Lauren Forristal, Author at TechCrunch

‘Hawk Tuah’ girl launches Pookie Tools, an AI-powered dating advice app, and it’s fine?

Lauren Forristal — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 19:57:08 +0000

Haliey Welch, the 22-year-old who went viral for her “Hawk Tuah” video, has managed to turn her brief moment of fame into a full-fledged career. In just a few months, Welch has rapidly risen to fame, amassing around 5 million followers across various social media platforms. After recently releasing her own podcast titled “Talk Tuah,” […]

Fitbit’s kids’ smartwatch gets family group chats

Lauren Forristal — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 14:00:00 +0000

Fitbit’s Ace LTE, the smartwatch designed for ages 7+, is introducing new features to help families stay connected and get active together. On Wednesday, Fitbit announced a slew of new features, including group chats, family quests, a new mini-game, and two new watch faces. There’s also a new direct message feature for siblings to text […]

Here’s how to create a custom emoji with the Apple Intelligence feature Genmoji

Lauren Forristal — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 17:41:42 +0000

Apple’s latest iOS 18.1 software update introduced a series of Apple Intelligence features, including Writing Tools and notification summaries. However, some features were missing from the lineup, like Genmoji, which allows users to create emojis from written prompts. Now, with iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 public betas officially available, the highly anticipated […]

This USB-C mouthpiece turns your phone into a musical instrument

Lauren Forristal — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 15:00:00 +0000

Artinoise, the Italian startup behind re.corder — a smart device reimagining the traditional plastic recorder we all played in school — has introduced its latest product: Zefiro. The portable device, shaped like the mouthpiece of a recorder, can be plugged into any smartphone, tablet, or PC with a USB-C port, effectively transforming it into a […]

These are the top apps Gen Z young adults downloaded this year

Lauren Forristal — Sun, 10 Nov 2024 14:00:00 +0000

It’s clear that Gen Z has an influence on app consumption. Known as the “mobile-first generation,” they make up about 40% of all mobile users worldwide. Curious about their preferences, we recently contacted the app intelligence firm Appfigures, which provided an overview of the 50 most downloaded apps by Gen Z this year. Due to […]

Roblox adds safety measures to ban kids under 13 from social spaces and other experiences

Lauren Forristal — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 17:47:27 +0000

Throughout the years, several reports have accused Roblox, the popular gaming platform aimed at preteens, of lacking strict safety protocols for children, which exposes them to dangers such as grooming, explicit content, and violent or abusive material. In a significant update to its safety policy, Roblox plans to keep users under the age of 13 […]

Pinstripe wants to redefine the way online sellers sell secondhand clothing

Lauren Forristal — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 17:58:57 +0000

Pinstripe aims to reimagine the secondhand market by offering sellers the opportunity to have both a digital storefront and a physical retail presence. Launched in June, the platform offers an alternative approach compared with other marketplaces like Archive, Depop, Facebook Marketplace, and Poshmark. With Pinstripe, sellers take their clothes to local consignment stores, vintage shops, […]

Flash, founded by ex-Flipkart exec, launches in the US to help shoppers juggle multiple online orders

Lauren Forristal — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 14:30:00 +0000

Flash, the payment management service that tracks all your online purchases, announced Tuesday its entry into the U.S. market, giving American customers the ability to manage all of their spending in one place while also earning rewards, such as gift cards and cash back. The U.S. is home to many big spenders, making it a […]

Amazon brings generative AI-powered recaps to Prime Video

Lauren Forristal — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 19:07:09 +0000

Instead of scouring the internet for a summary of a TV show, which often risks unintentionally revealing major plot points, Prime Video’s latest feature aims to save viewers from encountering any spoilers. Amazon announced on Monday the launch of “X-Ray Recaps,” a generative AI-powered feature that creates concise summaries of entire seasons, single episodes, and […]

WhatsApp users can now filter chats with customized lists

Lauren Forristal — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 16:18:20 +0000

WhatsApp is making it easier to organize the many messages filling up your inbox. The messaging app announced Thursday that it’s adding the ability to filter chats into customizable categories. This will help you keep track of conversations with family members, work colleagues, college friends, and more. The “Custom Lists” feature is an enhancement to […]

MealMe, the startup integrating food ordering tech into apps, picks up $8M

Lauren Forristal — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 13:30:00 +0000

MealMe, a unified API that embeds food and retail ordering into consumer apps and websites, announced on Thursday that it secured $8 million in Series A funding. The newly raised capital brings the total amount raised to $16 million. Since its launch in 2019, MealMe has undergone several changes. Initially, it was a consumer app designed […]

Hummingbirds, a platform that connects local creators with brand campaigns in their area, raises $5.4M

Lauren Forristal — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 14:00:00 +0000

Hummingbirds is a female-founded startup that connects hyperlocal content creators with brands that reward them for sharing products with their small and highly engaged communities via social media to juice their marketing. The company announced Wednesday a $5.4 million seed round, bringing the total amount raised to $10 million. The new capital will support the […]

Netflix’s new ‘Moments’ feature lets you save and share clips from your favorite episodes

Lauren Forristal — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 20:00:14 +0000

If you’ve ever struggled to explain a scene from your favorite Netflix series or movie to a friend because you couldn’t find the clip online, the streamer just came up with a solution. Netflix launched on Monday a new clipping feature called “Moments” on its iOS app, letting you quickly save your favorite scenes. Now, […]

Nintendo tries again on mobile with a $10 Animal Crossing game arriving in December

Lauren Forristal — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 18:25:54 +0000

It was a sad day when Nintendo announced that its free mobile game Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp would soon shut down. The app is ending its service on November 28; however, it’s also getting a revival. This time, though, it’ll be a paid game. On December 3, Nintendo is launching a paid version of the […]

Arcade, a new AI product creation platform, designed this necklace

Lauren Forristal — Sun, 27 Oct 2024 14:00:00 +0000

Mariam Naficy, the founder of cosmetics retailer Eve and design marketplace Minted, has a long history of supporting independent artists and helping them sell their products. Her latest venture, Arcade AI, is a new type of marketplace that puts creative control directly into the hands of users. The generative AI platform, which launched its beta […]

Cheers lets you play matchmaker with friends

Lauren Forristal — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 15:02:48 +0000

The latest addition to the dating app scene is Cheers, a newly launched matchmaking app available to users in New York City. Founded by former Instagram engineer Sahil Ahuja, Cheers sets itself apart by offering friend-matchmaking and social posting features to facilitate new connections. Cheers (where almost everybody knows your name) puts a twist on […]

Amazon adds gasoline discounts for Prime members, EV charging savings to follow

Lauren Forristal — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 13:38:35 +0000

Amazon is challenging Walmart+ by offering Prime members a discount on fuel to combat high gas prices. The company announced on Wednesday that Prime members will receive a 10 cents per gallon discount at around 7,000 Amoco, AM/PM, and BP gas stations across the U.S., potentially saving them about $70 annually on fuel. To access […]

Poshmark reverses decision to lower selling fees after sellers experience a drop in sales

Lauren Forristal — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 17:42:51 +0000

Shortly after the social marketplace Poshmark announced it would lower selling fees and increase fees for buyers, the company decided to revert to its original fee structure following outrage among sellers. In an email to sellers sent on Monday (and viewed by TechCrunch), founder and CEO Manish Chandra wrote an apology about the fee change, […]

ShoBizzy, a networking app for the TV industry, aims to open new doors for freelancers

Lauren Forristal — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 15:35:18 +0000

With the current unemployment crisis in Hollywood, many TV and film crew members are concerned about finding their next job. This is particularly the case for freelancers, who often face unstable work and irregular pay. ShoBizzy is the latest professional networking app for the entertainment industry that aims to address this challenge. And, as more […]

Apple Music’s latest feature lets artists create dedicated playlists for concerts and tours

Lauren Forristal — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 16:35:46 +0000

Apple Music introduced a new feature for artists on Thursday to enable them to create playlists tied to their recent concert set lists. Dubbed “Set List,” the feature acts as a promotional tool for musicians to engage with their fans. It allows artists to turn their set list from a single show, residency, or entire […]