The days of the “@[insert username] blocked you” page appear to be over. X owner Elon Musk announced a new change to allowing blocked users to see posts of the accounts that blocked them.

Blocked accounts still won’t be able to interact with those accounts but they’ll be able to see their posts. A source from X told the new blocked access feature is being implemented because users can already see and interact with accounts that have blocked them by switching to a non-blocked account.

Musk has wanted to disable the block feature on X for awhile now. More than a year ago, he first expressed (or technically, Twitter) except for direct messages. He wrote that blocking would become “deleted as a ‘feature’” as well as saying “It makes no sense.”

Last May, announced it would implement the blocked viewer change to the platform without including a solid implementation or rollout date. The post said the change would be implemented to give users with blocked accounts the ability to “identify and report any potential bad content that you previously could not view.”

With TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 right around the corner, we’re thrilled to introduce the companies hosting Side Events that will extend the buzz and excitement to the thousands of attendees and Silicon Valley locals alike.

Whether it’s a fun happy hour, insightful panels, or energizing morning runs, Disrupt Week — happening from October 26 to November 1 — offers an exciting array of Side Events organized by a diverse group of participating companies.

Side Event guidelines and disclaimers

• Registering/RSVPing to a Side Event does not grant you access/ticket/badge to TechCrunch Disrupt 2024, taking place October 28-30.
• Each event is organized and operated solely by a host (not Yahoo or any of its affiliates or brands, including TechCrunch).
• Attendance is 18+ minimum and some venues are 21+ only.
• Side Events are open to the public unless specified.
• Please register/RSVP for any of the Side Events you want to attend.

Disrupt 2024 Side Events schedule

Mixer for AI Startup Founders and Investors, 10 AI Startups on Demo Floor

Hosted By: Llama Lounge: The AI Startup Event Series

Time: October 28, 2024, 5:00–9:00 p.m.

Description: Llama Lounge is one of the longest-running AI startup event series in San Francisco. Ten AI startups will be on the demo floor, where you’ll hear remarks from the hosts. Hundreds of AI founders and VCs will be present. Come network with the long-running SF AI community at this exclusive event partnered with Disrupt. Organized by Jeremiah Owyang, speaker at Disrupt.

Accelerate Product Delivery Using Generative AI and Smart Contracts

Hosted By: Rezoomex

Time: October 28, 2024, 6:00–9:00 p.m.

Description: What’s one of the biggest hurdles for visionary organizations aiming to bring their ideas to market? It’s turning those big ideas into something INVEST’able — Independent, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable. Successful organizations delight users, clients, and stakeholders by embracing Agile values, principles, and practices. They align their teams to transform visions into reality. This innovative workshop is designed for anyone eager to turn their ideas into reality. Attendees will engage in hands-on exercises with Rezoomex’s AI assistants. Learn to break down big ideas into smaller, manageable pieces for your teams to understand, deliver, and validate.

Happy Hour with Women Founders Bay!

Hosted By: Women Founders Bay

Time: October 30, 2024, 5:30–8:30 p.m.

Description: Join us for Women Founders Bay Happy Hour at Novela! We will have a selection of food and drinks as well as activities for the group! Some fun surprises and giveaways as well.

Women Tech Meetup + Panel Discussion

Hosted By: Women in Tech

Time: October 28, 2024, 5:30–8:30 p.m.

Description: San Francisco! Calling all women in tech, allies, friends, and partners!

​​Join our Women Tech Meetup + Panel — an incredible gathering of women in technology, female founders, entrepreneurs, community builders, and other professionals! ​​Enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks, engaging conversations, networking, and a beautiful venue. Additionally, we will host a panel discussion on fundraising, venture capital, and the challenges that founders face on their journey to building successful companies, along with strategies to overcome them. We highly encourage you to bring a friend, co-worker, or ally with you!

USF Downtown TechCrunch Tech Brunch

Hosted By: USF Startup Club

Time: October 26, 2024, 3:30 – 6:30 pm

Description: USF Startup Club + MS Entrepreneurship & Innovation program will be hosting a brunch on campus, including our graduate students, alumni, Silicon Valley operators, and investors.

Opening Disrupt with Sweat & Sparks: BeActive SF

Hosted By: Flamme AI — The Couples App

Time: October 27, 2024, 12:00–1:30 p.m.

Description: Kick off TechCrunch Disrupt with a healthy start — a fun social workout! Come connect with some of the best founders and investors while sweating out the weekend’s indulgences. Hosted by Ankit Nayal (ex-bodybuilder, founder of Flamme.app). Difficulty level: Beginner/Intermediate

Hack the Climate with Climate Quest

Hosted By: Climate Quest

Time: October 27, 2024, 12:00–6:00 p.m.

Description: An afternoon of collaborative climate action — addressing carbon capture storage, circular economy, clean energy transition, and climate finance. Hosted by a climate founder and angel investor.

Founders & Investors Run

Hosted By: AQ22

Time: October 29, 2024, 7:30–8:30 a.m.

Description: Start your morning off right with a fun networking run designed for founders, investors, and innovators. Whether you’re looking to talk about your next big idea, secure an investment, or simply get some fresh air with like-minded professionals, this is your sign to register. Expect a casual, friendly atmosphere — no pitch decks required! But have your elevator pitch ready (in case of an interested investor).

Making Money in the Energy Transition

Hosted By: DNV Ventures

Time: October 28, 2024, 4:00–7:30 p.m.

Description: Join us for the launch of DNV Ventures’ Energy Transition Outlook, an invite-only networking event tailored to corporate venture capitalists and VCs. This event will showcase DNV ventures and its portfolio companies around a dynamic panel on the business opportunity that the energy transition represents. Connect with industry leaders and gain insights into the future of the energy transition. 

HardTech After Party @Studio 55

Hosted By: Andrews Cooper

Time: October 29, 2024, 5:00–9:00 p.m.

Description: Come connect with other attendees from TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 at the HardTech After Party hosted by Studio 45, Andrews Cooper, and informal! We will have food, drinks, and music.

Speak Easy Happy Hour

Hosted By: BrainCloud

Time: October 29, 2024, 5:00–7:00 p.m.

Description: Speak Easy with BrainCloud at our Hosted Happy Hour. In addition to talent services, BrainCloud supports startups with all kinds of free resources and the free resources of the day are bar bites and drinks! The Pawn Shop is — wait for it — a pawnshop up front, but it’s a swanky speakeasy and tapas bar in the back. So come speak easy with fellow startup folks on Tuesday — just down the street from where Disrupt 2024 will be at Moscone West!

Pop Up Bubbl Lounge — The Future of Smart Startup Travel. Connecting Entrepreneurs to Build Authentic Networks on the Road

Hosted By: Bubbl

Time: October 29, 2024, 5:00–7:00 p.m.

Description: Shared Travel, Shared Success: Connecting Entrepreneurs Through Smart Accommodation! Join us for a Happy Hour and short panel discussion on how shared travel experiences foster connections, optimize costs, and create business opportunities. Hear from travel tech innovators and entrepreneurs on leveraging platforms like Bubbl to simplify group travel, reduce expenses, and enhance networking at events. Expect insightful stories, practical tips, an audience Q&A, and exclusive offers for group stays at future conferences. Plus, one attendee will win a free Bubbl experience for a future tech conference within our portfolio! Transform how you travel and connect.

Semiconductors and AI for Climate Startup Cup — Finalists Announcement and Reception

Hosted By: Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC)

Time: October 28, 2024, 5:00–7:00 p.m.

Description: Join us for an exclusive gathering as we propel climate tech innovation forward. This event is dedicated to promoting technologies that reduce emissions, enhance energy efficiency, and minimize waste, all while fostering clean energy and sustainable practices. The event will feature remarks from XTC co-founders Young Sohn and Bill Tai, rapid pitches from the Top 30 XTC Startup Cup Semifinalist, and a networking reception with 200+ corporates, VCs, founders, ecosystem builders, and public sector stakeholders. 

Gaming, Film & Interactive Media Tech Terrace Investors & Networking Party Overlooking San Francisco Bay

Hosted By: Love Soul AI

Time: October 29, 2024, 5:00–9:00 p.m.

Description: Gaming, Film & Interactive Media Tech Terrace Investors & Networking Party Overlooking San Francisco Bay

Happy Hour with McDermott Will & Emery LLP

Hosted By: McDermott Will & Emery

Time: October 29, 2024, 5:00–8:00 p.m.

Description: Join us for an exclusive cocktail reception designed to bring together dynamic startup players, venture capitalists, and lawyers from McDermott’s capital markets, mergers & acquisitions, and venture capital practices. You’ll enjoy a relaxed atmosphere and invaluable networking opportunities against the beautiful backdrop of San Francisco Bay.

『MELT』150+ Founders x Investors Dynamic Network

Hosted By: MELT

Time: October 28, 2024, 5:00–7:00 p.m.

Description: We’re bringing together 150 top 1% of founders, from pre-seed to Series D, along with active VCs and angel investors.

Pitch&Drink with P2S.VC

Hosted By: Pre-seed to Succeed (AltaIR Capital, Yellow Rocks!, Smart Partnership Capital, I2BF Global Ventures)

Time: October 28, 2024, 5:00–9:00 p.m.

Description: Calling all founders looking for investment opportunities to Pitch&Drink with P2S.vc! Connect with a community of like-minded individuals and VCs and gain insights into your next fundraising venture in a relaxed and fun environment.

Event Format: Venture (founders and investors) speed dating. Founders will have 2 to 3 minutes to present their elevator pitch (no presentation) directly to the investors, followed by a 6- to 7-minute Q&A session. After 10 minutes, the gong sounds and the founders change their places.

Startup Grind Happy Hour with Microsoft for Startups & DuploCloud

Hosted By: Startup Grind

Time: October 28, 2024, 5:00–7:00 p.m.

Description: Startup Grind understands how exciting the first day of a big startup conference is. Just a breezy 5-minute walk from TechCrunch in the heart of SF, our stunning happy hour venue awaits. Unwind, mingle with fellow founders, and enjoy a well-earned beer or glass of wine, plus some tasty finger food. See you there!

Meetup with『Shinhan Square Bridge』(S²Bridge) Startups

Hosted By: SWITH

Time: October 29, 2024, 5:00–8:00 p.m.

Description: Beyond the main stage of TechCrunch Disrupt 2024, join us for a night of pitching and networking with deep tech Korean startups. Connect and discover where ideas spark! Meet and mingle with 8 startups of the event. Food and drinks on SWITH. RSVP only.

Investor Talks by w.tech

Hosted By: w.tech

Time: October 28, 2024, 5:00–8:00 p.m.

Description: We are planning to dive deep into the world of tech funding, featuring leading voices in the industry. Hosted by the dynamic Wtech team, this is more than just a meetup — it’s a rare opportunity to connect with top women in tech. Expect insightful panel discussions, inspiring success stories, and invaluable networking opportunities with key players in the tech world.

A Well Tech Terrace Party! Hosted by Well Now! & Love Soul AI

Hosted By: Well Now! & Love Soul AI

Time: October 28, 2024, 5:00–9:00 p.m.

Description: Health tech and wellness tech, investors, and networking party on the terrace overlooking the San Francisco Bay.  

Operationalizing Success: A Panel on Scaling Startups + Happy Hour

Hosted By: Presence

Time: October 29, 2024, 5:30–8:30 p.m.

Description: Join us for Operationalizing Success: A Panel on Scaling Startups + Happy Hour, where you’ll gain actionable insights for turning strategy and big ideas into market capture and growth. Top women executives will share real stories of how they turned startup challenges into scalable solutions. Enjoy an open bar and hors d’oeuvres, and mingle with an exclusive guest list of approved tech executives. It’s an evening of high-level learning, strategic networking, and connecting with industry peers — all in a relaxed, collaborative setting.

Happy Hour Launch Party with Vently

Hosted By: Vently

Time: October 29, 2024, 5:30–8:30 p.m.

Description: Wine tasting happy hour with the Vently team! Join us as we gear up to launch our social network for events app for an evening full of networking, socializing, and getting exclusive previews of our app! Raffles and giveaways are included. 

Immigrant Founders Networking

Hosted By: OpenSphere

Time: October 29, 2024, 6:00–9:00 p.m.

Description: Get ready to network and meet vetted immigrant founders, investors, and operators at Immigrant Founders Networking hosted by Young Entrepreneurs Hub, OpenSphere, and Qlay. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, a fellow founder, or just curious about the future of the Immigrant Founder ecosystem, this is the place to be. Immigrant Founder? Apply to pitch.

SF Founders-Investors Social

Hosted By: Pilot

Time: October 29, 2024, 6:00–9:30 p.m.

Description: Come socialize with fellow founders and investors for a casual event to bring tech founders and investors together. No overt pitching or selling allowed — just fun conversation and genuine connection. Why come? ​Find your next investment or investor, ​make friends and future referrers or partners, ​and have fun and enjoy a night off.

Meet the Media

Hosted By: Zebra Public Relations

Time: October 29, 2024, 6:00–9:00 p.m.

Description: Begin your evening with a private networking session for reporters and VIP guests. Enjoy the intimate atmosphere and make meaningful connections. Engage in our interactive “Business Card Bingo” during the general networking session, making it fun and easy to meet potential collaborators. Panel discussion — “What the Media Wants”: Gain insider knowledge from our esteemed panel of journalists, including a leading business magazine journalist, a top online tech publication reporter, a prominent lifestyle editor, and a freelance writer specializing in entrepreneurial stories.

Speed Networking with Germ Network x Citizens

Hosted By: Germ Network

Time: October 28, 2024, 6:30–8:30 p.m.

Description: Conferences get packed, but connecting stays hard. Meet other founders, funders, and conference attendees at Germ Network x Citizens’ evening of mingling, including an hour of speed networking to help you find your people. We’ll have pitchers ready at 6:30, speed networking kicks off at 7! Come join us if you’re working on privacy, security, the future of communications, or healthier social media.

SignalFire’s Disrupt Penthouse After-Party

Hosted By: SignalFire

Time: October 29, 2024, 8:00–11:00 p.m.

Description: ​After TechCrunch Disrupt 2024, join top-ranked founders and builders for a private, official after-party at one of San Francisco’s premier penthouses. Hosted by former TechCrunch editor-at-large and current SignalFire VC, Josh Constine. Come meet fellow founders, AI researchers, and investors while enjoying live musical performances, craft cocktails, delicious food, and special activations in a multistory penthouse and heated rooftop decorated by Restoration Hardware.

Construction Tech Happy Hour

Hosted By: Brick & Mortar Ventures

Time: October 30, 2024, 5:30–7:00 p.m.

Description: ​Calling all founders, investors, operators, and individuals interested in construction tech! Join us for a happy hour to mingle with peers in the construction tech space. ​​This event is hosted by Brick & Mortar Ventures, the first sector-focused venture capital firm focusing on the construction industry. Our portfolio exits include PlanGrid, Building Connected, Fieldwire and Levelset.

Founder Friends SF

Hosted By: Hustle Fund

Time: October 30, 2024, 6:00–8:30 p.m.

Description: Founder Friends is a fireside chat and networking event where we gather 100-400 founders to connect over pizza and non-alcoholic beverages to hear from a notable founder who has been through the wringer and come out the other side. This event will feature Eric Bahn, GP and co-founder at Hustle Fund, and Yin Wu, CEO and founder of Pulley. Founder Friends does a great job of promoting an intimate gathering focused on honest conversations, with a mainly founder and VC audience, including enthusiasts and experienced entrepreneurs. 

Slovak PRO Happy Hour

Hosted By: Slovak PRO

Time: October 30, 2024, 6:00–9:00 p.m.

Description: Silicon Valley meeting the most interesting startups from Slovakia and Europe.

Founders Fright Fest

Hosted By: Fondo

Time: October 31, 2024, 6:30–8:30 p.m.

Description: Calling all brave founders and startups! Join Fondo for a ghoulishly good time at TechCrunch Disrupt’s spookiest side event — Founders Fright Fest. Sip, snack, and swap “frightening” stories that will send shivers down your spine: from the terror of missing tax deadlines to haunting missed tax credits, and the bone-chilling horror of inaccurate books. No need to face these nightmares alone! The Fondo team will be there to share how to turn those fears into distant memories. Costumes are optional, but getting your financials in order? Absolutely necessary! Don’t miss this chance to mix, mingle, and banish your startup’s accounting and bookkeeping nightmares!

AI & Robotics Beekeeping Class + Sustainability Mixer with Beewise

Hosted By: Beewise

Time: October 31, 2024, 9:00–11:00 a.m.

Description: Join Beewise for an in-person beekeeping class featuring our AI and robotics-powered beehive, the BeeHome™. Attendees will meet the bees up close in an urban garden and learn how technology can help reduce colony losses by more than 70%. Connect with other sustainability and green tech leaders over light refreshments and a tasting featuring BeeHome™ honey. 

Bootstrappers Breakfast: TechCrunch Disrupt Special Edition

Hosted By: Bootstrappers Breakfast

Time: October 31, 2024, 9:00–11:00 a.m.

Description: Come join entrepreneurs who eat problems for breakfast®. At a Bootstrappers Breakfast®, we have serious conversations about growing a business based on internal cashflow and organic profit. This is for founders who are actively bootstrapping a startup. The other attendees will all be in startups. It will be a chance to compare notes on operational, development, and business issues with peers. Now in our 14th year in Silicon Valley.

Creative Tech for Future Products: Panel & Happy Hour

Hosted By: JETRO, in collaboration with Japan Innovation Campus, AlchemistX, and Digital Garage

Time: October 30, 2024, 5:00–8:00 p.m.

Description: Explore the intersection of technology, art, and innovation with industry leaders. Meet our panel of experts in design thinking, food engineering, space tech, sustainable materials, museum tech, AI, and more. 

Key discussion topics:

• Emerging technologies driving future products
• The role of creativity in tech-driven innovation
• How companies are leveraging tech to create more sustainable, user-centric products

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School’s out for Pretty Little Liars: Summer School as Max has canceled the show after two seasons.

One of the best streaming services has decided not to renew the series three months after it ended on Max. The reboot is a horror twist on the original 2010 hit mystery drama series Pretty Little Liars and was originally called Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (2022) before being renamed to Pretty Little Liars: Summer School in the second season.

When ChatGPT first took the world by storm in 2022, its capabilities were so impressive that people happily looked past its awkward name. Yet hidden within those initials lies a key breakthrough responsible for sending artificial intelligence rocketing these past few years – and potentially a limitation that could see it crashing back to Earth.

GPT stands for generative pre-trained transformer, and it is the last word that matters most. The term was coined in a 2017 paper by a team at Google, which introduced a concept called…

Stellar Blade has been the subject of some strange controversies since its release in late April, but one of the strangest has to be a recent lawsuit filed against developer Shift Up and Sony that claims its name is guilty of trademark infringement.

IGN reports that the lawsuit was filed in a Louisiana court earlier this month by Griffith Chambers Mehaffey, the owner of film production company called Stellarblade LLC. His lawyers claim that he’s been using stellarblade.com since 2006, and that his company has existed since 2010. However, the game’s release has made it tougher for people to find information about his business.

Mehaffey is seeking damages and for Sony and Shift Up to no longer use the name “Stellar Blade.”

Additionally, the suit claims that the trademarks for his business and Shift Up’s game look “confusingly similar.” Both have blue color schemes and a stylized S, although the two look very different otherwise.

This wasn’t a problem back when the game was announced in 2019 under the name Project EVE, although Sony revealed the Stellar Blade name at its September 2022 State of Play According to U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the Stellar Blade trademark was initially filed in January 2023, with an “opposition” filed on September 11, 2024. Mehaffey filed his own trademark in June 2023, and then sent a cease and desist letter to Shift Up in July.

Stellar Blade was the PlayStation 5’s first big console exclusive release for 2024. While reviews were mixed (Digital Trends said had great style but was “lacking substance”), Shift Up revealed that the game sold 1 million units over the first couple of months. It dropped out of PlayStation’s top 20 downloads list in June.