Amazon denies report it's shutting down Wondery podcast studio

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories this afternoon

View this email online in your browser  August 04, 2025 TechCrunch Top 3 Amazon denies report it's shutting down Wondery podcast studio: Despite securing big names in the business, the company is now shifting its strategy in an effort to better compete with rivals like Spotify and YouTube. Read More Grok Imagine, xAI's new AI image and video generator, lets you make NSFW content: Elon Musk continues to position Grok as an unfiltered, boundary-pushing AI. Read More Spotify raises subscription prices: Spotify is raising prices for users in some international markets after a rough quarterly earnings report. Read More A message from Persona Verify more users without sacrificing security. Verify users during onboarding to fight fraud, meet compliance requirements, build trust, and protect your business and customers. Persona's low-code identity verification platform allows you to verify individuals and businesses in over 200 countries and territories, dynamically adapting your flows based on real-time risk signals so you can maximize conversion and minimize risk. Learn More Afternoon Must-Reads Google says its AI-based bug hunter found 20 security vulnerabilities: The discoveries by an AI-based bug hunter are significant, as it shows these tools are starting to get real results, even if they still need a human. Read More OpenMind wants to be the Android operating system of humanoid robots: OpenMind is building humanoid robot operating software designed for robots that interact with people and other robots. Read More Tesla hands $29B comp package to Elon Musk amid 'AI talent war': The plan would be voided if the Delaware Supreme Court overturns the decision to spike Musk's $56B comp plan from 2018. A judge ruled in 2024 that plan was unfairly negotiated. Read More North Korean spies posing as remote workers have infiltrated hundreds of companies, says CrowdStrike: North Korean IT workers are increasingly using generative AI to draft resumes and "deepfake" their appearances to make money for North Korea's sanctioned nuclear weapons program. Read More Perplexity accused of scraping websites that explicitly blocked AI scraping: Internet giant Cloudflare says it detected Perplexity crawling and scraping websites, even after customers had added technical blocks telling Perplexity not to scrape their pages. Read More A message from TechCrunch Partnerships Stand Out at Disrupt: 4 Smart Ways to Activate Your Exhibit Space TechCrunch Disrupt is almost here—don't just show up, show off. Engage attendees with interactive displays, free snacks (ice cream wins hearts), and comfy seating that invites conversation. Add eye-catching giveaways and you've got a booth that not only draws a crowd—but keeps them coming back. Click here to book your Disrupt exhibit space online today. Contact TechCrunch Last but Not Least Joby Aviation to buy Blade Air Mobility's rideshare business: Joby is buying the Blade brand and the company's passenger business, which includes operations in the United States and Europe, for as much as $125 million. 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 © 2025 TechCrunch Media LLC 501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107