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Researchers jailbreak a Tesla, the FCC fines robocallers and WeWork finds itself in trouble (again)Welcome, friends, to TechCrunch’s Week in Review (WiR), the newsletter where we recap the week that was in tech. For those new to WiR, think of it as a digest of stories and pieces that topped the charts over the past five days or so.
In this week’s edition of WiR, we cover researchers figuring out a way to “jailbreak” Teslas, the AI.com domain name switching hands and the FCC fining robocallers. Also featured are stories about WeWork’s perennial struggles, Google’s Messages app fully embracing RCS, and spyware maker LetMeSpy shutting down after a massive data breach.
If you haven’t already, sign up here to get WiR in your inbox every Saturday. Now, on with the recap.

Most read

Jailbreak your Tesla: A group of researchers say that they’ve found a way to hack the hardware underpinning Tesla’s infotainment system, allowing them to get what normally would be paid upgrades — such as heated rear seats — for free. Lorenzo has the story.
AI.com switches hands: A few months back, OpenAI seemingly purchased the domain AI.com in order to redirect it to the web app for its AI-powered chatbot, ChatGPT. But now AI.com redirects to X.ai, Elon Musk’s machine learning research outfit — suggesting that the CEO of X (formerly known as Twitter) has come into possession of the domain.
FCC fines robocallers: The FCC has fined a robocaller a record $300 million after blocking billions of their scam calls. But as Devin writes, whether and when the money will be paid is, as always, something of an open question.
WeWork in trouble . . . again: WeWork this week announced a net loss of $397 million for the second quarter on revenue of $877 million. The 13-year-old flexible space provider — which faces both increased competition and declining post-pandemic demand — didn’t mince words, admitting that “substantial doubt exists about [its] ability to continue.”
Google Messages embraces RCS: Google said this week that it’s making its Messages by Google app more secure with improvements to RCS, or Rich Communication Services — a protocol aimed at replacing SMS. The company says it’ll now make RCS the default for both new and existing Messages app users, and end-to-end encryption for group chats is now fully rolled out to all RCS users.
Google launches Project IDX: In more Google news, the tech giant this week launched Project IDX, an AI-enabled, browser-based development environment for building full-stack web and multiplatform apps.
ChatGPT custom instructions expand: OpenAI this week announced that it’s expanding custom instructions — a way to give users more control over how ChatGPT responds — to all users, including those on the free tier of the service. The feature, which was first unveiled in July as a beta for ChatGPT Plus subscribers, allows users to add various preferences and requirements that they want the AI chatbot to consider when responding.
Spyware maker shuts down: Poland-based spyware LetMeSpy is no longer operational and said it will shut down after a June data breach wiped out its servers, including its huge trove of data stolen from thousands of victims’ phones.
Audio
This reporter would venture to say that TechCrunch’s roster of podcasts has something for every interest. This week, as every week, there’s intriguing new material for your listening enjoyment.
On Equity, the crew talked about a lawsuit targeting a grant program providing small checks to Black women small-business owners and how some countries are taking a different track, including the U.K.
Meanwhile, this week’s episode of Found focused on Anurupa Ganguly, the founder and CEO at Prisms, a startup designing VR math curriculum for middle and high school students. Ganguly talked about how her time as a teacher in the Boston and New York City public school systems provided early inspiration for the company, and what it’s been like selling to schools, as well as her take on company culture in relation to remote and hybrid work.
And Chain Reaction hosted Robbie Ferguson, the co-founder and president of Immutable. Immutable is a web3 company consisting of two entities: Immutable Platform, a developer platform for building and scaling Ethereum-based web3 games, and Immutable Games, a web3 game developer and publisher.
TechCrunch+
TC+ subscribers get access to in-depth commentary, analysis and surveys — which you know if you’re already a subscriber. If you’re not, consider signing up. Here are a few highlights from this week:
Room-temp superconductor? Not so fast: The internet — and more than a few scientists — got their hopes up a couple weeks ago when a team of physicists from South Korea announced that they had created a room-temperature superconductor from a slew of common yet unlikely materials. But, as Tim writes, it’s probably, disappointingly bunk.
Taking another look at venture debt: Silicon Valley Bank’s nosedive has soured many on venture debt, and for early-stage companies, it bears being cautious. As an option for growth-stage companies with more predictable cash flow, however, things may be a little different. Haje investigates.
Taking a page from mobile gaming: Retaining mobile app subscribers is harder than it was last year, but paywall optimization and gamified UX can help. Anna explores the ins and outs of the turbulent market, and how apps are following examples from mobile gaming.

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’s something for everyone at Disrupt. Save up to $400 when you buy your pass now through September 18, and save 15% on top of that with promo code WIR. Learn more.

SBF ordered to jail, Bitcoin ETF delayed and SEC to appeal Ripple case: Hodler’s Digest, Aug. 6-12Sam Bankman-Fried has bail revoked, ordered to jail; the SEC delays decision on a spot Bitcoin ETF; and the SEC moves to appeal on Ripple’s case.

Getting It Done: The week in D.I.Y. and Indie musicLast week, our tips and advice for the independent, do-it-yourselfers out there covered how to find more time for your music, how much musicians can make on TikTok, and more…. Continue reading
The post Getting It Done: The week in D.I.Y. and Indie music appeared first on Hypebot.

REWIND: The new music industry’s week in reviewA busy week by any definition, the music industry was no exception, with Threads’ engagement already declining, South Asian music taking on the globe, scalpers funding consumer groups, and more…. Continue reading
The post REWIND: The new music industry’s week in review appeared first on Hypebot.

Bogren Digital release MLC Subzero 100 MLC Subzero 100 models the hand-built guitar amp of the same name from Mark L Custom Guitar Electronics, a model renowned for its rich, detailed tone.

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Celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip hop
From MPCs and vinyl shopping to FL grids and sample chopping, today we celebrate the sounds, styles, and creators of hip hop.

3AC co-founder avoids contempt charges following evidence of Singaporean citizenshipLawyers for Kyle Davies filed evidence that his U.S. citizenship had been renounced in 2021, which, according to a bankruptcy judge, left him outside the court's jurisdiction.

It’s official: Better.com is going publicWe didn’t think we’d see the day.
Digital mortgage lender Better.com’s proposal to combine with Aurora Acquisition Corp. via a SPAC (special purpose acquisition) has been approved by shareholders, the company confirmed today.
According to a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, Better.com will combine with Aurora, or go public, “on or about August 22, 2023.”  
“At least 65% of the outstanding ordinary shares of the company entitled to vote at this meeting have voted in favor of (the) proposal,” Arnaud Massenet, CEO of Aurora Acquisition Corp, said in a shareholder’s meeting on Friday, as reported by HousingWire.
Upon the closing of the transaction, the combined entity will see an infusion of $750 million in new capital, according to Aurora’s filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in July and as reported by HousingWire. 
Better.com had originally began making plans to go public via a $6 billion SPAC in May 2021. Things took a dramatic turn for the worse later that year, and the SPAC was delayed.
With so many challenges facing Better.com over the past two years – including layoffs, high-profile executive resignations, a housing market slowdown and negative publicity – industry observers were skeptical that the company’s going-public plans would actually materialize.
TechCrunch reported last week that the long-awaited vote for Better.com to go public was scheduled for today ahead of the extended deadline to complete the merger deal on September 30.
In late July, Aurora had said in an SEC filing that shareholders would be asked to vote on a proposal that if the SPAC merger did take place, with Aurora surviving the merger, Aurora would change its name to “Better Home & Finance Holding Company.”
Last year, Better.com declared that it intended to move forward with its planned public debut, despite the lackluster performance of blank-check combinations in previous quarters. Better.com itself had seen its fair share of turbulence since it announced its plans to merge with a SPAC, including multiple botched layoffs (more on those here and here) and changing market conditions that impacted parts of its business, including a surge in mortgage interest rates. In one layoffs meeting, CEO Vishal Garg famously was recorded saying the company had “probably pissed away $200 million.“

‘We probably pissed away $200 million,’ Better.com CEO told employees in layoffs meeting

Last week, TechCrunch reported that the SEC had said it did not intend to recommend an enforcement action against Better.com. The pronouncement came after an investigation on the part of the SEC to determine if violations of federal securities laws had occurred. Last July, the SEC began looking into whether Better.com had violated federal securities laws, requesting documents from both the company and SPAC partner Aurora Acquisition Corp. about their business activities. 
The embattled fintech startup laid off its real estate team on June 7, shifting from an in-house agent model to a partnership agent model. It also continues to bleed cash.
According to HousingWire, other Aurora filings from July show that Better.com had posted a net loss of $89.9 million in Q1 2023 and had slashed about 91% of its workforce over an approximately 18-month period. While Better.com seems to have narrowed its loss compared to a net loss of $327.7 million in the first quarter of 2022, it’s clearly still struggling.
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Warner Records Sets Joint Venture with Steve "Steve-O" Carless' Defiant RecordsWarner Records has announced Defiant Records, a joint venture led by Steve “Steve-O” Carless, President of A&R, Warner Records. To help mark the occasion, the influential record executive and 2023 Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Power Player is proud to announce the release of Defiant Presents: Jiggy In Jersey (ft. MCVERTT), which pairs emerging producer and artist MCVERTT with rappers Bandmanrill and Sha EK, making for a project on the cutting edge of Jersey Club music, New York Drill—and Hip-Hop dance. The news also arrives with a scorching new video for MCVERTT's "Face Down" ft. A$AP Ferg and Sexyy Red.

Listen HERE via Defiant Records/Warner Records.

Carless

Steven “Steve-O” Carless has held senior leadership roles and delivered commercial A&R success across the Major Label business - including Atlantic Records, Def Jam Recordings, Republic Records, and Uptown Records - before accepting the President of A&R role at Warner Records in September 2021. Across his career, he has guided the careers of culturally significant and iconic artists including Pusha-T, Big Sean, YG, 2 Chainz Nipsey Hussle and Polo G. Steven and Nipsey Hussle co-founded The Marathon Agency together and he continues to play a role in safeguarding the legacy and estate of Nipsey Hussle.

“Defiant will be filled with individuals who are always challenging the status quo, always going to be in an innovation phase of their career,” says Carless.