Waymo and Uber quietly part ways in Phoenix

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories this afternoon

View this email online in your browser  June 29, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 Waymo and Uber quietly part ways in Phoenix: Uber said it is readying the launch of a separate autonomous vehicle partnership in the city, but did not name the partner. Read More Arena, the AI leaderboard everyone uses, is now a $100M business: The startup, which runs a popular free AI leaderboard, launched its commercial service just last September. Read More Cursor now has a mobile app for guiding your coding agent on the go: Cursor has launched a new mobile app for remote oversight over coding agents. Read More A message from Schneider Electric Where data meets drive Energy tech is foundational to motorsport. It's behind every decision, from software-defined design to precision manufacturing and race-day telemetry. That's why McLaren Racing partners with Schneider Electric for solutions that help drive a competitive advantage. Learn More Afternoon Must-Reads Pocket raises $11M in bet on rising demand for AI note-taking devices: Pocket sells a $129 credit card-shaped puck, which sticks to the back of your phone, and promises unlimited recordings, transcriptions, and to-do items. Read More Watch out, Amazon: The Kobo eReader now has a Goodreads rival: Kobo users can now automatically sync their reading progress to StoryGraph, making it easier to track books, reading stats, and challenges without relying on Amazon’s Goodreads. Read More Flipper Device's new Busy Bar is a customizable display for productivity: The company's productivity-focused gadget helps you set timers, block apps, and display custom messages and widgets on an LED display. Read More Robot hand company settles Tesla trade secret suit and announces $11M raise: The startup, Proception, is taking a unique approach to collecting training data to tackle one of the hardest problems in robotics: hands. Read More TIDAL cracks down on AI music by cutting off monetization: In addition, TIDAL will use automated tools to remove AI-generated music that attempts to impersonate an artist or a group, the company said. Read More Last but Not Least Chamath Palihapitiya raises $135M Series A for his AI coding startup, takes CEO role: VCs remain thirsty to fund AI coding startups. This one, founded by investor Chamath Palihapitiya, is no exception. 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

Ford rehires ‘gray beard’ engineers after AI falls short

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

View this email online in your browser  June 29, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 Ford rehires ‘gray beard’ engineers after AI falls short: "Mistakenly we thought that by just introducing artificial intelligence ... that would produce a high-quality product.” Read More Pocket raises $11M in bet on rising demand for AI note-taking devices: Pocket sells a $129 credit card-shaped puck, which sticks to the back of your phone, and promises unlimited recordings, transcriptions, and to-do items. Read More Govee's smart nugget ice maker makes every iced drink feel like a luxury: For some people, the ice in a beverage is almost as important as the drink itself. That's the audience Govee had in mind when designing its latest ice maker, the GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro. This $500 premium smart home gadget is aimed at those who crave what's called “the good ice,” the soft, chewable nugget ice often found in fast food or restaurant drinks.  Govee says that the modern-design gadget delivers nugget ice in as little as six minutes. That's a claim that proved true in my testing. It can make up to 60 pounds of ice per day, and has a 3.5-pound ice basket that automatically refills as you scoop out ice. The hefty price tag means it’s not for people who are perfectly happy with refrigerator ice and don't know what “good ice” even means. Instead, it’s for self-proclaimed ice enthusiasts willing to splurge on a fun, luxury gadget that makes everyday drinks a little more enjoyable.  It’s simple to use, as you just need to fill the tank with water and press start on the screen. You can also control the ice maker with the GoveeHome app, which lets you start ice production from your phone or schedule it so ice is ready when you need it, such as before your morning coffee.  The app control is quite convenient. I could start ice production from my phone while working at my desk, and by the time I wanted an iced latte, there was fresh nugget ice Read More A message from Ai4 Ai4 2026: America’s Largest AI Conference Returns to Las Vegas Join 12000+ founders, execs, & builders at Ai4 2026, America’s largest AI conference. Discover the strategic insights and use cases driving real business impact. Hear from industry pioneers like Geoffrey Hinton, Fei-Fei Li, and Andrew Ng, explore 400+ exhibits, & network with peers in Las Vegas, Aug 4-6. Register now to save $900+ before July 2nd. Register Now Morning Must-Reads Robot hand company settles Tesla trade secret suit and announces $11M raise: The startup, Proception, is taking a unique approach to collecting training data to tackle one of the hardest problems in robotics: hands. Read More Flipper Device's new Busy Bar is a customizable display for productivity: Flipper Device's new Busy Bar will retail for $249. Read More Instagram is testing more ways to customize ‘Your Algorithm’: Instagram users could soon see more ways to tune their content. Read More Why Wall Street thinks US memory maker Micron is the next Nvidia: Eager to find more public AI-related companies that may do as well as Nvidia, Wall Street investors think they've found a winner with Micron. Read More TechCrunch Mobility: All eyes on Tesla FSD: Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, how AI is playing a part. Read More Last but Not Least California law targeting loud streaming ads takes effect on July 1: Streaming ads might be getting a lot quieter. 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