Tuesday, July 9, 2024

Welcome back to TechCrunch PM. This afternoon, we’re diving into the latest developments in Fisker’s bankruptcy case, a new AI fact-checking startup from former Humane execs, the FTC’s ban on anonymous social app NGL, and more. Let’s roll.

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Henrik Fisker lowers his salary to $1: Fisker Inc. co-founders Henrik Fisker and his wife, Geeta Gupta-Fisker, are lowering their salaries to $1 in order to keep their failed EV startup’s bankruptcy proceedings funded, as lawyers work to complete a sale of its remaining inventory. Read more

Humane execs form a new startup: Former Humane execs Brooke Hartley Moy and Ken Kocienda have left the company to start Infactory, an AI-powered fact-checking search engine. While the project is still in its infancy, the founders spoke to TechCrunch about their plans. Read more

The FTC comes for NGL: For the very first time, the FTC is banning an app from serving users under the age of 18. The agency announced that it’s banning anonymous social app NGL from marketing or offering its app to minors, and NGL will pay $5 million to settle the lawsuit. Read more

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Afternoon must-reads

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin / TechCrunch

Duolingo gets more serious about design: The language-learning app is acquiring the Detroit-based animation studio Hobbes to form the company’s first-ever dedicated motion design team. Read more

Bumble cracks down on AI profile pictures: As AI-generated photos on dating apps become more commonplace, Bumble released a new feature that lets you report profiles that might be using AI-generated photos and videos. Read more

Don’t speed with CarPlay: Google Maps has introduced speedometer and speed limits on iOS and CarPlay — more than five years after their debut on Android — to help iPhone users avoid speed ticketing while driving, TechCrunch exclusively learned. Read more

Sound off in the comments: Spotify is launching a new comments feature for podcasts, putting it in more direct competition with YouTube as a place where creators can interact with their listeners. Read more

An aggregator for the open social web: More people are embracing decentralized social networking, but it can be hard to keep up with all the offerings. A new app called Openvibe allows you to stay connected across Mastodon, Nostr, Bluesky and soon Threads, all in one timeline. Read more

Is Airchat becoming Clubhouse? The social app built around voice messages is making a hard pivot. Airchat’s new overhaul allows you to join channels for specific topics and record voice messages or videos to make responses, making it feel akin to Clubhouse. Read more

A forecast app for road trips: A new iOS app called Wayther wants to help you better plan your road trips. The app offers real-time road conditions and weather forecasts along your route up to 10 days in advance. Read more

TechCrunch Minute

Image Credits: Getty Images / MirageC

This is what happens when you shoot down a delivery drone: As Amazon, Google and Walmart invest in and experiment with drone delivery, a new phenomenon has emerged: Drones are being shot out of the sky. While incidents are still rare, a recent arrest in Florida raises some questions about what the legal ramifications could be. Hit play and let’s chat!

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Around the web 🌐

Etsy shifts away from “handmade” and “vintage” labels: The Verge reports that Etsy is creating four new labels for items on its platform: “made by,” “designed by,” “handpicked by” and “sourced by” sellers. While a seemingly minor change, it might drive an even bigger wedge between the platform and its sellers and users, who think that Etsy shouldn't stray from what it's always been focused on: vintage and handmade items. Read more

Crunchyroll shuts down its comment section: IGN reports that popular anime streamer Crunchyroll has disabled comments and reviews for its episodes and blog posts in order to “reduce harmful content.” YouTuber Geoff Thew speculated on X that the removal could have been triggered by negative review bombing that occurred for a new LGBTQ anime called “Twilight Out of Focus.” Read more