Welcome back to Startups Weekly, a weekend newsletter that dives into the week’s noteworthy startups and venture capital news. Before I jump into today’s topic, let’s catch up a bit.…

On one hand, the feature could be seen as a natural evolution of other face swapping tech. On the other hand, it could have some very unpleasant repercussions. We've already seen how deepfake technology can be used for harm, so making the tech more accessible seems like a bad idea. As TechCrunch points out, the…

Ahead of CES, Lenovo is refreshing its flagship X1 laptop lineup. The company last updated the ThinkPad X1 Carbon and X1 Yoga this past August, so there aren't any drastic redesigns this time around. Like the previous generation models, the updated laptops feature Intel's latest 10th-generation "Ice Lake" processors and up to 16GB of RAM.…

According to the two companies, the 330.7 pound S-Pod can cruise at a top speed of 24.8 miles per hour. They claim it's also easy to drive thanks to a feature that automatically balances the vehicle while it's moving. The current prototype can travel about 43.5 miles before its battery needs to be charged.Looking to…

Tuesday’s attack by Iran-backed Shiite militia supporters on the US Embassy in Baghdad, followed by Friday’s US killing of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, sparked fears of an intense escalation of hostilities in the region.Analysts say US embassies and consulates are prime targets in the wake of these events, and personnel could be in jeopardy.…

Warning: If you start playing with fractals, it can get addicting. I don't know why, but it's stupid fun to make these things. Actually, I first started looking at fractals as part of the #TeamTrees challenge—a project to raise enough money by 2020 to plant 20 million trees. (We made our goal!)What do fractals have…

For years, US tensions with Iran have held to a kind of brinksmanship. But the drone assassination of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, widely understood to be the second most powerful figure in Iran, has dangerously escalated tensions. The world now awaits Iran's response, which seems likely to make new use of a tool that the…

When the clock ticked past midnight on December 31, California’s controversial Assembly Bill 5 went into effect. The bill, already the subject of sturm, drang, and a $110 million campaign for a state ballot initiative funded by the companies it targets, is meant to transform the hundreds of thousands of contractors in the state working…

If you want to gaze into the hellish future of human existence on Earth, look to Australia. Huge bushfires have torched 14.5 million acres since September, killing at least 18. Vast plumes of smoke are pouring into major cities along the east coast, imposing a dire respiratory health hazard on millions of people. And Australia’s…

In Pixar’s 2008 movie WALL-E, which is set in the 29th century, our adorable, eponymous robot hero travels to the massive luxury space cruiser the Axiom. When he arrives, he finds that all of humanity has evolved into boneless consumerist blobs, eating constantly, babbling at screens, and lounging in high-speed, floating chairs.Luckily, or unluckily, for…