Trying to squash a rumor is like trying to unring a bell,a wise and now deceased journalistonce said. So when a few very trusted sources in New York City’s media and investment scenes confirmed today that they’d heard rumors of “CrunchFund,” we listened to the clanging loud and clear. The rumors go like this: Mike Arrington, the founder and co-editor of TechCrunch, is about to launch his own angel fund to invest in startups....

You may have seen several posts go out today confirmingmy speculation that a Michael Jackson Tribute Concert was, indeed, in the works to livestream via Facebook. Not one to leave you hanging, I also promised to reach out toMilyoni— one of the forces behind this push — for comment on the subject. Milyoni was gracious enough to answer my questions, while also providing official information on the event to clear up any lingering doubts....

Microbes are cleaning up all your e-waste — here’s how Treasure from waste It might surprise you to learn that those toxic metals are actually very valuable. It’s a bitter irony that the e-waste mountains collecting in the world’s poorest places actually contain a fortune. Precious metals are found in your phone and computer, and each yearUS$21 billion worth of gold and silverare used to manufacture new electronic devices. E-waste is thought to contain7% of the world’s gold, and could be used to manufacture new products if it could be recycled safely....

Microbes grown on Mars’ ruddy crust hint at signs of life Everybody must Mars stone… Ancient water and bombardment by asteroids left behind Noachian terrain, regions that may house signs of ancient alien life. By better understanding how chemolithotrophs behave within samples ofMartian crust, we can refine how we search for signs of ancient life on the Red Planet. “A primary aim of the upcoming Mars exploration missions (Mars 2020 and ExoMars) is to search for signs of ancient life....

Micromanaging sucks — especially when it’s about your ‘Zoom shoes’ Why it feels like an attack It can be easy to lose sight of the bigger picture when you’re faced with a crisis. Yes, having to suddenly send your entireworkforceto work fromhomecan be unsettling, I get that. But just because youremployeesare out of sight, it doesn’t mean they’re not working. Why would you stop trusting someone to do theirjobjust because you can’t see them?...