Silicon Valley

Roofing isn’t glamorous. It meets the three Ds of automation—dull, dirty, and dangerous—with ease. Some smart roboticists could transform it. It’s always one of the most dangerous construction jobs, but there are a lot of roofs in the world, so everyone who wants one should have one. At launch, Renovate …

People want healthier food, including their comfort foods, but tastes change. Ramen is a pantry staple and a joke for college students and young entrepreneurs, but the market potential is huge. The global instant noodle market was nearly $46 billion in 2020 and expected to reach $66 billion by 2027. …

The Information and former Twitter employees reported at least 50 more layoffs. According to Platformer’s Zoë Schiffer, even Elon Musk loyalist Esther Crawford, Twitter payments’ top executive who handled Twitter Blue, was fired. Crawford and most of the product team were laid off this weekend, according to Alex Heath of …

Americans expect credit cards. Mexico makes it harder and less common. Fewer than 20% of people have credit, and only 10% have credit cards. In recent years, several startups have emerged to provide underserved Mexicans with more options to increase inclusion. Vexi is a startup. Rojo Blasquez, Gabriela Estrada, Cinthia …

Charging a battery In an effort to start up its $1.6 billion gigafactory, Our Next Energy announced this morning that it had closed a sizable $300 million Series B round. The two-and-a-half-year-old company, which closed a $25 million Series A in October 2021 and a $65 million Series A1 in …

As COVID-19 shakes the second-largest economy in the world, China’s smartphone market is experiencing a speed bump after a decade of frantic growth. According to research firm Counterpoint, the nation’s smartphone shipments fell 14% year over year in 2022, hitting a ten-year low. According to Canalys, it was also the …

Update: Microsoft’s services are back online after a downtime of more than four hours as of January 25, 2023, at 7:15 PM IST. To reflect that, the headline has been altered. The company stated on the website for its Azure cloud service, “We determined that a change made to the …

Fiber optic cables are used in effective cable communication to send data. The maximum theoretical transmission efficiency of light sent through them is 92 percent. These fibers have drawbacks, but airborne laser signal transmission is incomparable to it. Researchers have been attempting to do the same across the air, though, …

Apple has revived the larger HomePod with a second-generation model that boasts improved sound quality in addition to improved intelligence and computing abilities. Pre-orders for the new HomePod, which has a suggested retail price of $299, are now open. On February 3, in-store sales and shipping will start in the …

The most recent Atlas humanoid robot demo was just released by Boston Dynamics. The robot’s feet allowed it to traverse rough terrain while running and jumping. Now, the robot actually has hands. The robot is given new life by these simple grippers. The Atlas suddenly transforms from a quick pack …