Google today announced the latest version of its popular image generation model, Nano Banana 2. The new model, which is technically Gemini 3.1 Flash Image, can create more realistic images than its predecessor. The model will also now become the default in the Gemini app for its Fast, Thinking, and…

Ultrahuman on Friday unveiled a new smart ring with longer battery life and a redesigned form factor, as the Bengaluru-based wearable maker seeks to revive its U.S. business that was disrupted last year by a patent dispute with rival Oura. The Ring Pro, Ultrahuman’s third-generation smart ring, offers up to…

Cisco says hackers have been exploiting a bug in one of its popular networking products used by large enterprises for at least three years, prompting the U.S. government and its allies to urge organizations to take action. The bug, which has a maximum-rated vulnerability severity score of 10.0, allows hackers…

Einride has secured an oversubscribed $113 million PIPE (private investment in public equity) ahead of its public debut, which is expected for the first half of 2026.  The Swedish startup is most well-known for building both electric trucks and autonomous pods that are designed to carry freight with no room…

Plaid, a company that connects financial applications to users’ bank accounts, enabling payments and data verification, has allowed employees to sell some of their shares at an $8 billion valuation, the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Thursday. The valuation represents a 31% increase from the $6.1 billion valuation the 13-year-old…

Walmart has agreed to pay $100 million to settle a lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over deceptive pay practices within its Spark Driver service, which uses gig workers to deliver online orders from local stores to customers. The retailer was accused of misleading drivers about their potential base…

Meeting notetaker Read AI on Thursday launched an AI-powered email-based assistant called Ada, saying it helps users manage their schedules, answer questions based on a company’s knowledge base, and reply to out-of-office emails. The company is calling Ada a “digital twin” that handles tasks for you around the clock. Read…

Enterprises have struggled to find a return on investment from adopting AI tools. Now AI companies are trying a new tactic to get their tech to stick by partnering with consultants. On Thursday, French AI research lab Mistral AI and global consulting giant Accenture announced a multiyear partnership. The deal…

As space companies itch to push the most advanced chips into orbit, the problem of cooling those high-powered processors is top of mind. “It’s cold in space … [but] there’s no airflow, and so the only way to dissipate is through conduction,” Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said when asked about space-based…

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said Thursday that he “cannot in good conscience accede to [the Pentagon’s] request” to give the military unrestricted access to its AI systems. “Anthropic understands that the Department of War, not private companies, makes military decisions,” Amodei wrote in a statement. “However, in a narrow set…