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Investors have been pouring billions into AI companies over the past few years, as the technology continues to hold sway in the Valley and thus the world. But not all AI companies are grabbing investor attention. Indeed, even as it seems every company these days is rebranding to include “AI” in its name, some startup ideas are just no longer in favor with investors. TechCrunch spoke with VCs to learn what investors aren’t looking for in AI software-as-a-service startups anymore. Popular SaaS categories for investors now include startups building AI-native infrastructure, vertical SaaS with proprietary data, systems of action (those…

Image Credit: SamsungWhenever a phone launch wraps up—think Galaxy Unpacked or Apple’s September show—I start comparing the fresh models with last year’s versions and ask myself a simple question. Does the upgrade justify the extra cash? That same thought came up again when I looked at the Samsung Galaxy S26 vs. Samsung Galaxy S25. Some years bring just design tweaks. Other years push a shift that makes you pause and think about an upgrade. And every so often, that shift seals the deal.Design and displayIn the Galaxy S26 lineup, the base model and the Ultra show the most change in…

Xiaomi today announced the Xiaomi 17 and Xiaomi 17 Ultra for international markets at an event in Barcelona, Spain, alongside a bunch of other products, including the Leica Leitzphone. No, it isn’t one of those Japan-exclusive Leitz Phones made by Sharp, but basically the global version of the China-exclusive Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition we already reviewed, with the most notable difference being the battery capacity. Xiaomi 17 Ultra 5G The Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition packs a 6,800 mAh battery, whereas the Leica Leitzphone is fueled by a 6,000 mAh battery, just like the global Xiaomi 17 Ultra. It…

Social community platform Discord is preparing to require users to verify their age by the second half of 2026, and users are concerned about the privacy of uploading a government ID or face scan to the network. While users can still access most features without verification, many remain uneasy giving more information to a company that suffered a breach last year that exposed the IDs of around 70,000 users.  For some users, this is motivation enough to seek out alternative platforms that prioritize security, privacy, or simply offer a different experience. Here’s a look at the most promising Discord alternatives,…

HOTO Air Pump Pocket can refill up to 18 tires! HomeBikes and AccessoriesHOTO Air Pump Pocket: Pocket-Sized Portable Tire Inflator Gadget Flow EditorsHOTO Air Pump Pocket: Pocket-Sized Portable Tire InflatorHurry up! This item is 17% OFF!The HOTO Air Pump Pocket is a compact electric bike pump for quick roadside top-ups. It targets accurate pressure, simple controls, and easy packing for everyday rides.Fast inflation for road tires: It inflates a 700×23C tire from 80 to 100 PSI in about 25 seconds, so short stops stay short.150 PSI max pressure: High pressure supports road setups, while controlled airflow also works for lower-pressure…

The Honor Magic V6 is now official, so let’s do an unboxing. Ours is the Red model, and it ships with a USB cable and a color-matching red-and-gold case. The Magic V6 supports faster 80W wired and 66W wireless charging to the Magic V5’s 66W/50W, but you’d need to buy the needed charger. The rear of the case tries to emulate the suede-like finish of the phone’s rear panel, but it’s nowhere as nice to the touch. It does, however, have the same color-changing qualities as the phone itself – the red changes its contrast under different angles. The case…

Prediction market users have made — and profited from — big bets around the bombing of Iran by the U.S. and Israeli military. On Polymarket, $529 million was traded on contracts tied to the timing of the attack, according to Bloomberg. An analysis by analytics firm Bubblemaps SA found that six newly-created accounts made a profit of $1 million by correctly betting that the U.S. would strike Iran by February 28 — behavior that could indicate insider trading. The bets might merely reflect broader speculation about U.S. intentions in Iran, but Bubblemaps CEO Nicolas Vaiman said the circulation of information…

ROG Flow Z13-KJP is Luden-inspired HomeGaming GadgetsROG Flow Z13-KJP 2-in-1 Gaming PC Gadget Flow EditorsROG Flow Z13-KJP 2-in-1 Gaming PCThe ROG Flow Z13-KJP is a limited-edition 2-in-1 gaming PC designed by Yoji Shinkawa and inspired by KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS’ Ludens. It blends art and function.Performance: Powered by AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 with 16 Zen 5 CPU cores and Radeon 8060S GPU compute, it handles high-end gaming and content creation on one chip.Unified Memory: A single 128GB pool serves CPU, GPU, and NPU, so apps share fast memory and performance stays balanced during heavy workloads.Display and Portability: The 13.4-inch 2.5K Nebula…

Honor kicked off MWC 2026 by announcing its latest foldable – the Magic V6. It’s a milestone not just for Honor but for foldables in general, being the first to sport IP68 and IP69 ingress protection. And it’s a proper flagship, equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, triple cameras with a dedicated 3x optical zoom periscope and an upgraded 6,660mAh Si-C battery. Honor Magic V6 From an engineering perspective, this is Honor’s toughest foldable to date. It features a new Super Steel Hinge made of the strongest commercially available steel, and it’s tested at…

As persistent spam complaints have clouded Google’s Rich Communication Services (RCS) push in India, the company is turning to deeper carrier integration to bolster protections on the platform. On Sunday, Bharti Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom operator with over 463 million subscribers, said it had partnered with Google to integrate the carrier’s network-level spam filtering into the RCS ecosystem in the country. The move is aimed at strengthening protections against unwanted messages and fraud on the platform, the companies said. India has emerged as a particularly challenging market for spam and fraud across messaging channels, driven by the country’s vast mobile…