Elizabeth Lopatto
“We are . . . so very close to being above the water now.”
Softbank had a quarterly profit for the first time since 2022, because Arm had a great quarter. The Vision funds are still losing money — but they are losing less money!
Elizabeth Lopatto
Senior Reporter
Senior Reporter
More From Elizabeth Lopatto
A decade later, it’s clear that Slack changed work culture, even at companies that don’t use it.
Elizabeth Lopatto
Elizabeth Lopatto
Elizabeth Lopatto
“Decades of investment — including funding, knowledge transfer, and other intangible benefits — from U.S. VCs have helped build and strengthen [China’s] priority sectors.”
VC firms such as Sequoia Capital, GGV Capital and GSR Ventures invested $1.9 billion from US university endowments and pension funds into AI companies “whose technology is contributing to China’s military buildup and human-rights abuses,” according to a Congressional report.
This sure seems like a shot across the bow for the VC industry.
Elizabeth Lopatto
A thorough review of Chris Dixon’s new blockchain book.
“The book is peppered with glowing references to companies a16z has backed, but is completely devoid of any disclosures.” There’s gotta be a more efficient way to hype your companies than a book, right?
Anyway this does seem like a problem for a 15-year-old technology: “Throughout the entire book, Dixon fails to identify a single blockchain project that has successfully provided a non-speculative service at any kind of scale.”
Review: Chris Dixon's Read Write Own
[Citation Needed]
Elizabeth Lopatto
The guy behind internet gossip blog Crazy Days and Nights actually was a lawyer, Daily Beast says.
The Daily Beast says it identified the site’s lead blogger through a filing in a Florida court — after he had an affair with a woman that’s led to “dueling legal complaints and accusations of abusive behavior.” When the blogger sought a restraining order, he revealed enough details about himself to be identifiable.
Not all of the blind items on CDaN were true — the blog says so itself. But it did occasionally post tech industry rumors; a favorite “celebrity CEO,” for instance, was Elon Musk .
Elizabeth Lopatto
A newly-streamlined process for fake IDs says it’s using AI.
Meet OnlyFakes, a quick and easy way to help bypass cryptocurrency Know Your Customer attempts — among other uses for fake IDs.
Lots of interesting stuff in this story, but here’s what stood out to me:
While OnlyFake says it uses “neural networks” to create its fake IDs, 404 Media has not seen evidence that the service uses generative AI tools.
If you want criminals to think you’re on the cutting-edge of criminality, sprinkle some AI on your marketing!
Elizabeth Lopatto
Elizabeth Lopatto
Coinbase is lowering prices to compete for the pros.
I mean yes, they don’t say that but come on: they are targeting high-volume traders — if you’re doing more than $500,000 monthly, I think you are maybe not a normal consumer.
Wonder if this is the beginning of a race to the bottom on fees... and who will be left standing.
Coinbase slashes trading fees for high-volume traders
[FinancialTimes]
Elizabeth Lopatto