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Welcome again to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for information and insights about the way forward for transportation. Need another excuse to get this free in your inbox? The e-mail model of this article consists of polls, together with one this week that asks readers what they assume is the perfect enterprise mannequin for autonomous automobile know-how. Do you may have an opinion on this? E mail me your ideas at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com with the topic “AV Ballot.”

OK, again to the present. There’s one other twist on the highway for the corporate to cope with Luminary. And sure, it consists of some inside intrigue.

First, let’s discuss. You have to bear in mind this Austin Russellthe billionaire founder and CEO of Luminar, was kind of kicked out of the corporate by the board of administrators following an ethics investigation. However Russell did not go quietly into the evening.

It got here again on our radar just a few weeks in the past with the launch of a brand new firm referred to as Russell AI Labs. And now (cue the deep, ominous “dum dum duuuuummmm”): He’s made a proposal to accumulate Luminar.

Senior Reporter Sean O’Kane broke the story, which you’ll be able to learn right here. Since then, he has realized just a few extra particulars past what was disclosed within the SEC submitting.

This will likely look like a attainable hostile transfer – in spite of everything, it was disclosed in a doc by Russell, and Luminar doesn’t touch upon the proposal. However we realized from a supply that Luminar board members approached the founder in regards to the thought final month. (The phrase we have been advised was that they “inspired” it.)

The implication right here is that a number of the 9 members of Luminar’s board of administrators really need him again, even if three of the board’s audit committee members carried out an ethics inquiry into him only a few months in the past, resulting in his dismissal.

The proposed acquisition as described within the submitting is obscure, however may contain Russell AI Labs buying a unique automotive know-how firm and merging it with Luminar. As of this morning, we have heard that Russell has already been skilled on some choices as a part of the due diligence he did with Russell AI Labs, which he sees as an incubator of kinds.

Presents!

Two notable offers this week befell within the electrical aviation sector.

The primary is Beta applied scienceswhich took benefit of the SEC’s eased guidelines through the U.S. authorities shutdown to cost shares for its preliminary public providing. Shares are priced between $27 and $33, with hopes of elevating as much as $825 million. If the corporate attracts buyers on the prime of that vary, it would debut with a valuation of about $7.2 billion.

The SEC issued steering earlier this month that enables corporations in IPO limbo to permit their statements on sure areas, together with inventory value, to robotically develop into efficient after 20 days, even with out SEC employees evaluate. A number of different corporations, together with Navan, have moved ahead with IPO plans below this rule.

And there may be Lilywho was concerned in a really completely different sort of enterprise. THE The electrical plane startup might have ceased operations a yr in the past, however its know-how lives on in Aviation Archer.

Archer received a bidding course of – by which Bold Air Mobility Group and Joby Aviation additionally participated – and bought all 300 of Lilium’s patents. The value, 18 million euros (21 million {dollars}), is a formidable quantity when in comparison with the a couple of billion {dollars} that the now-defunct startup raised all through its existence.

The query is what does Archer plan to do with these patents? The corporate just isn’t express, however there are some suggestions, which you’ll be able to learn in my story.

Different gives that caught my eye this week…

Within the airan Indian drone startup based in 2020, has raised $8.65 million in seed funding led by Bodily Intelligence co-founder Lachy Groom. Humba Ventures and Airbound’s current investor Lightspeed Enterprise Companions, in addition to senior leaders from Tesla, SpaceX and Anduril, have joined.

Dexotorya London-based warehouse robotics startup, raised US$165 million in fairness and debt. The $100 million Collection C spherical was led by Eurazeo with participation from backers LTS Development, Endeavor Catalyst, DTCP, Atomico, Lakestar, Elaia, Latitude Ventures and Wave-X. The corporate additionally secured $65 million in debt financing from Bootstrap Europe.

FleetWorksa logistics startup creating an “always-on” AI dispatcher has raised $17 million in fairness and debt, together with a $15 million Collection A spherical led by Invoice Trenchard of First Spherical Capital. Y Combinator, Saga Ventures and LFX Enterprise Companions additionally participated in FleetWorks Collection A.

Pony.ai and We experience have obtained a key approval from Chinese language securities regulators that paves the way in which for autonomous automobile know-how corporations to hunt secondary listings on the Hong Kong Inventory Change. Chinese language corporations are already publicly traded within the US on the Nasdaq change.

Starship applied sciencesthe autonomous curbside supply startup, raised US$50 million in a Collection C spherical led by Plural. Karma.vcLatitude, Coefficient Capital, SmartCap and Skaala additionally joined.

Upcitia wise metropolis software program firm primarily based in Paris, raised US$20 million in Collection A financing led by Notion Capital. Different buyers included Level 9 and Chalfen Ventures.

Zeptothe Indian meals supply firm, raised US$450 million in financing forward of a public itemizing set, Bloomberg reported.

Notable Readings and Different Data

THE Nationwide Transportation Security Board opined on OceanGate, the catastrophe that killed 5 folks throughout a visit to see the wreckage of the Titanic. The NTSB issued a report which discovered that the Titan submersible didn’t meet manufacturing security requirements.

Stellantis and Chinese language autonomous automobile firm Pony.ai are working collectively to construct robotaxis to be used in Europe, albeit via a non-binding settlement. The plan is to combine Pony’s autonomous software program into Stellantis’ midsize electrical van platform.

As Stellantis delves deeper into autonomous automobile know-how, it’s pulling again on electrification. The automaker stated it would make investments US$13 billion to bolster its manufacturing within the US over the subsequent 4 years. (By the way in which, this plan has not gone down effectively with unions in Canada.) 5 new automobiles might be developed and produced by 2029 as a part of funding in factories in Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. Solely certainly one of them might be electrified, a marked distinction from Stellantis’ technique just a few years in the past.

Uber is providing a brand new gig work type: digital duties corresponding to importing images to assist practice AI fashions.

Waymo is increasing to London. The corporate stated it would provide a business robotaxi service in London in 2026, marking the Alphabet-owned firm’s second worldwide growth after Tokyo.

As regular, there was a couple of Waymo information. The corporate entered right into a multi-year strategic settlement with Sprint Door to ship items to prospects within the Phoenix space utilizing driverless automobiles. It has been some time since Waymo has experimented with supply. Is that this a touch of what is to return? I imagine so.

Yet another factor…

Talking of Waymo and supply, it made me marvel what the perfect enterprise mannequin is. It has been a minute since we ran a ballot, so I hope you may take part if you happen to join the e-newsletter. I’ll share the outcomes subsequent week.

• October 16
• Information
• Period 4:26

A brand new research underway at Simon Fraser College seems on the results of social media on youngsters’s ethical and behavioral improvement. Joanna Peplak, assistant professor of developmental psychology at SFU and director of the Develop to Care Lab, talks to Dan Burritt in regards to the ongoing research. Correction: An earlier model of this video description incorrectly said that the research discovered a detailed hyperlink between excessive ranges of social media use and psychiatric issues. Actually, the research is ongoing and the info has not but been compiled.

In 2025, it seems that cybercriminals are profitable whereas the world’s greatest knowledge hoarders are shedding. One after the other, world giants are admitting they’ve been breached, from tech powerhouses like Google to insurance coverage leaders like Allianz and Farmers and even luxurious manufacturers like Dior. The most recent firm to report a breach is Discord. The favored chat platform confirmed that hackers gained entry to a third-party buyer assist supplier, 5CA, exposing consumer knowledge together with names, e-mail addresses, restricted billing particulars and even authorities identification photographs.

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MAJOR COMPANIES INCLUDING GOOGLE AND DIOR HIT BY MASSIVE SALES FORCE DATA BREAK

How the breach occurred and what knowledge was uncovered

The corporate confirmed that the breach, which occurred on September 20, didn’t contain a direct assault on Discord servers. As an alternative, the attackers gained unauthorized entry to 5CA, one in every of Discord’s third-party customer support suppliers. This allowed them to view data from customers who contacted Discord’s Buyer Help or Belief and Security groups.

Discord is a chat app primarily utilized by avid gamers, but it surely has expanded to a number of different communities, permitting texting, voice chats, and video calls. Some even use it as a Slack substitute. The platform at the moment has a month-to-month consumer base of over 200 million. The uncovered knowledge included Discord usernames, actual names, emails, restricted billing particulars reminiscent of cost sort and the final 4 digits of bank cards, IP addresses, and messages exchanged with customer support brokers. In some circumstances, authorities identification photographs supplied for age verification have additionally been compromised. Discord estimates that round 70,000 customers around the globe could have had authorities ID pictures uncovered.

Studies recommend that attackers tried to make use of this entry to demand a ransom from Discord. Bleeping Laptop reported that the Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters (SLH) risk group claimed duty for the assault earlier this month. This is identical group that claims to have entry to over a billion Salesforce data and likewise calls for ransom for them.

JEEP AND CHRYSLER PARENT STELLANTIS CONFIRMS DATA BREACH

What Discord is doing now and what customers ought to do subsequent

Discord publicized the incident 13 days later, on October 3. It has since lower off entry from the third-party assist supplier, launched an inner investigation with a digital forensics group, and begun informing affected customers. It additionally clarified that any communication relating to the breach will solely come from noreply@discord.com and that it’s going to by no means contact customers by cellphone relating to this incident. The corporate added that some knowledge remained safe: full bank card numbers, CCV codes, account passwords, and exercise outdoors of buyer assist conversations weren’t uncovered.

Discord additionally acknowledged that it has notified related knowledge safety authorities concerning the breach, is working intently with legislation enforcement authorities, and is auditing its third-party distributors to make sure they meet its enhanced safety and privateness requirements sooner or later.

A Discord consultant issued a press release, saying partially: “We wish to tackle inaccurate claims by these accountable which might be circulating on-line. First, as acknowledged in our weblog submit, this was not a breach of Discord, however moderately a third-party service we use to assist our customer support efforts. Second, the numbers shared are incorrect and are a part of an try to extort a cost from the Discord. Of the impacted accounts globally, we recognized roughly 70,000 customers who could have uncovered authorities mugshots, which our vendor used to investigate age-related options. Third, we won’t reward these chargeable for their unlawful actions. All affected customers globally have been contacted and we proceed to work intently with legislation enforcement, knowledge safety authorities and exterior safety specialists. We defend affected programs and we terminate the work with the dedicated provider. We take our duty to guard your private knowledge severely and perceive the priority this may increasingly trigger.”

6 Steps You Can Take to Keep Secure After Discord Breach

If you happen to assume your knowledge could have been leaked within the Discord knowledge breach, beneath are some steps you possibly can take to remain protected.

1) Allow two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) provides an additional verification step when logging in, making it a lot more durable for attackers to entry your account even when they’ve your password. Discord helps 2FA via authenticator apps or SMS. As soon as activated, you’ll obtain a code each time you log in on a brand new system. This straightforward step can forestall account takeovers and provide you with peace of thoughts.

2) Think about a private knowledge removing service

The much less data accessible about you, the more durable it is going to be for attackers to assault you. Evaluate what private particulars you’ve got shared on-line and take away pointless knowledge from web sites and apps. A private knowledge removing service may help clear your data from knowledge brokerage websites, making it more durable for attackers to attach the dots and launch identification theft or phishing assaults.

Whereas no service guarantees to take away all your knowledge from the Web, having a removing service is nice if you wish to continually monitor and automate the method of frequently eradicating your data from a whole lot of internet sites over a protracted time period.

Take a look at my high picks for knowledge removing companies and get a free verify to search out out in case your private data is already on the net by visiting Cyberguy.com

Run a free verify to search out out in case your private data is already on the net: Cyberguy.com

3) Use sturdy and distinctive passwords for all accounts

Reusing passwords throughout platforms makes it simpler for attackers to entry a number of accounts if one password is compromised. A password supervisor can generate lengthy, advanced passwords and retailer them securely so you do not have to recollect all of them. This not solely protects your Discord account, but additionally your e-mail, banking, and different on-line companies.

Subsequent, see in case your e-mail has been uncovered in earlier breaches. Our #1 password supervisor (see Cyberguy.com) features a built-in breach scanner that checks whether or not your e-mail tackle or passwords have appeared in recognized breaches. If you happen to uncover a match, instantly change any reused passwords and safe these accounts with new, distinctive credentials.

Take a look at the very best expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 at Cyberguy.com

4) Monitor accounts for suspicious exercise

Even when you do not see rapid indicators of compromise, attackers could attempt to exploit the stolen knowledge later. Usually verify your e-mail and Discord login historical past for uncommon logins. Providers like identification theft safety can verify your credentials on the darkish net and provide you with a warning instantly if they seem, serving to you react rapidly earlier than severe injury happens.

Identification theft corporations can monitor private data like your social safety quantity (SSN), cellphone quantity, and e-mail tackle and provide you with a warning whether it is being bought on the darkish net or used to open an account. They will additionally provide help to freeze your financial institution and bank card accounts to stop unauthorized use by criminals.
See my ideas and high picks on methods to defend your self from identification theft at Cyberguy.com

5) Be cautious with emails, messages or hyperlinks and use sturdy antivirus software program

Phishing assaults typically improve after breaches. Attackers could ship messages that appear to be official notifications asking you to reset your password or present private data. At all times verify the sender, keep away from clicking on unknown hyperlinks and by no means share confidential data. Deal with all surprising messages as suspicious, even when they seem to return from Discord or one other trusted service.

The easiest way to guard your self towards malicious hyperlinks that set up malware, probably accessing your non-public data, is to have sturdy antivirus software program put in on all of your gadgets. This safety may provide you with a warning to phishing emails and ransomware scams, retaining your private data and digital belongings protected.

Get my picks for 2025’s finest antivirus safety winners to your Home windows, Mac, Android, and iOS gadgets at Cyberguy.com

6) Maintain gadgets and software program updated

Attackers typically exploit outdated software program and recognized vulnerabilities. Ensure your working system, purposes and antivirus software program are updated.

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Kurt’s foremost lesson

If latest breaches are any indication, the third-party companies that corporations depend on are sometimes the weakest hyperlink in cybersecurity. Discord’s measures to include the scenario are vital, however they spotlight a bigger downside. Many corporations don’t implement adequate safeguards to guard delicate consumer knowledge. Poor third-party vendor oversight, delayed responses, and insufficient safety insurance policies go away private data uncovered and susceptible to attackers.

Ought to corporations be held extra accountable for breaches attributable to third-party distributors? Tell us by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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Obtain my finest tech ideas, pressing safety alerts, and unique provides straight to your inbox. Plus, you will get on the spot entry to my Final Rip-off Survival Information – without cost whenever you be part of my CYBERGUY.COM e-newsletter.

Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

iOS 26 was launched final month, however the software program practice by no means stops and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. Thus far, iOS 26.1 makes Apple Intelligence and Stay Translation accessible on supported AirPods in extra languages, and features a few different small modifications to the Apple Music, Calendar, Photographs, Clock, and Safari apps.

Extra options and modifications will are available future variations, from later beta variations of iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4. These are simply the options recognized to this point and plenty of extra will definitely be added subsequent 12 months.

Digital Passport

iOS 26 will allow you to add a digital model of your US passport to Apple’s Pockets app.

The function will probably be accessible later this 12 months, in keeping with the nice print on Apple’s web site. Apple initially stated a software program replace could be required, however would not point out it additional, so maybe the function could possibly be enabled with a server-side replace.

When you create a digital ID within the Pockets app, you possibly can current it in particular person at TSA checkpoints at choose U.S. airports for identification verification functions throughout home journey. Nevertheless, Apple states that it doesn’t exchange a bodily passport and can’t be used for worldwide journey and border crossings.

Apple claims the function is safe, non-public and REAL ID compliant.

It is going to even be attainable to make use of the Digital Identification function to confirm age and identification in purposes, on-line and in shops, in keeping with Apple.

RCS Updates

Earlier this 12 months, Apple stated it deliberate so as to add help for end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging to the Messages app in future iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS software program updates, and we’re nonetheless ready for that to occur. Nevertheless, the replace has not but been rolled out to iPhones working iOS 26, or the beta variations of iOS 26.1 launched to this point.

Finish-to-end encryption for RCS was introduced in March as a part of the version 3.0 of the RCS Universal Profilea world normal for RCS options and specs. Which means Apple has not directly confirmed that it’s going to help RCS Common Profile 3.0, which incorporates not solely end-to-end encryption for RCS, however a number of different iMessage-like enhancements for RCS that have been initially launched in RCS‌ Common Profile 2.7.

Apple has to attend for carriers to implement RCS Common Profile 3.0 as properly, so it is comprehensible that the method is taking time.

Listed here are 5 new options anticipated for RCS conversations on iPhone, iPad, and Mac as soon as Apple launches help for RCS Common Profile 3.0:

• Finish-to-end encryption, which can stop Apple and every other third social gathering from studying messages and attachments as they’re despatched between units, as has all the time been the case with iMessage
• On-line Solutions
• Edit messages
• Cancel sending messages
• Full Tapback help for RCS messages, with out particular workarounds

RCS help as an entire has been added to iPhone with iOS 18, which helps ‌RCS‌ Common Profile 2.4. It’s successfully a modernized model of the SMS normal, which stays accessible as a substitute choice for texting over a mobile community.

RCS will probably be attempting to maintain up with iMessage in a number of methods. iMessage conversations with blue bubbles have supported end-to-end encryption by default since iOS 5. Moreover, iMessage has supported inline replies since iOS 14, whereas choices to edit and unsend iMessages have been launched in iOS 16.

It appears possible that Apple will launch these RCS updates sooner or later through the iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, and watchOS 26 software program cycle.

Personalised Siri

In late July, Apple CEO Tim Cook dinner stated his firm was making “good progress” on a extra personalised model of Siri and reiterated that the options have been on monitor to be launched subsequent 12 months. BloombergMark Gurman expects the brand new Siri to launch within the US in spring 2026, so Apple will possible intention to launch iOS 26.4.

Apple first introduced customized Siri options throughout its WWDC 2024 keynote, however in March it introduced that they’ve been delayed. New options will embrace higher understanding of the person’s private context, on-screen recognition, and deeper per-app controls. For instance, Apple confirmed an iPhone person asking Siri about his mom’s flight and lunch reservation plans primarily based on info from the Mail and Messages apps.

Climate through satellite tv for pc

Firstly of this 12 months, MacRumors taxpayer Aaron Perris has found references to an unreleased “Satellite tv for pc Climate” function within the code of the primary iOS 26 developer beta. Nevertheless, the function has not but been launched and even introduced by Apple, so it’s unclear whether or not it’s nonetheless coming or has been scrapped. It could nonetheless be launched ultimately.

The function would assist you to view the forecast and different climate info within the Climate app, in supported areas with out Wi-Fi and mobile vary. Apple’s different satellite tv for pc options embrace satellite tv for pc emergency SOS, satellite tv for pc messaging, satellite tv for pc Discover My, and satellite tv for pc roadside help, with availability various by nation.

Apple has not but charged any charges for any of its satellite tv for pc options. Final month, the corporate introduced that it’s providing present iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 customers a further 12 months of free entry to the complete suite of satellite tv for pc options on these units.

New emojis

iOS 26.4 will possible add new built-in emojis to the iPhone.

In celebration of World Emoji Day on July 17, the Unicode Consortium viewed a few of the new emojis which can be a part of Unicode 17.0.

Listed here are a few of the new emojis:

• Trombone
• Treasure Chest
• Distorted face
• Furry Creature (Bigfoot/Sasquatch)
• Battle the cloud
• Apple Core
• orca
• Dancers
• Landslide

Notably, Distorted Face is a well-liked emoji on Discord servers. It is basically a distorted model of the embarrassed face emoji, also referred to as Flushed Face.

Usually, Apple takes a number of months to create new emojis in its personal type, so the emojis listed above will possible be added to the iPhone in iOS 26.4.

Apple lately added new emojis to the iPhone with iOS 18.4, an replace launched in late March. iOS 17.4, iOS 16.4, and iOS 15.4 have additionally launched new emojis over time, so the timing has grow to be predictable at this level, if it persists.