Techcrunch blog!: Mastercard CFO says India’s mobile payment rail continues to present obstacles

Wednesday, October 11, 2023

In today's top story, Mastercard CFO says India's mobile payment rails, known as UPI, continues to be an "incredibly painful experience" for ecosystem participants. Learn why.

Meanwhile, more revelations continue to appear during Sam Bankman-Fried's trial in New York. We have your look at the $2 billion venture fund that SBF started by using Alameda Research loans. Speaking of, Alameda allegedly paid Chinese officials around $150 million to regain $1 billion worth of exchange accounts.

And you all continue to be very smitten with whatever Adobe has to offer. Today, learn about all that its Project Fast Fill offers. It's a generative fill for video.

Image Credits: Topp_Yimgrimm / Getty Images

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More top reads

Look out, Zapier: Relay is racing into the workflow automation space. Find out who recently backed it.

Hacked: Chinese state-backed hackers are exploiting a new “critical” Atlassian zero-day bug. Get the scoop.

Putting all the eggs in one basket: A Munich startup is pairing AI with MRI scans to determine the gender of chickens before they hatch. And humans are next. It also now has $32 million in new funding.

Boxed in: In a pair of Box stories, we unveil a new AI pricing plan and introduce Hubs, a custom portal to share specialized content.

When code just won't do it: Prophecy lands $35 million investment to give low-coders a way to transform data. Read more.

Under the microscope: The U.K.'s competition regulator launches an antitrust investigation into the $19 billion Vodafone/Three mobile merger. Here's what it will look at.

Wrap it up: Tesla now sells $8,000 vinyl wraps as an after-purchase service, perhaps hinting at a clever Cybertruck solution. Get the scoop.

For when you've been dying to snoop in someone's closet: Peer-to-peer fashion rental marketplace Pickle picks up $8 million. Check it out.

Treat yo' self: Klarna launches a suite of new features, including an AI-powered image-search tool. Meet Shopping lens.

Searching for a lifeline: Astra Space weighs up selling parts of its business as it looks for cash. Read more.

All about the Google Pixel 8 and Watch 2: We have a quartet of stories about the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel Watch 2. First, find out if the Pixel 8 is for you. Then take a gander at the camera on the Pro model, which seems to be the big-ticket item here. For $100 you get an upgrade on the Pro that will elevate your photography skills to a 10. The camera's still the thing. Also, Darrell takes the phone out into the wild to see if the camera truly lives up to the hype. As for the Pixel Watch 2, it also has some solid upgrades.

Even more for your Wednesday:

Carefull lands $16.5M to shield seniors from financial fraud

Construction sites feel emptier, but is bleeding-edge tech the solution? (TC+)

Sony Ventures earmarks $10M to invest in African entertainment startups

SEC is investigating MOVEit mass-hack, says Progress Software

Fearing AI, fanfiction writers lock their accounts