TeeJay Tech Bro

  Screen-time apps aren’t effective for many people because, in the end, they depend on your willpower. They remind you to stop scrolling or let you set timers, but such notifications can be easy to ignore.  Autonomous Key   takes a different approach to this issue simply by being a physical device. It’s an NFC key that pairs with a companion app to let you lock away distracting apps. So instead of tapping a button to bypass the block, you have to physically scan the key with your phone to regain access to your locked apps. Each unlock session can last for up to 60 minutes before the apps are automatically locked again. That physical requirement is what makes the idea compelling. Instead of depending on your self-control, you can leave the NFC key in another room, or even at the office or gym, turning a mindless impulse to open Instagram or TikTok into a deliberate decision that requires extra effort. At just $9, Autonomous Key is considerably cheaper than its competitors...

  Okta on Thursday agreed to acquire AI identity security startup Permiso Security , betting that demand for protecting AI agents and other machine identities will grow as enterprises deploy autonomous software across their operations. The identity management company did not disclose the terms of the transaction. But TechCrunch has learned that the acquisition is valued at just under $200 million and is structured as an almost all-cash deal, according to a source with knowledge of the deal. A spokesperson for Okta did not dispute the $200 million figure when TechCrunch asked CEO Todd McKinnon for comment about the deal, but the company would not comment on specifics of the deal terms. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of its fiscal 2027, Okta said, subject to customary closing conditions. Okta’s move to buy Permiso comes as identity management companies seek to expand beyond verifying users at login to continuously monitoring what users, applications, and AI agent...

  While AI agents are increasingly capable of solving customer support problems, most people can still tell immediately when they’re talking to a machine instead of a human. Smallest.ai , a startup founded in late 2024, is betting the next leap in voice agents will not come from making large language models faster, but from using smaller, specialized models built for human conversation. Simply put, the company wants to make speaking to an AI agent indistinguishable from talking to a human. To do so, it’s developing a small voice model designed to mimic how humans process information by listening, thinking, and speaking simultaneously. “While I’m speaking to you, you’re already thinking, and you might interrupt me if I talk for too long,” Sudarshan Kamath (pictured left), founder and CEO of Smallest.ai , told TechCrunch, adding that this is exactly how the startup’s model is designed to work. To fuel this mission, Smallest.ai has raised $13 million in a Series A round, led by Selig...

  Doomscrolling can be addictive. It’s common to end up on the couch for hours, mindlessly scrolling through feeds, which inevitably messes up your posture and, in the end, just ends up making you feel bad about yourself. Your eyes definitely don’t like it, either. Fortunately, there are several apps that encourage you to get up and move before you dive into social media. There’s even one that literally has you go outside and touch grass before you can scroll TikTok or Instagram. So, if you’re looking to cut back on screen time and be a little more active, here’s a roundup of some apps that can help.  Digital Carrot Digital Carrot blocks distracting apps, websites and games until you meet your daily fitness, productivity or screen time goals. It connects to wearables like the Apple Watch, and you can set personalized targets, say walking 6,000 steps a day. It also supports GPS- and time-based challenges, allowing users to block apps until they spend a certain amount of time a...

  Okta on Thursday agreed to acquire AI identity security startup Permiso Security , betting that demand for protecting AI agents and other machine identities will grow as enterprises deploy autonomous software across their operations. The identity management company did not disclose the terms of the transaction. But TechCrunch has learned that the acquisition is valued at just under $200 million and is structured as an almost all-cash deal, according to a source with knowledge of the deal. A spokesperson for Okta did not dispute the $200 million figure when TechCrunch asked CEO Todd McKinnon for comment about the deal, but the company would not comment on specifics of the deal terms. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of its fiscal 2027, Okta said, subject to customary closing conditions. Okta’s move to buy Permiso comes as identity management companies seek to expand beyond verifying users at login to continuously monitoring what users, applications, and AI agent...

  For years, India was the world’s largest app download market but one of its toughest places to make money. That is beginning to change as Indian consumers spend more on AI, entertainment, and other premium apps. India’s mobile app market generated a record $345 million in consumer spending during the second quarter of this year, up 35% from a year earlier, according to a new report by Sensor Tower. The app-market intelligence firm said the gains were increasingly driven by generative AI, streaming, and productivity apps rather than gaming, as Indian consumers became more willing to pay for digital subscriptions. The record quarter builds on a broader trend of rising app monetization. India’s revenue per download has more than doubled over the past three and a half years, while quarterly app downloads have remained at around 6.3 billion since 2023. “We would describe India today as a rapidly evolving mobile market with a large user base and growing willingness to pay for digital ...

  Meta is using AI to quickly launch apps, and more are on the way. During this week’s second-quarter earnings call, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the social giant has new apps in the works, following a recent spate of other launches that included an app for Marketplace sellers , one for Facebook Groups , a vibe-coded gaming app , a new photos app from Instagram , and an experiment involving AI bedtime stories. Meta has spent years trying and failing to produce new, stand-alone social apps to complement its core platforms. Now, the company says that large language models (LLMs) make it possible to ship software faster, allowing it to test new ideas at a quicker pace. “I’m … excited about how AI is helping our teams speed up product development,” Zuckerberg told investors on Wednesday’s call. “Earlier this year, we shipped Instagram Instants. We also just launched Forum, a stand-alone Groups app, and Seller, a stand-alone Marketplace app. I expect it to become a lot easier to ship ...