Google releases new open LLMs, Rivian lays off staff and Signal rolls out usernames

Welcome, folks, to Week in Review (WiR), TechCrunch’s regular newsletter covering noteworthy happenings in the tech industry. This week, Google launched two new open large language models, Gemma 2B and Gemma 7B, in its continued bid for generative AI dominance. The company, which describes the LLMs as “inspired by Gemini,” its flagship family of GenAI … Read more

Quick thinking and a stroke of luck averted a moon lander disaster for Intuitive Machines

Intuitive Machines’ spacecraft touched down yesterday on the lunar surface . . . sideways. CEO Steve Altemus confirmed during a press conference Friday that, while it wasn’t a perfect landing, it’s nothing short of a miracle the spacecraft landed intact at all. Using a small model of the lander, Altemus demonstrated how engineers believe the spacecraft, called Odysseus, made its … Read more

Hackers are exploiting ConnectWise flaws to deploy LockBit ransomware, security experts warn

Security experts are warning that a pair of high-risk flaws in a popular remote access tool are being exploited by hackers to deploy LockBit ransomware — days after authorities announced that they had disrupted the notorious Russia-linked cybercrime gang. Researchers at cybersecurity companies Huntress and Sophos told TechCrunch on Thursday that both had observed LockBit … Read more