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Artificial Intelligence

Datacurve Secures $15M to Revolutionize AI Training Data Collection

Datacurve, a Y Combinator graduate, has raised a $15 million Series A round led by Chemistry to focus on high-quality data for software development. The company uses a "bounty hunter" system to attract skilled software engineers to complete datasets and has distributed over $1 million in bounties.

Datacurve emphasizes a positive user experience, treating data collection as a consumer product. This approach aims to attract talent, as the company believes that intrinsic motivation is more important than financial incentives. Datacurve is creating an infrastructure for post-training data collection to attract and retain experts in their domains, initially focusing on software engineering but with potential applications in finance, marketing, and medicine.

Social Media

YouTube Offers Second Chances to Terminated Creators

YouTube is piloting a program to allow creators whose channels were previously terminated to request new accounts. This initiative follows scrutiny regarding the removal of channels for violating COVID-19 and election integrity policies, which are no longer in effect.

The company will evaluate requests based on the severity and persistence of violations, as well as potential harm to the YouTube community. Creators terminated for copyright infringement are not eligible. After a one-year waiting period, creators can apply for a new channel but will start from scratch, with the opportunity to rejoin the YouTube Partner Program.

Cybersecurity

Clop Gang Exploits Oracle E-Business Suite to Steal Data from Numerous Organizations

Security researchers at Google report that the Clop extortion gang has exploited vulnerabilities in Oracle's E-Business Suite, leading to data theft from dozens of organizations. The campaign, which began around July 10, involved a zero-day bug allowing hackers to access systems without usernames or passwords. Oracle's software, used for managing customer data and HR files, was targeted. Google has provided technical details to help organizations detect potential compromises. The Clop gang, known for mass-hacking campaigns, has previously targeted file transfer tools like Cleo Software, MOVEit, and GoAnywhere.

Geopolitics & Trade

China Strengthens Export Controls on Rare-Earth Minerals Amid Semiconductor Race

China has increased export controls on rare-earth minerals and related technologies, adding five rare-earth elements to the export control list, bringing the total to 12. This action, according to the Commerce Ministry, aims to safeguard national security. Foreign producers must now apply for an export license if they intend to export products that use Chinese-origin rare-earth minerals or related technology. Defense organizations will not receive export licenses, but licenses for semiconductor manufacturing will be reviewed individually. Exports for humanitarian aid are exempt. This move mirrors U.S. restrictions on chipmaking equipment exports to China and follows previous actions in retaliation for tariffs, potentially impacting industries reliant on rare-earth minerals.

Technology & Law

Apple Adapts to Texas Age Verification Law, Highlights Privacy Concerns

Apple is adapting to Texas state law SB2420, which mandates age verification for app store users and developers. This law raises concerns about user privacy, especially the requirement of collecting sensitive, personally identifiable information for app downloads.

The law, set to take effect on January 1, 2026, will require Apple to verify if users in Texas are 18 or older. Users under 18 must join a Family Sharing group managed by parents or guardians, who must consent to all App Store downloads, purchases, and transactions.

Apple is providing tools and APIs to help developers comply with the law while preserving privacy. These include the Declared Age Range API, which will be updated to provide age categories for new account users in Texas, and new APIs for parental consent for significant app changes.

Apple cautions developers about similar laws coming into effect in Utah and Louisiana later in the year.

Artificial Intelligence

Tigris Data Secures $25M to Challenge Big Cloud with AI-Native Distributed Storage

Tigris Data, founded by ex-Uber storage platform developers, raised $25 million in Series A funding led by Spark Capital to expand its AI-native data storage network. Tigris aims to offer a distributed storage solution that addresses the needs of modern AI workloads, which require low-latency access and the ability to move data efficiently between distributed compute resources. The company's platform allows data to automatically replicate to where GPUs are located, supports billions of small files, and avoids egress fees charged by major cloud providers like AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. Tigris currently has over 4,000 customers, primarily generative AI startups, and plans to use the funding to build more data centers in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

Technology/E-commerce

India Embraces AI-Powered Shopping with ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude

India has launched a pilot program enabling consumers to shop and pay directly through AI chatbots, starting with OpenAI's ChatGPT and plans to integrate Google's Gemini and Anthropic's Claude.

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has partnered with OpenAI and Razorpay to facilitate these transactions via ChatGPT, utilizing UPI Reserve Pay and UPI Circle protocols.

Initial merchant partners include BigBasket and Vi, allowing customers to purchase groceries and mobile recharge plans through the chatbot interface.

Razorpay has developed the merchant integration layer, and is in talks with merchants other than BigBasket and Vi, expecting a broader rollout in the next couple of months.

AI companies will not have access to payment data, and users will authorize transactions through two-factor authentication.

Artificial Intelligence

Sora's Rapid Rise: Surpassing ChatGPT in First-Week Downloads

OpenAI's video-generating app, Sora, has surpassed ChatGPT in first-week iOS downloads, according to Appfigures data. Sora achieved 627,000 iOS downloads in its first seven days, compared to ChatGPT's 606,000. Sora reached a million downloads across platforms in under five days. While ChatGPT was initially available only in the U.S., Sora launched in the U.S. and Canada. Sora's performance is impressive, given its invite-only access. The app quickly rose to the No. 1 Top Overall app on the U.S. App Store. Sora videos, powered by the Sora 2 video model, are widespread, enabling users to create realistic deepfakes.

Social Media & Music Streaming

SoundCloud's Social Upgrade: Discover Music Through Friends and Trending Tracks

SoundCloud is enhancing its platform with new social features aimed at fostering community interaction. Users can now see playlists and tracks liked by friends and followed artists through features like 'Liked By Your Crew' and 'Liked By Playlists.' The platform also introduces a Trending Trackwall and personalized 'Hot For You' track recommendations on its mobile app, along with suggestions for users and artists to follow, making it easier to connect with others who share similar music tastes.

Geopolitics & Trade

China Escalates Rare Earth Export Controls Amid Semiconductor Race

China has tightened export controls on rare earth minerals and related technologies, adding five elements to its export control list, totaling 12, citing national security concerns. The move requires foreign producers to obtain export licenses for products using Chinese-origin rare earth minerals or mining technology. Defense organizations will not receive licenses, while semiconductor manufacturers will be reviewed individually. This action mirrors U.S. export restrictions on chipmaking equipment and aims to leverage China's position as the world's largest rare earth mineral producer.