Google wants Search to be more like an AI assistant in 2025
Google Search is in the midst of a “journey” around AI, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said during the company’s earnings call on Tuesday. The start of that journey was AI overviews, a controversial and monumental shift in how Google delivers information to billions of Search users. But that was just the beginning. “As AI continues to […]
European AI startups raised $8 billion in 2024
In just a few days, France will host the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit, with heads of state flocking to Paris to meet global tech leaders. They’ll most likely announce some big investments and diplomatic agreements focused on safety or the environmental impact of artificial intelligence. Ahead of the summit, early-stage VC firm Galion.exe, growth investment firm Revaia, and […]
Modern Synthesis is making compostable materials that last a lifetime
Jen Keane’s claim to fame is that she grew a shoe using bacteria, coaxing the microbes to deposit their nanocellulosic materials in the shape of a sneaker. But she’s kind of over that. “I feel like that sort of misses the point,” she told TechCrunch. “The fiber produced by bacteria — like, that’s not a […]
Google launches new AI models and brings ‘thinking’ to Gemini
Google launched its much-anticipated new flagship AI model, Gemini 2.0 Pro Experimental, on Wednesday. The announcement was part of a series of other AI model releases. The company is also making its “reasoning’ model, Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking, available in the Gemini app. Notably, Google is releasing these AI models as the tech world remains fixated […]
Stripe makes $1.1 billion crypto bet as it closes on Bridge acquisition
Stripe has closed on its $1.1 billion purchase of stablecoin platform Bridge – marking the payment giant’s largest acquisition to date and tangible push into crypto. Co-founded in 2022 by Coinbase and Square alumni Zach Abrams and Sean Yu, San Antonio, Texas-based Bridge built an API that helps companies accept stablecoins. The pair raised $58 million from investors such […]
Google ad change could affect millions of small businesses
Google is changing the way its Google Local Services ads work, which could affect millions of small businesses. Google Local Services ads run locally and are a big way that small businesses market their goods and services. Ads appear on the top of Google search results. Starting Nov. 21, only businesses with a verified Google […]
Veterans face challenges starting small businesses but there are plenty of resources to help
Many veterans who’ve started small businesses tell a similar story: Their military service prepared them mentally for the task, but they were at a disadvantage when it came to the financial part. “Vetrepreneurs” – veterans that start small businesses or startups — own nearly 2 million small businesses that employ 5.5 million people in the […]
What changes should small businesses be aware of for 2025?
For small businesses, the biggest change in the new year will be the arrival of a presumably more business-friendly administration in Washington. But there are other shifts owners should keep on their radar. Among them: changes to state-level overtime and minimum wage rules, the delayed federal FinCEN registration, taxes on payments from third-party providers like Venmo and […]
As small businesses face fire devastation and try to get back on their feet, a variety of aid exists
The fires in California have been devastating for many small business owners and others who saw their homes, businesses or livelihoods go up in smoke. Raquel “Rockey” Smeir startedMy Friends Café in Sierra Madre, California, in 2021. While the fires spared her building, she dealt with power outages, the mandatory evacuation in the area of staff, customers […]
The U.S. is the top country for millionaires and billionaires
The U.S. has rapidly overwhelmed China as the world’s top spot for millionaires and billionaires, according a new report. There are now more than 5.5 million Americans with liquid investible assets of more than $1 million, up 62% over the past decade and well above the global growth rate of 38%, according to the 2024 […]
