Razer’s Kraken headset lineup has grown by one more product with the launch of the Kraken V4 Pro, which the company announced over the weekend at RazerCon alongside other products like the Freyja haptic seat cushion. The Kraken line has been around for ages at this point. Every year or two Razer releases a new generation of the headset, updating it with a few new features and improving on stuff that was already there.

This time around, Razer has kind of turned the Kraken on its head, offering what feels like the biggest shakeup for the Kraken headset lineup (and Razer) in a while – simultaneous audio playback. This might not seem like a big deal, but it’s not a very common feature. So it’s definitely more game-changing than one might assume. As it opens up the Razer Kraken V4 Pro to those who want a headset that can play audio from multiple sources at the same time.

Specifically, those who might want the game audio filtering in while listening to music from their phone. Or in my case, while chatting from the Discord mobile app. The Kraken V4 Pro accomplishes this with the help of a base station which Razer is calling the OLED Control Hub. It has ports for separate audio sources so you can connect your PC and your console. But it also allows a Bluetooth connection to play audio alongside one of those sources. I feel like this is something that Razer fans have wanted for a while. Because I know I’ve been hoping for it for years. And I can’t be the only one.

The Razer Kraken V4 Pro headset comes with Sensa HD Haptics

The inclusion of a base station and simultaneous audio playback are big features, but they’re far from the Kraken V4 Pro’s only notable one. The headset also features Razer’s Sensa HD Haptics. A feature that it launched a few years ago to beef up game immersion through audio that you can feel. Razer is trying to sell the gamer on total sensory immersion for games, and the Kraken V4 Pro seems to be a piece of that puzzle.

When you pair the headset with the use of something like the Freyja, which Razer no doubts hopes you’ll do, you get haptic feedback through the headset and the seat cushion all at once. Delivering a sensory experience in gaming that you’ve probably never imagined existed. Razer says that gamers will be able to expect a “sensory experience that blurs the lines between in-game action and reality, feeling everything from the whizz of bullets to the subtle vibrations of distant thunderstorms.”

Four modes of connectivity provide even more possibilities

Another big first for Razer headsets is the Kraken V4 Pro’s connectivity options. You already know it can link up through Bluetooth and through the use of Razer HyperSense via the OLED Control Hub. It can also connect through a wired USB cable or a wired 3.5mm audio cable. So you can use the headset with essentially anything. If your device doesn’t have a USB port or the capability to connect to the Control Hub, no worries. You can likely connect the headset through Bluetooth or the 3.5mm audio cable.

That will go a long way to convince gamers this is a headset worth spending the money on. And that’s a good thing for Razer, considering this headset’s high price. The Kraken V4 Pro will cost $399.99, making it Razer’s most expensive headset to date. It’s available as of September 28 and you can pick it up directly from Razer, or through retail partners like Best Buy or Amazon. Razer also launched the BlackWidow V4 Pro 75 earlier this month.

Update, September 30, 4:30PM ET: YouTube says it has reached a deal with SESAC, and that the affected songs will be returning to the platform soon. A spokesperson sent the following comment: “We’re pleased that SESAC reconsidered our offer. We’ve reached a deal and content will come back up shortly. We appreciate everyone’s patience during this time.”

The original story, headlined “YouTube blocks songs from artists including Adele and Green Day amid licensing negotiations,” follows unedited.

Songs from popular artists have begun to disappear from YouTube as the platform’s deal with the performing rights organization SESAC (Society of European Stage Authors and Composers) approaches its expiration date. As reported by Variety, certain songs by Adele, Green Day, Bob Dylan, R.E.M., Burna Boy and other artists have been blocked in the US, though their entire catalogs aren’t necessarily affected. Videos that have been pulled, like Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” now just show a black screen with the message: “This video contains content from SESAC. It is not available in your country.”

In a statement to Engadget, a YouTube spokesperson said the platform has been in talks with SESAC to renew the deal, but “despite our best efforts, we were unable to reach an equitable agreement before its expiration. We take copyright very seriously and as a result, content represented by SESAC is no longer available on YouTube in the US. We are in active conversations with SESAC and are hoping to reach a new deal as soon as possible.” According to a source that spoke to Variety, however, the deal hasn’t even expired yet — it’ll reportedly terminate sometime next week — and the move on YouTube’s part may be a negotiation tactic. SESAC has not yet released a statement.

11x.ai, a startup that develops AI-powered sales development bots, has secured roughly $50 million in Series B funding, TechCrunch has learned. The new round was led by Andreessen Horowitz, valuing the company at around $350 million, multiple sources told TechCrunch.

The recent deal follows the company’s $24 million Series A, which was led by Benchmark with the participation of other investors including 20VC, Project A, Lux Capital, and SV Angel. While 11x.ai announced its Series A round earlier this month, we’ve learned that the deal closed earlier in 2024. The company was valued at $90 million during its Series A, according to one source.

11x.ai and Andreessen Horowitz didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hasan Sukkar, 11x’s founder and CEO, told TechCrunch that the company is approaching $10 million in annual recurring revenue. This implies that investors valued the startup at about 35 times ARR, a multiple that’s a notch more grounded than heady valuations recently garnered by other AI-powered companies with similar revenues.  For example, Hebbia, a large document search startup, has raised a Series B at 54 times ARR, TechCrunch reported in July.

While Series B places 11x.ai ahead of competitors in terms of valuation and total capital, investors told TechCrunch that it’s still too early to tell whether the company has established a significant lead over its rivals.  11x.ai is one of many quickly growing startups building AI sales development representatives, or AI SDRs. Other startups working on similar solutions include Reggie.ai, AiSDR and Artisan. Incumbents such as Salesforce have also introduced products that work as autonomous sales agents.

Although some investors are wary of backing AI SDR startups because it is hard to distinguish these companies’ offerings from each other, 11x’s Series B shows that other VCs are not afraid to make a larger bet on one of these startups.

11x.ai currently has two AI bots, or what the company is calling “automated digital workers.” Alice is an AI SDR that handles sales lead generation, research and customer outreach. The company recently introduced Jordan, an AI phone sales representative that speaks over 30 languages and can handle inbound and outbound conversations with prospective human buyers.  

The company told TechCrunch last year that they’re developing AI bots for talent acquisition and human resources. Now that 11x.ai has more capital, it may focus on expanding its suite of digital employees beyond just sales representatives.