TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 is three measly days away and we can’t be any more pumped. Here’s an insider’s guide to everything you need to know to have a successful Disrupt experience.
Registration and early badge pickup
Sunday, 10/27: 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Early badge pickup — skip the line on Monday by grabbing your badge early.
Monday, October 28: 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, October 29: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
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Wednesday, October 30: 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Please bring your government-issued ID. The name on the badge and ticket must match for pickup.
TechCrunch Disrupt event app
Download the Disrupt event app via Bizzabo here. Log in with the email address that you used to register your ticket. Use the app for up-to-date agendas, register for Roundtables, view exhibitor lists, and access Braindate to enhance your networking experience.
For more details on parking, directions, food, and more, head to the Disrupt Attendee Portal.
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Tune in and discover
Partner Sessions, Breakouts and Roundtables
With SO MUCH happening at Disrupt, we can’t call out every single session, but here are a few highlights of must-see content brought to you by our partners. Make sure to check out the full agenda here.
Monday, October 28, 2024
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Roundtable 1 — How to Build & Run Your Board with Justworks
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Roundtable 3 — Tackle Every Challenge Head-on with Affiliate Marketing with Awin
10:10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Builders Stage — How AI and XR Will Revolutionize All of Your Deviceswith Qualcomm
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10:50 a.m. – 11:20 a.m. | Roundtable 3 — Leverage Data Standards to Accelerate Your Startup with InterSystems
11:00 a.m. – 11:20 a.m. | Space Stage — Cislunar: The Next Frontier with The Aerospace Corporation
2:00 p.m. – 2:20 p.m. | Builders Stage — Beyond the Hype: Building AI that Means Business with Google Cloud
3:50 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Fintech Stage — Visa Everywhere Initiative: The Ultimate Fintech Pitch Competition with Visa
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Tuesday, October 29, 2024
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Roundtable 1 — How to Build & Run Your Board with Justworks (encore session)
10:50 a.m. – 11:20 a.m. | Roundtable 1 — Refining Pre- and Post-Training Data Strategy for LLM Success with Telus
10:50 a.m. – 11:20 a.m. | Roundtable 2 — Tackle Every Challenge Head-on with Affiliate Marketing with Awin (encore session)
10:50 a.m. – 11:20 a.m. | Roundtable 3 — Leverage Data Standards to Accelerate Your Startup with InterSystems (encore session)
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11:00 a.m. – 11:20 a.m. | SaaS Stage — Building Enterprise AI Apps with Multi-Agent RAG Systems (MARS) with SingleStore
11:30 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. | Breakout 1 — The Art of the AI Pitch: Winning Over Investors in 2025 with Dropbox DocSend
1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Roundtable 2 — Visionary Companies Embrace Innovation to Thrive in the Fast-Paced Economy with SAP
2:50 p.m. – 3:10 p.m. | Builders Stage — Cloud Doesn’t Have to Mean Compromise with Golub
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Wednesday, October 30, 2024
10:00 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. | AI Stage — Speeding Ahead: Lessons for the GenAI Evolution with Thomson Reuters
10:50 a.m. – 11:10 a.m. | AI Stage — The AI Clouds Race: What’s Behind the Scenes with Nebius AI
10:50 a.m. – 11:20 a.m. | Roundtable 1 — Refining Pre- and Post-Training Data Strategy for LLM Success with Telus (encore session)
10:50 a.m. – 11:20 a.m. | Roundtable 2 — Visionary Companies Embrace Innovation to Thrive in the Fast-Paced Economy with SAP (encore session)
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2:00 p.m. – 2:20 p.m. | AI Stage — Architecting the Future: Building Hardware for an AI-Native World with HP
2:20 p.m. – 2:40 p.m. | AI Stage — The Future of AI’s Data Infrastructure: Unlocking the Power of GenAI with MongoDB and Capgemini with MongoDB
Pavilion Startups and Startup Battlefield 200
Who doesn’t love watching startups pitch? No one we know! Get your fill on the Pitch Showcase Stage in the heart of the Expo Hall. Check out startups from international Pavilions and companies from the Startup Battlefield 200 delivering fast pitches to, and receiving feedback from, TechCrunch editors.
Don’t forget to catch the Startup Battlefield finalists compete on the Disrupt Stage. Check the agenda for times.
Relax and Network
There is so much to take in and learn at Disrupt, so make sure to take a break to network or relax.
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Take a coffee break
Perk up with a caffeine stop courtesy of MongoDB (10/30), Carta (10/28), and Metronome (10/29), located in the lobbies on level 2 or 3.
Women of Disrupt Breakfast
Tuesday, October 29 | 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. — For female pass holders, join TechCrunch and J.P. Morgan for breakfast at Disrupt for meaningful networking and dialogue, while connecting with fellow Disrupt goers, in the Deal Flow Cafe on the third floor.
Investor Breakfast
Wednesday, October 30 | 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. — Exclusive to Investor Pass holders, come chat with your peers, and get ready for a busy day at Disrupt. Located in the Deal Flow Cafe, space is limited. Hosted by SE Ventures.
Industry Meetups
At the end of each day, head to the House of Shields to meet folks interested in your industry. Make sure to bring your badge, as it’s your ticket to get in.
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Monday, October 28 | 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. — Space and Fintech Meetup by Kama Capital
Tuesday, October 29 | 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. — SaaS Meetup, sponsored by Statsig and SGN
Wednesday, October 30 | 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. — Artificial Intelligence Meetup, sponsored by Google Cloud and VioletX
It’s not too late to register for your pass and immerse yourself in all things tech. Take advantage of the current low rates before prices jump on October 28 when Disrupt doors open.Lock in your discounted pass here.
The Xiaomi 15 series will be the next big launch in the company’s flagship phone lineup. This week, the brand confirmed the launch date of the devices in China. Ahead of the event, the Xiaomi 15 Pro showed its power with impressive results in gaming tests, while the company confirmed details about its cameras, battery, and more.
The Xiaomi 15 Pro shows power and efficiency in demanding gaming tests
To start with, the Xiaomi 15 Pro tested has 16 GB LPDDR5X RAM and 1 TB UFS 4.0. In one of the tests, the Antutu team put the Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered device through the stress of running Genshin Impact at maximum graphics settings for half an hour. The device managed an average frame rate of 59.62 FPS with a power consumption of about 4W. However, what’s more impressive is that the phone reached a maximum temperature of just 39°C.
This makes the Snapdragon 8 Elite one of the most efficient chips when running heavy workloads, such as demanding gaming. The Dimensity 9400, another powerful chip, reached a similar average frame rate in the same test, but with higher power consumption.
Xiaomi’s upcoming flagship phone also ran Honor of Kings under the same conditions. The device reached an average of 119.8 FPS with a maximum temperature of 37.9 °C and a power consumption of just 3.65W. Plus, the test included running Honkai: Star Rail, again under the same conditions. In this case, the device showed an average frame rate of 59.34 FPS, while the maximum temperature rose to 44.4 °C. Antutu claims that the results are “significantly stronger” than those of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip.
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Tipster Digital Chat Station also shared results for a couple of additional tests on Weibo. In the Steel Nomad Light graphics benchmark, the Xiaomi 15 achieved a score of 2.5K. Meanwhile, the single-core and multi-core tests of GeekBench v6.6 returned scores of 3K and 9.4K, respectively. In previously leaked benchmarks, the Snapdragon 8 Elite was able to exceed 10K in GeekBench’s multi-core tests.
More confirmed camera, battery and display specs
In addition to the gaming test results, the company confirmed specs for the Xiaomi 15 Pro’s battery, cameras, and more. The company will follow the recent trend of other Chinese brands to include massive batteries in their flagship phones. The Xiaomi 15 Pro will hit the market with an impressive 6,100 mAh cell. The Asian giant also confirmed reduced symmetrical bezels with just 1.38 mm around the screen.
Regarding the screen, it will boast 2K resolution, a maximum brightness of 3,200 nits, and support for hardware-level DC dimming. Likewise, it will be 10% more energy efficient compared to the previous generation. The company says it used custom M9 materials for the OLED panel. Finally, the Xiaomi 15 Pro will have a periscopic sensor for 5x optical zoom in its rear camera system.
One thing I did not foresee happening this year was us getting a new entry in Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach series. But the author announced exactly that back in April, and I’ve pretty much been counting down the days until the book’s release ever since. Absolution, the fourth novel in what previously stood as a trilogy, hit the shelves this week and it takes us back to the beginning of Area X and the ill-fated first expeditions to explore it.
For the uninitiated, the series deals with a strange coastal region in the US that’s inexplicably been shut off behind an invisible border and has returned to a wild state. A shady government agency has been tasked with studying it, but the people who set out on those exploration missions either never come back out, or come back different. The series includes Annihilation (which inspired the 2018 movie starring Natalie Portman), Authority and Acceptance.
Ten years after the series was originally released, a prequel feels like the perfect way to dive back into the mysteries of Area X and the Southern Reach. The trilogy concluded in a way that answered some questions but also left so much else up in the air. And while you probably shouldn’t expect Absolution to neatly wrap it all up, it does give us more insight on the early days of the anomaly and the perspective of key characters in that timeline, like Lowry. Absolution is hefty — it’s structured so there are three novella-like parts, and is nearly 500 pages long in all. Which is great, because I can’t get enough of Area X.
Viewer numbers and hours watched are both on the rise for Twitch, according to the latest report from StreamElements. This might be due to the rise of September subathons, which many streamers hold to capitalize on the platforms discount on subscription prices. Several members of FaZe Clan held such subathons, with many of them hitting StreamElements’ list of Top 10 Streamers for the month.
According to data from StreamElements’ analytics partner Rainmaker.gg, gamers watched 1.653 billion, slightly below August’s 1.660 billion. However, the daily hours watched was higher than it was in August — 55 million and 54 million, respectively. World of Warcraft and Dota 2 saw large boosts in hours watched, and EA Sports FC 25 debuted in the Top 10 games category
Four out of the top ten streamers for September were members of FaZe Clan, many of whom hosted subathons during the month and each reportedly streamed over 695 hours. StableRonaldo took the crown with 9.7 million hours watched.
Or Perry, CEO of StreamElements, said in a statement, “Twitch experienced two significant highlights in September that fueled each other: a rise in daily hours watched and a reshuffling of its top streamer rankings. Members of FaZe Clan held simultaneous subathons, each lasting over 695 hours, propelling four creators into the top 10 for the first time, with Stableronaldo claiming the crown… FaZeClan members benefited by joining each other on stream, which could bolster the use of features like Stream Together that streamline the collaborative process.”
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We are a mere 2 days away from one of the most anticipated tech events of the year!
San Francisco is about to be electrified by the global tech community. Join the crowd at Moscone West from October 28-30 (and all week) as Silicon Valley’s finest come together for TechCrunch Disrupt 2024.
Only two days left to save! Register now to get $400 off your ticket or grab two Expo+ tickets for half the price of one with our Expo+ 2-for-1 Pass. Prices go up when the doors to Disrupt open on October 28.
Join 10,000 tech visionaries, startup founders, and VC leaders for unparalleled opportunities to connect, collaborate, and forge lasting partnerships.
Discover 350+ showcasing startups
Enter the Expo Hall to experience the future of tech as over 350 startups showcase their groundbreaking innovations from across the globe. You can also look forward to these startups presenting their ideas in dynamic, quick-fire pitches to TechCrunch editors and attendees on the Pitch Showcase Stage in the Expo Hall.
Gain insights from 250+ industry giants
Uncover exclusive insights from leading industry experts across six specialized stages, focusing on key sectors of the tech landscape: AI, startups, venture capital, fintech, SaaS, and space.
Experience the excitement as the top 20 hand-picked startups compete in the Startup Battlefield 200 pitch competition at the Disrupt Stage, vying for a $100,000 equity-free prize and the coveted Disrupt Cup. Top-tier VCs will judge the competition, providing invaluable feedback on what it takes to build a successful startup. Discover valuable lessons from the top contenders in this thrilling showdown.
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Enhanced networking opportunities
Beyond casual networking throughout the venue, elevate your connections with the Braindate app, which lets you create or explore topics for more meaningful discussions. Meet in person at the Networking Lounge powered by Braindate on level 2 for 1:1 or small-group conversations.
60+ pre and after-hours Side Events
Keep the energy of Disrupt 2024 alive by joining company-hosted Side Events happening all week across San Francisco. From workshops and cocktail parties to morning runs and Meetups, there’s an activity for everyone to enjoy!
Register before rates rise
Grab the chance to save up to $400 on your ticket! You can also enjoy our Expo+ 2-for-1 deal, allowing you to bring a +1 for just half the cost of one Expo+ Pass. These limited-time offers end on October 27 at 11:59 p.m. PT, and ticket prices will go up when the event kicks off on October 28.
More than most genres, survival horror feels rooted in time. It started with the methodical Resident Evil on the original PlayStation and is defined in part by limitation — a slow pace, grimy visuals, and scant resources to help amplify the scares. Many of those elements stemmed from the early, awkward days of 3D gaming, whether it was Resident Evil’s clunky controls, which made zombie chases more terrifying, or Silent Hill’s fog, which lent an iconic atmosphere while also letting the developers get around technical limitations of the time.
And a few decades later, developers are still finding ways to bring the most important elements of those games — namely, the mood and scares — to modern horror without feeling dated.
The most obvious way to do this is keeping the style and tone of classic survival horror while updating the gameplay to make it more approachable. The most recent example of this is Fear the Spotlight, the first release from horror movie studio Blumhouse’s new gaming label. Much like Crow Country and Signalis, it’s a game that looks like it was ripped right out of 1998; the visuals are blocky, the textures low-res. It gives the experience a grimy feel, which is just the right note for horror.
Fear the Spotlight.Image: Blumhouse Games
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Fear the Spotlight — developed by the two-person team at Cozy Game Pals — starts out simple enough, with two friends breaking into their high school to perform a seance in the library. But, of course, things go bad, and they get pulled into a nightmare realm that connects both to their own pasts and a dark mystery the school has been hiding for decades. It’s part coming-of-age story, part romance, and part true crime. But it’s all rendered in the crunchy style of PlayStation-era horror, which lends it an uneasy edge.
The game also lets you really focus on the story by streamlining the gameplay. There’s a lot of puzzle-solving; much like in early Resident Evil games, you’ll be fixing all kinds of complex mechanical problems and dealing with arcane statues and locks. But there’s almost no actual combat. Instead, you have little choice but to run and hide when the terrifying monsters appear. Some of the scariest moments of the game have you huddled under a desk, waiting for the creatures — which have deadly spotlights for faces — to pass.
In some ways, removing combat makes the game even scarier since you have no way to fight back. These moments in Fear the Spotlight reminded me a bit of stowing away in a locker in Alien: Isolation, hoping the xenomorph couldn’t see me. The hazy, dirty visuals only amplify this feeling, as it’s often difficult to get a clear view of what’s ahead of you.
Silent Hill 2.Image: Konami
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On the other side of the spectrum is the recent remake of Silent Hill 2. Instead of creating a brand-new survival horror experience with modern sensibilities, it’s an attempt to take one of the genre’s most influential titles — a particularly idiosyncratic one at that — and reimagine it as a big-budget release in 2024. That has pros and cons. Like the remakes of classic ResidentEvil games and the original Dead Space, Silent Hill 2 looks and plays like a modern release. The visuals are crisp and detailed, instead of hazy and disorienting. And it controls like a well-tuned third-person action game. It’s immensely satisfying to swing a bat, whether you’re smashing in windows or fending off a living mannequin.
There’s a shift in tone. The modern Silent Hill 2 is still scary. The level of realism makes the squirming enemies and cramped hotel hallways feel incredibly unsettling, and there’s a level of immersion that can be panic-inducing. But now it plays and feels like a lot of other games and is, for lack of a better word, a lot cleaner than the original. It’s no longer as weird and distinct. It reminds me a bit of the 2018 remake of Shadow of the Colossus: a cover song that doesn’t replace the original but provides a different way of looking at it, one that’s welcoming for newcomers. (If only Konami made the original Silent Hill 2 more accessible.)
The point is, these games show there is still plenty of room to do interesting things with survival horror. And they do it in a way that both connected to the genre’s history without being stifled by it. More importantly: they find new ways to scare.
Fear the Spotlight and Silent Hill 2 are both available now.
Samsung has used advanced computer modeling to accelerate the development of Selector-Only Memory (SOM), a new memory technology that combines non-volatility with DRAM-like read/write speeds and stackability.
Building on the company’s earlier research in the field, SOM is based on cross-point memory architectures, similar to phase-change memory and resistive RAM (RRAM), where stacked arrays of electrodes are used. Typically, these architectures require a selector transistor or diode to address specific memory cells and prevent unintended electrical pathways.
Samsung has taken a novel approach by exploring chalcogenide-based materials that function as both the selector and the memory element, introducing a new form of non-volatile memory.
A broader search
eeNews Analog reports Samsung researchers will present their findings at this year’s International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), taking place from December 7 to 11, in San Francisco. The South Korean tech giant will discuss how it screened an extensive range of chalcogenide materials for SOM applications.
Samsung says its study explored over 4,000 material combinations, narrowing them down to 18 promising candidates using Ab-initio-based computer modeling (see the diagram at the top of the page). The focus was on improving threshold voltage drift and optimizing the memory window – two key factors in SOM performance.
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Traditional SOM research has been limited to the use of Ge, As, and Se chalcogenide systems found in ovonic threshold switches (OTS). However, Samsung says its comprehensive modeling process allowed for a broader search, considering bonding characteristics, thermal stability, and device reliability to enhance performance and efficiency.
In a follow-up IEDM presentation, eeNews Analog reports, IMEC researchers will discuss potential atomic mechanisms, such as local atomic bond rearrangement and atomic segregation, that could explain how the selector component in SOM operates, further influencing threshold voltage – an important factor in memory performance.
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