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A few months ago, Reddit co-founder, Alexis Ohanian, tweeted that if he could go back in time and do one thing differently when building Reddit, he would have spent a lot less time attending events. . Personally I have a different experience – I always regret getting on a plane (or in an Uber for that matter) to go to an event. However, when I traveled back, I never regretted it: in my experience, there is always something magical about going to an event.
However, our TC+ team is not interested in anecdotes: neither mine nor Alexis’s. So, like data-driven journalists, they surveyed over 50 founders, trying to find out whether it makes sense to attend events in 2023.
Spoiler alert: There’s no real consensus here, but there are some really good pros and cons. This article is worth reading, to know under what circumstances you can expect a good return on investment on your event-going activities.
Today’s newsletter is going to be a little more issue-oriented than usual: I’m lying at home with pneumonia (yes, I’m actually an 86-year-old grandmother. Surprise!), so forgive this nonsense about antibiotics. Week. I hope to be back next week with more non-pharmaceutically enhanced things.
Artificial intelligence: you all can’t get enough
Image Credit: Oleksandr Hrts/Getty Images
Our most read stories are consistently about AI. No big surprise, perhaps, that the AI hype cycle continues apace. This week there have been a bunch of stories about the poor state of AI, including how humans are part of the problem, tricking AI systems into continuing to generate boobs and 9/11 memes. Oh, humans! We spoke to investors to find out if the future of AI has anything to look forward to beyond absurd memes. (Spoiler alert: yes.)
Rumors are circulating that OpenAI may consider developing its own AI chips. This is going to be interesting, especially if you remember that Nvidia’s ongoing stock market rally is likely driven by the current boom in AI. The company’s ChatGPIT mobile app generated a record $4.6 million in revenue last month, but growth is slowing. Oh, and no need to shed tears for Nvidia just yet; Brian’s article describing how Nvidia became a major player in robotics is extremely interesting.
Adobe has doubled down on its Firefly generative AI model. This week, Frederick explains how the software can now generate more realistic images and help artists create vector graphics in Illustrator. Neato.
More on the AI front
If AI can’t get to the mountain, the mountain will come to AI: Dutch startup Tidalflow quietly exits with backing from Google’s gradient ventures. Its goal is to help any software work well with ChatGPT and other LLM ecosystems.
what big eyes you have: Adobe continues to emphasize easy image editing, showcasing its Project Stardust as a preview of its next-generation AI photo editing engine.
stem the tide: Creatives across all industries are strategizing in a campaign that targets potential corporate misuse of AI technology. The group is realistic about the ways in which musicians and some other creators can benefit on an individual level from automating parts of their work. The goal is for AI tools to become “a way for individual humans to make more money, work less, and compete with the corporations that exploit them.”
tech you can touch
Image Credit: Darrell Etherington
A while ago I argued that Apple’s new AR headset is a game-changer for startups. It seems that the same situation is likely to happen at higher levels as well. But in the area of affordability, Meta Quest 3 moves a step closer to mainstream AR/VR, Brian reports.
Sonos is not fast there: Audio company Sonos had won a big victory of $32.5 million against Google some time ago. It has now been revealed that the company’s patent was deemed unenforceable and invalid. Oops. A federal judge this week threw out the $32.5 million win.
When it clicks, it really clicks: We took an in-depth look at the Pixel 8, and our team found that it offers solid performance and design upgrades. The camera got a particularly enthusiastic shoutout, with Darrell declaring that Google’s Pixel 8 Pro camera is the new mobile photography champion, and Brian waxing lyrical about the phone’s picture-snapper in “The camera is still the thing.”
Who needs computers anyway?: It looks like all of our mobile devices may start to outpace personal computer sales – Ron reports that PC shipment decline has slowed in the third quarter of 2023 and Apple’s sales are down more than 23% .
let’s get together
Image Credit: vidcon
Reddit’s API-driven chaos continues, but it appears that things are starting to settle down somewhat. Third-party Reddit app Narwhal says it hopes to avoid Reddit’s app purge with a subscription plan.
On the proposal to “come together”, Amanda reports that VidCon is still in the works. For the first time, the conference hosted an industry leadership summit, where manufacturer economy experts and manufacturers could air their complaints about the state of the business and share ideas to make a manufacturer’s work more sustainable. This makes sense, unlike creators raising venture capital: It’s so hard to make money as a creator, I’d love to see a pitch that convinces a VC to cut a check to a creator with a realistic expectation of a venture. Takes. -Return to scale.
Maybe they were hiding behind the sofa?:Sarah reports that Mastodon actually has 407K+ more monthly users than we thought – and it looks like Musk has more traffic on Twitter than he said. Still it’s peak almost the same as it was a decade agoAnd it’s not clear what the social platform can do to encourage more growth.
a social social network network: Lauren reports that a former TikTok employee is building a social app for content creators to network and “spill tea,” so creators can help each other create better, more engaging content.
Can X be ad-free?:X (formerly Twitter) appears to be testing three tiers of its premium service, its CEO says. Under the hood, the code reveals that one level may be ad-free. If this is also troll-free, please take my money now.
Read the top articles on TechCrunch this week
There’s been a lot of amazing news on the site this week, but if we go by actual data, here are the most popular stories – the ones I haven’t already covered above, that is.
Password? We don’t need any bad passwordsPasskey: A passkey is a phishing-resistant alternative to passwords that allows users to sign in to accounts using the same biometrics or PIN they use to unlock their device, or with a physical security key. Google is now making it the default sign-in method for all users.
2 seconds, I send you some cash: When questioned about Mastercard’s prospects in emerging markets like India, Mastercard CFO Sachin Mehra praised UPI for helping in digitization, but expressed reservations about its business sustainability, saying that it would not be a good solution for the ecosystem. An “incredibly traumatic experience” for the participants.
Bravely browsing for – or searching for – a new job. , , : Brave Software, maker of the Brave browser and search, has confirmed that it has laid off 9% of its employees across various departments.
