TechCrunch Top 3

Hyundai is working with a startup on plant-based leather that smells like the real thing: Uncaged Innovations is working with Hyundai to develop alternatives to leather with a fraction of the environmental impact. Read More

Plaud launches a new AI hardware notetaker, the $179 Note Pro: Plaud.ai launches its new Plaud Note Pro hardware notetaker with better mics and recording range. Read More

Google Vids adds AI avatars to its video editor and launches a consumer version: Google is launching a free consumer version of its video editor Vids that will be available without any AI-powered features. Read More

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Morning Must-Reads

Anthropic launches a Claude AI agent that lives in Chrome: Anthropic is the latest AI lab to offer an AI agent with the ability to view and take action in a user's Chrome browser. Read More

Microsoft headquarters go into lockdown after activists take over Brad Smith's office: The incident is the latest escalation by current and former employees who are demanding the company end its cloud contracts with Israel. Read More

Verily is closing its medical device program as Alphabet shifts more resources to AI: Alphabet's life sciences arm Verily laid off staff and eliminated its entire devices program as AI and data infrastructure take center stage. Read More

Assort Health nabs $50M to automate patient phone calls, sources say: The company's AI voice agents are designed to take over high-volume, repetitive tasks like scheduling, cancellations, and frequently asked questions normally managed by front desk staff. Read More

A Radiohead song from 1997 is on the Hot 100 charts, thanks to TikTok: "Let Down" broke into the Billboard Hot 100 nearly 30 years after its release, marking just the fourth Radiohead song to enter the charts. Read More

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Last but Not Least

SpaceX notches major wins during 10th Starship test: This test marks a material advancement for the Starship program, which SpaceX wants to eventually use to send humans and cargo to Mars. Read More