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‘The Toxic Avenger’ Star Elijah Wood on Cult Remakes and Why He Loves Weird Movies

‘The Toxic Avenger’ Star Elijah Wood on Cult Remakes and Why He Loves Weird Movies

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Elijah Wood will always be associated with the Lord of the Rings movies, but the actor has also built up a varied array of unusual characters across his career. Maybe his weirdest yet comes with The Toxic Avenger, the long-awaited remake of the cult classic that’s finally hitting theaters later this month. Wood has a memorable supporting role as Fritz, the brother and henchman of Kevin Bacon’s sleazy villain. He’s not as freaky-looking as the title mutant, played in human form by Peter Dinklage, but he comes awfully close.

io9 got a chance to talk to Wood about The Toxic Avenger (and a few other things in that vein) at the recent San Diego Comic-Con.

Cheryl Eddy, io9: Fritz is many things. He’s the head of security, he’s a music manager, he’s the villain’s brother. And he’s also very unusual looking. Did you come up with a backstory for him to explain what his life’s been like until this point?

Elijah Wood: No, but I think the writing’s on the wall there, like, he was born physically deformed, probably picked on. His brother was always smarter, more handsome, more capable. I think he desperately wanted to be loved and sort of wasn’t; he was kicked to the side and treated like shit. And so I think that turned him into, well, “I guess I’m the henchman,” and I think that brought out, not necessarily an evil in him, but I think it was like, resentment breeds dark deeds. I think that’s kind of how he became who he is.

And then, of course, his brother was just like, “I’m going to have you do my bidding,” to which he sort of acquiesced. And I think you see that in the movie; he probably really wants just to be loved. He’s actually sort of a sweet guy, and he’s just misunderstood.

io9: We saw you earlier this year playing a very different sort of villain in The Monkey. Which character do you think is more odious?

Wood: Oh, [The Monkey’s] Ted Hammerman, without question. Odious is a great word, by the way. Yeah, Ted is awful. Just a toxic male [who] thinks he knows better than everybody else. He’s got his whole perspective on what makes a great father, although I don’t think he really does know what makes a great father. That was a blast. I love Osgood [Perkins, director of The Monkey] too, and it was a joy to come and join that for a bit. I’ve been a fan of his for a long time.

io9: You starred in the Maniac remake back in 2012. And now you’re in the new Toxic Avenger. What draws you to these cult-beloved titles, and is there one you’d like to see be remade in the future, whether or not you star in it?

Wood: It’s all circumstantial. That one, I was drawn to it because it was taking the source material and doing something really different with it. Remakes are tricky, you know, and both of these films are related in the sense that they made something new of the source material rather than regurgitating it in the same way.

I was really attracted to Maniac because… my character doesn’t really show up. It’s primarily a POV film. I love POV horror; it’s really interesting. There’s a great POV horror film from the ‘60s, Peeping Tom. It reminded me of Peeping Tom a little bit, about how wonderful to take this and put you sort of in the mindset of, or at least the POV of, the characters. That was the reason I wanted to do that. And I love the creative team behind that film.

And then this one, I mean, Macon [Blair, director of Toxic Avenger], I’ll do anything Macon asks; I’m a huge fan of his work. I worked with him on this movie called I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore, and so I’ll do anything for him. He’s a dear friend. And then to be asked to play a character like this in this universe was just a blast. I think it was clear that it was an approach to the original material that was very much its own but had total reverence for what Lloyd [Kaufman of Troma Entertainment] had created.

So it was circumstantial that these two things came into my life. I don’t know that I’m seeking these things out, but I love genre, and I’m always going to be interested in making something weird and funny and absurd.

The Toxic Avenger hits theaters August 29.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, how AI is playing a part. To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility!

I am back from vacation. What did I miss? Turns out, quite a lot — including the end of the Uber-Waymo partnership in Phoenix. Uber and Waymo still have robotaxi service partnerships in Atlanta and Austin. The question is not if, but when will these agreements end? But that isn’t the most intriguing question, in my opinion. I am far more intrigued by how these two companies will behave once the remaining partnerships end. 

There is already tension with Uber executives taking not-so-subtle shots at Waymo. I expect that once the partnerships end, these thinly veiled barbs will be replaced with more direct action. One battleground will be policy, specifically markets where robotaxi companies are angling to get access. 

This week, we saw another interesting development in the autonomous vehicle industry on the federal stage. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a directive to autonomous vehicle developers, stating that it is unacceptable for their vehicles to interfere with first responders or law enforcement.

The money quote: “Let me be clear: the inability to detect and appropriately respond to such situations represents a functional insufficiency. Emergency scenes are not rare or extreme ‘edge cases.’ As such, NHTSA is today issuing a call to action for AV developers and operators to immediately focus their resources on fixing this issue.”

Morrison’s letter never calls out any one robotaxi company and it was sent to every AV developer listed in the Department of Transportation’s Standing General Order. But it sure seems like Morrison is directing the agency’s ire at Waymo.

A previous TechCrunch investigation found that Waymo — which operates the largest robotaxi fleet in the United States, with vehicles in cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco — has had repeated run-ins with first responders. And just this week, San Francisco supervisor Bilal Mahmood said he plans to submit a letter of inquiry to examine how autonomous vehicles affected public transit services and emergency responders following a July 4 fireworks show that resulted in massive gridlock. Local news outlets reported that numerous Waymo robotaxis had to be towed after running out of power during the lengthy traffic jam.

Morrison’s letter has gravitas. But will there be substantive consequences for AV developers? It’s hard to tell at this point. For now, the NHTSA has demanded companies present the agency with “solutions” by the end of the month.

One more news item from the feds. Take a look at the new 2026 Regulatory Plan and Unified Agenda, which was updated last week. It contains a long list of proposed changes to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) requirements, which govern vehicle design and equipment requirements. These proposed changes could help autonomous vehicle companies like Tesla and Zoox, which are developing vehicles without steering wheels, pedals, or other features required on human-driven cars.

A little bird

TechCrunch Mobility: A robotaxi ultimatum | TechCrunch Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, how AI is playing a part. To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! I am back from vacation. What did I miss? Turns out, quite a lot — including the end of the Uber-Waymo partnership in Phoenix. Uber and Waymo still have robotaxi service partnerships in Atlanta and Austin. The question is not if, but when will these agreements end? But that isn’t the most intriguing question, in my opinion. I am far more intrigued by how these two companies will behave once the remaining partnerships end.  There is already tension with Uber executives taking not-so-subtle shots at Waymo. I expect that once the partnerships end, these thinly veiled barbs will be replaced with more direct action. One battleground will be policy, specifically markets where robotaxi companies are angling to get access.  This week, we saw another interesting development in the autonomous vehicle industry on the federal stage. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a directive to autonomous vehicle developers, stating that it is unacceptable for their vehicles to interfere with first responders or law enforcement. The money quote: “Let me be clear: the inability to detect and appropriately respond to such situations represents a functional insufficiency. Emergency scenes are not rare or extreme ‘edge cases.’ As such, NHTSA is today issuing a call to action for AV developers and operators to immediately focus their resources on fixing this issue.” Morrison’s letter never calls out any one robotaxi company and it was sent to every AV developer listed in the Department of Transportation’s Standing General Order. But it sure seems like Morrison is directing the agency’s ire at Waymo. A previous TechCrunch investigation found that Waymo — which operates the largest robotaxi fleet in the United States, with vehicles in cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco — has had repeated run-ins with first responders. And just this week, San Francisco supervisor Bilal Mahmood said he plans to submit a letter of inquiry to examine how autonomous vehicles affected public transit services and emergency responders following a July 4 fireworks show that resulted in massive gridlock. Local news outlets reported that numerous Waymo robotaxis had to be towed after running out of power during the lengthy traffic jam. Morrison’s letter has gravitas. But will there be substantive consequences for AV developers? It’s hard to tell at this point. For now, the NHTSA has demanded companies present the agency with “solutions” by the end of the month. One more news item from the feds. Take a look at the new 2026 Regulatory Plan and Unified Agenda, which was updated last week. It contains a long list of proposed changes to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) requirements, which govern vehicle design and equipment requirements. These proposed changes could help autonomous vehicle companies like Tesla and Zoox, which are developing vehicles without steering wheels, pedals, or other features required on human-driven cars. A little bird Image Credits:Bryce Durbin Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my Signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com. Deals! Image Credits:Bryce Durbin We usually focus on venture deals, but this week I wanted to highlight Rivian and the sale of 86.25 million Class A common shares priced at .50 each (that includes an added 11.25 million in additional shares that underwriters opted to buy). In all, Rivian said it expects to raise .32 billion in new capital. The raise comes at a notable time for the EV maker. The company started delivering its new R2 SUV last month and recently raised its sales forecast for 2026. The company said it now expects to deliver between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles after outperforming its own expectations in the second quarter due to robust growth quarter-over-quarter in EDV and R1, coupled with the introduction of R2 deliveries.  The company didn’t explain the reason for the raise. But as a reminder, Rivian is not yet profitable and scaling up production of the R2 — or any vehicle for that matter — isn’t cheap! Other deals that got my attention … Bidbus, a Los Angeles-based startup that built a digital marketplace where multiple dealers can bid on a car, raised million in a Series A funding round led by Ibex Investors. Mucker Capital, FJ Labs, Motley Fool Ventures, Data Point Capital, Walter Ventures, and the Car Dealership Guy’s Yossi Levi also participated. Lyft said it plans to acquire Serveo’s bike-share business in Spain. Terms weren’t disclosed, but the ride-hailing company said it is expected to close this year. TaiSan, a U.K. battery startup, raised £4.65 million in a seed funding round co-led by Eos Advisory and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II. InnoEnergy, AFI Ventures, EverQuest Capital Partners, Exergon, Heartfelt Ventures, Adeline Arts & Science, Techmind, angel investor François Badelon, and matched funding from Innovate UK also participated. Notable reads and other tidbits Image Credits:Bryce Durbin AssuranceAmerica, a U.S. insurance provider, confirmed a data breach that affected the personal information and driver’s license numbers of 6.9 million people, making it the largest known spill of Americans’ driver’s license information this year. Beta Technologies, the electric vehicle takeoff and landing developer, completed operational flights conducted under the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration’s new eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. The flights covered about 275 nautical miles covering Virginia and Maryland.  Longtime followers of Tesla will remember the heady days when Elon Musk battled various short sellers of the company’s stock. Musk is more polarizing than ever, and one exchange-traded fund creator has found a way to tap into that negative sentiment with two new anti-Elon exchange-traded funds.  GM brand Chevrolet built an all-American EV truck. Senior reporter Tim De Chant asks, Why is nobody buying it?  Manna Aero, the Ireland-based autonomous drone delivery startup, is scaling up in the United States with a factory and operations center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that it says will employ 1,000 in the next few years.  Slate Auto teamed up with Crayola to offer its EV truck and SUV customers vehicle wraps in five crayon colors. (Reminder: The basic Slate EV vehicle isn’t painted. Instead, it comes in a gray composite material that can be customized with a vehicle wrap. The company has hundreds of options to choose from.) One more thing … TechCrunch podcast Build Mode just launched its third season, and it’s a banger. Build Mode is hosted by Isabelle Johannessen, who heads TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield program. Unlike Equity — the TC podcast I co-host along with Anthony Ha and Sean O’Kane — Build Mode is designed to help early-stage founders.  The new season kicks off with Precursor Ventures founder and managing partner Charles Hudson, who talks about what early-stage founders need to know before raising their first institutional round. Check it out: The new rules of early-stage fundraising with Charles Hudson. When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.#TechCrunch #Mobility #robotaxi #ultimatum #TechCrunchElon Musk,Uber,Waymo,Rivian,robotaxi,techcrunch mobility
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my Signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com.

Deals!

money the station
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

We usually focus on venture deals, but this week I wanted to highlight Rivian and the sale of 86.25 million Class A common shares priced at $15.50 each (that includes an added 11.25 million in additional shares that underwriters opted to buy).

In all, Rivian said it expects to raise $1.32 billion in new capital. The raise comes at a notable time for the EV maker. The company started delivering its new R2 SUV last month and recently raised its sales forecast for 2026. The company said it now expects to deliver between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles after outperforming its own expectations in the second quarter due to robust growth quarter-over-quarter in EDV and R1, coupled with the introduction of R2 deliveries. 

The company didn’t explain the reason for the raise. But as a reminder, Rivian is not yet profitable and scaling up production of the R2 — or any vehicle for that matter — isn’t cheap!

Other deals that got my attention …

Bidbus, a Los Angeles-based startup that built a digital marketplace where multiple dealers can bid on a car, raised $15 million in a Series A funding round led by Ibex Investors. Mucker Capital, FJ Labs, Motley Fool Ventures, Data Point Capital, Walter Ventures, and the Car Dealership Guy’s Yossi Levi also participated.

Lyft said it plans to acquire Serveo’s bike-share business in Spain. Terms weren’t disclosed, but the ride-hailing company said it is expected to close this year.

TaiSan, a U.K. battery startup, raised £4.65 million in a seed funding round co-led by Eos Advisory and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II. InnoEnergy, AFI Ventures, EverQuest Capital Partners, Exergon, Heartfelt Ventures, Adeline Arts & Science, Techmind, angel investor François Badelon, and matched funding from Innovate UK also participated.

Notable reads and other tidbits

Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

AssuranceAmerica, a U.S. insurance provider, confirmed a data breach that affected the personal information and driver’s license numbers of 6.9 million people, making it the largest known spill of Americans’ driver’s license information this year.

Beta Technologies, the electric vehicle takeoff and landing developer, completed operational flights conducted under the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration’s new eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. The flights covered about 275 nautical miles covering Virginia and Maryland. 

Longtime followers of Tesla will remember the heady days when Elon Musk battled various short sellers of the company’s stock. Musk is more polarizing than ever, and one exchange-traded fund creator has found a way to tap into that negative sentiment with two new anti-Elon exchange-traded funds. 

GM brand Chevrolet built an all-American EV truck. Senior reporter Tim De Chant asks, Why is nobody buying it? 

Manna Aero, the Ireland-based autonomous drone delivery startup, is scaling up in the United States with a factory and operations center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that it says will employ 1,000 in the next few years. 

Slate Auto teamed up with Crayola to offer its EV truck and SUV customers vehicle wraps in five crayon colors. (Reminder: The basic Slate EV vehicle isn’t painted. Instead, it comes in a gray composite material that can be customized with a vehicle wrap. The company has hundreds of options to choose from.)

One more thing …

TechCrunch podcast Build Mode just launched its third season, and it’s a banger. Build Mode is hosted by Isabelle Johannessen, who heads TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield program. Unlike Equity — the TC podcast I co-host along with Anthony Ha and Sean O’Kane — Build Mode is designed to help early-stage founders. 

The new season kicks off with Precursor Ventures founder and managing partner Charles Hudson, who talks about what early-stage founders need to know before raising their first institutional round.

Check it out: The new rules of early-stage fundraising with Charles Hudson.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

#TechCrunch #Mobility #robotaxi #ultimatum #TechCrunchElon Musk,Uber,Waymo,Rivian,robotaxi,techcrunch mobility">TechCrunch Mobility: A robotaxi ultimatum | TechCrunch Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, how AI is playing a part. To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! I am back from vacation. What did I miss? Turns out, quite a lot — including the end of the Uber-Waymo partnership in Phoenix. Uber and Waymo still have robotaxi service partnerships in Atlanta and Austin. The question is not if, but when will these agreements end? But that isn’t the most intriguing question, in my opinion. I am far more intrigued by how these two companies will behave once the remaining partnerships end.  There is already tension with Uber executives taking not-so-subtle shots at Waymo. I expect that once the partnerships end, these thinly veiled barbs will be replaced with more direct action. One battleground will be policy, specifically markets where robotaxi companies are angling to get access.  This week, we saw another interesting development in the autonomous vehicle industry on the federal stage. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a directive to autonomous vehicle developers, stating that it is unacceptable for their vehicles to interfere with first responders or law enforcement. The money quote: “Let me be clear: the inability to detect and appropriately respond to such situations represents a functional insufficiency. Emergency scenes are not rare or extreme ‘edge cases.’ As such, NHTSA is today issuing a call to action for AV developers and operators to immediately focus their resources on fixing this issue.” Morrison’s letter never calls out any one robotaxi company and it was sent to every AV developer listed in the Department of Transportation’s Standing General Order. But it sure seems like Morrison is directing the agency’s ire at Waymo. A previous TechCrunch investigation found that Waymo — which operates the largest robotaxi fleet in the United States, with vehicles in cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco — has had repeated run-ins with first responders. And just this week, San Francisco supervisor Bilal Mahmood said he plans to submit a letter of inquiry to examine how autonomous vehicles affected public transit services and emergency responders following a July 4 fireworks show that resulted in massive gridlock. Local news outlets reported that numerous Waymo robotaxis had to be towed after running out of power during the lengthy traffic jam. Morrison’s letter has gravitas. But will there be substantive consequences for AV developers? It’s hard to tell at this point. For now, the NHTSA has demanded companies present the agency with “solutions” by the end of the month. One more news item from the feds. Take a look at the new 2026 Regulatory Plan and Unified Agenda, which was updated last week. It contains a long list of proposed changes to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) requirements, which govern vehicle design and equipment requirements. These proposed changes could help autonomous vehicle companies like Tesla and Zoox, which are developing vehicles without steering wheels, pedals, or other features required on human-driven cars. A little bird Image Credits:Bryce Durbin Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my Signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com. Deals! Image Credits:Bryce Durbin We usually focus on venture deals, but this week I wanted to highlight Rivian and the sale of 86.25 million Class A common shares priced at .50 each (that includes an added 11.25 million in additional shares that underwriters opted to buy). In all, Rivian said it expects to raise .32 billion in new capital. The raise comes at a notable time for the EV maker. The company started delivering its new R2 SUV last month and recently raised its sales forecast for 2026. The company said it now expects to deliver between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles after outperforming its own expectations in the second quarter due to robust growth quarter-over-quarter in EDV and R1, coupled with the introduction of R2 deliveries.  The company didn’t explain the reason for the raise. But as a reminder, Rivian is not yet profitable and scaling up production of the R2 — or any vehicle for that matter — isn’t cheap! Other deals that got my attention … Bidbus, a Los Angeles-based startup that built a digital marketplace where multiple dealers can bid on a car, raised million in a Series A funding round led by Ibex Investors. Mucker Capital, FJ Labs, Motley Fool Ventures, Data Point Capital, Walter Ventures, and the Car Dealership Guy’s Yossi Levi also participated. Lyft said it plans to acquire Serveo’s bike-share business in Spain. Terms weren’t disclosed, but the ride-hailing company said it is expected to close this year. TaiSan, a U.K. battery startup, raised £4.65 million in a seed funding round co-led by Eos Advisory and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II. InnoEnergy, AFI Ventures, EverQuest Capital Partners, Exergon, Heartfelt Ventures, Adeline Arts & Science, Techmind, angel investor François Badelon, and matched funding from Innovate UK also participated. Notable reads and other tidbits Image Credits:Bryce Durbin AssuranceAmerica, a U.S. insurance provider, confirmed a data breach that affected the personal information and driver’s license numbers of 6.9 million people, making it the largest known spill of Americans’ driver’s license information this year. Beta Technologies, the electric vehicle takeoff and landing developer, completed operational flights conducted under the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration’s new eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. The flights covered about 275 nautical miles covering Virginia and Maryland.  Longtime followers of Tesla will remember the heady days when Elon Musk battled various short sellers of the company’s stock. Musk is more polarizing than ever, and one exchange-traded fund creator has found a way to tap into that negative sentiment with two new anti-Elon exchange-traded funds.  GM brand Chevrolet built an all-American EV truck. Senior reporter Tim De Chant asks, Why is nobody buying it?  Manna Aero, the Ireland-based autonomous drone delivery startup, is scaling up in the United States with a factory and operations center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that it says will employ 1,000 in the next few years.  Slate Auto teamed up with Crayola to offer its EV truck and SUV customers vehicle wraps in five crayon colors. (Reminder: The basic Slate EV vehicle isn’t painted. Instead, it comes in a gray composite material that can be customized with a vehicle wrap. The company has hundreds of options to choose from.) One more thing … TechCrunch podcast Build Mode just launched its third season, and it’s a banger. Build Mode is hosted by Isabelle Johannessen, who heads TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield program. Unlike Equity — the TC podcast I co-host along with Anthony Ha and Sean O’Kane — Build Mode is designed to help early-stage founders.  The new season kicks off with Precursor Ventures founder and managing partner Charles Hudson, who talks about what early-stage founders need to know before raising their first institutional round. Check it out: The new rules of early-stage fundraising with Charles Hudson. When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.#TechCrunch #Mobility #robotaxi #ultimatum #TechCrunchElon Musk,Uber,Waymo,Rivian,robotaxi,techcrunch mobility

TechCrunch Mobility!

I am back from vacation. What did I miss? Turns out, quite a lot — including the end of the Uber-Waymo partnership in Phoenix. Uber and Waymo still have robotaxi service partnerships in Atlanta and Austin. The question is not if, but when will these agreements end? But that isn’t the most intriguing question, in my opinion. I am far more intrigued by how these two companies will behave once the remaining partnerships end. 

There is already tension with Uber executives taking not-so-subtle shots at Waymo. I expect that once the partnerships end, these thinly veiled barbs will be replaced with more direct action. One battleground will be policy, specifically markets where robotaxi companies are angling to get access. 

This week, we saw another interesting development in the autonomous vehicle industry on the federal stage. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a directive to autonomous vehicle developers, stating that it is unacceptable for their vehicles to interfere with first responders or law enforcement.

The money quote: “Let me be clear: the inability to detect and appropriately respond to such situations represents a functional insufficiency. Emergency scenes are not rare or extreme ‘edge cases.’ As such, NHTSA is today issuing a call to action for AV developers and operators to immediately focus their resources on fixing this issue.”

Morrison’s letter never calls out any one robotaxi company and it was sent to every AV developer listed in the Department of Transportation’s Standing General Order. But it sure seems like Morrison is directing the agency’s ire at Waymo.

A previous TechCrunch investigation found that Waymo — which operates the largest robotaxi fleet in the United States, with vehicles in cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco — has had repeated run-ins with first responders. And just this week, San Francisco supervisor Bilal Mahmood said he plans to submit a letter of inquiry to examine how autonomous vehicles affected public transit services and emergency responders following a July 4 fireworks show that resulted in massive gridlock. Local news outlets reported that numerous Waymo robotaxis had to be towed after running out of power during the lengthy traffic jam.

Morrison’s letter has gravitas. But will there be substantive consequences for AV developers? It’s hard to tell at this point. For now, the NHTSA has demanded companies present the agency with “solutions” by the end of the month.

One more news item from the feds. Take a look at the new 2026 Regulatory Plan and Unified Agenda, which was updated last week. It contains a long list of proposed changes to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) requirements, which govern vehicle design and equipment requirements. These proposed changes could help autonomous vehicle companies like Tesla and Zoox, which are developing vehicles without steering wheels, pedals, or other features required on human-driven cars.

A little bird

TechCrunch Mobility: A robotaxi ultimatum | TechCrunch Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, how AI is playing a part. To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! I am back from vacation. What did I miss? Turns out, quite a lot — including the end of the Uber-Waymo partnership in Phoenix. Uber and Waymo still have robotaxi service partnerships in Atlanta and Austin. The question is not if, but when will these agreements end? But that isn’t the most intriguing question, in my opinion. I am far more intrigued by how these two companies will behave once the remaining partnerships end.  There is already tension with Uber executives taking not-so-subtle shots at Waymo. I expect that once the partnerships end, these thinly veiled barbs will be replaced with more direct action. One battleground will be policy, specifically markets where robotaxi companies are angling to get access.  This week, we saw another interesting development in the autonomous vehicle industry on the federal stage. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a directive to autonomous vehicle developers, stating that it is unacceptable for their vehicles to interfere with first responders or law enforcement. The money quote: “Let me be clear: the inability to detect and appropriately respond to such situations represents a functional insufficiency. Emergency scenes are not rare or extreme ‘edge cases.’ As such, NHTSA is today issuing a call to action for AV developers and operators to immediately focus their resources on fixing this issue.” Morrison’s letter never calls out any one robotaxi company and it was sent to every AV developer listed in the Department of Transportation’s Standing General Order. But it sure seems like Morrison is directing the agency’s ire at Waymo. A previous TechCrunch investigation found that Waymo — which operates the largest robotaxi fleet in the United States, with vehicles in cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco — has had repeated run-ins with first responders. And just this week, San Francisco supervisor Bilal Mahmood said he plans to submit a letter of inquiry to examine how autonomous vehicles affected public transit services and emergency responders following a July 4 fireworks show that resulted in massive gridlock. Local news outlets reported that numerous Waymo robotaxis had to be towed after running out of power during the lengthy traffic jam. Morrison’s letter has gravitas. But will there be substantive consequences for AV developers? It’s hard to tell at this point. For now, the NHTSA has demanded companies present the agency with “solutions” by the end of the month. One more news item from the feds. Take a look at the new 2026 Regulatory Plan and Unified Agenda, which was updated last week. It contains a long list of proposed changes to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) requirements, which govern vehicle design and equipment requirements. These proposed changes could help autonomous vehicle companies like Tesla and Zoox, which are developing vehicles without steering wheels, pedals, or other features required on human-driven cars. A little bird Image Credits:Bryce Durbin Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my Signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com. Deals! Image Credits:Bryce Durbin We usually focus on venture deals, but this week I wanted to highlight Rivian and the sale of 86.25 million Class A common shares priced at .50 each (that includes an added 11.25 million in additional shares that underwriters opted to buy). In all, Rivian said it expects to raise .32 billion in new capital. The raise comes at a notable time for the EV maker. The company started delivering its new R2 SUV last month and recently raised its sales forecast for 2026. The company said it now expects to deliver between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles after outperforming its own expectations in the second quarter due to robust growth quarter-over-quarter in EDV and R1, coupled with the introduction of R2 deliveries.  The company didn’t explain the reason for the raise. But as a reminder, Rivian is not yet profitable and scaling up production of the R2 — or any vehicle for that matter — isn’t cheap! Other deals that got my attention … Bidbus, a Los Angeles-based startup that built a digital marketplace where multiple dealers can bid on a car, raised million in a Series A funding round led by Ibex Investors. Mucker Capital, FJ Labs, Motley Fool Ventures, Data Point Capital, Walter Ventures, and the Car Dealership Guy’s Yossi Levi also participated. Lyft said it plans to acquire Serveo’s bike-share business in Spain. Terms weren’t disclosed, but the ride-hailing company said it is expected to close this year. TaiSan, a U.K. battery startup, raised £4.65 million in a seed funding round co-led by Eos Advisory and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II. InnoEnergy, AFI Ventures, EverQuest Capital Partners, Exergon, Heartfelt Ventures, Adeline Arts & Science, Techmind, angel investor François Badelon, and matched funding from Innovate UK also participated. Notable reads and other tidbits Image Credits:Bryce Durbin AssuranceAmerica, a U.S. insurance provider, confirmed a data breach that affected the personal information and driver’s license numbers of 6.9 million people, making it the largest known spill of Americans’ driver’s license information this year. Beta Technologies, the electric vehicle takeoff and landing developer, completed operational flights conducted under the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration’s new eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. The flights covered about 275 nautical miles covering Virginia and Maryland.  Longtime followers of Tesla will remember the heady days when Elon Musk battled various short sellers of the company’s stock. Musk is more polarizing than ever, and one exchange-traded fund creator has found a way to tap into that negative sentiment with two new anti-Elon exchange-traded funds.  GM brand Chevrolet built an all-American EV truck. Senior reporter Tim De Chant asks, Why is nobody buying it?  Manna Aero, the Ireland-based autonomous drone delivery startup, is scaling up in the United States with a factory and operations center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that it says will employ 1,000 in the next few years.  Slate Auto teamed up with Crayola to offer its EV truck and SUV customers vehicle wraps in five crayon colors. (Reminder: The basic Slate EV vehicle isn’t painted. Instead, it comes in a gray composite material that can be customized with a vehicle wrap. The company has hundreds of options to choose from.) One more thing … TechCrunch podcast Build Mode just launched its third season, and it’s a banger. Build Mode is hosted by Isabelle Johannessen, who heads TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield program. Unlike Equity — the TC podcast I co-host along with Anthony Ha and Sean O’Kane — Build Mode is designed to help early-stage founders.  The new season kicks off with Precursor Ventures founder and managing partner Charles Hudson, who talks about what early-stage founders need to know before raising their first institutional round. Check it out: The new rules of early-stage fundraising with Charles Hudson. When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.#TechCrunch #Mobility #robotaxi #ultimatum #TechCrunchElon Musk,Uber,Waymo,Rivian,robotaxi,techcrunch mobility
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my Signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com.

Deals!

money the station
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

We usually focus on venture deals, but this week I wanted to highlight Rivian and the sale of 86.25 million Class A common shares priced at $15.50 each (that includes an added 11.25 million in additional shares that underwriters opted to buy).

In all, Rivian said it expects to raise $1.32 billion in new capital. The raise comes at a notable time for the EV maker. The company started delivering its new R2 SUV last month and recently raised its sales forecast for 2026. The company said it now expects to deliver between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles after outperforming its own expectations in the second quarter due to robust growth quarter-over-quarter in EDV and R1, coupled with the introduction of R2 deliveries. 

The company didn’t explain the reason for the raise. But as a reminder, Rivian is not yet profitable and scaling up production of the R2 — or any vehicle for that matter — isn’t cheap!

Other deals that got my attention …

Bidbus, a Los Angeles-based startup that built a digital marketplace where multiple dealers can bid on a car, raised $15 million in a Series A funding round led by Ibex Investors. Mucker Capital, FJ Labs, Motley Fool Ventures, Data Point Capital, Walter Ventures, and the Car Dealership Guy’s Yossi Levi also participated.

Lyft said it plans to acquire Serveo’s bike-share business in Spain. Terms weren’t disclosed, but the ride-hailing company said it is expected to close this year.

TaiSan, a U.K. battery startup, raised £4.65 million in a seed funding round co-led by Eos Advisory and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II. InnoEnergy, AFI Ventures, EverQuest Capital Partners, Exergon, Heartfelt Ventures, Adeline Arts & Science, Techmind, angel investor François Badelon, and matched funding from Innovate UK also participated.

Notable reads and other tidbits

Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

AssuranceAmerica, a U.S. insurance provider, confirmed a data breach that affected the personal information and driver’s license numbers of 6.9 million people, making it the largest known spill of Americans’ driver’s license information this year.

Beta Technologies, the electric vehicle takeoff and landing developer, completed operational flights conducted under the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration’s new eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. The flights covered about 275 nautical miles covering Virginia and Maryland. 

Longtime followers of Tesla will remember the heady days when Elon Musk battled various short sellers of the company’s stock. Musk is more polarizing than ever, and one exchange-traded fund creator has found a way to tap into that negative sentiment with two new anti-Elon exchange-traded funds. 

GM brand Chevrolet built an all-American EV truck. Senior reporter Tim De Chant asks, Why is nobody buying it? 

Manna Aero, the Ireland-based autonomous drone delivery startup, is scaling up in the United States with a factory and operations center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that it says will employ 1,000 in the next few years. 

Slate Auto teamed up with Crayola to offer its EV truck and SUV customers vehicle wraps in five crayon colors. (Reminder: The basic Slate EV vehicle isn’t painted. Instead, it comes in a gray composite material that can be customized with a vehicle wrap. The company has hundreds of options to choose from.)

One more thing …

TechCrunch podcast Build Mode just launched its third season, and it’s a banger. Build Mode is hosted by Isabelle Johannessen, who heads TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield program. Unlike Equity — the TC podcast I co-host along with Anthony Ha and Sean O’Kane — Build Mode is designed to help early-stage founders. 

The new season kicks off with Precursor Ventures founder and managing partner Charles Hudson, who talks about what early-stage founders need to know before raising their first institutional round.

Check it out: The new rules of early-stage fundraising with Charles Hudson.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

#TechCrunch #Mobility #robotaxi #ultimatum #TechCrunchElon Musk,Uber,Waymo,Rivian,robotaxi,techcrunch mobility">TechCrunch Mobility: A robotaxi ultimatum | TechCrunch

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, how AI is playing a part. To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility!

I am back from vacation. What did I miss? Turns out, quite a lot — including the end of the Uber-Waymo partnership in Phoenix. Uber and Waymo still have robotaxi service partnerships in Atlanta and Austin. The question is not if, but when will these agreements end? But that isn’t the most intriguing question, in my opinion. I am far more intrigued by how these two companies will behave once the remaining partnerships end. 

There is already tension with Uber executives taking not-so-subtle shots at Waymo. I expect that once the partnerships end, these thinly veiled barbs will be replaced with more direct action. One battleground will be policy, specifically markets where robotaxi companies are angling to get access. 

This week, we saw another interesting development in the autonomous vehicle industry on the federal stage. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a directive to autonomous vehicle developers, stating that it is unacceptable for their vehicles to interfere with first responders or law enforcement.

The money quote: “Let me be clear: the inability to detect and appropriately respond to such situations represents a functional insufficiency. Emergency scenes are not rare or extreme ‘edge cases.’ As such, NHTSA is today issuing a call to action for AV developers and operators to immediately focus their resources on fixing this issue.”

Morrison’s letter never calls out any one robotaxi company and it was sent to every AV developer listed in the Department of Transportation’s Standing General Order. But it sure seems like Morrison is directing the agency’s ire at Waymo.

A previous TechCrunch investigation found that Waymo — which operates the largest robotaxi fleet in the United States, with vehicles in cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco — has had repeated run-ins with first responders. And just this week, San Francisco supervisor Bilal Mahmood said he plans to submit a letter of inquiry to examine how autonomous vehicles affected public transit services and emergency responders following a July 4 fireworks show that resulted in massive gridlock. Local news outlets reported that numerous Waymo robotaxis had to be towed after running out of power during the lengthy traffic jam.

Morrison’s letter has gravitas. But will there be substantive consequences for AV developers? It’s hard to tell at this point. For now, the NHTSA has demanded companies present the agency with “solutions” by the end of the month.

One more news item from the feds. Take a look at the new 2026 Regulatory Plan and Unified Agenda, which was updated last week. It contains a long list of proposed changes to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) requirements, which govern vehicle design and equipment requirements. These proposed changes could help autonomous vehicle companies like Tesla and Zoox, which are developing vehicles without steering wheels, pedals, or other features required on human-driven cars.

A little bird

TechCrunch Mobility: A robotaxi ultimatum | TechCrunch Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, how AI is playing a part. To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! I am back from vacation. What did I miss? Turns out, quite a lot — including the end of the Uber-Waymo partnership in Phoenix. Uber and Waymo still have robotaxi service partnerships in Atlanta and Austin. The question is not if, but when will these agreements end? But that isn’t the most intriguing question, in my opinion. I am far more intrigued by how these two companies will behave once the remaining partnerships end.  There is already tension with Uber executives taking not-so-subtle shots at Waymo. I expect that once the partnerships end, these thinly veiled barbs will be replaced with more direct action. One battleground will be policy, specifically markets where robotaxi companies are angling to get access.  This week, we saw another interesting development in the autonomous vehicle industry on the federal stage. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a directive to autonomous vehicle developers, stating that it is unacceptable for their vehicles to interfere with first responders or law enforcement. The money quote: “Let me be clear: the inability to detect and appropriately respond to such situations represents a functional insufficiency. Emergency scenes are not rare or extreme ‘edge cases.’ As such, NHTSA is today issuing a call to action for AV developers and operators to immediately focus their resources on fixing this issue.” Morrison’s letter never calls out any one robotaxi company and it was sent to every AV developer listed in the Department of Transportation’s Standing General Order. But it sure seems like Morrison is directing the agency’s ire at Waymo. A previous TechCrunch investigation found that Waymo — which operates the largest robotaxi fleet in the United States, with vehicles in cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco — has had repeated run-ins with first responders. And just this week, San Francisco supervisor Bilal Mahmood said he plans to submit a letter of inquiry to examine how autonomous vehicles affected public transit services and emergency responders following a July 4 fireworks show that resulted in massive gridlock. Local news outlets reported that numerous Waymo robotaxis had to be towed after running out of power during the lengthy traffic jam. Morrison’s letter has gravitas. But will there be substantive consequences for AV developers? It’s hard to tell at this point. For now, the NHTSA has demanded companies present the agency with “solutions” by the end of the month. One more news item from the feds. Take a look at the new 2026 Regulatory Plan and Unified Agenda, which was updated last week. It contains a long list of proposed changes to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) requirements, which govern vehicle design and equipment requirements. These proposed changes could help autonomous vehicle companies like Tesla and Zoox, which are developing vehicles without steering wheels, pedals, or other features required on human-driven cars. A little bird Image Credits:Bryce Durbin Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my Signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com. Deals! Image Credits:Bryce Durbin We usually focus on venture deals, but this week I wanted to highlight Rivian and the sale of 86.25 million Class A common shares priced at .50 each (that includes an added 11.25 million in additional shares that underwriters opted to buy). In all, Rivian said it expects to raise .32 billion in new capital. The raise comes at a notable time for the EV maker. The company started delivering its new R2 SUV last month and recently raised its sales forecast for 2026. The company said it now expects to deliver between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles after outperforming its own expectations in the second quarter due to robust growth quarter-over-quarter in EDV and R1, coupled with the introduction of R2 deliveries.  The company didn’t explain the reason for the raise. But as a reminder, Rivian is not yet profitable and scaling up production of the R2 — or any vehicle for that matter — isn’t cheap! Other deals that got my attention … Bidbus, a Los Angeles-based startup that built a digital marketplace where multiple dealers can bid on a car, raised million in a Series A funding round led by Ibex Investors. Mucker Capital, FJ Labs, Motley Fool Ventures, Data Point Capital, Walter Ventures, and the Car Dealership Guy’s Yossi Levi also participated. Lyft said it plans to acquire Serveo’s bike-share business in Spain. Terms weren’t disclosed, but the ride-hailing company said it is expected to close this year. TaiSan, a U.K. battery startup, raised £4.65 million in a seed funding round co-led by Eos Advisory and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II. InnoEnergy, AFI Ventures, EverQuest Capital Partners, Exergon, Heartfelt Ventures, Adeline Arts & Science, Techmind, angel investor François Badelon, and matched funding from Innovate UK also participated. Notable reads and other tidbits Image Credits:Bryce Durbin AssuranceAmerica, a U.S. insurance provider, confirmed a data breach that affected the personal information and driver’s license numbers of 6.9 million people, making it the largest known spill of Americans’ driver’s license information this year. Beta Technologies, the electric vehicle takeoff and landing developer, completed operational flights conducted under the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration’s new eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. The flights covered about 275 nautical miles covering Virginia and Maryland.  Longtime followers of Tesla will remember the heady days when Elon Musk battled various short sellers of the company’s stock. Musk is more polarizing than ever, and one exchange-traded fund creator has found a way to tap into that negative sentiment with two new anti-Elon exchange-traded funds.  GM brand Chevrolet built an all-American EV truck. Senior reporter Tim De Chant asks, Why is nobody buying it?  Manna Aero, the Ireland-based autonomous drone delivery startup, is scaling up in the United States with a factory and operations center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that it says will employ 1,000 in the next few years.  Slate Auto teamed up with Crayola to offer its EV truck and SUV customers vehicle wraps in five crayon colors. (Reminder: The basic Slate EV vehicle isn’t painted. Instead, it comes in a gray composite material that can be customized with a vehicle wrap. The company has hundreds of options to choose from.) One more thing … TechCrunch podcast Build Mode just launched its third season, and it’s a banger. Build Mode is hosted by Isabelle Johannessen, who heads TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield program. Unlike Equity — the TC podcast I co-host along with Anthony Ha and Sean O’Kane — Build Mode is designed to help early-stage founders.  The new season kicks off with Precursor Ventures founder and managing partner Charles Hudson, who talks about what early-stage founders need to know before raising their first institutional round. Check it out: The new rules of early-stage fundraising with Charles Hudson. When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.#TechCrunch #Mobility #robotaxi #ultimatum #TechCrunchElon Musk,Uber,Waymo,Rivian,robotaxi,techcrunch mobility
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my Signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com.

Deals!

money the station
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

We usually focus on venture deals, but this week I wanted to highlight Rivian and the sale of 86.25 million Class A common shares priced at $15.50 each (that includes an added 11.25 million in additional shares that underwriters opted to buy).

In all, Rivian said it expects to raise $1.32 billion in new capital. The raise comes at a notable time for the EV maker. The company started delivering its new R2 SUV last month and recently raised its sales forecast for 2026. The company said it now expects to deliver between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles after outperforming its own expectations in the second quarter due to robust growth quarter-over-quarter in EDV and R1, coupled with the introduction of R2 deliveries. 

The company didn’t explain the reason for the raise. But as a reminder, Rivian is not yet profitable and scaling up production of the R2 — or any vehicle for that matter — isn’t cheap!

Other deals that got my attention …

Bidbus, a Los Angeles-based startup that built a digital marketplace where multiple dealers can bid on a car, raised $15 million in a Series A funding round led by Ibex Investors. Mucker Capital, FJ Labs, Motley Fool Ventures, Data Point Capital, Walter Ventures, and the Car Dealership Guy’s Yossi Levi also participated.

Lyft said it plans to acquire Serveo’s bike-share business in Spain. Terms weren’t disclosed, but the ride-hailing company said it is expected to close this year.

TaiSan, a U.K. battery startup, raised £4.65 million in a seed funding round co-led by Eos Advisory and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II. InnoEnergy, AFI Ventures, EverQuest Capital Partners, Exergon, Heartfelt Ventures, Adeline Arts & Science, Techmind, angel investor François Badelon, and matched funding from Innovate UK also participated.

Notable reads and other tidbits

Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

AssuranceAmerica, a U.S. insurance provider, confirmed a data breach that affected the personal information and driver’s license numbers of 6.9 million people, making it the largest known spill of Americans’ driver’s license information this year.

Beta Technologies, the electric vehicle takeoff and landing developer, completed operational flights conducted under the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration’s new eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. The flights covered about 275 nautical miles covering Virginia and Maryland. 

Longtime followers of Tesla will remember the heady days when Elon Musk battled various short sellers of the company’s stock. Musk is more polarizing than ever, and one exchange-traded fund creator has found a way to tap into that negative sentiment with two new anti-Elon exchange-traded funds. 

GM brand Chevrolet built an all-American EV truck. Senior reporter Tim De Chant asks, Why is nobody buying it? 

Manna Aero, the Ireland-based autonomous drone delivery startup, is scaling up in the United States with a factory and operations center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that it says will employ 1,000 in the next few years. 

Slate Auto teamed up with Crayola to offer its EV truck and SUV customers vehicle wraps in five crayon colors. (Reminder: The basic Slate EV vehicle isn’t painted. Instead, it comes in a gray composite material that can be customized with a vehicle wrap. The company has hundreds of options to choose from.)

One more thing …

TechCrunch podcast Build Mode just launched its third season, and it’s a banger. Build Mode is hosted by Isabelle Johannessen, who heads TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield program. Unlike Equity — the TC podcast I co-host along with Anthony Ha and Sean O’Kane — Build Mode is designed to help early-stage founders. 

The new season kicks off with Precursor Ventures founder and managing partner Charles Hudson, who talks about what early-stage founders need to know before raising their first institutional round.

Check it out: The new rules of early-stage fundraising with Charles Hudson.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

#TechCrunch #Mobility #robotaxi #ultimatum #TechCrunchElon Musk,Uber,Waymo,Rivian,robotaxi,techcrunch mobility
Noise REP Band Features and Specifications
Noise REP Band Launched in India With Health Insights and No Subscription Noise has added another device to its range of wearables with the launch of the REP Band, its first product in the screenless wearables category. The device provides comprehensive health tracking and insights through the NoiseFit app, with no subscription fees. Pre-bookings can be made for Rs. 9,999, and the device claims up to 10 days of battery life. Noise REP Band Features and Specifications The Noise REP Band is designed for those who want health-monitoring features on their wearable device without being distracted by a display screen. The screenless technology makes the wearable device look minimalist, and the stainless steel body makes it very durable. The device weighs only 27g; thus, it is very light to wear for extended periods. Its woven band, one-handed clasp, 10-day battery life, and 5ATM water resistance make it perfect for everyday use. The wearable continuously tracks key health metrics, including heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, sleep, respiratory rate, recovery score, and VO2 Max. However, instead of providing raw numbers, the NoiseFit app transforms the information above into AI-driven daily health insights. Since these insights do not require a subscription, users can access all app features at no additional cost. Noise has also considered tracking accuracy. The optical sensor has been tuned for different skin tones to deliver accurate readings. The 6-axis motion sensor detects any movement, including running, walking, cycling, rowing, and elliptical training. The REP Band can connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth on Android and iOS. It can also connect via Bluetooth to Android and iOS smartphones. Noise REP Band Price in India, Availability The Noise REP Band is available for pre-booking in India at an introductory price of Rs. 9,999. Users can pick the REP Band in Vivid Orange, Navy Blue, Classic Black, or Sand Beige. Buyers can reserve the wearable through the Noise website, Amazon, and Flipkart. The company has not yet confirmed its regular pricing or sale date. #Noise #REP #Band #Launched #India #Health #Insights #SubscriptionNoise

The Noise REP Band is designed for those who want health-monitoring features on their wearable device without being distracted by a display screen. The screenless technology makes the wearable device look minimalist, and the stainless steel body makes it very durable. The device weighs only 27g; thus, it is very light to wear for extended periods. Its woven band, one-handed clasp, 10-day battery life, and 5ATM water resistance make it perfect for everyday use.

The wearable continuously tracks key health metrics, including heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, sleep, respiratory rate, recovery score, and VO2 Max. However, instead of providing raw numbers, the NoiseFit app transforms the information above into AI-driven daily health insights. Since these insights do not require a subscription, users can access all app features at no additional cost.

Noise has also considered tracking accuracy. The optical sensor has been tuned for different skin tones to deliver accurate readings. The 6-axis motion sensor detects any movement, including running, walking, cycling, rowing, and elliptical training. The REP Band can connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth on Android and iOS. It can also connect via Bluetooth to Android and iOS smartphones.

Noise REP Band Price in India, Availability

The Noise REP Band is available for pre-booking in India at an introductory price of Rs. 9,999. Users can pick the REP Band in Vivid Orange, Navy Blue, Classic Black, or Sand Beige. Buyers can reserve the wearable through the Noise website, Amazon, and Flipkart. The company has not yet confirmed its regular pricing or sale date.

#Noise #REP #Band #Launched #India #Health #Insights #SubscriptionNoise">Noise REP Band Launched in India With Health Insights and No Subscription Noise has added another device to its range of wearables with the launch of the REP Band, its first product in the screenless wearables category. The device provides comprehensive health tracking and insights through the NoiseFit app, with no subscription fees. Pre-bookings can be made for Rs. 9,999, and the device claims up to 10 days of battery life. Noise REP Band Features and Specifications The Noise REP Band is designed for those who want health-monitoring features on their wearable device without being distracted by a display screen. The screenless technology makes the wearable device look minimalist, and the stainless steel body makes it very durable. The device weighs only 27g; thus, it is very light to wear for extended periods. Its woven band, one-handed clasp, 10-day battery life, and 5ATM water resistance make it perfect for everyday use. The wearable continuously tracks key health metrics, including heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, sleep, respiratory rate, recovery score, and VO2 Max. However, instead of providing raw numbers, the NoiseFit app transforms the information above into AI-driven daily health insights. Since these insights do not require a subscription, users can access all app features at no additional cost. Noise has also considered tracking accuracy. The optical sensor has been tuned for different skin tones to deliver accurate readings. The 6-axis motion sensor detects any movement, including running, walking, cycling, rowing, and elliptical training. The REP Band can connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth on Android and iOS. It can also connect via Bluetooth to Android and iOS smartphones. Noise REP Band Price in India, Availability The Noise REP Band is available for pre-booking in India at an introductory price of Rs. 9,999. Users can pick the REP Band in Vivid Orange, Navy Blue, Classic Black, or Sand Beige. Buyers can reserve the wearable through the Noise website, Amazon, and Flipkart. The company has not yet confirmed its regular pricing or sale date. #Noise #REP #Band #Launched #India #Health #Insights #SubscriptionNoise

Noise website, Amazon, and Flipkart. The company has not yet confirmed its regular pricing or sale date.

#Noise #REP #Band #Launched #India #Health #Insights #SubscriptionNoise">Noise REP Band Launched in India With Health Insights and No Subscription

Noise has added another device to its range of wearables with the launch of the REP Band, its first product in the screenless wearables category. The device provides comprehensive health tracking and insights through the NoiseFit app, with no subscription fees. Pre-bookings can be made for Rs. 9,999, and the device claims up to 10 days of battery life.

Noise REP Band Features and Specifications

Noise REP Band Launched in India With Health Insights and No Subscription Noise has added another device to its range of wearables with the launch of the REP Band, its first product in the screenless wearables category. The device provides comprehensive health tracking and insights through the NoiseFit app, with no subscription fees. Pre-bookings can be made for Rs. 9,999, and the device claims up to 10 days of battery life. Noise REP Band Features and Specifications The Noise REP Band is designed for those who want health-monitoring features on their wearable device without being distracted by a display screen. The screenless technology makes the wearable device look minimalist, and the stainless steel body makes it very durable. The device weighs only 27g; thus, it is very light to wear for extended periods. Its woven band, one-handed clasp, 10-day battery life, and 5ATM water resistance make it perfect for everyday use. The wearable continuously tracks key health metrics, including heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, sleep, respiratory rate, recovery score, and VO2 Max. However, instead of providing raw numbers, the NoiseFit app transforms the information above into AI-driven daily health insights. Since these insights do not require a subscription, users can access all app features at no additional cost. Noise has also considered tracking accuracy. The optical sensor has been tuned for different skin tones to deliver accurate readings. The 6-axis motion sensor detects any movement, including running, walking, cycling, rowing, and elliptical training. The REP Band can connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth on Android and iOS. It can also connect via Bluetooth to Android and iOS smartphones. Noise REP Band Price in India, Availability The Noise REP Band is available for pre-booking in India at an introductory price of Rs. 9,999. Users can pick the REP Band in Vivid Orange, Navy Blue, Classic Black, or Sand Beige. Buyers can reserve the wearable through the Noise website, Amazon, and Flipkart. The company has not yet confirmed its regular pricing or sale date. #Noise #REP #Band #Launched #India #Health #Insights #SubscriptionNoise

The Noise REP Band is designed for those who want health-monitoring features on their wearable device without being distracted by a display screen. The screenless technology makes the wearable device look minimalist, and the stainless steel body makes it very durable. The device weighs only 27g; thus, it is very light to wear for extended periods. Its woven band, one-handed clasp, 10-day battery life, and 5ATM water resistance make it perfect for everyday use.

The wearable continuously tracks key health metrics, including heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, sleep, respiratory rate, recovery score, and VO2 Max. However, instead of providing raw numbers, the NoiseFit app transforms the information above into AI-driven daily health insights. Since these insights do not require a subscription, users can access all app features at no additional cost.

Noise has also considered tracking accuracy. The optical sensor has been tuned for different skin tones to deliver accurate readings. The 6-axis motion sensor detects any movement, including running, walking, cycling, rowing, and elliptical training. The REP Band can connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth on Android and iOS. It can also connect via Bluetooth to Android and iOS smartphones.

Noise REP Band Price in India, Availability

The Noise REP Band is available for pre-booking in India at an introductory price of Rs. 9,999. Users can pick the REP Band in Vivid Orange, Navy Blue, Classic Black, or Sand Beige. Buyers can reserve the wearable through the Noise website, Amazon, and Flipkart. The company has not yet confirmed its regular pricing or sale date.

#Noise #REP #Band #Launched #India #Health #Insights #SubscriptionNoise

It’s been previously reported that Apple will be skipping expected variants of its M6 chip and speeding up production of the M7. But the writing on the wall suggests very, very expensive M7 Ultra-powered desktop Macs coming in 2028—and the reason may (not) shock you.

Anonymous sources are apparently continuing to inform Bloomberg’s scoop-getter Mark Gurman about Apple disrupting its traditional chip rollout process. M6-powered Apple products don’t even exist yet—though they are expected later this year—and that whole generation of chip is already basically obsolete as far as Apple is concerned, according to Gurman.

But you’re never going to guess what Gurman now claims the reason is. Haha yes you are because it’s AI:

“The takeaway is that AI is no longer just another feature Apple’s chips need to support. It is now shaping how those products are designed and when they are shipped. That’s a shift from the days when the main concerns were things like processing speeds, graphics, battery life and thinner designs.” 

That’s a little depressing because I happen to like things like processing speeds, graphics, and battery life. Hell, thinness is even pretty cool compared to AI.

But anyway, Gurman says we shouldn’t expect M6 Pro, Max, or Ultra products. Finalization of the M7 started just six months after the M6 was finalized. Which suggests a weird product timeline: We’ll basically say hello and goodbye to the M6 at the same time at the end of this year, and the first M7 products will materialize at the start of next year. Then things will be relatively normal as M7 Pro, and M7 Max arrive at the end of 2027. Then M7 Ultra products will come along in 2028.

If you’re saving your pennies for a high-end desktop, that M7 Ultra is something to keep in mind. Gurman writes:

“The new Ultra is designed to support as much as 1.5 terabytes of memory — roughly double the capacity planned for the M5 Ultra — though whether Apple ultimately offers that configuration will depend on the state of the industry. Widespread memory-chip shortages have made the component harder to find and more expensive.”

Indeed, it’s worth pausing here to really mull over the pricing implications a bit. There are no M5 Ultras yet, but rumors suggest a high-performance desktop release in the form of the Mac Studio. Last month, when Apple famously raised the price of products like the MacBook Neo, which went from $600 to $700, it also raised the price of the base Mac Studio by $500 to $2500. But the price of the higher-end 96GB Mac Studio climbed $1,300 to $5,299. Are you sweating yet?

It gets a lot worse. Last time Apple shipped a Mac with 1.5TB of RAM was in 2019. At the time that much RAM cost $25,000—just for the RAM. You could conceivably pay $53,000 for your entire computer. And that was seven years ago. Before historic inflation. And an all-out crisis in the price of memory.

And remember, the M7 Ultra is reportedly built for AI. Gurman claims that it will approach “the class of dedicated AI accelerators such as Nvidia Corp.’s Blackwell.” And how much does it actually cost to buy an Nvidia Blackwell? Currently the cheapest Blackwell I can find on Newegg dot com is priced at $12,499.99. Just for the processor.

Obviously you can’t buy this imaginary Mac right now, and the consumer market will shift in predictable and unpredictable ways over the next couple of years. But if we imagine it’s 2028 and you’re thinking about buying a maxed-out M7 Ultra-powered Mac Studio (or whichever model is the top of the line in almost two years), then presumably you just—and I mean this literally—took out a second mortgage on your house. This truly could be a computer at a real-estate-level price point.

#Bring #MindBendingly #Expensive #Apple #Product #TimeApple,apple silicon,Mac Pro,Mac Studio">2028 Could Bring the Most Mind-Bendingly Expensive Apple Product of All Time It’s been previously reported that Apple will be skipping expected variants of its M6 chip and speeding up production of the M7. But the writing on the wall suggests very, very expensive M7 Ultra-powered desktop Macs coming in 2028—and the reason may (not) shock you. Anonymous sources are apparently continuing to inform Bloomberg’s scoop-getter Mark Gurman about Apple disrupting its traditional chip rollout process. M6-powered Apple products don’t even exist yet—though they are expected later this year—and that whole generation of chip is already basically obsolete as far as Apple is concerned, according to Gurman. But you’re never going to guess what Gurman now claims the reason is. Haha yes you are because it’s AI: “The takeaway is that AI is no longer just another feature Apple’s chips need to support. It is now shaping how those products are designed and when they are shipped. That’s a shift from the days when the main concerns were things like processing speeds, graphics, battery life and thinner designs.”  That’s a little depressing because I happen to like things like processing speeds, graphics, and battery life. Hell, thinness is even pretty cool compared to AI. But anyway, Gurman says we shouldn’t expect M6 Pro, Max, or Ultra products. Finalization of the M7 started just six months after the M6 was finalized. Which suggests a weird product timeline: We’ll basically say hello and goodbye to the M6 at the same time at the end of this year, and the first M7 products will materialize at the start of next year. Then things will be relatively normal as M7 Pro, and M7 Max arrive at the end of 2027. Then M7 Ultra products will come along in 2028. If you’re saving your pennies for a high-end desktop, that M7 Ultra is something to keep in mind. Gurman writes: “The new Ultra is designed to support as much as 1.5 terabytes of memory — roughly double the capacity planned for the M5 Ultra — though whether Apple ultimately offers that configuration will depend on the state of the industry. Widespread memory-chip shortages have made the component harder to find and more expensive.” Indeed, it’s worth pausing here to really mull over the pricing implications a bit. There are no M5 Ultras yet, but rumors suggest a high-performance desktop release in the form of the Mac Studio. Last month, when Apple famously raised the price of products like the MacBook Neo, which went from 0 to 0, it also raised the price of the base Mac Studio by 0 to 00. But the price of the higher-end 96GB Mac Studio climbed ,300 to ,299. Are you sweating yet? It gets a lot worse. Last time Apple shipped a Mac with 1.5TB of RAM was in 2019. At the time that much RAM cost ,000—just for the RAM. You could conceivably pay ,000 for your entire computer. And that was seven years ago. Before historic inflation. And an all-out crisis in the price of memory. And remember, the M7 Ultra is reportedly built for AI. Gurman claims that it will approach “the class of dedicated AI accelerators such as Nvidia Corp.’s Blackwell.” And how much does it actually cost to buy an Nvidia Blackwell? Currently the cheapest Blackwell I can find on Newegg dot com is priced at ,499.99. Just for the processor. Obviously you can’t buy this imaginary Mac right now, and the consumer market will shift in predictable and unpredictable ways over the next couple of years. But if we imagine it’s 2028 and you’re thinking about buying a maxed-out M7 Ultra-powered Mac Studio (or whichever model is the top of the line in almost two years), then presumably you just—and I mean this literally—took out a second mortgage on your house. This truly could be a computer at a real-estate-level price point. #Bring #MindBendingly #Expensive #Apple #Product #TimeApple,apple silicon,Mac Pro,Mac Studio

will be skipping expected variants of its M6 chip and speeding up production of the M7. But the writing on the wall suggests very, very expensive M7 Ultra-powered desktop Macs coming in 2028—and the reason may (not) shock you.

Anonymous sources are apparently continuing to inform Bloomberg’s scoop-getter Mark Gurman about Apple disrupting its traditional chip rollout process. M6-powered Apple products don’t even exist yet—though they are expected later this year—and that whole generation of chip is already basically obsolete as far as Apple is concerned, according to Gurman.

But you’re never going to guess what Gurman now claims the reason is. Haha yes you are because it’s AI:

“The takeaway is that AI is no longer just another feature Apple’s chips need to support. It is now shaping how those products are designed and when they are shipped. That’s a shift from the days when the main concerns were things like processing speeds, graphics, battery life and thinner designs.” 

That’s a little depressing because I happen to like things like processing speeds, graphics, and battery life. Hell, thinness is even pretty cool compared to AI.

But anyway, Gurman says we shouldn’t expect M6 Pro, Max, or Ultra products. Finalization of the M7 started just six months after the M6 was finalized. Which suggests a weird product timeline: We’ll basically say hello and goodbye to the M6 at the same time at the end of this year, and the first M7 products will materialize at the start of next year. Then things will be relatively normal as M7 Pro, and M7 Max arrive at the end of 2027. Then M7 Ultra products will come along in 2028.

If you’re saving your pennies for a high-end desktop, that M7 Ultra is something to keep in mind. Gurman writes:

“The new Ultra is designed to support as much as 1.5 terabytes of memory — roughly double the capacity planned for the M5 Ultra — though whether Apple ultimately offers that configuration will depend on the state of the industry. Widespread memory-chip shortages have made the component harder to find and more expensive.”

Indeed, it’s worth pausing here to really mull over the pricing implications a bit. There are no M5 Ultras yet, but rumors suggest a high-performance desktop release in the form of the Mac Studio. Last month, when Apple famously raised the price of products like the MacBook Neo, which went from $600 to $700, it also raised the price of the base Mac Studio by $500 to $2500. But the price of the higher-end 96GB Mac Studio climbed $1,300 to $5,299. Are you sweating yet?

It gets a lot worse. Last time Apple shipped a Mac with 1.5TB of RAM was in 2019. At the time that much RAM cost $25,000—just for the RAM. You could conceivably pay $53,000 for your entire computer. And that was seven years ago. Before historic inflation. And an all-out crisis in the price of memory.

And remember, the M7 Ultra is reportedly built for AI. Gurman claims that it will approach “the class of dedicated AI accelerators such as Nvidia Corp.’s Blackwell.” And how much does it actually cost to buy an Nvidia Blackwell? Currently the cheapest Blackwell I can find on Newegg dot com is priced at $12,499.99. Just for the processor.

Obviously you can’t buy this imaginary Mac right now, and the consumer market will shift in predictable and unpredictable ways over the next couple of years. But if we imagine it’s 2028 and you’re thinking about buying a maxed-out M7 Ultra-powered Mac Studio (or whichever model is the top of the line in almost two years), then presumably you just—and I mean this literally—took out a second mortgage on your house. This truly could be a computer at a real-estate-level price point.

#Bring #MindBendingly #Expensive #Apple #Product #TimeApple,apple silicon,Mac Pro,Mac Studio">2028 Could Bring the Most Mind-Bendingly Expensive Apple Product of All Time2028 Could Bring the Most Mind-Bendingly Expensive Apple Product of All Time It’s been previously reported that Apple will be skipping expected variants of its M6 chip and speeding up production of the M7. But the writing on the wall suggests very, very expensive M7 Ultra-powered desktop Macs coming in 2028—and the reason may (not) shock you. Anonymous sources are apparently continuing to inform Bloomberg’s scoop-getter Mark Gurman about Apple disrupting its traditional chip rollout process. M6-powered Apple products don’t even exist yet—though they are expected later this year—and that whole generation of chip is already basically obsolete as far as Apple is concerned, according to Gurman. But you’re never going to guess what Gurman now claims the reason is. Haha yes you are because it’s AI: “The takeaway is that AI is no longer just another feature Apple’s chips need to support. It is now shaping how those products are designed and when they are shipped. That’s a shift from the days when the main concerns were things like processing speeds, graphics, battery life and thinner designs.”  That’s a little depressing because I happen to like things like processing speeds, graphics, and battery life. Hell, thinness is even pretty cool compared to AI. But anyway, Gurman says we shouldn’t expect M6 Pro, Max, or Ultra products. Finalization of the M7 started just six months after the M6 was finalized. Which suggests a weird product timeline: We’ll basically say hello and goodbye to the M6 at the same time at the end of this year, and the first M7 products will materialize at the start of next year. Then things will be relatively normal as M7 Pro, and M7 Max arrive at the end of 2027. Then M7 Ultra products will come along in 2028. If you’re saving your pennies for a high-end desktop, that M7 Ultra is something to keep in mind. Gurman writes: “The new Ultra is designed to support as much as 1.5 terabytes of memory — roughly double the capacity planned for the M5 Ultra — though whether Apple ultimately offers that configuration will depend on the state of the industry. Widespread memory-chip shortages have made the component harder to find and more expensive.” Indeed, it’s worth pausing here to really mull over the pricing implications a bit. There are no M5 Ultras yet, but rumors suggest a high-performance desktop release in the form of the Mac Studio. Last month, when Apple famously raised the price of products like the MacBook Neo, which went from $600 to $700, it also raised the price of the base Mac Studio by $500 to $2500. But the price of the higher-end 96GB Mac Studio climbed $1,300 to $5,299. Are you sweating yet? It gets a lot worse. Last time Apple shipped a Mac with 1.5TB of RAM was in 2019. At the time that much RAM cost $25,000—just for the RAM. You could conceivably pay $53,000 for your entire computer. And that was seven years ago. Before historic inflation. And an all-out crisis in the price of memory. And remember, the M7 Ultra is reportedly built for AI. Gurman claims that it will approach “the class of dedicated AI accelerators such as Nvidia Corp.’s Blackwell.” And how much does it actually cost to buy an Nvidia Blackwell? Currently the cheapest Blackwell I can find on Newegg dot com is priced at $12,499.99. Just for the processor. Obviously you can’t buy this imaginary Mac right now, and the consumer market will shift in predictable and unpredictable ways over the next couple of years. But if we imagine it’s 2028 and you’re thinking about buying a maxed-out M7 Ultra-powered Mac Studio (or whichever model is the top of the line in almost two years), then presumably you just—and I mean this literally—took out a second mortgage on your house. This truly could be a computer at a real-estate-level price point. #Bring #MindBendingly #Expensive #Apple #Product #TimeApple,apple silicon,Mac Pro,Mac Studio

It’s been previously reported that Apple will be skipping expected variants of its M6 chip and speeding up production of the M7. But the writing on the wall suggests very, very expensive M7 Ultra-powered desktop Macs coming in 2028—and the reason may (not) shock you.

Anonymous sources are apparently continuing to inform Bloomberg’s scoop-getter Mark Gurman about Apple disrupting its traditional chip rollout process. M6-powered Apple products don’t even exist yet—though they are expected later this year—and that whole generation of chip is already basically obsolete as far as Apple is concerned, according to Gurman.

But you’re never going to guess what Gurman now claims the reason is. Haha yes you are because it’s AI:

“The takeaway is that AI is no longer just another feature Apple’s chips need to support. It is now shaping how those products are designed and when they are shipped. That’s a shift from the days when the main concerns were things like processing speeds, graphics, battery life and thinner designs.” 

That’s a little depressing because I happen to like things like processing speeds, graphics, and battery life. Hell, thinness is even pretty cool compared to AI.

But anyway, Gurman says we shouldn’t expect M6 Pro, Max, or Ultra products. Finalization of the M7 started just six months after the M6 was finalized. Which suggests a weird product timeline: We’ll basically say hello and goodbye to the M6 at the same time at the end of this year, and the first M7 products will materialize at the start of next year. Then things will be relatively normal as M7 Pro, and M7 Max arrive at the end of 2027. Then M7 Ultra products will come along in 2028.

If you’re saving your pennies for a high-end desktop, that M7 Ultra is something to keep in mind. Gurman writes:

“The new Ultra is designed to support as much as 1.5 terabytes of memory — roughly double the capacity planned for the M5 Ultra — though whether Apple ultimately offers that configuration will depend on the state of the industry. Widespread memory-chip shortages have made the component harder to find and more expensive.”

Indeed, it’s worth pausing here to really mull over the pricing implications a bit. There are no M5 Ultras yet, but rumors suggest a high-performance desktop release in the form of the Mac Studio. Last month, when Apple famously raised the price of products like the MacBook Neo, which went from $600 to $700, it also raised the price of the base Mac Studio by $500 to $2500. But the price of the higher-end 96GB Mac Studio climbed $1,300 to $5,299. Are you sweating yet?

It gets a lot worse. Last time Apple shipped a Mac with 1.5TB of RAM was in 2019. At the time that much RAM cost $25,000—just for the RAM. You could conceivably pay $53,000 for your entire computer. And that was seven years ago. Before historic inflation. And an all-out crisis in the price of memory.

And remember, the M7 Ultra is reportedly built for AI. Gurman claims that it will approach “the class of dedicated AI accelerators such as Nvidia Corp.’s Blackwell.” And how much does it actually cost to buy an Nvidia Blackwell? Currently the cheapest Blackwell I can find on Newegg dot com is priced at $12,499.99. Just for the processor.

Obviously you can’t buy this imaginary Mac right now, and the consumer market will shift in predictable and unpredictable ways over the next couple of years. But if we imagine it’s 2028 and you’re thinking about buying a maxed-out M7 Ultra-powered Mac Studio (or whichever model is the top of the line in almost two years), then presumably you just—and I mean this literally—took out a second mortgage on your house. This truly could be a computer at a real-estate-level price point.

#Bring #MindBendingly #Expensive #Apple #Product #TimeApple,apple silicon,Mac Pro,Mac Studio

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