After intense backlash, India pulls mandate to pre-install government app on smartphones

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories to start your morning

View this email online in your browser  December 03, 2025 TechCrunch Top 3 After intense backlash, India pulls mandate to pre-install government app on smartphones: On Wednesday, the Indian telecom ministry said Sanchar Saathi, an anti-theft and cybersecurity protection app, would remain voluntary, and that smartphone makers would no longer be required to preload it on devices they sell. Read More Autolane is building 'air traffic control' for autonomous vehicles: And the Palo Alto-based startup has raised $7.4 million to do that. Read More Spotify Wrapped 2025 adds its first multiplayer feature with 'Wrapped Party': Spotify Wrapped returns to its data-driven roots with new interactive features, deeper insights, and social experiences designed to revive its fan-favorite feel. Read More Be the first to know when news breaks Subscribe to our News Alerts, and you won't miss a thing. Breaking news, exclusives, and special reports—straight to your inbox. Sign up for News Alerts! A message from HSBC Innovation Banking US Discover founder-first banking for the future. HSBC Innovation Banking US is committed to helping leaders in the innovation economy get started on the future faster by providing access to an extensive global network, dedicated sector experts, and a robust suite of banking products and services. Learn more Morning Must-Reads Amazon challenges competitors with on-premises Nvidia 'AI Factories': If the product name sounds familiar, it should. It's a collab with Nvidia that combines AWS tech with the chip maker's tech. Read More All the biggest news from AWS' big tech show re:Invent 2025: Amazon Web Services giant tech conference is happening this week with news ranging from chips to AI services. Read More Kalshi raises $1B at $11B valuation, doubling value in under two months: The latest funding comes less than two months after Kalshi announced that it raised $300 million at a $5 billion valuation. Read More Amazon previews 3 AI agents, including 'Kiro' that can code on its own for days: Amazon Web Services on Tuesday announced three new AI agents it calls "Frontier agents" for coding, security, and DevOps. Read More Bending Spoons agrees to buy Eventbrite for $500M to revive stalled brand: The acquisition price for the events marketplace is a fraction of the $1.76 billion valuation it achieved during its 2018 IPO. Read More A message from Amazon Web Services Cloud security, no buzzwords allowed From threat detection to compliance, our hosts skip the jargon and dig into real AWS security trends—live from AWS re:Invent. Tune in to hear security experts and AWS Partners get real about today's toughest cloud security battles—what's working, what's not, and what's next. Learn More 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. Watch on Cheddar.com Watch on Streaming Last but Not Least Uber and Avride launch robotaxi service in Dallas: The robotaxis will initially have a human safety operator behind the wheel who will monitor the ride. 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 © 2025 TechCrunch Media LLC 501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107

The spectacle of Bryan Johnson and his livestreamed shrooms trip

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories this afternoon

View this email online in your browser  December 02, 2025 TechCrunch Top 3 The spectacle of Bryan Johnson and his livestreamed shrooms trip: Bryan Johnson livestreamed his shrooms trip -- which included both Grimes and Marc Benioff -- as part of his controversial longevity research. Read More Netflix launches a mobile-friendly version of Red Dead Redemption : Players with a Netflix subscription can now download the game, which features mobile-friendly controls, including touch-screen shooting and navigation. It's important to note that the game does not feature a multiplayer mode and players must be connected to the internet to play; offline gameplay is not available. Read More Android 16 adds AI notification summaries, new customization options, and more: The rollout of the new Android 16 features, which are first coming to Pixel devices, marks a new chapter in how Android updates work, as the company is shifting from a single yearly update to more frequent releases. Read More Be the first to know when news breaks Subscribe to our News Alerts, and you won't miss a thing. Breaking news, exclusives, and special reports—straight to your inbox. Sign up for News Alerts! A message from Arm How AI is rebuilding the cloud AI's compute demands and rising energy costs are reshaping cloud infrastructure. Discover how AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure are turning to efficiency-first Arm architecture to deliver more performance, lower energy use, and a sustainable foundation for the future of the internet. Explore the shift Afternoon Must-Reads Discord users can now buy in-game items without leaving the platform: Discord users can now purchase digital game items directly within the platform, create wishlists, and send gifts through DMs. Read More Amazon releases an impressive new AI chip and teases an Nvidia-friendly roadmap  : AWS has been building its own AI chips — and systems — for years now. It just released its third version, known as Trainium3, with some impressive specs.   Read More Amazon previews 3 AI agents, including 'Kiro' that can code on its own for days: Amazon Web Services on Tuesday announced three new AI agents it calls "Frontier agents" for coding, security, and DevOps. Read More Apple Music's Replay 2025 is here: This year, Apple Music Replay includes even more listening habits, including the "Discovery" section, which highlights new artists users listened to, and "Loyalty," which spotlights artists that users have kept coming back to each year. Read More YouTube releases its first-ever recap of videos you've watched: YouTube Recap features a set of up to 12 different cards that highlight a user's top channels, interests, the evolution of their viewing habits, and which personality type they fall into based on the videos they loved to watch. Read More A message from Amazon Web Services Cloud security, no buzzwords allowed From threat detection to compliance, our hosts skip the jargon and dig into real AWS security trends—live from AWS re:Invent. Tune in to hear security experts and AWS Partners get real about today's toughest cloud security battles—what's working, what's not, and what's next. Learn More 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. Watch on Cheddar.com Watch on Streaming Last but Not Least Mistral closes in on Big AI rivals with new open-weight frontier and small models: Mistral unveils its Mistral 3 lineup, including a frontier model and efficient small models designed for offline, customizable enterprise use — aiming to prove small, fine-tuned AI can beat closed-source giants. 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 © 2025 TechCrunch Media LLC 501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107