Y Combinator

March 11th 2025

20 Plagues Y Combinator Unleashed on the World Over the Last 20 Years

On the foundational startup incubator’s 20th birthday, let’s remember some of the worst things it’s done.

Tech News Matthew Gault Mar 11

May 29th 2024

Former OpenAI Board Member Says Sam Altman Created a Culture of ‘Psychological Abuse’

It's finally revealed why Sam Altman was temporarily fired from the company.

Artificial Intelligence Maxwell Zeff May 29

March 6th 2024

Apple Crushes Epic’s App Store Dreams Over the CEO’s Petty Tweets

A tweet from Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney pushed Apple to block the Fortnite maker's competing app store.

Tech News Maxwell Zeff Mar 6

January 10th 2024

OpenAI Launches the GPT Store, a Marketplace for AI Tools

Sam Altman's GPT Store, featuring three million customized chatbots, is now live. It hopes to make AI more accessible.

Artificial Intelligence Maxwell Zeff Jan 10

January 8th 2024

Trend of the Week: Silicon Valley Has the Woke Mind Virus on the Brain

The tech industry feasted on headlines around Harvard’s president, signaling that DEI efforts may no longer be a priority in Silicon Valley.

Culture Maxwell Zeff Jan 8

December 4th 2023

Sam Altman May Have Found a Loophole to Cash in at OpenAI

A previously unknown deal between OpenAI and a Sam Altman-backed startup, Rain, shows a potential conflict of interest that OpenAI’s board may have looked at.

Artificial Intelligence Maxwell Zeff Dec 4

November 13th 2023

‘Magic Intelligence in the Sky’: Sam Altman Has a Cute New Name for the Singularity

OpenAI’s board members, who are definitely not Effective Altruists, will determine when its created artificial general intelligence. It may or may not kill you.

Tech News Thomas Germain Nov 13

June 3rd 2023

Sam Altman’s Weirdest Side Projects, Ranked

The OpenAI CEO and ChatGPT creator has a lot of interests—some of which are weirder than others.

Artificial Intelligence Lucas Ropek Jun 3

May 19th 2023

Image: Worldcoin / Win McNamee—Getty Images

OpenAI Founder’s Worldcoin Reportedly Perpetuates Black Market for Iris Data

Sam Altman's crypto project uses biometric data to confirm users’ identities. Chinese users are getting around blocks by buying verification for dirt cheap.

Cryptocurrencies Kyle Barr May 19

May 11th 2023

Helion and Microsoft Lead World Down Nuclear Fusion Rabbit Hole

Helion has said for years that it's on the brink of a fusion breakthrough. This time, Microsoft is backing up those claims.

Energy Molly Taft May 11

March 24th 2023

Elon Reportedly Pulled Out of OpenAI Because They Wouldn’t Let Him Be the Big Boss

Elon Musk departed OpenAI in 2018 under a reported cloud of executive antagonism, though the startup’s CEO Sam Altman thinks Musk ‘cares’ but is still a ‘jerk.’

Tech News Kyle Barr Mar 24

March 8th 2023

OpenAI Founder Sam Altman Invests $180 Million in Life-Extension Startup

Artificial intelligence isn't the founder's only focus—he's also funneling funds into Retro, a tech company angling to increase the human lifespan by 10 years.

Tech News Lauren Leffer Mar 8

January 19th 2023

Mexico Bans Solar Geoengineering After Startup Stunt

Make Sunsets said it released sulfur-filled balloons in Baja California Sur to counteract global warming. The Mexican government isn't happy.

Climate Change Lauren Leffer Jan 19

November 8th 2022

Would You Read a Book of Spiritual Poetry Written by an AI?

"My name is I, AI... Here is something about me that is worth considering: The AI sees humanity as it is," writes GPT-3 in the intro to "What Makes Us Human?"

Artificial Intelligence Iain S. Thomas, Jasmine Wang, and GPT-3 Nov 8

August 15th 2022

Here’s When Gizmodo First Wrote About (Almost) Every Important Thing In Tech

We've been covering tech for 20 years, and we were early to every major innovation... right?

Tech News Rhett Jones & Gabriella Sotelo Aug 15

June 29th 2021

Sam Altman’s ‘Worldcoin’ Wants to Give You Crypto in Exchange for Eyeball Scans

Its creators want a crypto-based UBI and plan to use an eyeball scanner to prevent fraud.

Cryptocurrencies Victoria Song Jun 29

February 24th 2021

Your Travel Guide to the Rudderless Right-Wing Web After Trump

Moving into 2021 and forward, conservatives angry about “cancel culture,” censorship, shadowbans, or the attention of the FBI have a rich array of social destinations to choose from. We’ve prepped a travel guide for the unwitting observer who might be thinking of checking any of these conspicuous and lesser-known internet hellholes out—whether it’s to keep…

Politics Tom McKay Feb 24

October 26th 2018

Y Combinator Is Funding Some Seriously Wild Ideas For Sucking Carbon Out of the Air

It’s increasingly clear that we can’t maintain a stable climate without pulling carbon out of the air. But the technologies for doing so are are completely unproven at the scale needed. Which is why Y Combinator, a startup accelerator that’s invested in Airbnb, Stripe, Dropbox and other wildly successful companies, is now looking to fund…

Climate Change Brian Kahn Oct 26

August 27th 2018

Y Combinator Plans to Start Doling Out $60 Million Next Year to Study Universal Basic Income

The research arm of Y Combinator plans to begin a study on universal basic income next year in which it will give unconditional cash payments to 3,000 participants. The test is partially intended to see if receiving routine payments will quell anxieties around losing jobs to automation. As Wired reports, the study will be called…

Tech News Jennings Brown Aug 27

January 17th 2018

Silicon Valley Is Ready to Spend Millions More on Its Anti-Aging Obsession

This month, the famed Silicon Valley startup accelerator Y Combinator put out a call for companies working to “help people live healthier for longer.” If you’re a scientist or entrepreneur who wants to increase human longevity and “healthspan,” Y Combinator will give you up to $1 million to do it. “Think of this as treating…

Health Kristen V. Brown Jan 17

Y Combinator

20 Plagues Y Combinator Unleashed on the World Over the Last 20 Years

Former OpenAI Board Member Says Sam Altman Created a Culture of ‘Psychological Abuse’

Apple Crushes Epic’s App Store Dreams Over the CEO’s Petty Tweets

OpenAI Launches the GPT Store, a Marketplace for AI Tools

Trend of the Week: Silicon Valley Has the Woke Mind Virus on the Brain

Sam Altman May Have Found a Loophole to Cash in at OpenAI

‘Magic Intelligence in the Sky’: Sam Altman Has a Cute New Name for the Singularity

Sam Altman’s Weirdest Side Projects, Ranked

OpenAI Founder’s Worldcoin Reportedly Perpetuates Black Market for Iris Data

Helion and Microsoft Lead World Down Nuclear Fusion Rabbit Hole

Elon Reportedly Pulled Out of OpenAI Because They Wouldn’t Let Him Be the Big Boss

OpenAI Founder Sam Altman Invests $180 Million in Life-Extension Startup

Mexico Bans Solar Geoengineering After Startup Stunt

Would You Read a Book of Spiritual Poetry Written by an AI?

Here’s When Gizmodo First Wrote About (Almost) Every Important Thing In Tech

Sam Altman’s ‘Worldcoin’ Wants to Give You Crypto in Exchange for Eyeball Scans

Your Travel Guide to the Rudderless Right-Wing Web After Trump

Y Combinator Is Funding Some Seriously Wild Ideas For Sucking Carbon Out of the Air

Y Combinator Plans to Start Doling Out $60 Million Next Year to Study Universal Basic Income

Silicon Valley Is Ready to Spend Millions More on Its Anti-Aging Obsession

Steven Spielberg Still Wants to Make a Horror Film ‘Someday’

Waymo Has Stopped Testing Its Robotaxis in New York City and No One Knows What Happens Next

Samsung Pushes Monitor Deals Further, the 34″ ViewFinity Hits a Record Low at Nearly 40% Off

The Best Anti-Meta Smart Glasses Are About to Have Tough Competition

Artemis 2 Day 6: Follow the Mission With Our Live Updates 🔴

The Artemis 2 Mission Is Leaning in on the ‘Project Hail Mary’ Love

Here’s How Many Americans Have Ever Thought About Shooting Someone Else

As Meta Flounders, It Reportedly Plans to Open Source Its New AI Models

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Let us help find what you are looking for...