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Hey, folks, welcome to Week in Review (WiR)<\/a>, TechCrunch\u2019s regular roundup of the past week in tech. Too busy to check the headlines this week? Don\u2019t sweat it. That\u2019s why WiR exists \u2014 we\u2019ll get you caught up to speed.<\/p>\n This edition of WiR features pieces about a fake AI-generated \u201cSouth Park\u201d episode; the surging downloads of Threads, an app that shares the same name as Meta\u2019s Twitter competitor; and Tesla\u2019s first Cybertruck build. We also recap the CEO of OnlyFans stepping down; Wix\u2019s new tool that can create websites on the fly, using generative AI; and Plex\u2019s free Winamp-inspired music player.<\/p>\n That\u2019s a lot to cover, so let\u2019s get cracking. Oh, and if you haven\u2019t already, sign up here<\/a>\u00a0to get WiR in your inbox every Saturday.<\/p>\n Poor timing for AI-generated TV:<\/strong><\/a> AI startup Fable Studios demoed its platform this week, using it to create a full, fake \u201cSouth Park\u201d episode in which Cartman tries to apply deepfake technology to the media industry. The tech was impressive, Devin writes, but \u2014 juxtaposed against the ongoing strike of creatives in TV and film \u2014 the stunt came across as a tad inartful.<\/p>\n Not a good look for Microsoft security:<\/strong><\/a> Microsoft still doesn\u2019t know \u2014 or want to share \u2014 how China-backed hackers stole a key that allowed them to stealthily break into dozens of email inboxes, including those belonging to several government agencies<\/a>. The company first disclosed the incident last Tuesday, attributing the monthlong activity to a newly discovered espionage group it\u2019s calling Storm-0558, which it believes has a strong nexus to China.<\/p>\n The other<\/em> Threads surges to new heights:<\/strong><\/a> Instagram\u2019s\u00a0Twitter clone Threads<\/a>\u00a0enjoyed a fairly fruitful first week in existence, sailing past\u00a030 million users<\/a> in the first 24 hours. But it\u2019s had the unintended effect of thrusting Threads, an unrelated app first pitched as a Slack alternative, into the spotlight. Threads (the Slack alternative) reportedly racked up more than 880,000 downloads on iOS between July 6 and July 12, after Meta\u2019s Threads launched, having had few downloads prior to this point.<\/p>\n Telsa unveils the first Cybertruck build: <\/strong><\/a>Tesla over the weekend said its first, much-anticipated Cybertruck came off the production line in Texas. The debut of the long-delayed, futuristic-looking pickup truck comes in the lead-up to Tesla\u2019s second-quarter 2023 earnings call.<\/p>\n OnlyFans CEO steps down:<\/strong><\/a> After about two and a half years at the helm, Ami Gan<\/a> is leaving OnlyFans. Chief strategy and operations officer Keily Blair will take over as CEO. As Amanda writes,\u00a0OnlyFans is perhaps the best-known creator platform that supports adult content; according to Gan, the company paid out\u00a0$10 billion to creators while she was CEO.<\/p>\n New sites, generated by AI:<\/strong><\/a> Wix, a longtime fixture of the web-building space, is betting that today\u2019s customers don\u2019t particularly care to spend time customizing every aspect of their site\u2019s appearance. The company\u2019s new AI Site Generator tool, announced this week, will allow Wix users to describe their intent and generate a website complete with a homepage, inner pages and text and images \u2014 as well as business-specific sections for events, bookings and more.<\/p>\n Plex makes its Winamp-inspired player free:<\/strong><\/a> Plexamp, the music player\u00a0originally incubated by the Labs division of media company Plex, is now free. The project was first\u00a0launched<\/a> in 2017 as a subscription-based spin on the classic Winamp media player app, offering visualizations to accompany your tunes, tools for programming mixes, and more recently, a ChatGPT-powered \u201cSonic Sage\u201d feature that builds unique playlists from users\u2019 music libraries.<\/p>\n VanMoof e-bikes, saved:<\/a> <\/strong>Since struggling\u00a0e-bike<\/a> startup VanMoof confirmed it has asked for a deferment of payment in Holland<\/a>, there\u2019s been a question hanging over the VanMoof bikes out there in the wild. Riding to the rescue, somewhat improbably, is Cowboy<\/a>, VanMoof\u2019s e-bike competitor over the border in Belgium. Cowboy\u2019s \u201cBikey\u201d<\/a> app enables VanMoof riders to generate their unique digital key and keep riding, Mike writes.<\/p>\n TechCrunch\u2019s roster of podcasts is, as the kids say,\u00a0giving<\/em>. Tune in for great new content this week.<\/p>\n On Equity<\/a>, PitchBook venture guru Kyle Stanford came to riff with the crew on the venture capital in Q2 2023: the good, the bad, and the late stage.<\/p>\n The latest episode of Found<\/a>, meanwhile, spotlighted Catherine Tabor, the founder and CEO of Sparkfly, a company that helps brands with marketing and customer engagement. Tabor talked about building a company fluid enough to adapt to changing technology trends over the last decade and how she was dismissed by venture capitalists despite landing notable customers.<\/p>\n TC+ subscribers get access to in-depth commentary, analysis and surveys \u2014 which you know if you\u2019re already a subscriber. If you\u2019re not, consider signing up<\/a>. Here are a few highlights from this week:<\/em><\/p>\n Electric utilities drive customers to startups:<\/b><\/a> Of all the companies that should be eager to embrace the electric transition, electric utilities would seem to be at the top of the list. Yet they also appear to be some of the most hesitant. Startups are taking advantage of the situation, Tim writes.<\/p>\n Mixed-gender founding teams raise over a billion dollars:<\/strong><\/a> U.S. startups with mixed-gender founding teams \u2014 meaning they have at least one female founder \u2014 raised $24.1 billion in the first half of 2023, which breaks down to $17.2 billion in Q1 and $6.9 billion in Q2, per the latest PitchBook data. That\u2019s a big deal \u2014 but it\u2019s important to note that startups with all-women<\/em> founding teams are still struggling to raise money this year.<\/p>\n Ripple\u2019s XRP case and the lack of regulatory clarity:<\/strong><\/a> Last week, the crypto community celebrated a U.S. federal court case<\/a> that ruled Ripple\u2019s XRP token does not make up illegal securities sales \u2014 but only in some cases. Though many celebrated the ruling, it\u2019s not a true win for crypto \u2014 Jacquelyn explains why.<\/p>\n Get your TechCrunch fix IRL. Join us at Disrupt 2023 in San Francisco this September to immerse yourself in all things startup. From headline interviews to intimate roundtables to a jam-packed startup expo floor, there\u2019s something for everyone at Disrupt. Save up to $600 when you buy your pass now through August 11, and save 15% on top of that with promo code WIR. Learn more<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nMost read<\/h2>\n
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