The Tech Buzz

Lost luggage? Not this year. Apple AirTags are the ultimate travel hack, offering real-time tracking of your checked bags, ensuring peace of mind during the busy holiday rush. For Android users, Google’s Find My Device is catching up, with the Motorola moto tag leading the way. It uses UWB tech for precise tracking, rivaling Apple’s features. Looking for dual functionality? The Twelve South PlugBug Travel combines a travel charger with a built-in AirTag tracker. Toss it in your luggage for seamless bag tracking—no extra tag needed. From lost luggage prevention to real-time updates and quicker reunions, Bluetooth trackers are your new must-have travel companion. FULL STORY: https://lnkd.in/dgd6kuyx #techbuzz #airtag #tracking #holidays

Spines is shaking up publishing with its AI-powered self-publishing platform, claiming to do in weeks what traditional publishers take months. With 1,700 books published and 1,000% revenue growth, it just raised $16M in Series A funding from Zeev, Aleph, M-Fund, and LionTree. In music, Suno launched V4 of its AI music generator, adding tools for upgrading tracks, AI-powered lyric writing, and song creation from user-uploaded audio. FULL STORY: https://lnkd.in/d9e-bK5U #techbuzz #artificialintelligence #publishing #entertainment

Shock Move: U.S. Department of Justice Wants Google to Sell Chrome Browser MORE STORIES: https://lnkd.in/d9e-bK5U #techbuzz #antitrust #doj #google #chrome

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has finalized a rule to oversee nonbank digital payment giants processing over 50M transactions yearly. Apps like those owned by Big Tech firms, now handling 13B transactions annually, will face the same scrutiny as banks and credit unions. The rule targets key issues: ? Privacy: Protecting consumer data from misuse. ? Fraud: Ensuring apps address disputes and fraud, not push them onto banks. ? Debanking: Preventing sudden account freezes or closures that disrupt lives. “Digital payments are now essential, not optional,” said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. This move is set to level the playing field and safeguard users as these apps become vital for everyday commerce. MORE STORIES: https://lnkd.in/d9e-bK5U #techbuzz #finance #consumerprotection

Ben Affleck says AI won’t replace creativity in filmmaking but will lower costs and open doors for new talent. Meanwhile, Andreessen Horowitz is betting big on AI-driven storytelling, backing Promise, a generative AI studio founded by George Strompolos, Jamie Byrne, and Dave Clark. With McKinsey & Company projecting $80–$130B in AI media value, companies like Promise could lead the charge. But not all are optimistic—TEGNA reportedly replaced an entire news team with AI, sparking fears of mass job automation across creative fields. Innovation or disruption? The debate continues. FULL STORY: https://lnkd.in/d9e-bK5U #techbuzz #hollywood #generativeai #filmmaking

What if the key to stronger memories, better productivity, and lasting impressions wasn’t something you could see or touch, but something you could smell? Scent marketing taps into the powerful connection between smell and emotions, influencing decisions and shaping experiences in ways most don’t even realize. Dive in to uncover the science and strategy behind this hidden advantage. #techbuzz #scentmarketing #smell #startups

Brian Armstrong on why successful business leaders have high disagreeableness. Credit: Steven Bartlett — The Diary Of A CEO #startups #founders #critics

As?AI?advances, the cost of performing?biotech?experiments is coming down drastically, opening it up to the public like never before. For example, the?MIT Jameel Clinic - AI & Health?just released?Boltz-1, an?open-source?model for accurately predicting the?3D structure of biomolecular complexes. It is the first fully commercially available O-S model to achieve accuracy comparable to?Google’s AlphaFold3, a significant advancement in democratizing access to sophisticated biomolecular modeling. FULL STORY: https://lnkd.in/dPk2S49Z #techbuzz #decentralizedscience #artificialintelligence #science

Pump.science is reshaping longevity research as the first decentralized science (DeSci) platform on the Solana Foundation blockchain. The platform has already attracted over $300M in value through two tokens, $URO (Urolithin A) and $RIF (Rifampicin). These tokens fund a groundbreaking research pipeline, starting with tests on worms at just $69K and scaling up to human trials once the project hits a $10M market cap. But Pump.science isn’t just about research—it’s about community-driven innovation. Imagine live-streamed experiments (think Twitch, but for science!), real-time data updates, and the power to propose new compounds for testing. This platform is turning science into a global, interactive experience. Building on the DeSci momentum, last year VitaDAO teamed up with the University of Rochester to launch Matrix Biosciences, a biotech startup pioneering cancer and aging treatments. FULL STORY: https://lnkd.in/dPk2S49Z #techbuzz #solana #desci #decentralization #blockchain

EXIT WATCH: Exits and IPOs are dominating headlines as tech companies reposition for the future. CoreWeave secured $650M in a secondary offering, with Cisco and Pure Storage among investors, pushing its valuation to $23B from $7B last year. Pony.ai, the autonomous vehicle maker, is pursuing a U.S. IPO aiming to raise $159.8M through 15M shares priced at $11-13 each. ServiceTitan's upcoming IPO filing, backed by Index Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, Battery Ventures, and Thoma Bravo, marks a significant move in home service tech. Red Hat has acquired Neural Magic to strengthen its AI optimization capabilities. Anysphere acquired Supermaven to enhance its Cursor AI code editor, with Anysphere reportedly fielding acquisition interest at valuations up to $2.5B. In food delivery, Wonder is set to acquire Grubhub for $650M ($500M in notes, $150M cash), far below the $7.3B Just Eat Takeaway.com paid in 2020.