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February 11, 2026

 

TechCrunch Top 3

Why the economics of orbital AI are so brutal

Why the economics of orbital AI are so brutal: A 1 GW orbital data center would cost roughly $42.4 billion — almost three times its ground-bound equivalent. Read More

How AI changes the math for startups, according to a Microsoft VP: Amanda Silver is a corporate vice president at Microsoft’s CoreAI division, where she works on tools for deploying apps and agentic systems within enterprises. Read More

Google releases the first beta of Android 17, adopts a continuous developer release plan: Google is changing how developers get access to new APIs and features of the latest version. Read More

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Afternoon Must-Reads

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TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 nominations open

Nominate your cutting-edge, early-stage startup or one worth a shot for Startup Battlefield 200 and take the Disrupt Stage this October in San Francisco. Compete for $100K equity-free, gain global visibility, and face top investors. Thousands apply. 200 advance. Only 20 pitch live.

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You missed these chats from Disrupt:

Kindred talks home-swapping platform for travelers, Chef Robotics introduces AI into commercial kitchens, and Character.AI addresses chatbot safety with teens.

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