'I just couldn’t sit through classes anymore,' says 19-year-old defense tech founder

TechCrunch Newsletter [TechCrunch logo]( [The Daily Crunch logo]( By [Christine Hall]( Thursday, July 13, 2023 Today’s top story introduces us to Ethan Thornton, a 19-year old MIT dropout who is taking the defense industry by storm with Mach Industries, his startup that is [“replacing gunpowder.”]( The company is taking a techy, though low-key, approach to weaponry, and venture capitalists are on board to see where it’s going. We also have a lot of Apple news, so grab an…apple and get comfortable as we discuss some new features. First, Siri has been brushing up on her foreign language skills because [she is now bilingual](. Next, the company removed its AI-powered content generator from the App Store because the name is very similar to [that really popular Meta app]( that just came out. And [Apple’s password manager]( is now compatible with third-party browsers. Meanwhile, if any of you have ever played Jackbox Games’ Drawful and wished some of your good drawings could come to life, Stability AI’s [Stable Doodle a sketch-to-image tool]( will be your new best friend. And Ford is on a quest to ensure that its drivers keep their hands off the wheel for as long as possible. [Well, BlueCruise-equipped car drivers, anyway](. [ image] Image Credits: Jeremy Christensen / Getty Images More top reads All right, let’s kick off this section with [Google’s Bard chatbot](, which has now launched in the European Union. But wait, there’s more! Just because it’s launched doesn’t mean there is a permanent green light. [Google, the EU has its I on U](. [Token security](: Federal court rules Ripple’s XRP token can be treated as a security…sometimes. [Tell me something I don’t know](: Cruise, Waymo say humans are bad drivers amid robotaxi permit delays. [Order up!](: Indian food delivery giant Swiggy acquires retail logistics startup LYNK. [Know your rules, you better know your rules](: China unveils provisional rules for generative AI, including a licensing regime. [You get the picture](: Spline, a no-code design tool for creating 3D assets, raises $15 million. [A boost of vitamin AI](: Causaly, an AI platform for drug discovery and biomedical research, raises $60 million. [Things are heating up](: Security flaws in Honeywell devices could be used to disrupt critical industries. [A desperate plea](: Can Amazon please show mercy to the brands and products we love? (TC+) [Giddy up!](: Cowboy rides to the rescue of VanMoof owners with an app to unlock threatened bikes. [Better way to learn your 1, 2, 3s](: Mexico-based payment processor Mattilda grabs another $19 million, this time to expand beyond Mexico’s private schools. [People indeed shopped till they dropped](: Amazon boasts record sales for Prime Day as U.S. shoppers spent $12.7 billion during the sales event. [Bankrupt and now on trial](: Several U.S. government agencies have sued crypto lending firm Celsius Network and its former CEO. There’s even more to the story: [Simbe’s inventory robots score $28 million in funding]( [QED leads $7M round into startup that offers financing to SaaS businesses across US-South Asia corridor]( [Welcome to the new venture normal]( (TC+) [Azolla Ventures hopes its new $239M climate fund will help founders take bigger risks]( (TC+) [Nothing Phone (2) review]( [More top reads image] Image Credits: Smith Collection/Gado / Getty Images [TechCrunch Disrupt 2023]( Sponsored by [TechCrunch]( [Disrupt — the original startup conference — stays fresh, relevant and focused on founders, investors, and the future of tech year after year. Whether you’re a startup rookie learning the ropes, a seasoned investor searching for the next big thing, or a founder hell-bent on changing the world - Disrupt delivers the tools, knowledge, and connections to help you make it happen.]( [Buy now]( [Want your sales team to be more productive? Take a closer look at your ‘watermelons’]( Key performance indicators are like tall weeds — they’re a great place to hide something unpleasant. “When you synthesize data at a high level, you risk creating metrics I call ‘watermelons,'” writes Robert Wahbe, CEO and co-founder of Highspot. “Watermelons hide underlying execution issues — and if left on the vine for too long, they can rot your business from the inside out.” [TechCrunch+]( is our membership program that helps founders and startup teams get ahead of the pack.[You can sign up here](. Use code “DC” for a 15% discount on an annual subscription. [Read More]( [Want your sales team to be more productive? 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