Chinese officials are reportedly exploring a backup plan for TikTok after the Supreme Court appeared unlikely to save it from a US ban. With TikTok’s legal options nearly exhausted, multiple news outlets are reporting that China is considering an option it previously said it wouldn’t: letting ByteDance sell the app.
Technology
Elon Musk is reportedly trying to save TikTok
The kicker? China is reportedly mulling having President-elect Donald Trump’s favorite tech billionaire, Elon Musk, act either as broker or buyer in the arrangement. Reports from the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg — all citing unnamed sources — indicate that Chinese officials are at least discussing the option of a sale. TikTok spokesperson Michael Hughes has called the reports “pure fiction.” The Chinese embassy in the US and Musk’s existing social media company, X, did not respond to requests for comment.
Plenty of people have expressed interest in buying TikTok at this point, from ”Shark Tank” celebrity Kevin O’Leary to YouTuber Mr. Beast. The problem has not been a lack of buyers — though obvious ones like Meta and Google would likely be barred by antirust authorities — but reluctant sellers. The new reporting suggests that the Chinese government, which has long stated it would refuse to approve a sale, could now be changing its mind. Musk’s reported involvement makes some strategic sense based on his relationships with both China and Trump.
Musk is uniquely positioned to play a role in a potential deal. He has a direct line to Trump, has said he wants X to be more like TikTok since he bought it, and plenty of experience dealing with Chinese authorities. (Sales from China account for a significant share of Tesla’s business.) He could merge TikTok with X and xAI, his OpenAI competitor, to create a more influential platform. As the richest man in the world, he also has access to the money he’d need to do a deal.
Long Le, an international business professor at Santa Clara University, tells The Verge that China may be open to a joint venture arrangement, similar to what foreign companies operating in China often undergo. Under the text of the US law, an app can be considered to be controlled by a foreign adversary if a person from one of those countries owns at least a 20 percent stake.
“If they were going to do some type of joint adventure, Elon Musk would be ideal because he’s also close to Trump,” Le says, adding that the Chinese government may already feel comfortable with him. “Having someone like Musk would still allow the US and China to have some aspects of linkage to trade and foreign direct investment, even though, in general, the decoupling is occurring.”
“If they were going to do some type of joint adventure, Elon Musk would be ideal”
China may hold off on a sale if it believes the US will let TikTok remain under ByteDance’s ownership, especially given TikTok’s influence around the world. ByteDance is a homegrown tech champion and source of national pride for China, so government may be unwilling to suffer the optics of handing TikTok over to the US. Plus, China may prefer to let the US take heat globally over the ban, even if it means the loss of a significant market for TikTok. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said last year that a forced sale or ban “will inevitably come back to bite the United States.”
On the other hand, China is about to face a new protectionist administration when Trump is sworn in next week. He has promised exorbitant tariffs on Chinese imports, which could damage its economy. If the Chinese government is looking for an effective bargaining chip with Trump and the US, it might have found one in TikTok, especially considering the President-elect’s “warm spot” for the app. Chinese officials see a deal over TikTok being a possible area of collaboration with the US as they anticipate tense negotiations over other issues with the Trump administration, sources told Bloomberg.
If TikTok is banned, it’s not clear how quickly users would feel the effects. Apple and Google would need to remove the app from their app stores and stop updating it. It would still remain on users’ phones if they’ve already downloaded it but Oracle, which provides cloud infrastructure to TikTok in the US, would likely also be required to stop hosting the app’s data.
Some could still access TikTok by using virtual private networks (VPNs) but that adds an extra layer of friction. Despite all this, progress toward a deal could continue after the ban takes effect on Sunday — which will happen unless the Supreme Court stops it. There’s also the slim chance that Congress or President Joe Biden extend the deadline.
Technology
Indian fintech Jar turns cash flow positive
Indian fintech Jar has turned cash flow positive, an executive at the Tiger Global-backed startup confirmed on Wednesday, as it gears up to deepen its offerings.
The three-year-old startup, which offers its users the ability to start their savings and investment journey, achieved the milestone while still growing by more than 10 times last year, according to an investor note TechCrunch has reviewed.
The profitability push comes as many fast-growing Indian startups are improving their financials and paring down expenses to become IPO-ready.
Jar has expanded its offerings in the past year and a half, adding lending and online jewelry sales to its business. Its jewelry business, called Nek, is doing an annualized sales of about $13 million annually, according to the investor note.
The new offerings come at a time when the Bengaluru-headquartered startup is in talks to raise as much as $50 million in a new round of funding, according to Indian newspaper Economic Times. Jar declined to comment on the fundraising talks.
Technology
Meta lures TikTok creators with $5K bonuses, content deals, free verification
Meta is luring TikTok creators over to its platforms with the promise of cash bonuses, content deals, and support to grow their communities. The company announced on Tuesday that eligible TikTok creators will be able to earn “up to” $5,000 in bonuses over three months for posting Reels on Facebook and Instagram.
These creators will also get access to the Facebook Content Monetization program, which allows creators to earn money for their videos, photos, and text posts on Facebook. Additionally, Meta will offer some TikTok creators content deals to help grow their audiences on Instagram and Facebook.
Some TikTok creators will also get a one-year trial of Meta Verified, which includes a verified badge, account support, and impersonation protection. (The company did not share the criteria for whose will receive access).
While TikTok is back online in the U.S. after going dark for 12 hours over the weekend, the ByteDance-owned social network is still missing from app stores. Although President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday to delay the TikTok ban deadline by 75 days and told the Department of Justice not to enforce the ban’s penalties, it’s unknown when (or if) the app will return to Apple and Google’s app stores.
Meta is clearly taking advantage of TikTok’s current troubles by poaching and attracting some of the service’s creators.
The company also said it’s rolling out changes to Reels to make the short-form video format more appealing to TikTok creators. For instance, U.S.-based Instagram creators can now publish Reels up to three minutes long, a notable increase from the previous 90-second limit. On TikTok, however, creators can record videos up to 10 minutes long, and in some cases, upload content up to an hour in length.
In addition, Meta is going to make Reels more prominent, as the company plans to recommend Reels in more places across Instagram in Facebook. For instance, people may start to see recommended Reels higher up in their home feed. Plus, they may see more reels in their search results.
To further court TikTok creators, Meta notes that it has optimized its ranking systems to allow newer creators to break through to new audiences.
Meta will also allow creators to show their Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube handles and follower counts in their Facebook profiles to boost their credibility on its platform.
Meta already made other changes to take advantage of TikTok’s current uncertainty in the U.S.
On Sunday, Meta revealed that it’s going to launch a CapCut-like app called Edits next month. On Friday, it introduced updates to make it easier for Instagram users to find Reels that their friends and followers are liking on the platform. The app will also encourage users to start conversations about Reels through a new “reply bar.”
Technology
I’m getting PS4 flashbacks – Nvidia’s RTX 5090 FE reportedly uses 600W of power and “sounds like a jet engine”
- A new rumor suggests the RTX 5090 will use 600W of power
- Comments in a Chinese forum point toward the new GPU being much louder
- PSU requirements are 1000W according to Corsair
Nvidia‘s RTX 5090 promises to provide a step up from the previous generation’s RTX 4090, but that could come at a significant cost according to new rumors – and you might want to invest in a beefy power supply.
As reported by Tomasz Gawronski on X, discussions within Chiphell (a Chinese forum page about the latest PC hardware) suggest that Nvidia’s RTX 5090 Founders Edition GPU will use 600W of power while being much louder compared to the 4090. This is based on what appears to be an upcoming review with the embargo set for January 24, with a post translated from Chinese that says “The editor cursed while testing… After all, the power consumption increased, the current increased, and the screaming also increased~”.
Technology
Trump moves to sink offshore wind
One of Donald Trump’s first acts as president was issuing an executive order that could kill the nascent offshore wind industry in the United States.
Trump’s order, signed Monday, halted federal leases for offshore wind development on the outer continental shelf — a location far enough from shore that wind speeds are consistently higher, but near enough that it’s readily accessible.
“This withdrawal does not apply to leasing related to any other purposes such as, but not limited to, oil, gas, minerals, and environmental conservation,” the order states.
The order does not halt work on projects that have signed leases, though it does direct the Secretary of the Interior to review existing contracts for ways to terminate or amend them.
Offshore wind has had a rough go of it in the United States. There are just a handful of operating offshore wind farms in American waters, amounting to just 174 megawatts of capacity at the end of May, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. That’s a fraction of a percent of the worldwide total of 68 gigawatts, most of which are in Europe and China.
The sector’s prospects were starting to improve, though, with 4.1 gigawatts under construction, another 3.4 gigawatts approved, and another 19.8 gigawatts moving through the permitting process. Altogether, that would have helped reach the Biden administration’s goal of boosting offshore wind capacity to 30 gigawatts by the end of the decade.
While offshore wind is still expensive compared with other sources of power, its relative consistency and proximity to major population centers — and data centers — has made it attractive. In Europe, data centers operators have been keen to sign deals. Last year, Google agreed to buy 478 megawatts of offshore wind power to supply two data centers in the Netherlands.
In the U.S., offshore wind has been hampered by public resistance and a lack of infrastructure required to build and install the turbines. The availability of cheap, windy land in the interior of the country has also tilted the scales in favor of onshore turbines.
Since the majority of offshore wind development occurs in other countries, Trump’s executive order won’t kill offshore wind entirely. Instead, the sector is likely to mature in other countries where companies can gain expertise while waiting for the U.S. market to reopen.
Technology
Dyson Airwrap’s dreamy new colorways might finally tip me over into buying one
Dyson has just revealed two new special edition colorways for its popular hair styling tools, and I think I’m in love. They’re called ‘Jasper Plum’ and ‘Red Velvet & Gold’ and they’ll be available across the full haircare range, including the Airwrap i.d. multi-styler, the Supersonic dryer, and the Airstrait wet-to-straight styler.
While I don’t dislike the current purple-and-orange or turquoise options, they have more of a ‘Children’s TV presenter’ energy than I’d ideally want in a haircare tool that costs upwards of $400 / £350. These new options have a much more luxe feel that fits the premium price tag, and are perfect for a grown-up dressing table. I’ve been eyeing up an Airwrap for some time, and this might be the thing that makes me take the plunge.
The Jasper Plum colorway will be available to buy direct from Dyson UK from today (22 January), with the Red Velvet & Gold options joining in late February. There are no specifics on other territories yet, although a Dyson spokesperson told us the new-look tools “will become available at a later date” in the US and Australia.
Dyson says the new color options are “thoughtfully designed to celebrate love, individuality, and the small yet powerful moments of self-care”. The Jasper Plum option, which combines violet and plum with blush pink detailing, symbolizes “strength and self-discovery”. The Red Velvet & Gold model “embodies sophistication and modern beauty”.
I didn’t immediately get all that, but the new colors certainly do look very nice. And the Red Velvet version taps into the current obsession with burgundy that’s sweeping the fashion world.
We consistently rate Dyson’s styling gadgets among the best hair dryers and best hair styling tools you can buy. Having made its name in vacuum cleaners and fans, the brand gained prominence in the beauty market with its Supersonic hair dryer, which reimagined the traditional dryer shape to make it more streamlined and put the weight in the handle to make it easier to control. The current version – Dyson Supersonic Nural – adds some clever features to streamline the styling process.
Technology
Govtech giant Conduent won’t rule out cyberattack as outage drags on
An ongoing “service interruption” at government contractor giant Conduent sparked outages across several U.S. states, leaving residents without access to some benefits and support payments.
A person familiar with the incident told TechCrunch the outage was caused by a cyberattack. Conduent spokesperson Sean Collins acknowledged the company’s outage was ongoing but declined to answer questions or rule out a cyber incident.
“We are currently experiencing a service interruption affecting some applications while we have restored service over the past few days. The Conduent technology team is working hard to resolve any remaining issues,” Collins said.
Wisconsin’s Department of Children and Families told residents in a social media post on January 17 that it was unable to process child support payments across the state for much of the week. The department said four states, including Wisconsin, were affected by the outage at Conduent. Department spokesperson Gina Paige said its service was restored January 19 but deferred comment on the cause of the outage to Conduent.
Oklahoma Human Services, which manages the state’s food assistance program, told residents in a social media post on January 9 that Conduent’s customer service line was hit by the “technical outage.” Spokesperson Casey White told TechCrunch that the state’s systems are “working as expected” and that it experienced “no outages related to security at Conduent.”
In June 2020, Conduent confirmed a ransomware attack several days after reporting a service interruption. The Maze ransomware gang took credit for the breach and subsequently published various documents stolen from the company’s systems.
Contact Zack Whittaker on Signal and WhatsApp at +1 646-755-8849. You can also share documents securely with TechCrunch via SecureDrop.
Technology
The Night Agent season 2’s first five minutes have been released early, and Gabriel Basso’s Peter Sutherland is forced to flee when a job goes awry
- Netflix has released the first five minutes of The Night Agent season 2
- They show Peter Sutherland running for his life when a mission goes wrong
- The hugely popular spy thriller returns on our screens on January 23
The Night Agent season 2 is almost here – and, to celebrate its forthcoming launch, Netflix has released its first five minutes early.
Two years after the spy thriller series became the latest TV Original to enjoy smash hit status on Netflix, its second season is due to make its debut on the streaming giant this Thursday (January 23). Understandably, excitement is growing ahead of The Night Agent‘s return, and in a bid to tap into that growing fan fervor, Netflix has dropped an extended look at the season 2 premiere’s opening sequence.
Technology
The Switch 2 has a new trigger for disconnecting Joy-Con controllers
In the video, the trigger is pressed down a tad before a final push releases it from the console. As the Joy-Con moves away, you can also see a small cylinder receding back into the top part of the inside of the controller; to me, that indicates that when you push the trigger, you’re actually pushing out that cylinder to help bump the Joy-Con out.
Here’s a GIF of the relevant part of the video:
GIF by Andrew Liszewski / The Verge
The mechanism to remove the Joy-Con controllers looks similar to what was included in a 3D-printed mockup that accessories-maker Genki brought to CES.
Technology
Truecaller brings real-time caller ID to iPhone users
Popular caller ID app Truecaller has long left iPhone users at a disadvantage by not offering the caller information in real-time — a feature its Android users have enjoyed for some time. Today, that changes as the company is rolling out an update that brings real-time caller ID support to its iOS subscribers.
The company was able to implement the feature because Apple introduced Live Caller ID Lookup in iOS 18, allowing third-party caller ID apps to securely make a call to their server to get information about the caller. Notably, this is also the first major release from the Swedish company after the co-founders Alan Mamedi and Nami Zarringhalam stepped down from the day-to-day operations in November 2024.
Today, Truecaller has more than 2.6 million paying subscribers, of which only around 750,000 of them are on iOS. However, 40% of Truecaller’s revenue is from iOS subscriptions. The company also gets a 5X conversation rate to its premium tier on iOS compared to Android as well as 80% higher revenue from an iPhone subscriber.
Considering the importance of the iPhone to Truecaller’s bottom line, the company continues to develop its iOS app.
In 2022, Truecaller relaunched the iOS app to focus on better spam detection, thanks to Apple allowing the app to store a larger set of numbers locally.
“It did improve the overall call identification. But that wasn’t enough because in countries like India, there is a huge calling activity, and not all this would be available in the offline database,” Truecaller Product Director Nakul Kabra told TechCrunch in an interview.
India presents other challenges for the company, as well, including the arrival of a service, Calling Name Presentation (commonly called CNAP, designed to curb spam. The service, currently being rolled out by local telcos, could eventually emerge as a competitor to Truecaller.
Truecaller also updated its iOS app in 2023 with a live caller ID experience, but that involved a step requiring interaction with Siri and also wasn’t real-time.
Until iOS 18’s release, Truecaller had to rely on a locally saved dictionary of limited phone numbers on iOS.
To enable the new feature, Truecaller built a new server architecture and created a separate, encrypted database for iOS, alongside its existing larger database for Android users. Apple’s Phone app makes encrypted requests to this database and gets encrypted responses that are only decrypted on the client (iPhone) to show the caller ID in real time. This process is called “homomorphic encryption,” as the computations use encrypted data instead of decrypting them first, while decryption happens on the client to display caller information if it matches with the data stored on the server.
Kabra told TechCrunch that Truecaller had built a way to sync two databases to keep the data synced between them.
“At the moment, there might be a bit of a delay because these requests get queued up, and the encryption that we do is very time-consuming — and very expensive… But it should not be more than a few hours,” he said.
TechCrunch tested live caller ID under Truecaller’s beta program last week and noticed that the feature does provide caller information in real-time in most cases, though it sometimes misses.
Truecaller’s premium tier on iOS starts at $9.99 a month, per individual, or $74.99/year. The company also offers its family plan on iOS starting at $14.99/month or $99.99/year and the top-end Gold subscription at $249 a year.
Users can enable the Live Caller ID Lookup feature through iPhone Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification.
On iOS 18, Truecaller also updated its interface with the caller’s name appearing in bold over their number. Now, Truecaller is working on support for images to show up in the caller ID for its iOS users.
Technology
G.Skill DDR5 RAM is overclocked to a blazing 12,054MT/s with no liquid nitrogen needed – just air cooling
- G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5 was overclocked to 6027MHz or 12,054MT/s
- That was achieved using just air cooling, with no need for liquid nitrogen
- There is, however, a catch (of sorts) in how the CPU was configured
G.Skill has again been setting records with its DDR5 RAM, this time with a seriously impressive overclock that doesn’t use any exotic cooling.
This feat was achieved using G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5 by an expert overclocker from Indonesia, a certain ‘speed.fastest,’ who managed to crank the RAM up to 6027MHz (or 12,054MT/s).
That isn’t a DDR5 world record, going by HWBot’s rankings – in fact it’s 16th place in the global rankings (at the time of writing) – but all the faster speeds attained used the likes of liquid nitrogen cooling.
The key point here is that just air cooling was used, with a fan pointing at the memory (and water cooling for the CPU). In other words, this was a normal PC (well, almost – it was normal in terms of the components, but not the configuration, and we’ll come back to that in a moment).
As G.Skill tells us: “Previously, reaching the DDR5-12000 milestone required a more extreme cooling method, such as liquid nitrogen or dry ice. These incredible achievements with air cooling demonstrate the amazing overclock potential of modern hardware.”
The record was achieved with a single 24GB stick of RAM from a Trident Z5 DDR5-8000 CL38 2 x 24GB kit. Speed.fastest ran that memory module in a PC with an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor and an Asus ROG Maximus Z890 Apex motherboard.
A separate attempt from another overclocker, this time it was ‘saltycroissant’ based in Canada, reached 12,050MT/s, again on air cooling, with the same RAM module (in an ASRock Z890 Taichi OCF motherboard this time).
Analysis: Still impractical, but very cool
In case you were thinking of trying this at home, or getting somewhere up towards this level, as VideoCardz points out, while this is air cooling and nothing fancy is used to juice up the DDR5 to incredible speeds, there is a catch. Namely that the CPU is running just a single core at 400MHz, which obviously wouldn’t be any good in any real-world use scenario.
So, while there’s no exotic cooling needed, this still remains an achievement which isn’t useful in a practical sense – save for showing the general overclocking potential of DDR5 in an Arrow Lake system, which remains seriously impressive. Team Blue certainly has a win on its hands in that respect, even if the Arrow Lake launch has been, shall we say, less than ideal (especially given the backdrop of previous-gen instability issues).
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