Def Con, a prominent hacking conference, announced Wednesday that it had banned three individuals linked to Jeffrey Epstein from attending the event. The conference's decision, which included Pablos Holman, Vincenzo Iozzo, and Joichi Ito, was based on their appearance in the Department of Justice's recent release of files related to the Epstein investigation, as reported by TechCrunch.
Def Con also cited an article in Politico that detailed emails exchanged between the three individuals and Epstein. Joan Vollero, a spokesperson for Iozzo, told TechCrunch that the conference's actions were "entirely performative," given Iozzo's limited attendance at the event over the past two decades.
In other news, Amazon has halted its Blue Jay warehouse robotics project just months after its unveiling. The e-commerce giant's decision, originally reported by Business Insider and confirmed by TechCrunch, comes after the multi-armed robot designed to sort and move packages was introduced in October for use in the company's same-day delivery facilities. Amazon spokesperson Terrence Clark told TechCrunch that the project's development took only about a year, a significantly shorter timeframe than other warehouse robots, which the company attributed to advancements in AI.
In the tech world, the decentralized social network Bluesky has integrated new technology from a startup called Germ Network to bring end-to-end encrypted messaging to its app. This move makes Germ DM the first private messenger launched natively within the Bluesky app, according to TechCrunch. Germ is also releasing new guidance to allow other apps built on the AT Protocol, which powers Bluesky, to do the same. This is a notable example of how open social networking ecosystems differ from Big Tech platforms, where new features can be developed by the community, not just the company itself.
Additionally, SeatGeek announced a new integration with Spotify on Wednesday, offering a streamlined ticket-buying experience for Spotify users. When users browse an artist's page or upcoming tour dates, they will see ticket links powered by SeatGeek for concerts at participating venues, according to TechCrunch. This integration is currently available for a select group of venues where SeatGeek serves as the primary ticket seller, including its 15 major U.S. venue partners like State Farm Stadium in Glendale and Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
Finally, in a discussion on TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Google Cloud's vice president of global startups, Darren Mowry, discussed the challenges faced by startup founders. He highlighted the pressures of moving quickly, using AI, and managing funding while facing rising infrastructure costs. Mowry shared insights on what he's seeing across the startup ecosystem, how Google Cloud is competing for AI startups, and what founders should consider as they scale.
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