2026-02-07
scoop: the founder of https://crypto.com/ paid $70mn to buy https://ai.com/ last year in what is believed to be the biggest-ever domain name purchase
Financial Times
Crypto.com co-founder Kris Marszalek buys the domain AI.com for $70M, the highest disclosed price for a domain name, as he plans a site offering an AI agent
Kris Marszalek plans to launch new site with a Super Bowl ad this weekend — The founder of cryptocurrency trading site Crypto.com …
2026-02-06
scoop: the founder of https://crypto.com/ paid $70mn to buy https://ai.com/ last year in what is believed to be the biggest-ever domain name purchase
Financial Times
Crypto.com co-founder Kris Marszalek buys the domain AI.com for $70M, the highest disclosed price for a domain name, as he plans a site offering an AI agent
Kris Marszalek plans to launch new site with a Super Bowl ad this weekend — The founder of cryptocurrency trading site Crypto.com …
2026-01-30
Apple just made one of its largest acquisitions ever - close to -$2bn for an Israeli stealth startup called https://q.ai/ that has invented sci fi tech that can understand what you're saying just by sensing face movements
Financial Times
Apple acquires Q.ai, whose tech can analyze facial expressions and could enable non-verbal discussions with AI assistants; sources: the deal values Q.ai at ~$2B
iPhone-maker strikes deal for secretive group that creates technology that analyses facial expressions
2026-01-29
Apple just made one of its largest acquisitions ever - close to -$2bn for an Israeli stealth startup called https://q.ai/ that has invented sci fi tech that can understand what you're saying just by sensing face movements
Financial Times
Apple acquires Q.ai, whose tech can analyze facial expressions and could enable non-verbal discussions with AI assistants; sources: the deal values Q.ai at ~$2B
iPhone-maker strikes deal for secretive group that creates technology that analyses facial expressions
2023-12-16
What kind of stake in OpenAI does $13bn buy you? 0%, it turns out - at least in traditional equity. We had a go at explaining the unusual alliance of OpenAI & Microsoft, as antitrust regulators loom w/@madhumita29 @GeorgeNHammond @CamillaHodgson https://www.ft.com/...
Financial Times
A look at the complex Microsoft-OpenAI alliance structure, which sources say entitles Microsoft to up to 49% of the earnings from OpenAI's for-profit subsidiary
Financial Times :
2023-09-06
UK gov concedes it will not use Online Safety bill powers to scan encrypted messaging apps for harmful content until it is “technically feasible” to do so (ie maybe never), thus avoiding WhatsApp shutdown - FT SCOOP by @CristinaCriddle & @AnnaSophieGross https://www.ft.com/...
Financial Times
The UK government pulls back from new encryption rules in the Online Safety Bill, averting a clash with Big Tech, as the bill enters its final stages
Ministers will not immediately enforce online safety bill powers to scan apps after WhatsApp threatened shutdown
2023-07-06
in case there's anyone still here, here's what it's like over there https://www.ft.com/...
Platformer
Hands-on with Threads: fairly basic text-based messaging app, log in via Instagram, no hashtags, can't search for anything other than user handles, and more
Programming note: I really was trying to take a vacation, but this felt like it was worth the one-day interruption.
in case there's anyone still here, here's what it's like over there https://www.ft.com/...
Financial Times
Instagram Threads feels like Twitter's early days, offering users an insta-network underpinned by Meta's infrastructure that helped surpass smaller rivals
Tim Bradshaw / Financial Times :
2023-06-14
Sign of insane AI bubble or brilliant example of how European startups are getting more ambitious? Four-week-old Mistral AI has raised €105m in Europe's biggest ever seed round - tip @Techmeme https://www.ft.com/...
TechCrunch
Paris-based Mistral AI raised a €105M seed led by Lightspeed, sources say at a €240M valuation, to rival OpenAI and plans to release its first AI models in 2024
2023-06-07
“Impressive enough to wonder if Ticketmaster was about to get disrupted” but notable that Apple's vision for “spatial computing” doesn't mention the metaverse or social media https://twitter.com/...
TechCrunch
Hands-on with the Apple Vision Pro, which seems to be a genuine leapfrog in XR capability and execution, offering near-perfect eye tracking and gesture control
2023-05-25
nvidia just added an intel-sized $150bn to its market cap after hours
CNBC
Nvidia reports Q1 revenue down 13% YoY to $7.19B, vs. $6.52B est., Data Center revenue up 14% YoY, and a Q2 revenue forecast above estimates; NVDA jumps 25%+
- Nvidia reported first-quarter earnings for its fiscal 2024 on Wednesday, with a stronger-than-expected forecast that drove shares up 26% in extended trading.
2023-04-13
Why a prolific investor in AI is now having second thoughts about the dangers of creating a super-intelligence: “God-like AI could be a force beyond our control or understanding, and one that could usher in the obsolescence or destruction of the human race.” https://twitter.com/...
Financial Times
An investor in 50+ AI startups warns against building a “God-like AI” and says companies are “running towards a finish line” without knowing the ramifications
The writer of this essay is an investor and co-author of the annual “State of AI” report
2023-03-07
“If ChatGPT is the iPhone, we're seeing a lot of calculator apps,” Bain Capital's @ChristinaPhili5 tells @GeorgeNHammond of the current crop of AI startups. “We're looking for Uber.” https://twitter.com/...
Financial Times
Many VCs question whether generative AI startups, currently attracting huge valuations, will make enough money, fearing a repeat of the crypto investment hype
Silicon Valley VCs fearing a repeat of falling crypto values warn against pouring cash into hype-fuelled start-ups
2022-12-09
Scoop: Getir's Gorillas deal is done. - Gorillas valued at $1.2bn, mostly in equity with $40mn cash - Getir valuation taking a cut at the same time, down 25% since March to $8.8bn - $10bn valuation on combined group https://www.ft.com/...
Financial Times
Istanbul-based delivery startup Getir closes its acquisition of Berlin-based rival Gorillas, valuing the group at $10B, and sources say Gorillas alone at ~$1.2B
Combined group worth $10bn represents a fall in valuation as investors turn against lossmaking tech start-ups
2022-06-15
First look at @Nothing Phone (1) in the @FT. I spoke to @getpeid about how his startup can succeed where the likes of Andy Rubin's Essential failed https://www.ft.com/...
The Verge
Carl Pei reveals Nothing phone (1) ahead of its July 12 launch event, saying “leaks are harder to contain nowadays”; more details will be revealed over time
Nothing, the consumer tech startup led by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, has shown off the rear design of its debut Phone 1 smartphone. Source: @getpeid .
First look at @Nothing Phone (1) in the @FT. I spoke to @getpeid about how his startup can succeed where the likes of Andy Rubin's Essential failed https://www.ft.com/...
Financial Times
An interview with Carl Pei on Nothing phone (1), building confidence with suppliers, raising funds, and more; Nothing has shipped 530K Ear (1) since August 2021
Tim Bradshaw / Financial Times :
2022-05-26
Great @TimSweeneyEpic interview by @PatrickMcGee_. Instead of apps, “in the future I think you'll see something more like a metaverse browser that points to the right standard and you can visit any metaverse experience.” https://www.ft.com/...
Financial Times
Q&A with Epic CEO Tim Sweeney on creating the metaverse, growing the Unreal Engine, Apple and Google's app store policies, Meta's metaverse plans, and more
Online game Fortnite is arguably the closest thing to the metaverse that exists today. Some 70mn gamers immerse themselves …
2022-05-19
Chinese people are putting social media posts on the blockchain as NFTs to evade censors, @EleanorOlcott & @ruiyanggloriali report. Discoverability remains a problem - but still, a rare example of decentralised social tech actually being used/useful https://www.ft.com/...
Financial Times
Chinese citizens angered by Shanghai's ongoing lockdowns are evading censorship of a viral post and video criticizing the government by minting them into NFTs
Growing popularity of decentralised ledger technology presents fresh challenge for country's censors Tweets: @caseynewton , @tim , @katebevan , @jerrybrito , @alisonkilling , and @...
2022-04-28
The Twitter advertisers most concerned about @elonmusk's buyout are car makers, sources say. Auto folks don't like the idea of supporting a Tesla-affiliated platform. Some worry their campaign plans will leak to Tesla. One exec already deleted his account https://www.ft.com/...
Financial Times
In an email to advertisers, Twitter insists it will remain a safe place for brands after Elon Musk's takeover, as campaign groups predict rising toxicity
Campaigners and car manufacturers among groups to express concern over Tesla chief's $44bn takeover
2022-04-03
A couple of NFT Discords being hacked in a day is considered “normal”... ⬇️ Today BAYC, Doodles and several others were hit. This isn't a security problem with NFTs per se - it's a problem with Discord and the daisy chain of third party tools that server mods have to rely on https://twitter.com/...
VICE
The Discord servers of some NFT projects, including BAYC, were compromised on Friday as part of a phishing scam seeking to trick users into “minting” fake NFTs
This isn't the first hack of Discord-based crypto communities, and it's not likely to be the last.