When Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc got COVID despite being vaccinated and boosted, he tried to fund research for a better solution and quickly ran into a hard truth about biotech: you can’t just write a check and move science forward. Regulatory requirements, commercialization plans, and university IP rules mean even well-intentioned philanthropy doesn’t easily translate into clinical progress.

Now? Aloe is bootstrapping a cancer drug platform targeting pancreatic cancer and deliberately waiting to raise outside capital until peer-reviewed research can make the case for him.

On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Rebecca Bellan sits down with Aloe Blacc to talk about what happens when a creator steps into biotech, how AI is reshaping both drug discovery and music, and who actually stands to win in each industry’s transformation.

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

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:20 From musician to biotech founder

05:15 How COVID led to cancer research and PeptoID

08:00 Funding strategy and waiting for the right moment

11:00 AI’s role in drug discovery

15:20 AI is reshaping the music industry

18:40 Should artists get paid when AI trains on their work?

22:40 Using Suno to prototype music

26:55 Outro

Both the Sony WH-1000XM6 and AirPods Max 2 are great over-ear, noise-canceling headphones that cost a lot of money. So which should you get? CNET executive editor David Carnoy compares their designs, features, performance and sound quality to help you make a decision.

You can find the products mentioned in this video linked below
Apple AirPods Max 2 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones
Apple AirPods Max Wireless Over-Ear Headphones
Sony WH-1000XM6 Wireless Headphones
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Bluetooth Headphones
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 Wireless Headphones
*CNET may get commission on this offer.

Read more about it on CNET.com
Best Headphones We’ve Tested
Sony WH-1000XM6 Review: Hail to the New Noise-Canceling King
Apple AirPods Max 2 Review: Seemingly Small Changes Make a Substantial Difference

0:00 Price and Initial Comparisons
1:21 Build Quality and Design
2:45 Key Features and Ecosystem Compatibility
4:46 Noise Cancelling and Voice Call Quality
6:05 Sound Quality and Audio Performance
8:08 Connectivity, Battery Life, and Final Verdict

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#apple #airpodsmax2 #sony #headphonesly #sonyxm6 #bose
#airpods #best #tech #wireless #overearheadphones #AllThingsMobile

Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch, Pixel Watch, Garmin Venu or the $80 underdog? It was a tight race, but one watch ultimately pulled ahead.

Read more about it on CNET.com
I Ran 30 Miles With 5 Smartwatches. Here’s the One You Can Actually Trust
Best Android Smartwatch for 2026

You can find the products mentioned in this video linked below
Apple Watch Series 11
Garmin Venu® 4, 45mm
Google Pixel Watch 4 (45mm)
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8
Amazfit Bip 6 Smart Watch 46mm
Polar H10 Heart Rate Monitor Chest Strap
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00:00 Intro: Which Smartwatch is Most Accurate?
00:51 Let’s meet our five contenders
01:13 Test Time: Steps count
01:55 Test Results
02:11 Test for distance
02:29 Test distance result
02:55 Heart rate
03:15 Quick science lesson
03:39 Heart rate test explained
04:04 Heart rate test results
04:28 Second-by-second metrics
05:40  Which watch tracked my heart rate the closest?
06:33 Final thoughts

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#AllThingsMobile #applewatch #smartgadgets #smartwatch #garmin #samsung #apple #google #amazfit #fitbit #wearables #sportswatches