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Apple is reportedly planning to integrate paid advertisements directly into Apple Maps as early as next year. According to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, this move would allow businesses to pay for more prominent placement in search results.What’s happening with Apple Maps?Just when you thought Apple’s ecosystem was a safe haven from ads, think again. According to a new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is “gaining traction” on its plan to bring paid ads to Apple Maps, with a potential launch as early as next year.This isn’t about pop-up banners. The idea is to let businesses, like restaurants or shops,…

The countdown is almost over — tomorrow’s the day! In less than 24 hours, TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 takes over Moscone West. From October 27–29, 10,000 founders, investors, and innovators will flood San Francisco for three days of building, connecting, and deal-making. We’re just days away from live demos of never-before-seen tech and high-stakes pitches as startups compete for the $100,000 prize. The stages are being set. Booths are lighting up. Founders are fine-tuning their pitches. Investors are clearing calendars. When the excitement kicks off, the nonstop conversations, demos, and deals will begin. These are your final hours to save up…

It’s been four years since Nothing launched its Ear (1) and the London-based brand is now an established player in the TWS market. Enter the Nothing Ear (3) – its latest flagship wireless earbuds with the now recognizable transparent look and some key improvements. While Nothing’s naming scheme hasn’t always been the most consistent, its earbuds have offered impressive hardware paired with a polished software experience. Ear (3) comes in with a more premium build, a dedicated microphone in the case and claims of improved sound output and superior noise cancellation. Did Nothing deliver a winner with the Ear (3),…

As you’re hunting through real estate listings for a new home in Franklin, Tennessee, you come across a vertical video showing off expansive rooms featuring a four-poster bed, a fully stocked wine cellar, and a soaking tub. In the corner of the video, a smiling real estate agent narrates the walk-through of your dream home in a soothing tone. It looks perfect—maybe a little too perfect.The catch? Everything in the video is AI-generated. The real property is completely empty, and the luxury furniture is a product of virtual staging. The realtor’s voice-over and expressions were born from text prompts. Even…

An investigation by EU regulators has found TikTok and Meta in breach of the Union’s rules concerning illegal or harmful online content. The European Commission (EC) said on Friday that preliminary findings show both companies are not complying with Digital Services Act (DSA) rules that require them to give researchers adequate access to public data. The Commission called Meta and TikTok’s procedures and tools for requesting access to public data “burdensome,” saying that researchers are consequently often left with partial or unreliable data, which affects “their ability to conduct research, such as whether users, including minors, are exposed to illegal…

There’s a fluffy robot, about the size of a guinea pig, sitting on my couch, and it’s squeaking. My friend’s dog Wylie sits watching it, suspicious of its every move.Moflin is an AI companion robot made by the Japanese electronics manufacturer Casio. Via the companion app, I have chosen to name this one Puff, because—well—that is what it looks like. Wylie immediately clocks it as something to be wary of, a device that moves on its own but is not alive. Puff squeaks again. Wylie barks, then runs out of the room, growling.When I found out Casio—yes, the same Casio…

Two years ago, former SpaceX engineers used rocket tech to develop a power plant capable of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, with a small asterisk. To draw down CO2, it burned plant waste, making it a sort of “vegetarian rocket engine” for the grid. This week, Arbor Energy said it had raised a $55 million Series A led by Lowercarbon Capital and Voyager Ventures on the heels of a partial pivot. Its power plant, rather than sticking to a strict vegetarian diet, is going to be more of an omnivore, capable of burning natural gas in addition to biomass. …

The iQOO 15 went official this week, and it’s rocking a Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 SoC and a potent 7,000mAh battery. The 6.85-inch 144Hz gaming phone is out in China first, and it shattered the sales records, selling in just 30 minutes what its predecessor did in its first day. Realme brought us the GT8 Pro and GT8. Both have camera systems tuned by imaging great, Ricoh, but the Pro has nicer cameras and a swappable camera island bezel design. The GT8 Pro has the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, while its sibling has last year’s generation Snapdragon. Both phones…

Instagram announced on Friday that it will now let you go back and see your previously watched Reels thanks to a new “Watch History” feature. Rival TikTok has had a Watch History feature for a few years now. With the new feature, you can go back and find videos you might not have had the chance to save. For example, you could be watching an interesting Reel and then receive a phone call, or accidentally close the app while watching, or get distracted by something else and lose your place in the Reels feed. “Have you ever tried to get…

A few days ago, Honor unveiled the Magic8 and Magic8 Pro and earlier this week the pair of them went on sale in China. We have confirmation from Honor itself that the Magic8 series will also be available globally, though we don’t have the concrete details just yet. Would you buy the Magic8 or Magic8 Pro? The two new models boast the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 – another shared upgrade is the new AI button. The 2025 models also have significantly larger batteries than their predecessors, even though both phones are smaller than their Magic7-series counterparts. Honor Magic8…