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October 16, 2026

 

TechCrunch Top 3

Tesla reveals SpaceX-powered Roadster that flies and falls with style

Tesla reveals SpaceX-powered Roadster that flies and falls with style: The new car used thrusters to leap over a Cybercab, Cybertruck, Tesla Semi, Model Y, and Model 3 at a demo in Texas. Read More

Replit's CEO says the future of work is the 'self-driving company': Replit CEO Amjad Masad envisions a future of “self-driving companies,” where AI agents handle day-to-day tasks and people focus on higher-level decisions. Read More

Mark Wahlberg on using AI in film 'the right way' and being open to an AI clone carrying on his legacy: Actor and angel investor Mark Wahlberg says he's OK with using AI in filmmaking, provided it's used "to enhance what you're doing." Read More

Morning Must-Reads

Veritas expands its anti-counterfeit chip to jewelry, trophies, and fragrance bottles

Veritas expands its anti-counterfeit chip to jewelry, trophies, and fragrance bottles: Counterfeiters are getting better at replicating brands' marks and passing off dupes, known as "superfakes," as genuine items. A startup called Veritas wants to tackle the problem with its own chip that verifies goods. Read More

And the winner of Startup Battlefield at Disrupt 2026 is: Intero Biosystems: Intero Biosystems beat out 199 other Startup Battlefield companies to take home the $100,000 grand prize at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Read More

Meta launches an open-weight AI model that runs on Macs: Meta and Apple have teamed up for the launch of the social media giant's newest model, Muse Spark Open, which will run locally on Apple silicon. Read More

When it came to Cal AI's viral success, a small army of influencers paid off: The company generated over $30 million in revenue in two years and was acquired by MyFitnessPal for an undisclosed amount of money in March. Read More

Bluesky expands its AI-powered Attie app to let anyone build websites, games, and more: Bluesky is bringing “social vibe coding” to its experimental Attie platform, allowing users to create interactive experiences like games, quizzes, and websites that can tap into the social network's audience. Read More

A message from Macao International Trade & Investment Fair

Macao's 31st MIF to Kick Off in October

The 31st Macao International Trade & Investment Fair (31st MIF), organised by the Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) of the Macao Special Administrative Region, will be held from 21 to 24 October 2026 at the Cotai Expo, The Venetian Macao. For the latest updates on MIF, please visit the official website at www.mif.com.mo.

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Last but Not Least

Bluesky wants to make it easier to buy, sell, and fundraise on the network

Bluesky wants to make it easier to buy, sell, and fundraise on the network: The executives argued that advertising isn’t the only path to monetization, and that there are alternative models that are feasible when it comes to monetization. Read More

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