HP's Humane Acquisition: The Aftermath
Welcome back to Week in Review, where we dive into the latest tech news that's got everyone talking. This week, we're covering the dramatic collapse of Humane's AI Pin, Mira Murati's new stealth AI venture, Duolingo's quirky marketing stunt involving a Cybertruck, and more. Let's jump right in.
Humane's AI Pin is no more. The startup, known for its innovative wearable, has been acquired by HP for a cool $116 million, which is less than half of the $240 million they raised in venture capital. They've decided to pull the plug on sales of the $499 AI Pins, and come February 28, the devices will be as useful as a paperweight since they won't connect to Humane's servers anymore. This means no more calling, messaging, AI queries, or cloud access. If you bought one within the last 90 days, you can get your money back, but if you got it earlier, tough luck.
Right after the HP deal went public, some Humane employees got job offers from HP with pay bumps ranging from 30% to 70%, not to mention some sweet HP stock and bonus plans. But it wasn't all good news; other Humane folks, especially those closely tied to the AI Pin, found themselves suddenly unemployed.
In other news, Apple finally gave us a peek at the new iPhone SE, dubbed the iPhone 16e. It's been three years since the last big update, and this one's a game-changer. With the new A18 processor, it can run Apple Intelligence, making it a budget-friendly powerhouse. They've ditched the old Touch ID home button for Face ID and swapped the Lightning port for USB-C. You can grab one starting at $599, and they'll start shipping on February 28.
This is TechCrunch’s Week in Review, where we recap the week’s biggest news. Want this delivered as a newsletter to your inbox every Saturday? Sign up here.
News
Image Credits:Duolingo (opens in a new window) RIP, Duo: Duolingo pulled off a wild marketing stunt by "killing" their beloved owl mascot with a Cybertruck. It's actually a clever campaign to get users to do more lessons under the slogan "Duo or die." It's working surprisingly well. Read more
OpenAI "uncensors" ChatGPT: OpenAI is shaking things up by telling ChatGPT to stop taking sides, even if some folks might find its responses "morally wrong or offensive." Now, it'll give multiple perspectives on hot-button issues to stay neutral. Read more
Uber vs. DoorDash: Uber's taking DoorDash to court, claiming they're playing dirty by pressuring restaurants into exclusive deals. Uber says DoorDash is bullying eateries into only working with them. Read more
Mira Murati’s next move: Ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati's new AI startup, Thinking Machines Lab, just stepped out of the shadows. With OpenAI co-founder John Schulman and former chief research officer Barret Zoph on board, they're all about building "multimodal" systems that work together. Read more
Introducing Grok 3: Elon Musk's xAI dropped their latest AI model, Grok 3, and added some cool new features to the Grok iOS and web apps. Musk says this new model is all about seeking the truth, even if it ruffles some feathers. Read more
Hackers on Steam: Valve yanked a game off Steam that was basically malware in disguise. Researchers found out it was a modified game meant to trick players into downloading an info-stealer called Vidar. Read more
Another DEI U-turn: Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan's charity is pulling the plug on internal DEI programs and stopping funds for social advocacy on racial equity and immigration. This comes right after they told staff they'd keep supporting DEI efforts. Read more
Amazon shuts down its Android app store: Amazon's calling it quits on their Android app store come August to focus more on their own devices. They've told developers to stop submitting new apps. Read more
Mark Zuckerberg’s rebrand didn’t pay off: A Pew Research Center study found that Americans aren't too fond of Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. About 54% have a negative view of Musk, but a whopping 67% feel the same about Zuckerberg. Read more
Noise-canceling headphones could hurt your brain: A BBC report is raising eyebrows about whether noise-canceling tech might be messing with our brains. It suggests that by tuning out background noise, we might be forgetting how to filter sounds naturally. Read more
Analysis
Image Credits:Sean O'Kane / TechCrunch An exhaustive look at the DOGE universe: The folks working with or advising Elon Musk and DOGE give us a real-world look at Musk's sprawling influence in tech. TechCrunch dug deep to reveal the key players in the DOGE universe, from Musk's closest allies to the bigwigs, the workers, and the aides. We explore their connections and how they got into Musk's orbit. Read more
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Comments (35)
0/200
![NicholasGonzález]()
NicholasGonzález
April 10, 2025 at 12:00:00 AM GMT
Just finished watching HP's Humane Acquisition: The Aftermath and wow, what a rollercoaster! The coverage on Humane's AI Pin collapse was spot on, but I wish they'd spent more time on Mira Murati's new project. The Duolingo Cybertruck bit was hilarious though, totally unexpected! Definitely worth a watch if you're into tech drama.
0
![RogerGonzalez]()
RogerGonzalez
April 10, 2025 at 12:00:00 AM GMT
HPのHumane Acquisition: The Aftermathを見ました。HumaneのAI Pinの崩壊についてのカバーは素晴らしかったですが、Mira Muratiの新プロジェクトについてもっと時間を割いてほしかったです。DuolingoのCybertruckの部分は面白かったです、予想外でした！テックドラマが好きなら見る価値ありです。
0
![KevinDavis]()
KevinDavis
April 10, 2025 at 12:00:00 AM GMT
HP의 Humane Acquisition: The Aftermath를 봤는데, 정말 롤러코스터 같았어요! Humane의 AI Pin 붕괴에 대한 커버리지는 완벽했지만, Mira Murati의 새 프로젝트에 대해 더 다뤘으면 좋겠어요. Duolingo의 Cybertruck 부분은 정말 웃겼어요, 예상치 못했어요! 테크 드라마 좋아하면 꼭 봐야 해요.
0
![JerryLopez]()
JerryLopez
April 10, 2025 at 12:00:00 AM GMT
Acabei de assistir ao HP's Humane Acquisition: The Aftermath e que montanha-russa! A cobertura do colapso do AI Pin da Humane foi perfeita, mas gostaria que tivessem dedicado mais tempo ao novo projeto da Mira Murati. A parte do Cybertruck da Duolingo foi hilária, totalmente inesperada! Vale a pena assistir se você gosta de drama tecnológico.
0
![JasonHarris]()
JasonHarris
April 10, 2025 at 12:00:00 AM GMT
Acabo de ver HP's Humane Acquisition: The Aftermath y ¡qué montaña rusa! La cobertura del colapso del AI Pin de Humane fue perfecta, pero desearía que hubieran dedicado más tiempo al nuevo proyecto de Mira Murati. La parte del Cybertruck de Duolingo fue hilarante, totalmente inesperada. ¡Vale la pena verlo si te gusta el drama tecnológico!
0
![EdwardWalker]()
EdwardWalker
April 12, 2025 at 12:00:00 AM GMT
HP's Humane Acquisition aftermath is wild! The AI Pin drama was unexpected, but it's cool to see Mira's new stealth AI venture. Duolingo's Cybertruck stunt was hilarious, but I wish they focused more on the tech itself. Still, it keeps things interesting.
0
Welcome back to Week in Review, where we dive into the latest tech news that's got everyone talking. This week, we're covering the dramatic collapse of Humane's AI Pin, Mira Murati's new stealth AI venture, Duolingo's quirky marketing stunt involving a Cybertruck, and more. Let's jump right in.
Humane's AI Pin is no more. The startup, known for its innovative wearable, has been acquired by HP for a cool $116 million, which is less than half of the $240 million they raised in venture capital. They've decided to pull the plug on sales of the $499 AI Pins, and come February 28, the devices will be as useful as a paperweight since they won't connect to Humane's servers anymore. This means no more calling, messaging, AI queries, or cloud access. If you bought one within the last 90 days, you can get your money back, but if you got it earlier, tough luck.
Right after the HP deal went public, some Humane employees got job offers from HP with pay bumps ranging from 30% to 70%, not to mention some sweet HP stock and bonus plans. But it wasn't all good news; other Humane folks, especially those closely tied to the AI Pin, found themselves suddenly unemployed.
In other news, Apple finally gave us a peek at the new iPhone SE, dubbed the iPhone 16e. It's been three years since the last big update, and this one's a game-changer. With the new A18 processor, it can run Apple Intelligence, making it a budget-friendly powerhouse. They've ditched the old Touch ID home button for Face ID and swapped the Lightning port for USB-C. You can grab one starting at $599, and they'll start shipping on February 28.
This is TechCrunch’s Week in Review, where we recap the week’s biggest news. Want this delivered as a newsletter to your inbox every Saturday? Sign up here.
News
OpenAI "uncensors" ChatGPT: OpenAI is shaking things up by telling ChatGPT to stop taking sides, even if some folks might find its responses "morally wrong or offensive." Now, it'll give multiple perspectives on hot-button issues to stay neutral. Read more
Uber vs. DoorDash: Uber's taking DoorDash to court, claiming they're playing dirty by pressuring restaurants into exclusive deals. Uber says DoorDash is bullying eateries into only working with them. Read more
Mira Murati’s next move: Ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati's new AI startup, Thinking Machines Lab, just stepped out of the shadows. With OpenAI co-founder John Schulman and former chief research officer Barret Zoph on board, they're all about building "multimodal" systems that work together. Read more
Introducing Grok 3: Elon Musk's xAI dropped their latest AI model, Grok 3, and added some cool new features to the Grok iOS and web apps. Musk says this new model is all about seeking the truth, even if it ruffles some feathers. Read more
Hackers on Steam: Valve yanked a game off Steam that was basically malware in disguise. Researchers found out it was a modified game meant to trick players into downloading an info-stealer called Vidar. Read more
Another DEI U-turn: Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan's charity is pulling the plug on internal DEI programs and stopping funds for social advocacy on racial equity and immigration. This comes right after they told staff they'd keep supporting DEI efforts. Read more
Amazon shuts down its Android app store: Amazon's calling it quits on their Android app store come August to focus more on their own devices. They've told developers to stop submitting new apps. Read more
Mark Zuckerberg’s rebrand didn’t pay off: A Pew Research Center study found that Americans aren't too fond of Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. About 54% have a negative view of Musk, but a whopping 67% feel the same about Zuckerberg. Read more
Noise-canceling headphones could hurt your brain: A BBC report is raising eyebrows about whether noise-canceling tech might be messing with our brains. It suggests that by tuning out background noise, we might be forgetting how to filter sounds naturally. Read more
Analysis
Google reveals $250 per month ‘AI Ultra’ plan
Google Unveils AI Ultra: A $250/Month Powerhouse for AI EnthusiastsGoogle just dropped a bombshell for AI power users—a premium subscription called AI Ultra, priced at $249.99 per month. This isn’t just another tier; it’s a full-fledged AI powerhouse, unlocking Google’s most advanced models, includi
Master Google Sheets: AI-Powered Data Scraping & Text Cleaning Techniques
In today's data-centric environment, optimizing information processing and analysis is critical. Google Sheets, a popular spreadsheet tool, can be greatly improved by incorporating Artificial Intellig
How The Ottawa Hospital uses AI ambient voice capture to reduce physician burnout by 70%, achieve 97% patient satisfaction
How AI is Transforming Healthcare: Reducing Burnout and Improving Patient CareThe Challenge: Clinician Overload and Patient AccessHealthcare systems worldwide face a dual challenge: clinician burnout and patient access delays. Physicians are drowning in administrative tasks, while patients struggle
April 10, 2025 at 12:00:00 AM GMT
Just finished watching HP's Humane Acquisition: The Aftermath and wow, what a rollercoaster! The coverage on Humane's AI Pin collapse was spot on, but I wish they'd spent more time on Mira Murati's new project. The Duolingo Cybertruck bit was hilarious though, totally unexpected! Definitely worth a watch if you're into tech drama.
0
April 10, 2025 at 12:00:00 AM GMT
HPのHumane Acquisition: The Aftermathを見ました。HumaneのAI Pinの崩壊についてのカバーは素晴らしかったですが、Mira Muratiの新プロジェクトについてもっと時間を割いてほしかったです。DuolingoのCybertruckの部分は面白かったです、予想外でした！テックドラマが好きなら見る価値ありです。
0
April 10, 2025 at 12:00:00 AM GMT
HP의 Humane Acquisition: The Aftermath를 봤는데, 정말 롤러코스터 같았어요! Humane의 AI Pin 붕괴에 대한 커버리지는 완벽했지만, Mira Murati의 새 프로젝트에 대해 더 다뤘으면 좋겠어요. Duolingo의 Cybertruck 부분은 정말 웃겼어요, 예상치 못했어요! 테크 드라마 좋아하면 꼭 봐야 해요.
0
April 10, 2025 at 12:00:00 AM GMT
Acabei de assistir ao HP's Humane Acquisition: The Aftermath e que montanha-russa! A cobertura do colapso do AI Pin da Humane foi perfeita, mas gostaria que tivessem dedicado mais tempo ao novo projeto da Mira Murati. A parte do Cybertruck da Duolingo foi hilária, totalmente inesperada! Vale a pena assistir se você gosta de drama tecnológico.
0
April 10, 2025 at 12:00:00 AM GMT
Acabo de ver HP's Humane Acquisition: The Aftermath y ¡qué montaña rusa! La cobertura del colapso del AI Pin de Humane fue perfecta, pero desearía que hubieran dedicado más tiempo al nuevo proyecto de Mira Murati. La parte del Cybertruck de Duolingo fue hilarante, totalmente inesperada. ¡Vale la pena verlo si te gusta el drama tecnológico!
0
April 12, 2025 at 12:00:00 AM GMT
HP's Humane Acquisition aftermath is wild! The AI Pin drama was unexpected, but it's cool to see Mira's new stealth AI venture. Duolingo's Cybertruck stunt was hilarious, but I wish they focused more on the tech itself. Still, it keeps things interesting.
0
