1. A guide to choosing the right Apple Watch
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/01/is-the-apple-watch-se-3-a-good-deal/
Summary: The gap between Apple's standard and budget smart watches has never felt smaller.
2. A beginner’s guide to Mastodon, the open source Twitter alternative
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/01/what-is-mastodon/
Summary: Unless if you’re really in the know about nascent platforms, you probably didn’t know what Mastodon was until Elon Musk bought Twitter and renamed it X. In the initial aftermath of the acquisition, as users fretted over what direction Twitter would take, millions of users hopped over to Mastodon, a fellow microblogging site. As time […]
3. European banks plan to cut 200,000 jobs as AI takes hold
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/01/european-banks-plan-to-cut-200000-jobs-as-ai-takes-hold/
Summary: The bloodletting will hit hardest in back-office operations, risk management, and compliance.
4. OpenAI bets big on audio as Silicon Valley declares war on screens
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/01/openai-bets-big-on-audio-as-silicon-valley-declares-war-on-screens/
Summary: The form factors may differ, but the thesis is the same: audio is the interface of the future. Every space -- your home, your car, even your face -- is becoming an interface.
5. LG’s new karaoke-ready party speaker uses AI to remove song vocals
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/852362/lg-xboom-stage-501-karaoke-launch-ces-2026
Summary: LG is adding a karaoke-focused party speaker to its lineup of Xboom devices, which is built in collaboration with Will.i.am. Announced this week, LG says the Stage 501 speaker comes with an "AI Karaoke Master" that can remove or adjust vocals from "virtually any song," similar to the Soundcore Rave 3S. It can also adjust […]
6. Public domain 2026: Betty Boop, Pluto, and Nancy Drew set free
Source: https://www.theverge.com/policy/852332/public-domain-2026-betty-boop-nancy-drew-pluto
Summary: Some years ago, I was writing a science fiction short story in which I wanted to incorporate verses from a 1928 song, "Button Up Your Overcoat." However, when I sold the story, my editor told me that since the song was still copyrighted, it was safer not to include the verses. If I had written […]
7. The top 6 media/entertainment startups from Disrupt Startup Battlefield
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/01/the-top-6-media-entertainment-startups-from-disrupt-startup-battlefield/
Summary: Here is the full list of the media/entertainment Startup Battlefield 200 selectees, along with a note on what made us select them for the competition.
8. Meet the new tech laws of 2026
Source: https://www.theverge.com/policy/851664/new-tech-internet-laws-us-2026-ai-privacy-repair
Summary: As usual, 2025 was a year of deep congressional dysfunction in the US. But state legislatures were passing laws that govern everything from AI to social media to the right to repair. Many of these laws, alongside rules passed in past years, take effect in 2026 - either right now or in the coming months. […]
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