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Meta’s speeding up the “Mad Men to Math Men” pipeline

At Stripe’s Sessions conference this week, Mark Zuckerberg pitched what he calls the “ultimate business machine () ”: a fully automated, end-to-end AI ad engine promising to replace agencies, creatives, and media buyers. You just need to connect your bank account first.  Zuckerberg claims this could be one of the most valuable AI systems ever…

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At Stripe’s Sessions conference this week, Mark Zuckerberg pitched what he calls the “ultimate business machine () ”: a fully automated, end-to-end AI ad engine promising to replace agencies, creatives, and media buyers. You just need to connect your bank account first. 

Zuckerberg claims this could be one of the most valuable AI systems ever built, generating thousands of image ads and testing them in real time, but it raises a bigger question: is this the future of advertising, or just another wave of AI slop flooding your feed?

Today, on TechCrunch’s Equity () podcast, hosts Kirsten Korosec, Max Zeff and Anthony Ha are unpacking why Zuckerberg’s vision could be a marketer’s dream or creative agency’s worst nightmare, and what else caught our eye in tech this week.

Listen to the full episode to hear about:

•

How Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro managed to beat Pokémon Blue () . Max was unimpressed, but the Equity crew thinks gamifying AI benchmarks might be the way to go.

•

The countertop robot () that handles some parts of cooking for you, with emphasis on some

•

Uber’s continued push () into autonomous vehicles and what Waymo’s doing in the mix ()

•

A new venture from Brian Armstrong (‘) that just raised $130 million to develop cutting-edge age-reversing treatments, and who else is using AI () to help us live forever

Equity will be back next week, so stay tuned!

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday. 

Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts () , Overcast () , Spotify () and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X () and Threads () , at @EquityPod. For the full episode transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, check out our full archive of episodes here () .

Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. We’d also like to thank TechCrunch’s audience development team. Thank you so much for listening, and we’ll talk to you next time.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices ()

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CNET

iCloud Storage Full? Do This First Before Paying Apple

If your iCloud storage is full, there’s an easy way to clear space on your iPhone before resorting to paying for more storage. CNET’s Bridget Carey’s quick tips target the largest videos and photos first. 1:21 How to get big video files off of your iPhone and iCloud 2:31 Move videos and photos from your…

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July 3, 2026

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If your iCloud storage is full, there’s an easy way to clear space on your iPhone before resorting to paying for more storage. CNET’s Bridget Carey’s quick tips target the largest videos and photos first.

1:21 How to get big video files off of your iPhone and iCloud
2:31 Move videos and photos from your iPhone to a portable hard drive
3:26 Clear duplicate photos and screenshots
3:52 Free up iCloud space: how to clear out old screenshots
4:16
4:38 Delete photos and videos from your iCloud forever
5:06 iOS 27 Siri app
5:44 Image Playground
6:19 Apple One family sharing

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#apple #storagesolutions

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Science & Technology

Inside the Fundraise l Build Mode

Startup fundraising is harder than ever, and Season 3 of Build Mode is here to help. Whether you’re raising a seed round, preparing for Series A, pitching venture capital firms, negotiating a term sheet, or exploring alternatives to VC funding, this season is packed with practical advice from founders and investors who have successfully navigated…

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1 day ago

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July 2, 2026

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Startup fundraising is harder than ever, and Season 3 of Build Mode is here to help. Whether you’re raising a seed round, preparing for Series A, pitching venture capital firms, negotiating a term sheet, or exploring alternatives to VC funding, this season is packed with practical advice from founders and investors who have successfully navigated the fundraising journey.
Hosted by TechCrunch Startup Battlefield Editor Isabelle Johannessen, Build Mode is the TechCrunch podcast where founders, investors, and startup operators share honest conversations about what it really takes to build and finance a company. This season features Charles Hudson (Precursor Ventures), Andrew Dai (Elorian), Ashley Tyrner-Dolce (FarmboxRx), Kristina Subbotina (Lexsy AI), Sydney Sykes (NVIDIA), Xavier Chi (Mbodi), Jack Groetzinger (SeatGeek), Sasha Orloff (Puzzle), Everette Taylor (Kickstarter), Manan Mehta (Unshackled Ventures), Julia Hartz (Eventbrite), and more. Together, they cover topics including avoiding down rounds, raising capital in today’s venture market, working with corporate venture capital, crowdfunding, startup financial readiness, fundraising as an immigrant founder, IPO lessons, and how to deliver a winning startup pitch.
If you’re an entrepreneur, startup founder, investor, or operator looking for actionable fundraising advice, this season is your playbook. New episodes begin July 9 and release every week on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe now and learn how to raise capital, grow your startup, and build with confidence.

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CNET

I Tried a $4,500 Robotic Exoskeleton and It Gave Me Super Ankles

The future of wearable tech isn’t just on your wrist—it’s on your legs. In this hands-on look, we test the Dephy Sidekick, a consumer-powered bionic footwear system designed to give you a literal boost with every step. At $4,500, this powered ankle exoskeleton claims to offload your calves and make walking effortlessly easy. Read more…

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2 days ago

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July 2, 2026

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The future of wearable tech isn’t just on your wrist—it’s on your legs. In this hands-on look, we test the Dephy Sidekick, a consumer-powered bionic footwear system designed to give you a literal boost with every step. At $4,500, this powered ankle exoskeleton claims to offload your calves and make walking effortlessly easy.

Read more about it on CNET.com
Nike’s New Robotic-Powered Footwear System: What to Know

0:00 Taking the Dephy Sidekick for a Walk
0:24 What is the Dephy Sidekick
1:13 Military Testing and Focusing on the Ankles
2:18 Is This a Growing Market?
2:49 Who Is Dephy Sidekick For?

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#exoskeletons #robotics #walkingaid

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