Analysis: The best thing that the new Xbox CEO can do is … nothing

Analysis: The best thing that the new Xbox CEO can do is … nothing

Asha Sharma and Matt Booty, the new leadership team for Microsoft Gaming. (Microsoft Photo) During Phil Spencer’s tenure as the CEO of Microsoft Gaming, he brought dozens of the games industry’s best developers and most beloved franchises under a single roof. As a result, his successor Asha Sharma is in a unique position where she really can succeed in the …

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India’s Sarvam launches Indus AI chat app as competition heats up | TechCrunch

India’s Sarvam launches Indus AI chat app as competition heats up | TechCrunch

Sarvam, an Indian AI startup focused on building models for local languages and users, on Friday launched its Indus chat app for web and mobile users, entering a fast-growing market dominated by global players including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. The launch comes as India has become a key battleground for generative AI adoption. Recently, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said ChatGPT …

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The creator economy’s ad revenue problem and India’s AI ambitions | TechCrunch

The creator economy’s ad revenue problem and India’s AI ambitions | TechCrunch

The creator economy is evolving fast, and ad revenue alone isn’t cutting it anymore. YouTubers are launching product lines, acquiring startups, and building actual business empires. In fact, MrBeast’s company bought fintech startup Step, and his chocolate business is outearning his media arm. This isn’t just one creator’s strategy. For many, it’s the new playbook.  On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, hosts Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Rebecca Bellan unpack how creators are diversifying beyond ads, whether their model can scale …

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Chinese scientists create new battery with electrolyte as safe as tofu brine

Chinese scientists create new battery with electrolyte as safe as tofu brine

Chinese scientists have made a long-lasting, eco-friendly battery using organic electrodes and an electrolyte safe enough to be used as tofu brine. The team’s water-based battery is non-toxic and can be discarded without posing an ecological risk, unlike conventional lithium-ion batteries which require hazardous waste processing. Water-based batteries eliminate the flammability risk of conventional batteries and can be cheaper to …

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Xbox head Phil Spencer is leaving Microsoft

Xbox head Phil Spencer is leaving Microsoft

Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, is retiring, Satya Nadella has announced. Asha Sharma, the President of Microsoft’s CoreAI division is taking over Spencer’s role, while Sarah Bond, the current President of Xbox, is resigning. “I am long on gaming and its role at the center of our consumer ambition, and as we look ahead, I’m excited to share that …

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Anthropic-funded group backs candidate attacked by rival AI super PAC | TechCrunch

Anthropic-funded group backs candidate attacked by rival AI super PAC | TechCrunch

Late last year, New York Assembly member Alex Bores became the target of a campaign by a pro-AI super PAC to thwart his congressional bid. The group, Leading the Future, is armed with more than $100 million from backers including Andreessen Horowitz, OpenAI President Greg Brockman, AI search startup Perplexity, and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale. Bores’ response to was simple: …

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Tech Moves: Code.org has a new leader; Synapse vet joins Amazon; ex-Tableau CEO lands at Code Metal

Tech Moves: Code.org has a new leader; Synapse vet joins Amazon; ex-Tableau CEO lands at Code Metal

Karim Meghji, president and CEO of Code.org. (Code.org Photo) — Karim Meghji is taking over the the role of president and CEO at Code.org, the Seattle-based computer science education nonprofit. Meghji, the former CTO at Seattle digital remittance company Remitly, joined Code.org in 2022 to serve as chief product officer, leading the organization’s shift toward an AI-centered strategy. Cameron Wilson, the …

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Apple’s iOS 26.4 arrives in public beta with AI music playlists, video podcasts, and more | TechCrunch

Apple’s iOS 26.4 arrives in public beta with AI music playlists, video podcasts, and more | TechCrunch

Apple this week released the latest version of its mobile operating system, iOS 26.4, which introduces several new features, including an AI-powered playlist generation feature in Apple Music, support for video content in the Podcasts app, end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages, and more.  The update is currently available in pubic beta, with the public release expected sometime in March …

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