Your Hub for Tech News and Handy Online Tools.

Venture Capital

The Shifting Sands of Venture Capital: Is the MBA Losing Its Grip?

The traditional MBA-to-VC pipeline is facing disruption as VC firms increasingly prioritize technical expertise over business school credentials, particularly in emerging sectors like AI and hardware. While top business schools like Harvard and Stanford continue to place graduates into VC roles, with median starting salaries around $177,500, the overall percentage of VC professionals holding MBAs has decreased. Professor Ilya Strebulaev's research indicates a shift from 44% in the early 2000s to 32% today. Executive recruiters note a reduced appetite for MBAs as firms seek talent from tech companies like OpenAI and SpaceX. Despite this shift, interest in VC remains high among MBA students, with Stanford's VC club boasting 600 members, even with the hefty $200,000+ price tag of top MBA programs.

Technology & Travel

European Airports Grappled with Delays Following Cyber Incident

Major European airports, including Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin, experienced substantial delays due to a cyber-related incident affecting Collins Aerospace, a provider of airline check-in technology.

The incident forced airlines to switch to manual check-in processes, resulting in significant disruptions. Heathrow Airport reported over 130 delayed flights and several cancellations.

Airports are advising passengers to arrive at least three hours before long-haul flights and two hours before short-haul flights to mitigate potential delays.

Business & Technology

TikTok Restructuring: US Ownership Agreement Reached

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced an agreement for TikTok's U.S. operations to be spun out under majority American ownership. Americans will hold six of seven board seats, and the algorithm will be U.S.-controlled. New investors include Oracle, Andreessen Horowitz, and Silver Lake Management, with Oracle overseeing security. ByteDance's ownership would be reduced to less than 20%.

Immigration and Technology

Tech Giants Respond to H-1B Visa Changes: Urging Employees to Remain in the US

Following President Trump's proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications, major tech companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have reportedly advised their H-1B visa holding employees to remain in the United States.

These companies have sent memos to their employees, cautioning against foreign travel and advising those currently traveling to return before the new regulations take effect. Amazon leads in H-1B visa recipients this fiscal year, followed by Tata Consultancy Services, Microsoft, Meta, Apple, and Google.

The White House clarified that the fee will only apply to new H-1B applicants and not to existing holders or renewals.

Fashion Tech

Phia: Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni Disrupt Fashion Shopping with $8M Seed Round

Phia, a new fashion shopping app founded by Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, has raised an $8 million seed round led by Kleiner Perkins. The app aims to simplify online shopping by allowing users to compare prices across over 300 million fashion items.

Phia utilizes AI to personalize the e-commerce experience, offering a seamless platform where customers can track previous purchases and discover new items of interest. The company emphasizes a Gen Z-focused marketing strategy, leveraging social media and founder-led content to engage users.

The funding will be used to expand the team, which currently consists of 12 people, with hiring primarily conducted through social media. Gates and Kianni envision Phia as the future of personalized shopping, with plans to develop a personalized agent that syncs with calendars to provide tailored shopping recommendations.

Technology

YouTube's Creator-Focused Updates: AI Tools, Live Enhancements, and Monetization Options

YouTube has announced a range of new features and updates aimed at enhancing the creator experience. These include:

  • Studio Updates: Enhanced tools for managing channels, including likeness detection, lip-synced dubs, title A/B testing, and AI-powered assistance.
  • YouTube Live: Improvements to the livestreaming platform, such as minigames, simultaneous horizontal and vertical broadcasting, AI-powered highlights, and new ad formats.
  • AI Tools for Shorts: Introduction of a custom version of Google's Veo 3 for generating video from text prompts, remixing tools, and an 'Edit with AI' feature.
  • YouTube Music: New tools to deepen engagement between creators and fans, including countdown timers for new releases and exclusive merchandise drops.
  • AI for Podcasters: AI-driven suggestions for creating clips and turning audio podcasts into video podcasts.
  • New Monetization Features: Expanded options for creators to earn through brand deals and the YouTube Shopping program, with AI-powered assistance for product tagging and brand partnerships.

Arts and Technology

Lincoln Center's Collider Fellowship: Bridging Tech and Performing Arts

Lincoln Center's Collider Fellowship is fostering innovation by inviting multi-disciplinary artists to explore how emerging technologies can revolutionize live performance. The second class of Collider Fellows, comprising six artists specializing in areas like VR, AI, and 4DSound, will receive studio space, a financial stipend, and support from Lincoln Center and Onassis ONX for nine months.

The fellowship encourages artists to experiment without requiring a final project, promoting both prototyping and in-depth research. Projects from the first class are still developing, with potential for future display at Lincoln Center. The program aims to broaden the conversation around technology, particularly among underrepresented groups, and explore new ways to engage global audiences through location-based experiences and extended reality.

The 2025 Collider Fellows include Cinthia Chen, Sam Rolfes, James Allister Sprang, Stephanie Dinkins, Kevin Peter He, and Dr. Rashaad Newsome, each bringing unique expertise in performance, technology, and immersive experiences.

Autonomous Vehicles

Nvidia Considers $500M Investment in UK's Self-Driving Innovator Wayve

Nvidia is considering a $500 million strategic investment in Wayve, a UK-based self-driving tech startup. This commitment is part of Nvidia's larger £2 billion investment pledge to boost the UK's AI startup ecosystem. Wayve, known for its self-learning approach to autonomous driving, has gained attention for its system that doesn't rely on high-definition maps. Wayve's technology is integrated into Ford Mach E test vehicles using Nvidia GPUs. Wayve's generation 3 platform, utilizes Nvidia Drive AGX Thor, and aims to provide advanced driver assistance systems and Level 4 driverless capabilities for urban and highway environments.

Productivity

Enhance Productivity with These Apple Watch Apps

The Apple Watch can be a valuable tool for boosting productivity, especially for those easily distracted by their phones. Several third-party apps offer additional functionality beyond the built-in apps.

  • Todoist: Manage tasks, organize projects, set reminders, and track progress directly from your wrist. Free with a $4/month subscription for additional features.
  • Drafts: A digital notepad for capturing notes via voice command, Scribble, or keyboard. Free with a $1.99/month subscription for extra features.
  • Focus: A productivity timer that breaks down work time into smaller chunks, minimizing distractions. Available for $7.99 per month.
  • AutoSleep: Track sleep quality, heart rate, and consistency with detailed insights. One-time fee of $5.99.
  • Streaks: Form good habits and track progress by extending streaks for completed tasks. One-time fee of $5.99.
  • Fantastical: A calendar app with multiple views for managing events and reminders. Costs $4.99 per month.
  • Things 3: A productivity manager for creating to-do lists, managing projects, and tracking progress. One-time payment of $9.99.

These apps can help you stay organized, focused, and productive throughout the day using your Apple Watch.

Technology

Meta's Smart Glasses Demo Failures: Resource Overload and a Bug

Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth explained the reasons behind the failed smart glasses demos at Meta Connect. The initial issue with the chef's glasses was due to the Live AI feature triggering on all Ray-Ban Meta glasses in the building, causing a resource overload. This was compounded by routing Live AI traffic to the development server, effectively creating a DDoS attack on their own system. The WhatsApp call failure was attributed to a new "race condition" bug where the display sleeping prevented the answer notification from appearing. Bosworth clarified these were demo failures, not product failures, expressing confidence in the product's functionality.