Tech Trends 📰

Cloudflare launches tool to help website owners monetize AI bot crawler access

Cloudflare has launched a new tool that allows website owners to block AI crawlers or charge them using a “pay per crawl” model.. This move aims to help content creators and publishers monetize access to their work as AI bots increasingly collect data without driving traffic back to original sources.. The initiative is backed by major publishers and platforms, including Condé Nast, Associated Press, Reddit, and Pinterest.. Cloudflare’s data shows Google’s crawl-to-referral ratio has worsened (18:1), while OpenAI’s is drastically worse (1,500:1), indicating AI bots are taking content without returning user traffic.. The tool is part of a broader effort to protect online content creators as traditional ad revenue from search traffic declines due to AI-generated summaries and chatbot responses..

Google rolls out its new Veo 3 video-generation model globally | TechCrunch

Google has globally launched its Veo 3 video-generation model in over 159 countries.. The feature is available only to paying subscribers of Google’s AI Pro plan.. Users are limited to generating up to three videos per day using Veo 3.. Veo 3 allows users to create videos up to eight seconds long using text prompts.. Google is also working on adding image-to-video generation capabilities to its Gemini platform..

Everything you need to know about Flashes, the Bluesky-based Instagram alternative | TechCrunch

Windows active devices dropped from 1.4 billion in 2022 to just over 1 billion in 2025, signaling a major decline in user base.. Analysts suggest the drop may be due to the rise of mobile platforms like Android and iOS, especially in emerging markets.. Slowing PC sales and a shift toward mobile-first usage are also seen as contributing factors to the decline.. User frustration over Microsoft's aggressive push to upgrade from Windows 10 to 11 may have caused some to abandon the platform.. Despite the drop, Windows remains widely used, and Microsoft is focusing on cloud services like Azure and Microsoft 365 to stay competitive. Ask ChatGPT.

Windows lose ground in global market

Windows active devices dropped from 1.4 billion in 2022 to just over 1 billion in 2025, signaling a major decline in user base.. Analysts suggest the drop may be due to the rise of mobile platforms like Android and iOS, especially in emerging markets.. Slowing PC sales and a shift toward mobile-first usage are also seen as contributing factors to the decline.. User frustration over Microsoft's aggressive push to upgrade from Windows 10 to 11 may have caused some to abandon the platform.. Despite the drop, Windows remains widely used, and Microsoft is focusing on cloud services like Azure and Microsoft 365 to stay competitive..

Cloudflare launches a marketplace that lets websites charge AI bots for scraping | TechCrunch

Cloudflare has launched an experimental marketplace called Pay per Crawl, allowing websites to charge AI bots for accessing their content.. Site owners can set prices for each crawl, block AI bots entirely, or allow them for free — all from a Cloudflare dashboard.. The goal is to give publishers more control and possibly a new revenue stream in the AI era, where bots often scrape content without sending traffic in return.. Cloudflare reports that AI bots like OpenAI’s crawler take far more content than they refer users back — scraping 1,700 times for every one referral.. Several major publishers like TIME, The Atlantic, and Fortune are supporting Cloudflare’s default setting to block AI bots unless granted access..

Grammarly acquires AI email client Superhuman | TechCrunch

Grammarly has acquired AI-powered email app Superhuman to strengthen its productivity tools.. Superhuman raised over $114 million and was last valued at $825 million. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.. Superhuman’s CEO Rahul Vohra and the team will join Grammarly.. Grammarly plans to use Superhuman’s technology to build smart AI agents for email, one of Grammarly’s top user needs.. This follows Grammarly’s 2024 acquisition of Coda and a recent $1 billion non-dilutive investment from General Catalyst..

Announcing Vite 7

Vite 7 is now available, marking 5 years since the first commit. Weekly downloads have reached 31 million.. This year’s ViteConf will be held in person for the first time, in Amsterdam on October 9–10.. Vite is working with VoidZero on a new Rust-based bundler called Rolldown, which will soon replace the current one for faster builds.. You can already try Rolldown by using the rolldown-vite package — it's a drop-in replacement.. A new Vite DevTools is also in development, through a partnership between VoidZero and NuxtLabs, to offer better debugging and project analysis..

Apple in talks to bring Claude or ChatGPT for powering Siri's next big update: Here's what we know

Apple is in talks with Anthropic and OpenAI to potentially power the next big Siri update using their AI models, instead of relying solely on Apple’s own AI.. Apple executives Mike Rockwell and Craig Federighi led the shift in strategy, testing both in-house and external AI systems for Siri.. Tests showed Anthropic’s Claude model performed best for Siri’s needs, leading to negotiations between Apple and Anthropic.. Apple wants to run Claude or ChatGPT on its Private Cloud Compute servers to keep user data secure.. Talks with Anthropic hit a snag over high costs, so Apple may still choose OpenAI or another partner if no agreement is reached..

Windows 12 Delayed as Microsoft Prepares Windows 11 25H2 Update

Microsoft will not launch a separate "Windows 12" — instead, its next major update will be Windows 11 version 25H2, arriving in the second half of 2025.. The update builds on the same base as the current 24H2 version, allowing for a quick and easy upgrade using a small enablement package.. Features for 25H2 are already included in 24H2 but are inactive; they’ll be gradually unlocked through regular monthly updates.. The release aims to encourage Windows 10 users to upgrade before support ends in October 2025.. 25H2 will bring 36 months of support for enterprise and education users, and 24 months for consumers; Windows Insiders can test it now. Ask ChatGPT.

Cursor launches a web app to manage AI coding agents | TechCrunch

Cursor has launched a web app that lets users manage AI coding agents directly from their browser on desktop or mobile.. Users can assign coding tasks (like writing features or fixing bugs) using natural language and monitor progress or merge completed changes.. This follows earlier launches of Cursor’s background agents and a Slack integration, making it easier to delegate tasks via @Cursor.. Cursor is used by over half of the Fortune 500, has reached $500M in annual recurring revenue, and now offers a $200/month Pro tier.. The web app is available to all paying customers with agent access (excluding free tier users) and is part of Cursor’s plan to expand its usefulness beyond just an IDE..

WhatsApp Rolls Out Document Scanning Feature for Android Beta Users: Here’s What to Expect

WhatsApp is testing a new document scanning feature on Android, currently available only for beta users.. The feature lets users scan documents directly within the app using their phone camera, without needing third-party apps.. Scanned documents are saved as PDFs and can be shared instantly with contacts.. The option appears in the attachment menu as "Scan Document" alongside "Browse Documents" and "Choose from Gallery." It supports both manual and automatic scanning modes.. This update, along with WhatsApp’s recent AI-powered chat summarization tool, aims to make the app more useful for productivity and communication..

Microsoft’s Free New Windows Upgrade: How It Works And How To Get It

Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. But now, users can get an extra year of free security updates through the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program.. Earlier, this extra year cost $30, but Microsoft now offers it for free if you link your Microsoft account and sync your PC settings to the cloud.. To enroll, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update on a Windows 10 (version 22H2) Home, Pro, Pro Education, or Workstation device with the latest updates.. If eligible, you’ll see an “Enroll now” button. Once clicked, a window will guide you through the process to activate free ESU support until October 13, 2026.. If you don’t sync your settings or link your Microsoft account, you’ll still need to pay $30 for the same updates..