Welcome back to TechCrunch Week in Review — TechCrunch’s newsletter summarizing the week’s top stories. Want it in your inbox every Saturday? Register here.
Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference focused heavily on artificial intelligence. Apple has unveiled its innovative AI offering, Apple Intelligence, which will be available for iOS later this year. iOS 18 will have a number of new features, including the ability to schedule text messages and customize your Home screen, major upgrades to Siri — including ChatGPT integration — and AI-generated emoji. If you missed it, we’ve put together a handy summary of everything Apple announced.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk received enough shareholder votes to approve a 2018 stock option compensation package. The vote means he could receive compensation of up to $56 billion, the largest CEO compensation package in history, but the A judge in Delaware issued her final decision after ruling the package was unfair.
In funding news, Mistral AI has closed its much-rumoured Series B funding round. The company raised €600 million (about $640 million at today’s exchange rate) in a mix of equity and debt. The new round values the startup at $6 billion, as it continues to compete with OpenAI, Anthropic, and other AI giants.
News
Former NSA Head Joins OpenAI: Former head of the National Security Agency, retired Army Gen. Paul Nakasone, is set to join OpenAI’s board of directors and will serve on the board’s “Security and Safety” subcommittee. Read more
Tesla shareholders sue Elon Musk: Contributors to Tesla is suing Elon Musk and board members over Musk’s decision to start XAI. They argue that talent and resources are being diverted from Tesla to the new startup. Read more
BeReal Purchased: French mobile app and gaming company Voodoo has acquired BeReal for €500 million. BeReal co-founder and CEO Alexis Barreyat will leave the company after a transition period. Read more
You can get rid of loops: Apple has finally made available a way for users to pause Activity rings on Apple Watches, which is especially useful if you’re sick or unable to do physical activities. Read more
Raspberry Pi is now available to the public: The maker of small, cheap single-board computers priced its initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange at £2.80 per share, valuing it at $690 million at today’s exchange rate, quickly jumping to £3.70 per share. Read more
iPads finally get a calculator app: iPads will have a dedicated calculator app for the first time. But teachers, be careful. The app includes Math Notes, a new feature that does the calculations for you. Read more
A new distraction-free smartphone: Minimalist smartphone maker Light has announced its latest model. The Light Phone III doesn’t have access to social media or the internet, but it does have a larger OLED screen and a camera. Read more
Spotify goes inside: Spotify is moving further into the advertising space with its first in-house creative agency, Creative Lab. The company said it will also begin testing generative AI advertising. Read more
Will your device be iOS 18?: Apple’s iOS 18 will be compatible with many Apple devices this fall, but you may have to upgrade if you want the full Apple Intelligence experience. Read more
analysis
Apple Intelligence isn’t trying to be flashy: With iOS 18, Apple is taking a more cautious approach. Rather than bombarding users with too many AI features to count, the company is carefully rolling out AI where it believes it can actually be useful. While Apple’s AI is certainly not flashy, Sarah Perez says it’s the company’s way of determining what risks an AI-powered device should be able to take on. Read more
Tesla fans go out to vote: Tesla and its fans have been locked in an unprecedented battle over Elon Musk’s $56 billion pay package. Over the past few months, there have been relentless efforts to get the vote out by Tesla’s biggest fans. Sean O’Kane explores the countless calls to action on X to urge shareholders to vote yes — and reinforce their belief that Tesla is nothing without Musk. Read more
Why Y Combinator encourages small seed rounds: In 2024, many Y Combinator startups only want small seed rounds — but that could repel many institutional VC funds. If YC startups treated these rounds like seed funding, it might not be so bad. But as Rebecca Szkotak writes, there is a risk if companies classify these smaller rounds as “seed rounds” with their sights set on raising the next Series A. Read more