Uber wants to turn its millions of drivers into a sensor grid for self-driving companies

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View this email online in your browser  May 03, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 Uber wants to turn its millions of drivers into a sensor grid for self-driving companies: Praveen Neppalli Naga, Uber's chief technology officer, revealed the plan in an interview at TechCrunch's StrictlyVC event in San Francisco on Thursday night, describing it as a natural extension of a nascent program the company announced in late January called AV Labs. Read More This tiny, magnetic e-reader could stop you from doomscrolling: The Xteink X3 is a delightfully tiny, MagSafe-compatible e-ink reader that attaches to the back of your phone like a Pop Socket. Read More Beyond Lovable and Mistral: 21 European startups to watch: It is not that European startups never get attention — Lovable and Mistral AI are proof of that. But there are many more that insiders are tracking. Read More A message from TechCrunch Events StrictlyVC Athens: Tickets now available Join us in Athens on May 27 for insider perspectives from the investors and founders shaping Europe’s tech landscape. Past speakers include Kaedim founder Konstantina Psoma, Hack the Box founder Haris Pylarinos, and Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Expect the same high-caliber voices this year. Space is limited. Secure your spot now. Register Now Sunday Must-Reads Farewell, Jeeves: Ask.com shuts down: Owner IAC says it's discontinuing its search business. Read More Meta buys robotics startup to bolster its humanoid AI ambitions: Meta bought humanoid startup Assured Robot Intelligence to beef up its AI models for robots, the company said. Read More Coatue has a plan to buy up land for data centers, possibly for Anthropic: Coatue, one of the biggest names in venture capital, has a new venture that is reportedly buying land near large power sources. Read More Replit's Amjad Masad on the Cursor deal, fighting Apple, and why he'd rather not sell: At TechCrunch's sold-out StrictlyVC event in San Francisco on Thursday night, we covered a lot of ground in a short time, beginning with the question everyone in the industry is asking right now: in a world where rival Cursor is reportedly in talks to be acquired by SpaceX for $60 billion, is Replit also bound to sell? Read More Musely secures $360M from General Catalyst without giving up equity: The DTC skin, hair, and menopause care brand will use the non-dilutive capital to super-charge customer acquisition. Read More A message from TechCrunch Events Enhance tech to get 30% higher quality leads at Disrupt Exhibiting at Disrupt puts your company in front of 10,000+ decision-makers and VCs, powered by upgraded lead-capture technology that drives up to 30% higher-intent connections. Limited tables position your brand at the center of three days of high-volume Expo Hall traffic. Secure your table early. Get Exhibit Table 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. Register Now! Last but Not Least The best AI dictation apps, tested and ranked: AI-powered dictation apps are useful for replying to emails, taking notes, and even coding through your voice Read More Check out some of our other newsletters: StrictlyVC TechCrunch Events TechCrunch Mobility Want to adjust your daily newsletter schedule? You can do it right here Got a tip? Get in touch securely. Want to advertise on TechCrunch? advertise@techcrunch.com Has this been forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. Unsubscribe Member Center Privacy Policy Copyright © 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC 501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107