Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Welcome to TC PM! Today on the Disrupt Stage, we got some new info regarding the WordPress vs. WP Engine drama. We also learned about Zoox's upcoming AV rollout. And in some non-Disrupt news, Apple's Macweek isn't quite over yet. Let's get to it.

TechCrunch Top 3

Image Credits: Kimberly White / Getty Images

👋 Well, well well: Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg said onstage at TechCrunch Disrupt that the company is now understaffed amid its ongoing drama. This isn't surprising since WordPress told people who weren't in alignment to leave. Read more

🚘 Word on the street: Also on the Disrupt Stage, Zoox co-founder and CTO Jesse Levinson said that his company will start rolling out its autonomous robotaxis to the streets of Las Vegas and San Francisco in the coming weeks. Read more

💻 New chips time: The latest announcement out of Apple's Macweek is the release of its newest M-series chips. Today it announced the M4 Max, a new chip that will power the company's MacBook Pro line. Read more

Afternoon must-reads

Image Credits: Hummingbirds

💵 Money for micro influencers: Hummingbirds is a startup that connects local businesses with hyperlocal content creators. The company raised a fresh $5.4 million round of funding to help it expand into 20 new cities by 2025. Read more

🤳 Speaking of content creators: Estonian-based Modash is also focused on helping brands connect with micro influencers. The company recently raised a $12 million Series A and told TechCrunch it remains bullish on the creator economy. Read more

⚡ An electric partnership: Rivian chief software officer Wassym Bensaid confirmed on the Disrupt Stage that VW's new electric vehicle offshoot company, Scout, will be using Rivian's software and zonal architecture. Read more

🦾 AI BS: Battling AI-driven misinformation online is a growing problem for tech companies. During a panel on TechCrunch Disrupt's AI Stage on Wednesday, each panelist said that no matter how hard companies are trying to combat it, they aren't doing enough. Read more

🎙️ Equity live: The Equity crew dug into some large venture deals, including Sierra's $175 million round and Waymo's $5.6 billion round. Listen here

Around the web

🚁 Are drones the answer? Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt thinks that the U.S. military should replace its "useless" fleet of tanks with drones. Schmidt might have personal motivation for saying this: He's rumored to be a founder of a drone startup. Read more

🎣 Fishing out fraud: Organized online return fraud has exploded over the last few years, creating an opportunity for a whole host of new startups looking to help companies solve this growing issue. Read more