TechCrunch Top 3

Google is launching Search Live globally: Search Live allows users to point their phone camera at objects to get real-time assistance, enabling back-and-forth conversations that draw on the visual context from the camera feed. Read More

OpenAI abandons yet another side quest: ChatGPT's erotic mode: It's only the latest of several side projects that the AI startup has ditched over the past week. Read More

Apple made strides with iOS 26 security, but leaked hacking tools still leave millions exposed to spyware attacks: Leaked hacking tools threaten the security of millions of older iPhones. Cybersecurity experts weigh in. Read More

Disrupt 2026: Where deals and ideas ignite

Oct 13–15 at San Francisco's Moscone West, 10,000 founders, investors, and operators gather for high-signal insights, curated connections, and real momentum.

A message from Fidelity

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Afternoon Must-Reads

A major hacking tool has leaked online, putting millions of iPhones at risk. Here's what you need to know.: Here's what we know, and what you need to know, about Coruna and DarkSword, two advanced iPhone hacking tools discovered by security researchers. DarkSword has now leaked online. Read More

Mistral releases a new open source model for speech generation: The model, which lets enterprises build voice agents for sales and customer engagement, puts Mistral in direct competition with the likes of ElevenLabs, Deepgram, and OpenAI. Read More

ByteDance's new AI video generation model, Dreamina Seedance 2.0, comes to CapCut: The new model in CapCut will have built-in protections for making video from real faces or unauthorized intellectual property. Read More

Silicon Valley's two biggest dramas have intersected: LiteLLM and Delve: LiteLLM offers an AI open source project used by millions that was infected by credential harvesting malware. Read More

Defense startup Shield AI lands $12.7B valuation, up 140%, after US Air Force deal: In one year, Shield AI's value has leaped 140%. This after it won a contract to be the software provider to Anduril's Fury fighter jet for the U.S. Air Force. Read More

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You missed these chats from Disrupt:

Kindred talks home-swapping platform for travelers, Chef Robotics introduces AI into commercial kitchens, and Character.AI addresses chatbot safety with teens.

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Last but Not Least

Cohere launches an open source voice model specifically for transcription: Relatively light at just 2 billion parameters, the model is meant for use with consumer-grade GPUs for those who want to self-host it. It currently supports 14 languages. Read More