Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai as the AI race heats up

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories this afternoon

View this email online in your browser  January 29, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai as the AI race heats up: Q.ai is an Israeli startup specializing in imaging and machine learning, particularly technologies that enable devices to interpret whispered speech and enhance audio in noisy environments. Read More I built marshmallow castles in Google's new AI-world generator: Starting Thursday, Google AI Ultra subscribers in the U.S. can play around with Project Genie, which is powered by a combination of Google's latest world model Genie 3, its image generation model Nano Banana Pro, and Gemini.  Read More Waymo robotaxis are now giving rides to and from San Francisco International Airport: Waymo's SFO win comes as the company faces criticism and concerns about safety in some of the cities it operates. Read More Be the first to know when news breaks Subscribe to our News Alerts, and you won't miss a thing. Breaking news, exclusives, and special reports—straight to your inbox. Sign up for News Alerts! A message from Antigravity Antigravity A1: World's First 360 Drone The first ever drone built for full 360-degree flight complete with VR-style goggles. Capture everything around you in a single take (in full 8K!), with immersive point-to-fly control and seamless automatic editing. From Jan 26 to Feb 9, all three A1 bundles are 15% off for a limited time. Discover A1 Afternoon Must-Reads Apple's new iPhone and iPad security feature limits cell networks from collecting precise location data: The new security feature makes it more difficult for police and malicious hackers to obtain a person's precise location data from a cell phone company. Read More OpenAI's Sora app is struggling after its stellar launch: New data suggests the app is seeing declines in both app downloads and consumer spending, as the early hype about the AI video social network wears off. Read More Waymo robotaxi hits a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica: The child, whose age is not public, sustained minor injuries according to Waymo. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating. Read More Spotify rolls out group chats: Spotify users can now share the podcasts, playlists, and audiobooks they're listening to with up to 10 people. Read More Elon Musk's SpaceX and xAI in talks to merge, report says: This merger would bring the Grok chatbot, Starlink satellites, and SpaceX rockets together under one corporation. Read More A message from TechCrunch Events Disrupt 2026: +1 pass 50% off ends this Friday Save 50% on a +1 ticket — offer ends tomorrow or when the first 500 passes are gone! Lock in Disrupt tickets at Super Early Bird pricing now and join 10,000+ founders, investors, and operators Oct 13–15 in San Francisco for curated networking, 250+ speakers, 200+ sessions, and 300+ startup demos. Register Now You missed these chats from Disrupt: Kindred talks home-swapping platform for travelers, Chef Robotics introduces AI into commercial kitchens, and Character.AI addresses chatbot safety with teens. Watch on Cheddar.com Watch on Streaming Last but Not Least Google Maps now lets you access Gemini while walking and cycling: When you're walking around and navigating with Maps, you can now ask Gemini questions like "What neighborhood am I in?" or "What are top-rated restaurants nearby?" Read More Check out some of our other newsletters: StrictlyVC TechCrunch Events TechCrunch Mobility Want to adjust your daily newsletter schedule? You can do it right here Got a tip? Get in touch securely. Want to advertise on TechCrunch? advertise@techcrunch.com Has this been forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. Unsubscribe Member Center Privacy Policy Copyright © 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC 501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107

Flapping Airplanes and the promise of research-driven AI

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories to start your morning

View this email online in your browser  January 29, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 Flapping Airplanes and the promise of research-driven AI: A new AI lab called Flapping Airplanes launched yesterday, and a Sequoia partner has an interesting take on why they stand out. Read More Tesla's energy storage business is growing faster than any other part of the company: Energy storage products like the Megapack, Megablock, and Powerwall drove Read More India is teaching Google how AI in education can scale: With the highest global usage of Gemini for learning, India is emerging as a key market shaping Google's approach to AI in education. Read More Be the first to know when news breaks Subscribe to our News Alerts, and you won't miss a thing. Breaking news, exclusives, and special reports—straight to your inbox. Sign up for News Alerts! A message from PulpaTronics PulpaTronics explores metal-free paper circuits with Hallmark. PulpaTronics offers fully recyclable, metal-free paper electronics. Our laser technology transforms paper into conductive circuits– replacing metal wires in interactive cards and metal antennas in RFID tags for inventory tracking. We help you achieve ESG goals and better margins. Lead the change and take your product to the next level. Join Us Morning Must-Reads Apple's new iPhone and iPad security feature limits cell networks from collecting precise location data: The new security feature makes it more difficult for police and malicious hackers to obtain a person's precise location data from a cell phone company. Read More Zuckerberg teases agentic commerce tools and major AI rollout in 2026: Mark Zuckerberg says 2026 will be "a big year for delivering personal super intelligence." Read More Meta burned $19 billion on VR last year, and 2026 won't be any better: The reported financial losses follow a series of layoffs at the VR unit. Read More Tesla is killing off the Model S and Model X: The company will stop making the pioneering EVs in the second quarter of 2026, CEO Elon Musk announced Wednesday. Read More Google Maps now lets you access Gemini while walking and cycling: When you're walking around and navigating with Maps, you can now ask Gemini questions like "What neighborhood am I in?" or "What are top-rated restaurants nearby?" Read More A message from TechCrunch Events TechCrunch Founder Summit: From traction to scale Founders and VCs, this conference is built for you. Join 1,100+ founders and investors of all stages for a highly curated, all-day summit in June, designed to connect capital and companies. From tactical workshops to candid Q&A and curated meetings, it's where scale, growth, and deal flow happen. Tickets are on sale now. Register now at the lowest rates. Register Now You missed these chats from Disrupt: Kindred talks home-swapping platform for travelers, Chef Robotics introduces AI into commercial kitchens, and Character.AI addresses chatbot safety with teens. Watch on Cheddar.com Watch on Streaming Last but Not Least Spotify rolls out group chats: Spotify users can now share the podcasts, playlists, and audiobooks they're listening to with up 10 people. Read More Check out some of our other newsletters: StrictlyVC TechCrunch Events TechCrunch Mobility Want to adjust your daily newsletter schedule? You can do it right here Got a tip? Get in touch securely. Want to advertise on TechCrunch? advertise@techcrunch.com Has this been forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. Unsubscribe Member Center Privacy Policy Copyright © 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC 501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107