December 22, 2025

Waymo resumes service in San Francisco after robotaxis stall during blackout: Waymo suspended its SF robotaxi service on Saturday evening after a massive blackout appeared to leave many of its vehicles stalled on city streets. Read More

TikTok Shop launches digital gift cards to challenge Amazon and eBay: TikTok Shop has rolled out a new feature that allows users to purchase digital gift cards, making it easier to help friends and family buy from the millions of products on the app. Read More

A rough week for hardware companies: iRobot, Luminar, and Rad Power Bikes were very different companies, but they faced some similar challenges. Read More

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Google and Apple reportedly warn employees on visas to avoid international travel: Law firms representing Google and Apple have reportedly warned that employees who need a visa stamp to re-enter the United States should avoid leaving the country due to longer-than-usual visa processing times. Read More

'It felt so wrong': Colin Angle on iRobot, the FTC, and the Amazon deal that never was: The iRobot founder opens up about the 18-month regulatory process that he says doomed the Roomba maker -- and what it means for American innovation. Read More

OpenAI allows users to directly adjust ChatGPT’s enthusiasm level: ChatGPT users can now tweak the chatbot’s warmth, enthusiasm, and emoji use. Read More

TechCrunch Mobility: Bankruptcy takes out two: Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for all things “future of transportation.”  Read More

As EU waters down 2035 EV goals, electric startups express concern: The European Commission, citing the need for flexibility, has softened its ambitious plan to ban the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035. Instead of requiring 100% of new cars to be zero-emission vehicles by that date, the revised plan would allow 10% of new car sales to be hybrids or other vehicles as long as manufacturers purchase carbon offsets to compensate. Read More

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

Israel’s famed VC Jon Medved, diagnosed with ALS, backed the tech that will improve his life : In perhaps the last public interview of one Israel's most famous VCs, Jon Medved tells TechCrunch how tech will enhance his life. Read More

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