Oh, hey, before we get started this week, I’m excited to finally be able to tell you that TC Sessions: Robotics has been announced for next year, and we’re returning to the East Coast! I’ve been pushing for this for a while now — and not just because it’s a shorter flight for me. Berkeley […]
Vertical farming startup Infarm raises $200M for international expansion
Europe-based vertical farming firm Infarm this week announced a $200 million Series D. The round, led by the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), follows last year’s $170 million raise. It pushes the company’s total funding to north of $600 million, while placing its valuation “well” north of $1 bililion, earning its place as Europe’s first vertical […]
Stanford’s gecko-inspired robot hand sets its sights on fruit picking
Stanford’s made a lot of progress over the years with its gecko-inspired robotic hand. In May, a version of the “gecko gripper” even found its way onto the International Space Station to test its ability to perform tasks like collecting debris and fixing satellites. In a paper published today in Science Robotics, researchers at the […]
Oppo decreases the crease for its new foldable
The crease, it seems, is unavoidable. It’s right there, smack in the middle of the those big, expensive folding displays. And it’s invariably (and perhaps understandably) the first comment on nearly every story I post about a foldable phone. The alternative isn’t ideal, either — a gap between two distinct displays à la Microsoft’s Surface […]
Raise and deliver
Remember all the way back to December 2020. Where were you? What were your plans? What did you expect and hope the new year would bring? I suspect I’m not alone in feeling like I’ve spent much of the past year on a hamster wheel, with better days just over the horizon. Truth is, few […]
Oura Ring 3 review
I admit I was thinking about the Oura Ring incorrectly. I was thinking of the device as an alternative to my Apple Watch. I suppose this is true, in the vaguest sense — likely for most people, it’s one or the other. After all, two activity trackers is overkill for most. It’s also cost-prohibitive. At […]
Actuator is go!
Today’s the big day! After months of toiling away in roundups, Actuator is finally graduating to your inbox as the latest addition to the TechCrunch newsletter family. I’ve written 40 of these things since our quiet, pre-name test launch back in February (we called ourselves “Robotics Roundup” for a few unfortunate months there). You can […]
Qualcomm’s new mobile flagship, Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, arrives on devices this year
It’s that time of year again. Analysts and journalists from across the globe have convened in Hawaii to witness Qualcomm announce its big chip news for the year. Just a few days of sun, surf, Snapdragons and summits. As promised, the latest version of the SoCal chip giant’s flagship SoC arrives with a rebrand — […]
Eclipse Foods inks deal with Whole Foods for its plant-based ice cream
With demand for plant-based meat alternatives at an all-time high, Eclipse Foods is no doubt hoping to do for ice cream what companies like Impossible and Beyond have managed for the hamburger. Pre-pandemic, the company announced select retail availability in New York and its native San Francisco, and now it’s expanding coverage with a high-profile […]
Fieldin buys fellow agtech firm Midnight Robotics
It was going to be a big couple of years for agricultural robotics well before COVID-19 was on our collective radar. Population growth and environmental concerns have been big drivers for those working to figure out how to feed people in the future. The pandemic, meanwhile, has only accelerated concerns, as many farmers have struggled […]