CALWIRE Tech Report (Monday, August 31, 2026)

By Calwire Tech Desk

  By Calwire Tech Desk

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Today's top story: VLC crosses 7 billion downloads. This roundup covers 12 stories from TechCrunch, Ars AI, and OpenAI.

VLC crosses 7 billion downloads
In our world of expensive streaming platforms, the very free and offline VLC media player has crossed 7 billion downloads. — TechCrunch

Clipto uses AI to search terabytes of video and is now valued at $250M
The three-year-old startup says it reached $15 million in ARR and profitability before raising its latest $15 million round. — TechCrunch

How AI could make it harder for governments to use hacking tools
AI is proving effective at finding and exploiting vulnerabilities. Some say this will make it harder for governments to use hackin... — TechCrunch

Nvidia’s $3.5B MediaTek bet reveals its plan for tackling Big Tech’s AI chip buildout
Nvidia invests $3.5 billion into Taiwanese chipmaker MediaTek. The deal shows how Nvidia plans to stay essential to AI infrastruct... — TechCrunch

MapQuest’s app surges to No. 1 in Navigation after refusing to rename Lake Ontario
MapQuest is getting an unexpected boost from its decision to defy President Trump’s renaming of Lake Ontario. — TechCrunch

ChatGPT and Reddit now face EU's toughest online safety rules — Ars AI

Meeting note-taker Circleback adds a free tier to attract more customers
Circleback is also introducing new pricing plans starting from $14 per month. — TechCrunch

Pocket's AI made my game ideas real. Now Meta controls the results. — Ars AI

A milestone in expanding access to AI
ChatGPT Ads reaches $1 billion in annualized revenue run rate and expands globally, supporting broader access to AI through free a... — OpenAI

The US is building barriers around drones and robots, but China has scale to get around them
The U.S. is shutting out more foreign-made drones and robots. China’s scale means the global competition may simply move elsewhere... — TechCrunch

Grindr wants to be the everything app for gay men; investors are still deciding whether it can pull it off
George Arison is done letting Wall Street's "Grindr discount" go unchallenged — in a wide-ranging Q&A, the CEO walks us throu... — TechCrunch

Liux’s Big microcar bets on sustainability to take on Chinese rivals
The Liux Big microcar is made in Spain. The startup thinks it can compete in a crowded market with its tiny electric car built aro...

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