Move over, Apple: Meet the alternative app stores available in the EU and elsewhere

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

View this email online in your browser  February 23, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 Move over, Apple: Meet the alternative app stores available in the EU and elsewhere: A list of some of the alternative app stores iPhone users in the EU can try today.  Read More TechCrunch Mobility: Waymo makes its defense: Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Read More The 9,000-pound monster I don't want to give back: I thought: other than hotels that use SUVs like the Escalade IQL to ferry guests around, what kind of monster chooses a car like this? 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 HSBC HSBC CIB Survey Reveals Trade Trends in Tech Sector Tech firms are setting the pace in global trade preparedness, with 91% confident about international growth in the next two years. 79% have made or considered changes to where assembly or processing takes place to mitigate tariffs. Liquidity is a top priority, as 71% have seen an increase in short-term financing to address working capital needs. Download the report Morning Must-Reads Defense Secretary summons Anthropic's Amodei over military use of Claude: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has summoned Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to the Pentagon for a tense discussion over the military's use of Claude. Hegseth has threatened to designate Anthropic a "supply chain risk." Read More China's brain-computer interface industry is racing ahead: China's brain-computer interface industry is rapidly scaling from research to commercialization, driven by strong policy support, expanding clinical trials, and growing investor interest. Read More How AI agents could destroy the economy: Citrini Research imagines a report from two years in the future, in which unemployment has doubled and the total value of the stock market has fallen by more than a third. Read More Bill Gurley says that right now, the worst thing you can do for your career is play it safe: "The number one thing is to get out of your head this ideal that gets passed around in the self-help world: 'go get a mentor,' and everyone runs out and cold calls someone that's ridiculously too high and unachievable, and it doesn't work." Read More Trump says Netflix will face 'consequences' if it doesn't fire board member Susan Rice: Netflix board member Susan Rice had predicted that corporations that "take a knee" to Trump will be "held accountable" when Democrats return to power. Read More A message from Fidelity Stop Guessing What Fundraising Requires Cap table. Pitch deck. Investor updates. Diligence. The Fundraise-Ready Startup Kit equips you with the core materials founders can use to raise with confidence. Download the Kit  Last but Not Least Apple might take a new approach to announcing its next products: Apple has invited the tech press to a "special Apple experience" on March 4, but it might unfold a bit differently than the company's standard press event. 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

Sam Altman would like remind you that humans use a lot of energy, too

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories this weekend

View this email online in your browser  February 22, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 Sam Altman would like remind you that humans use a lot of energy, too: "It also takes a lot of energy to train a human." Read More Great news for xAI: Grok is now pretty good at answering questions about Baldur's Gate: A new report from Business Insider reveals that high-level engineers at xAI were pulled off other projects to make sure Grok could answer detailed questions about the video game Baldur's Gate. Read More Google VP warns that two types of AI startups may not survive: As generative AI evolves, a Google VP warns that LLM wrappers and AI aggregators face mounting pressure, with shrinking margins and limited differentiation threatening their long-term viability. Read More A message from TechCrunch Events 6 days left to save up to $680 at Disrupt 2026 At Disrupt, founders find momentum, VCs discover their next investment, and operators take their next leap. October 13–15 in San Francisco, 10,000 tech leaders converge at San Francisco's Moscone West to connect and hear from 250+ industry-defining voices across 200+ sessions. Save up to $680 on your pass before February 27, 11:59 p.m. PT. Or save up to 30% when you bring your community. Register Now Sunday Must-Reads Ukrainian man jailed for identity theft that helped North Koreans get jobs at US companies: A Ukrainian man has been sentenced for helping North Koreans gain fraudulent employment at dozens of U.S. companies and funnel that money back to the regime to fund its nuclear weapons program. Read More Apple's iOS 26.4 arrives in public beta with AI music playlists, video podcasts, and more: Several updates are introduced in iOS 26.4, including an AI-powered playlist-generation feature in Apple Music, support for video content in the Podcasts app, end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages, and more.  Read More Tesla loses bid to overturn $243M Autopilot verdict: "The grounds for relief that Tesla relies upon are virtually the same as those Tesla put forth previously during the course of trial." Read More India's Sarvam launches Indus AI chat app as competition heats up: Sarvam's Indus chat app is currently available in beta. Read More InScope nabs $14.5M to solve the pain of financial reporting: The startup, founded by accountants who worked at Flexport, Miro, Hopin and Thrive Global, automates the difficulties of prepping financial statements. Read More A message from TechCrunch Events Upgraded tech to get 30% higher quality leads at Disrupt Exhibiting at Disrupt puts your company in front of 10,000+ decision-makers and VCs, powered by upgraded lead-capture technology that drives up to 30% higher-intent connections. Limited tables position your brand at the center of three days of high-volume Expo Hall traffic. Secure your table early. Get Exhibit Table 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! Last but Not Least OpenAI debated calling police about suspected Canadian shooter's chats: Jesse Van Rootselaar's descriptions of gun violence were flagged by tools that monitor ChatGPT for misuse. 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