Science & Technology

Uber is literally in the driver’s seat when it comes to AV bets | Equity Podcast

Self-driving truck startup Waabi’s billion-dollar fundraise isn’t just about trucks. The deal, for $750 million up front plus another $250 million from Uber tied to deployment milestones, feels like another chip from Uber on the autonomous vehicle roulette table. With more than 20 AV partners worldwide, the question isn’t just whether Waabi can deliver on…

Published

8 months ago

January 30, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

Self-driving truck startup Waabi’s billion-dollar fundraise isn’t just about trucks.

The deal, for $750 million up front plus another $250 million from Uber tied to deployment milestones, feels like another chip from Uber on the autonomous vehicle roulette table. With more than 20 AV partners worldwide, the question isn’t just whether Waabi can deliver on its plans to deploy over 25,000 robotaxis, but whether Uber’s bet-on-everything strategy actually works.

On TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, hosts Kirsten Korosec, Sean O’Kane and Anthony Ha discussed Uber’s AV partnership strategy, why Waabi’s “simulation-first” approach might be different, and more of the week’s headlines.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

02:13 Palmer Luckey’s bold recruiting strategy

04:04 Phia raises $35M for sustainable shopping

06:27 Browser extensions & the privacy problem

09:59 Northwood Space’s $100M Series B & Space Force contract

12:17 The rise of dual-use space companies

14:01 Waabi’s $1B valuation & beyond trucking

16:36 Uber’s strategy: Betting on every AV partner

19:12 TikTok’s US deal & immediate outage

21:46 TikTok competitors gain ground

24:03 IPO window opening: Ethos, Serve, and SpaceX

27:57 Will Elon actually take SpaceX public this time?

29:11 Outro

Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

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CNET

Meet the ‘Landlords in the Stratosphere’

Stratospheric infrastructure company Sceye has crossed the Pacific for the first time, taking its reflective, balloon-like High-Altitude Platform System from New Mexico to Japan. It’s the latest milestone on the road to commercialization for a platform that can deliver phone service and observation. Read more about Sceye on CNET.com: 5G From the Sky: New Internet…

Published

24 hours ago

September 13, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

Read more about Sceye on CNET.com:
5G From the Sky: New Internet Infrastructure Takes Flight

Timecode Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:26 A Fiber-Optic Cable from the Stratosphere
0:35 Latest Mission
1:27 Services Offered
2:00 Quantum Key Distribution
2:20 ‘Landlords in the Stratosphere’

Video Credits:
Host: Jesse Orrall
Scripted by: Jesse Orrall
Producer: Jesse Orrall, Jon Gomez
Camera: Sceye
Video Editor: Jon Gomez
Thumbnail Designer: Tharon Green

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#sceye #internet #stratosphere #infrastructure #broadband

Science & Technology

This Robot Hit a 99.6% Success Rate

This robot achieved a 99.6% success rate over an eight-hour test. But when a single failure can stop an entire production line, how reliable do robots actually need to be? Mbodi co-founder Xavier Chi explains why reliability is one of robotics’ biggest real-world challenges on Build Mode. Watch the full episode:

Published

2 days ago

September 12, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

This robot achieved a 99.6% success rate over an eight-hour test. But when a single failure can stop an entire production line, how reliable do robots actually need to be?

Mbodi co-founder Xavier Chi explains why reliability is one of robotics’ biggest real-world challenges on Build Mode.

Watch the full episode:

CNET

I Played With Apple’s New iPhones. Here’s What Surprised Me Most | One More Thing

Spending time with the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro has Bridget Carey rethinking what’s important in an iPhone upgrade. She breaks down the standout Duo features, what the crease is really like, and the questions she has for the future of Apple Watch and the next era of Apple. You can find the products…

Published

3 days ago

September 11, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

You can find the products mentioned in this video linked below
Apple iPhone 17, US Version, 256GB, eSIM, Mist Blue- Unlocked (Renewed)
*Cnet may get commission on this offer.

Read more about it on CNET.com
I Tried the iPhone 18 Pro’s New Deluxe Camera and Shot Photos With Starbursts
Planning to Get the iPhone Duo or iPhone 18 Pro? Turn Off This Setting on Your Old Device First

Timecode Chapters:
0:00 Apple’s new iPhone Tricks
0:14 Reporting from the iPhone Event at Apple Park
0:19 Opening and Closing the iPhone Duo
0:28 Big changes coming to iPhone
0:38 John Ternus has One More Thing
0:46 Bridget Carey’s iPhone Duo event experience
1:03 iPhone Duo
1:14 Taking video on iPhone Duo
1:37 Smart Take on iPhone Duo
2:04 Snoopy comes to iPhone Duo
2:21 iPhone Duo crease
2:41 Hidden camera behind iPhone Duo screen
2:51 iPhone Duo size
3:11 iPhone Duo cases
3:28 MagSafe on iPhone Duo
3:34 iPhone 18 Pro updates
4:07 Aperture on iPhone 18 Pro
4:42 Apple Watch changes
4:43 Apple Watch audio intelligence, recording, transcribing
5:20 New Apple Watch sensor
5:33 New Apple iPhone and Apple Watch accessories
5:47 One More Tip to help cover the cost of your new iPhone
5:56 Get the most money for your iPhone trade-in
6:18 Let us know in the comments what you want to see from One More Thing

Video Credits:
Host: Bridget Carey
Scripted by: Bridget Carey
Producer: Carly Marsh
Camera: Celso Bulgatti, Bridget Carey
Video Editor: Carly Marsh
Thumbnail Designer: Tharon Green