’s lower chamber of the parliament has voted in favor of a controversial law against hate speech on social networks and online platforms. As I described , online platforms will have to remove within 24 hours illicit content that has been flagged. Otherwise, companies will have to pay hefty fines every time they infringe the law.What do they mean by illicit content? Essentially, anything that would be considered as an offense or a crime in the offline world is now considered as illicit content when it’s an online platform. Among other things, you could think about death threats,...…France’s lower chamber of the parliament has voted in favor of a controversial law against hate speech on social networks and online platforms. As I described , online platforms will have to remove within 24 hours illicit content that has been flagged. Otherwise, companies will have to pay hefty fines every time they infringe the law.What do they mean by illicit content? Essentially, anything that would be considered as an offense or a crime in the offline world is now considered as illicit content when it’s an online platform. Among other things, you could think about death threats,...WW…

Therapeutics company Sorrento has made what it believes could be a breakthrough in potential treatment of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that leads to COVID-19. The company released details its preclinical research on Friday, announcing that it has found an antibody that provides “100% inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection of healthy cells after four days incubation.” These results are from a preclinical study that still has to undergo peer review, and in an in vitro laboratory study (meaning not in an actual human being) but still a promising development as the company continues to work on...…Therapeutics company Sorrento has made what it believes could be a breakthrough in potential treatment of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that leads to COVID-19. The company released details its preclinical research on Friday, announcing that it has found an antibody that provides “100% inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection of healthy cells after four days incubation.” These results are from a preclinical study that still has to undergo peer review, and in an in vitro laboratory study (meaning not in an actual human being) but still a promising development as the company continues to work on...WW…