AI Guide

Tech & Mobile

Android Operating System

Android is Google's open-source mobile operating system, utilized across devices like laptops, smartphones, tablets, smartwatches (WearOS), and smart TVs (AndroidTV). The Google Play Store provides Google-approved apps, but devices can also operate using Android without Google services.

Mobile Scanning App Deal

SwiftScan VIP lifetime subscription is available for £33.23 with code TAKE30, offering mobile scanning and document tools that transform your phone into a scanner, creating professional-quality scans with editing tools and integration with cloud storage services.

AdGuard Family Plan Deal

AdGuard Family Plan lifetime subscription is on sale for a limited time, offering online safety for families by blocking adverts, malware, and phishing websites on up to nine devices, and includes parental control features. Available for £12.64 with discount code GUARD20 until March 30th, working across Android and iOS.

Entertainment

Stuff Your Kindle Day

On Feb. 21, Stuff Your Kindle Day offers free fantasy, romantasy, paranormal romance, and magical realism books via Enchant Your Kindle. Available to Kindle, Kobo, and Nook readers, as well as through Google Play and Apple Books apps, providing an opportunity to stock up on books at no cost, with no limit on downloads.

Android is Google’s open-source mobile operating system, used on various devices like laptops, smartphones, tablets, smartwatches (WearOS), and smart TVs (AndroidTV). The Google Play Store offers Google-approved apps, but devices can also use Android without Google services, like Amazon’s devices. Choosing between Android and Apple iOS depends on personal preference, with Android offering more device options due to its open nature.

AI Guide

Politics & Culture

Elon Musk at CPAC

Elon Musk spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Thursday, interviewed by Newsmax presenter Rob Schmitt. Musk notably proclaimed, "I am become meme."

News List

The Verge

3 hours ago

I cannot describe how strange Elon Musk’s CPAC appearance was

Elon Musk spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Thursday, giving an on-stage interview to Newsmax presenter Rob Schmitt. Throughout the half-hour, Schmitt steered Musk through the interview, while the CPAC crowd enjoyed it. Musk even loudly pronounced ‘I am become meme.’

AI Guide

Entertainment & Media

Greek Mythology Reinterpretations

The popularity of Greek mythology reinterpretations is surging, with a focus on the story of Hades and Persephone. Adaptations like Rachel Smythe's 'Lore Olympus' and the 'Hades' video game offer fresh perspectives. Persephone is increasingly portrayed as a powerful Queen of the Underworld, departing from traditional narratives. The upcoming Christopher Nolan adaptation of 'The Odyssey' is generating excitement for more empowering portrayals of Greek myths.

Technology & Social Media

Reddit Outage

Reddit is experiencing international outages, as reported by NetBlocks, with a surge in reports on Downdetector. Some users on X, Threads, and Bluesky are reporting issues. Reddit's status page indicates that all systems are operational. The extent of the problems is unclear, and Reddit has not yet responded to requests for comments.

News List

The Verge

6 hours ago

Reddit is reportedly experiencing some outages

Reddit is experiencing international outages, according to NetBlocks, with a spike in reports on Downdetector. While some users on X, Threads, and Bluesky are reporting issues, others, including the author, haven’t encountered any problems. Reddit’s status page currently indicates that all systems are operational. The extent of the issues is unclear, and Reddit has not yet responded to a request for comment.

Gizmodo

6 hours ago

5 Mythical Tales That Need the Big-Screen Treatment After Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey

A surge in reinterpretations of Greek mythology, particularly the story of Hades and Persephone, is gaining popularity. From Rachel Smythe’s ‘Lore Olympus’ to the ‘Hades’ video games, these adaptations offer fresh perspectives on classic tales. Notably, Persephone is increasingly portrayed as a powerful Queen of the Underworld with agency, a departure from traditional patriarchal narratives. The upcoming Christopher Nolan adaptation of ‘The Odyssey’ has sparked excitement among fans eager for more diverse and empowering portrayals of Greek myths on the big screen.

AI Guide

Artificial Intelligence and Technology

AI-Driven Revenue Generation

Boaz Shor's AI innovations have generated billions globally, significantly boosting Taboola's revenue by $80 million annually. His work includes six patents and focuses on natural language processing, URL classification, and user behavior modeling. Companies with strong AI patent portfolios experience approximately 20% higher valuation growth. Shor's expertise in recommendation systems is crucial, as these systems are projected to generate $400 billion in global online sales by 2025, enhancing personalization and user engagement.

Enhancing Web Server Security

To combat bot attacks on web servers, leveraging HAProxy can effectively block malicious traffic attempting to access non-existing pages. This approach mitigates resource-intensive bot requests by extending mitigation strategies beyond specific pages like WordPress login pages to cover 404 errors, thus saving server resources.

Finance and Cryptocurrency

Institutional Investment in Bitcoin ETFs

Avenir Group, based in Hong Kong, has emerged as Asia's largest institutional holder of Bitcoin ETFs, disclosing a $599 million investment in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), holding 11.3 million shares. Institutional investors held 25.4% of spot Bitcoin ETF assets by Q4 2024, totaling $26.8 billion, highlighting a growing institutional appetite for these assets.

On-Chain Lending and Securitization

PACT Protocol has launched on the Aptos Network, introducing fully on-chain lending and securitization infrastructure for licensed lenders in emerging markets. This launch brings over $1 billion in on-chain assets onto Aptos, after nine months of collaboration with the Aptos Foundation, enhancing efficiency and transparency in loan origination and servicing.

CASP Licensing Services

Gofaizen & Sherle, a fintech and crypto consultancy in Estonia, has launched a full-cycle service for obtaining a CASP license under MICA regulation in Lithuania, Poland, and Spain. Obtaining the CASP license may take approximately 6 months, covering document preparation, submission, staff hiring, and regulatory review.

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity Risks

Compromising cybersecurity can unknowingly come from leaving your phone's Bluetooth on, which allows hackers to send spam messages with malicious links. In addition, using personal devices for work can give hackers access to your login credentials. Leaving your devices unattended can result in theft or infiltration. Setting your screen to auto-lock and password-protecting your devices are important to maintain cybersecurity.

Healthcare and Research

Genetic Approaches in Neurodegenerative Studies

Genetic approaches may be more valuable in studies of neurodegenerative or neurological disorders. Unraveling behavioral or psychiatric conditions may require relying more heavily on methods such as human neural organoids, neuroimaging, and better biomarkers. Electrical and chemical signals should be explored in neurons in clusters, because information is organized by sets of signals.

Entertainment

Highest-Grossing Animated Film

China's NeZha 2 has surpassed Inside Out 2 as the highest-grossing animated film, raking in $1.7 billion worldwide. The film is the first non-Hollywood movie to cross the billion-dollar mark.

Hong Kong-based Avenir Group has emerged as a major institutional player in the digital asset market, disclosing a significant $599 million investment in Bitcoin ETFs. Avenir Group holds 11.3 million shares of BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), valued at approximately $599 million, positioning it as Asia’s largest institutional holder of Bitcoin ETFs. SEC 13F filings reveal a growing institutional appetite for Bitcoin ETFs, with institutional investors holding 25.4% of spot Bitcoin ETF assets by Q4 2024, totaling $26.8 billion.

AI Guide

AI and Robotics

Microsoft's AI Agent "Magma"

Microsoft's Magma is designed to enable AI agents to perform multistep actions in both the real and digital worlds.

Magma

Automotive Industry

Rivian's Driver Assistance System

Rivian plans to introduce a hands-off driver assistance system for highway driving within a few weeks and an eyes-off version by 2026. This positions Rivian to compete with companies like Ford and General Motors. Their training approach mirrors Tesla's, utilizing data from cameras and radar sensors. Initially, the hands-off feature will be limited to highways, gradually expanding to other road types.

Entertainment

Netflix and the Sifu Film Adaptation

Netflix is now involved in the film adaptation of the martial arts game Sifu, with T.S. Nowlin taking over as screenwriter. Chad Stahelski, director of the John Wick films, joins as a producer.

Sifu

Revolutionary Girl Utena Anime

The anime series Revolutionary Girl Utena, animated by J.C. Staff, is noted for its "Lynchian" qualities, mirroring the dream-like narrative of David Lynch. The series addresses themes of objectification and liberation with fantasy and humor.

YouTube Premium Lite

YouTube is reportedly planning to launch a cheaper, ad-free "Premium Lite" subscription service in the US, Australia, Germany, and Thailand. This is aimed at viewers who primarily watch non-music content. YouTube confirmed they are testing a "different version" of Premium Lite, with limited ads.

News List

TechCrunch

7 hours ago

Rivian will launch hands-off highway driver assist ‘in a few weeks’

Rivian plans to launch a hands-off version of its driver assistance system for highway driving “in a few weeks” and an “eyes-off” version in 2026. The hands-off system will allow Rivian to compete with companies like Ford and General Motors. Rivian is training its driver assistance platform using an approach similar to Tesla’s, using data from cameras and radar sensors to train the models that power its driver-assistance system. Rivian will start by allowing the hands-off feature to only be used on highways and will slowly allow the driver-assistance system to expand beyond other types of roads.

Engadget

8 hours ago

Netflix hops aboard Sifu movie adaptation, assigns a screenwriter

Netflix is now involved in the film adaptation of the martial arts game Sifu, with T.S. Nowlin taking over as screenwriter from Derek Kolstad. Chad Stahelski, the director of all four John Wick films, has joined the producer team, along with members of his 87Eleven Entertainment company. Story Kitchen, which is still working on the film, had initially secured a treatment of Sifu with John Wick creator Derek Kolstad attached as the writer.

Gizmodo

8 hours ago

Revolutionary Girl Utena Is as Lynchian as Shojo Anime Has Ever Been

Revolutionary Girl Utena, animated by J.C. Staff, is a 1997 anime adaptation of Be-Papas and Chiho Saito’s manga series of the same name. The story follows a tomboy princess named Utena Tenjou who, after the death of her parents, encounters a prince who gifts her a rose ring and promises to meet her again in the future. The anime series Revolutionary Girl Utena is identified as “Lynchian,” evoking the dream-like quality of David Lynch’s storytelling. The series follows Utena’s involvement in duels for the Rose Bride, addressing themes of objectification and liberation, with a blend of fantasy and absurdist humor.

The Verge

8 hours ago

Google may be close to launching YouTube Premium Lite

YouTube is reportedly planning to launch a cheaper, ad-free “Premium Lite” subscription service in the US, Australia, Germany, and Thailand. This new tier is aimed at viewers who primarily watch content other than music videos. YouTube previously tested a similar tier in some European countries before discontinuing the plan in 2023. The company has confirmed that it is testing a “different version” of Premium Lite, with limited ads, and hopes to expand the offering in the future with partner support.

Ars Technica

8 hours ago

Microsoft’s new AI agent can control software and robots

Magma could enable AI agents to take multistep actions in the real and digital worlds.

AI Guide

Artificial Intelligence

AI's Economic Impact

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella emphasizes that the true measure of AI's success lies in its contribution to global economic growth, aiming for a 10% inflation-adjusted increase. He cautions against focusing solely on abstract problem-solving and urges the tech industry to prioritize practical applications and profitability.

AI Investment and Data Centers

As electricity demand surges, driven by data centers powering AI, companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are investing in both renewable and nuclear power to meet their growing energy needs.

Business and Finance

Venture Capital and Unicorns

Despite a tight venture capital market, January saw the emergence of new unicorns, including Kikoff (personal finance), Loft Orbital (satellite), HippocraticAI (healthcare AI), Truveta (genetic research), and Mercor (contract recruiting).

Electric Vehicles and Energy

Rivian's Challenges and Opportunities

Rivian anticipates a challenging 2025 due to uncertainties from the new Trump Administration, despite cost-cutting efforts that have improved profitability. The company projects delivering 46,000 to 51,000 EVs in 2025, but policy changes, like potential elimination of the federal EV tax credit, could impact results. Rivian's cost-cutting in 2024 led to $170 million in gross profit in Q4.

Rivian's Financial Performance

Rivian reported its first positive gross profit in Q4 2024, but expects fewer vehicle sales in 2025. Despite a net loss of $743 million for the quarter, revenue increased from regulatory credit sales. The company expects modest gross profit for the full year.

Energy Transition and Carbon Emissions

The U.S. saw record investments of $338 billion in the energy transition last year, with solar leading the way by adding 49 gigawatts of new electrical generating capacity. However, a rise in natural gas demand led to a slight increase in U.S. carbon emissions.

Occidental's Carbon Capture Strategy

Occidental Petroleum is positioning itself as a climate tech leader by focusing on capturing carbon dioxide emissions through its subsidiary, 1PointFive, which is constructing large direct air capture (DAC) facilities in Texas. Concerns arise as the captured carbon may be used for enhanced oil recovery, potentially increasing oil reserves.

Technology

Apple's iPhone 16e and "Binned" Chips

Apple's new iPhone 16e features an A18 processor, but it's a "binned" version, meaning it didn't meet the performance standards of the higher-end iPhone 16 and 16 Plus.

Twitch Storage Limits

Twitch will implement new limits on archived video Highlights and Uploads, setting a 100-hour storage limit effective April 19, 2025.

Fitbit Battery Issues

Fitbit Versa 3 and Sense users are experiencing significantly reduced battery life after a mandatory firmware update, prompting Google to offer a $50 credit to affected users.

Legal and Political

"Operation Whirlwind"

A Trump-appointed federal attorney in Washington D.C. has launched "Operation Whirlwind" to prosecute those who "threaten" Elon Musk and other public employees.

Gaming

"Tales of the Shire" Delay

The release of "Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game", has been delayed again, now slated for July 29, 2025.

Other News

Garbage Truck Explosion

A garbage truck's CNG cylinders exploded after a lithium-ion battery fire in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Film

Before the TV series, the 1992 film "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" presented Buffy as a superficial cheerleader who discovers her calling, offering a satirical take on the slayer story.

Rivian is warning that 2025 could be a challenging year due to uncertainties caused by the new Trump Administration, despite recent cost-cutting measures that have improved profitability. The company projects delivering 46,000 to 51,000 EVs in 2025 but noted that changes to government policies, like potential elimination of the federal EV tax credit, could affect results. Rivian’s cost-cutting efforts in 2024, including workforce layoffs and simplified vehicle designs, led to $170 million in gross profit in Q4. The company’s revenue is also increasingly tied to software and services, with significant growth in that sector.

Gizmodo

9 hours ago

Microsoft’s Satya Nadella Pumps the Breaks on AI Hype

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stated that AI’s success should be measured by global economic growth, not just its ability to solve abstract problems. He downplayed the hype around artificial general intelligence (AGI), urging the tech industry to focus on practical applications and profitability. Nadella suggested that AI should drive a 10% inflation-adjusted growth to prove its significance, similar to the Industrial Revolution, emphasizing the need for real demand to justify the massive investments in AI companies.

AI Guide

AI and Software Development

ChatGPT Updates

ChatGPT has reached over 400 million weekly active users, doubling its user count since August 2024. OpenAI plans to simplify its ChatGPT offerings and will soon make its GPT-4.5 and GPT-5 models available. With GPT-5 potentially being available to free users, ChatGPT is expected to further expand its user base.

Apple's AI and Hardware Initiatives

Apple confirmed that the iPhone 15 Pro will receive the Visual Intelligence feature, initially exclusive to the iPhone 16E and other iPhone 16 series phones. This AI feature, similar to Google Lens, will be accessible through the Action button in a future software update and allows translation, text summarization, and business information retrieval.

iPhone 15 Pro owners will soon gain access to Visual Intelligence, Apple's AI-powered visual search tool, via the Action button or a Control Center shortcut in a coming iOS update. This feature allows users to point their camera at objects and use AI to analyze them in real-time, offering functionalities like translation, text summarization, and business information retrieval, with integration with Google and ChatGPT for extended search queries.

Apple is reportedly planning to replace Broadcom's Wi-Fi chips with its own in-house chips, starting with all new iPhone 17 models in the second half of 2025. This transition is expected to reduce costs and allow Apple to fine-tune its hardware for specific needs, potentially benefiting predictive computing and smart home integration. The iPhone 16e already features Apple's first homemade C1 modem chip.

Apple iMac Discount and Features

Apple's latest iMac, powered by the M4 chip, is available at a discounted price of $1,149 (originally $1,299) on Amazon. The M4 chip offers 1.5 times faster performance compared to the M2 and is better equipped for AI tasks.

Security and Privacy

Clearview AI Leadership Change

Clearview AI's CEO, Hoan Ton-That, has resigned and will remain on the board. Early investor Hal Lambert and co-founder Richard Schwartz will take over as co-CEOs. Clearview AI, which sells access to its facial recognition database, faces privacy suits and fines, including over $100 million in GDPR fines from European data protection agencies. The company claims it is in its "strongest position ever" financially.

Stalkerware Concerns and Data Breaches

A concerning number of stalkerware companies, marketing software for monitoring families, have experienced data breaches. Since 2017, at least 23 such companies have been hacked or leaked customer and victim data online, highlighting the vulnerability of personal information.

Consumer-grade spyware apps pose a significant threat to Android users, enabling covert monitoring of private messages, photos, calls, and real-time location. Android users are advised to enable Google Play Protect to safeguard against such apps.

Social Media and Tech Policy

Public Opinion on Tech Executives

A Pew Research Center study reveals that Americans hold more negative views of Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg than positive ones. 54% of U.S. adults view Musk unfavorably, while 67% have a negative opinion of Zuckerberg. Zuckerberg is disliked across party lines, with 76% of Democrats and 60% of Republicans holding unfavorable views.

Elon Musk's Concerns About X's Community Notes

Elon Musk has expressed concerns about the Community Notes feature on X (formerly Twitter), claiming it is being manipulated by governments and legacy media, particularly regarding misinformation related to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the war in Ukraine.

Retail and Partnerships

Adidas and Amazon Integration

Adidas is partnering with Amazon to integrate "Buy with Prime" on its website and app, allowing US-based Amazon Prime members to enjoy free shipping and streamlined returns when purchasing directly from Adidas.

Other News

Asteroid Update

The odds of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth in 2032 have dramatically decreased to near-zero, according to NASA's updated calculations.

American Airlines and Apple AirTag Integration

American Airlines now supports Apple's Share Item Location feature, simplifying the process for passengers to recover lost luggage tracked with an AirTag.

Hasbro's Marvel Legends Fanstream

Hasbro unveiled new action figures based on the Spider-Man video game franchise during today's Marvel Legends Fanstream, including Venom, Peter Parker, and Miles Morales in variant looks from the games.

News List

Engadget

9 hours ago

Elon Musk wants to ‘fix’ Community Notes on X

Elon Musk has expressed concerns about the Community Notes feature on X (formerly Twitter), claiming it is being manipulated by governments and legacy media. Musk’s specific issue appears to be with how Community Notes contributors are addressing misinformation related to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the war in Ukraine. He quoted a post questioning the credibility of polls showing Zelenskyy’s approval rating. Musk’s criticism aligns with his broader pattern of manipulating X’s algorithm and removing features that enhance credibility. Meta has also introduced a similar feature, raising questions about the future of Community Notes on X.

Ars Technica

9 hours ago

FTC investigates “tech censorship,” says it’s un-American and may be illegal

“Tech firms should not be bullying their users,” Chairman Andrew Ferguson says.

TechCrunch

10 hours ago

CEO of Clearview AI, a controversial facial recognition startup, has resigned

Clearview AI’s CEO, Hoan Ton-That, has resigned and will remain on the board. Early investor Hal Lambert and co-founder Richard Schwartz will take over as co-CEOs. Clearview AI sells access to its facial recognition database to law enforcement and federal agencies, and it has faced privacy suits and fines for obtaining photos without consent. As of September 2024, Clearview AI has over $100 million in GDPR fines from European data protection agencies and has historically refused to pay these fines. Clearview AI claims it is in its “strongest position ever” financially, achieving its highest growth and revenue in 2024.

Lifehacker.Tech

10 hours ago

The Latest M4 Apple iMac Is Already $150 Off

Apple’s latest iMac, powered by the M4 chip, is currently available at a discounted price of $1,149 (originally $1,299) on Amazon. The M4 chip offers 1.5 times faster performance compared to the M2 and is better equipped for AI tasks. The base model includes 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Improvements include a 12MP Center Stage webcam and USB-C charging ports for accessories. The design remains similar to the 2021 model, but a new feature allows users to mirror their iPhone and MacBook displays to the monitor.

Ars Technica

10 hours ago

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti review: An RTX 4080 for $749, at least in theory

It’s hard to review a product if you don’t know what it will actually cost!

They can take on the features of a mangrove leaf or branching coral, or run dark stripes down their bodies.

A concerning number of stalkerware companies, which market software for monitoring and spying on families, have experienced data breaches. Since 2017, at least 23 such companies have been hacked or leaked customer and victim data online, with some being hacked multiple times. Recent incidents include Cocospy and Spyic, which exposed millions of email addresses and sensitive data. These breaches highlight the vulnerability of personal and sensitive information when using stalkerware apps, raising privacy and security concerns.

AI Guide

Electric Vehicles and Charging Infrastructure

Tesla Virtual Queuing System

Tesla is piloting a virtual queuing system at select Supercharger stations in the second quarter to combat EV charging rage. This initiative follows reports of altercations at charging stations due to limited ports. The goal is to improve customer experience in the 1% of cases with wait times. A wider rollout is planned if the initial feedback is positive. Tesla also aims to expand its network by 20% year-over-year.

Artificial Intelligence

OpenAI's GPT Model Updates

OpenAI is rumored to be releasing an updated AI model, GPT-4.5, potentially as early as next week, with GPT-5 possibly arriving in May. GPT-5 aims to integrate improved fact-checking capabilities and may offer unlimited chat access to its standard intelligence setting for free. Current Plus subscribers will access a 'higher level of intelligence', while Pro subscribers will run it “at an even higher level of intelligence.” Microsoft is expected to showcase the new model at its annual developer conference, Microsoft Build, in May. GPT-4.5, or Orion, is the company’s 'last non-chain-of-thought model.'

Space Exploration

Elon Musk on the International Space Station

Elon Musk recommends that the International Space Station be deorbited as soon as possible, stating, "There is very little incremental utility. Let’s go to Mars."

SpaceX and FAA Hiring

SpaceX engineers were brought on at the FAA after probationary employees were fired, under a policy creating “employment opportunities for people with disabilities.”

Technology and Gadgets

Repairability of Laptops

Lenovo is criticized for not providing shoppers sufficient laptop repairability information, while a report suggests Macbooks are lagging behind PC rivals in repairability.

Dark Mode Power Consumption

A small study suggests that dark mode doesn't save much power for very human reasons on devices with LCD screens.

Meta's Copyright Defense

Meta’s copyright defense may hinge on court ignorance of torrenting terminology.

Legal Discovery and Copyright Notices

Legal discovery targets the names of Altice users hit with copyright notices. An ISP sued by record labels agrees to identify 100 users accused of piracy.

Sideloading Android Apps

iPhone 16e and Home Button

Apple has officially retired the Home button with the release of the iPhone 16e, marking the end of an era. The Action button on the iPhone 16e can be programmed to function as a Home button. The new iPhone 16e has FaceID instead of TouchID. The iPhone 16e, priced at $599, features the latest A18 chip with Apple Intelligence support, a larger 6.1-inch OLED screen, and Apple's first in-house "C1" modem. The iPhone 16e lacks MagSafe and fast wireless charging.

iPhone Action Button

The Action button, available on recent iPhones, provides a quick way to access features, apps, or shortcuts, and can be customized via the Shortcuts app.

Amazon Appstore Shutdown

The Amazon Appstore will no longer be available on Android as of August 20, 2025. Apps from the digital storefront are not guaranteed to operate on Android hardware after this date. The Coins program, Amazon's virtual currency, will also end on the same date. Coins are no longer available for purchase.

Entertainment and Media

Final Destination: Bloodlines

The Final Destination franchise returns this summer with Final Destination: Bloodlines after 14 years.

Kash Patel Confirmed as FBI Director

Kash Patel has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as director of the FBI in a vote of 51-49. Patel is a member of the board of Trump Media and has spread QAnon conspiracy theories.

Joe Rogan's Podcast Numbers

Joe Rogan's podcast numbers have been slipping since Donald Trump took office.

Star Trek: Voyager's Premise

Star Trek: Voyager's premise, flinging the vessel far from Federation space, was both a boon and a curse.

Nuclear Arms Control Treaty

The last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between the U.S. and Russia will expire in February 2026.

Meta Community Notes

Meta is now accepting sign-ups for its Community Notes program on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, following the announcement to end its third-party fact-checking program. Meta is launching a crowdsourced Community Notes feature on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads to replace third-party fact-checking, which is ending in January 2025.

Cocospy and Spyic Security Vulnerability

A security vulnerability in the phone-monitoring apps Cocospy and Spyic is exposing the personal data of millions of users.

Among Us 3D Adaptation

Among Us VR, released in 2022, is being adapted for traditional PC players as Among Us 3D, available on Steam. The game will feature crossplay with Among Us VR but not with the original game.

Max Movie Recommendations

Max offers a variety of films, including Oscar-winning foreign films and dystopian sci-fi classics.

Netflix Investment in Mexico

Netflix plans to invest $1 billion in film and TV production in Mexico over the next four years.

NIST Potential Layoffs

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is bracing for potential layoffs, possibly impacting recent hires and technical experts.

New Avatar Series

Nickelodeon announced a new 2D animated series, Avatar: Seven Havens, as a continuation of the Avatar saga.

TheVerge's Favorite Kitchen Tools

TheVerge's staff members shared their favorite kitchen tools, ranging from electric kettles and blenders to simpler items like egg holders and wooden spoons.

Business and Finance

Nikola Bankruptcy and Sale

Electric trucking startup Nikola is seeking to sell its entire business as early as April after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Apple’s new iPhone 16e, priced at $599, isn’t a budget phone but a successor to the $429 iPhone SE. It features the latest A18 chip with Apple Intelligence support, a larger 6.1-inch OLED screen, and Apple’s first in-house “C1” modem. The A18 chip and Apple Intelligence support contribute to the increased price. The iPhone 16e lacks MagSafe and fast wireless charging. Apple may be setting the stage for future price jumps.

“There is very little incremental utility. Let’s go to Mars.”

Engadget

12 hours ago

You can now sign up to be a contributor to Meta’s Community Notes feature

Meta is launching a crowdsourced Community Notes feature on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads to replace third-party fact-checking, which is ending in January 2025. Users can sign up to be contributors, adding context to posts that might be inaccurate or confusing. The notes, limited to 500 characters, are subject to Meta’s Community Standards and the judgment of other contributors. Meta expects contributors to rate notes to ensure correct context is displayed. The Community Notes feature is inspired by X’s Community Notes and similar projects tested on Google platforms.

AI Guide

Social Media & Tech Platforms

X (formerly Twitter) Under Elon Musk

Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter, rebranded as X, continues to be a focal point. Since April 2022, significant changes, including layoffs and controversies, have been implemented. Linda Yaccarino was appointed CEO in May 2023. Trump is expected to receive a share of a settlement from Elon Musk's X.

FTC Inquiry on Tech Platform Censorship

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is conducting a public inquiry into potential censorship by tech platforms, examining if platforms have unfairly demonetized, banned, or censored users.

Government & Policy

Trump Administration Actions

President Donald Trump began his new term by signing executive actions, halting TikTok ban enforcement, and reversing the Biden administration's AI order. He is reportedly discussing DOGE with Elon Musk, canceling NYC congestion pricing, and claiming oversight of agencies like the FTC and FCC. He is also spreading false claims about stranded Boeing Starliner astronauts on the ISS, blaming Joe Biden's decisions.

USDA Layoffs

Layoffs of Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists are disrupting vital research on improving crops, defending against pests, and understanding the climate impact of farming.

Automotive & Transportation

Kia PV5 Electric Van

Kia has revealed the exterior design of its upcoming PV5 electric van, the first EV under its "Platform Before Vehicle" brand. It will compete with models like the Volkswagen ID Buzz and Ford E-Transit.

Beta Technologies' Electric Aircraft

Beta Technologies, led by Kyle Clark, achieved a milestone with the maiden flight of its first electric aircraft, Alia CX300, based in Vermont.

Consumer Electronics

Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 Sale

The Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 is on sale for $135.44, 32% off its original price, featuring USB-C fast charging and a 20-hour battery life.

Windows 11 Pro Discount

You can upgrade to Windows 11 Pro for A$28 until March 30, a 90% discount.

iPhone 16e

Apple unveiled the iPhone 16e, aimed at emerging markets like India, as the least expensive in the iPhone 16 lineup.

iPhone 15 Pro and Visual Intelligence

Apple will bring Visual Intelligence, its Google Lens-like tool, to the iPhone 15 Pro in a future software update, potentially with iOS 18.4.

DJI RS 4 Mini Gimbal

DJI has unveiled the RS 4 Mini, a compact and more affordable stabilizer for smaller mirrorless cameras and smartphones, priced at $369.

Entertainment

Amazon and the James Bond Franchise

Amazon now controls the James Bond franchise creatively, sparking debate about its future under corporate ownership.

New Avatar Animated Series

Nickelodeon has greenlit Avatar: Seven Havens, a 2D animated sequel series to Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra.

Dune: Awakening Release Date

Funcom has announced that its open-world MMO Dune: Awakening will arrive on May 20 for PC, with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions also planned.

Business & Finance

Afore Capital's New Fund

Afore Capital has unveiled its fourth $185 million fund and a new "pre-seed 2.0" strategy focused on flexibility and a Founders-in-Residence program.

Amazon Chime Shutdown

Amazon Chime, Amazon's alternative to Zoom and Google Meet, is shutting down for good on Feb. 20, 2026.

Layoffs of Department of Agriculture scientists are disrupting vital research on improving crops, defending against pests, and understanding the climate impact of farming. These layoffs threaten billions in taxpayer dollars for farmer conservation practices. The USDA layoffs are part of the Trump administration’s mass firing of probationary federal employees. Employees learned of their firing in a blanket email. One laid-off employee described chaos as the USDA paused and unpaused work connected to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

President Donald Trump began his new term by signing executive actions, halting TikTok ban enforcement, and reversing the Biden administration’s AI order. With support from tech billionaires, Trump’s actions include Apple CEO Tim Cook meeting, layoffs in disaster relief, discussions with Elon Musk about DOGE, canceling NYC congestion pricing, and claiming oversight of agencies like the FTC and FCC. DOGE’s data access is under scrutiny, and SpaceX may overhaul the FAA’s air traffic control. The administration also pulled videos from CFPB’s YouTube and faces court hearings over DOGE. Trump’s share of a settlement from Elon Musk’s X is expected to go to him.

AI Guide

Technology and Gadgets

Apple

Siri Update Status

Apple's upgraded Siri, powered by Apple Intelligence, is not yet fully available despite the release of iOS 18 updates. The full form of the AI-powered Siri may arrive in later iOS 18 updates.

iPhone 16e

Apple officially revealed the iPhone 16e, the spiritual successor to the iPhone SE. No iPhone, nor any iPad Apple currently sells, ship with a Home button. Apple’s goal with the new iPhone 16E is to offer a cheap smartphone to entice price-sensitive shoppers to either leave Android or upgrade from an older iPhone.

Amazon

Appstore Changes

Amazon is ending Android support for its Appstore on August 20th. Apps downloaded from the Amazon Appstore onto Android devices may not operate after this date. Microsoft will also cease support for Amazon’s Appstore on Windows starting March 5th.

Kindle Lineup

Amazon's Kindle lineup dominates the e-reader space, offering several models with unique features. A new entry-level Kindle was announced in October, boasting a brighter display, improved contrast, and faster page turns, and comes in a 'matcha' green color.

Video Storage Limits on Twitch

Amazon-owned Twitch will limit video storage, claiming that "costly" historical archives don't drive "engagement."

Elon Musk and X

Community Notes Controversy

Elon Musk is unhappy with Community Notes, X's crowdsourced fact-checking program, claiming it is being manipulated by governments and the media.

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

President Donald Trump is floating another taxpayer payout, funded by the proposed savings achieved by his controversial "Department of Government Efficiency." The idea originated from a social media post where Elon Musk replied to an X post from James Fishback, proposing the administrations send out tax refund checks known as "DOGE Dividends." Andrew Couts, WIRED’s Senior Editor of Security and Investigations, discusses how The 1974 Privacy Act is being used in legal battles against Elon Musk’s efforts to collect massive amounts of sensitive federal data. Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency put a $1 spending limit on most credit cards belonging to employees and contractors of the General Services Administration, along with at least three other federal agencies.

Google

Pixel 8a on Sale

The Google Pixel 8a mid-tier smartphone is back on sale for $399 via Amazon, a discount of 20 percent.

Circle to Search on iPhone

You can now use a feature that's similar to Android's "circle-to-search" on iPhone using the Chrome app and the Google app, which will now allow you to circle text or images to search using Google Lens.

Security and Privacy

California Privacy Regulator Action

California’s privacy regulator is asking a court to fine a data broker, National Public Data, $46,000 for failing to register as a data broker in the state, following a data breach in April 2024.

HP Printer Security Flaws

HP published a security update confirming three separate security flaws affecting several models of laser printers.

Other Tech News

Grand Theft Auto V PC Upgrades

Grand Theft Auto V on PC will be getting upgrades that were previously added to the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of the game, through a free update that will be available on March 4th.

Response Compression in ASP.NET Core

This guide offers a comprehensive walkthrough of response compression in ASP.NET Core, covering network bandwidth, middleware, response compression, compression providers, middleware setup, and the results of response compression middleware.

Vector Space Model and Cosine Similarity

The vector space model and cosine similarity provide the mathematical backbone for modern search techniques.

Software Engineer Stock Market API

A software engineer built their own stock market API using web scraping due to frustration with rate limits and expensive subscriptions.

Microbot Swarms

Researchers at Hanyang University are developing tiny microbot swarms that connect, move, and change shape when controlled by magnets.

E-commerce and Deals

Amazon Deals

Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4

The best Amazon deals of the day include the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 portable speaker for $135.44. The Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 (black) is on sale at Amazon for $135.44, a 32% discount. It boasts up to 20 hours of playtime, is waterproof, dropproof, and floats.

Apple Studio Display

The best Amazon deals of the day include the Apple Studio Display for $1,299.99.

Amazon Echo Frames

The best Amazon deals of the day include the Amazon Echo Frames for $179.99.

Hisense 75-Inch U6N Mini-LED 4K Google TV

The best Amazon deals of the day include the Hisense 75-Inch U6N Mini-LED 4K Google TV for $598.

Kindle Paperwhite Kids

The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids is on sale for $139.99, down from its usual price of $179.99.

M4 Mac Mini

The M4 Mac mini is back on sale for $549 for the base model.

Other Deals

Headway Premium

A lifetime of Headway Premium is on sale for 80% off, dropping the $300 list price to just $60.

Eufy Robot Vacuum 11S Max

The Eufy Robot Vacuum 11S Max is on sale for 44% off, bringing the price down to $140.

Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 Gaming Monitor

The Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 Gaming Monitor is on sale for $549.99 at B&H Photo, down from its original price of $899.99.

M4 MacBook Pro

The M4 MacBook Pro is currently on sale, offering a significant value, especially with a $200 discount.

Business and Finance

Venture Capital

Cherryrock Capital Fund I

Cherryrock Capital, founded by ex-TaskRabbit CEO Stacy Brown-Philpot, announced the closing of its $172 million Fund I.

New Unicorns

Despite a tight venture capital market, new unicorns are still being created, including Elon Musk's xAI, valued at $24 billion.

HP Acquires Humane

Humane is being partially acquired by HP for $116 million, less than half of its venture capital funding.

Crypto & Web3

Fair Token Distribution

Fair token launches, modeled after Bitcoin’s original distribution mechanism, offer an alternative to the VC-dominated model by eliminating pre-mining and pre-allocations.

Apex Fusion Launches PRIMEchain and AP3X Token

The Apex Fusion Foundation has launched its blockchain ecosystem, introducing the AP3X token and the PRIMEchain.

Crypto Startup Success Factors

Trust is a deciding factor for the success of a crypto startup.

Web3 Explanation

Web3 is explained, covering what it fundamentally is and how Web1 and Web2 set the stage for Web3.

Social Media

Instagram's New Ad Format

Instagram is introducing a new way for creators to work with brands to make money by recommending products via written endorsements, shared as comments on the brand’s social media posts and advertisements.

Pew Research on Zuckerberg and Musk

According to a new poll from Pew Research, an overwhelming majority of Americans of both major political parties hate Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, while Tesla CEO Elon Musk is more polarizing.

Entertainment

Avatar: Seven Havens

Nickelodeon and Avatar Studios announced that its next major project is Avatar: Seven Havens, a 26-episode, 2D animated TV series.

The Wheel of Time Season 3

The Wheel of Time returns for its third season on March 13, and Prime Video has shared the first 11 minutes of the premiere.

James Bond Franchise

Amazon MGM Studios will form a joint venture to hold the intellectual property rights to the James Bond movies, with Amazon gaining full creative control.

Pokémon Presents Livestream

The Pokémon Company is hosting a livestream on February 27th to share news and updates, possibly revealing more details on Pokemon Legends: Z-A.

Among Us 3D

Innersloth has announced a new game called Among Us 3D, a three-dimensional version of the hit multiplayer deduction game played from a first-person perspective.

Science and Culture

Egyptian-British Archaeological Project

A joint Egyptian-British archaeological project near Luxor found the tomb of Thutmose II, the first royal tomb to be unearthed since the discovery of Tutankhamun in 1922.

Decision-Making Study by HSBC

A new study by HSBC and Professor David Tuckett, 'Seizing Uncertainty,' examines decision-making in the face of uncertainty.

Cognitive Distortions

This article is about cognitive distortions, cunning traps that our own brain sets for us.

Designer Katarina

Designer Katarina discusses her background and how she got into design.

Other

GitHub Actions Meets Kubernetes

This blog post raises the ante to run the end-to-end test in the target Kubernetes environment.

HackerNoon Newsletter

HackerNoon Newsletter brings the HackerNoon homepage straight to your inbox with top quality stories.

Google is encouraging users to download its Gemini app by removing the AI tool from its iOS search app. If an iOS user tries to access Gemini in the Google app, they’re greeted with a message to download the standalone app. To continue using Gemini, users must download the new Gemini app from the App Store to access the same features and more.

Gizmodo

13 hours ago

Wheel of Time Reveals the Absolutely Wild Magic Battle That Opens Season 3

The Wheel of Time returns for its third season on March 13, and Prime Video has shared the first 11 minutes of the premiere, a sequence which contains the most face-melting fight scenes the show has ever engaged in. This brawl involves rival Aes Sedai members and some extremely vicious channeling of the One Power. A “Sitting of the Hall” is about to take place with women from all the various branches of the Aes Sedai, and that includes Liandrin, who is secretly repping the evil Black Ajah.

TechCrunch

13 hours ago

Inside the Humane acquisition: HP offers big raises to some, others immediately laid off

Humane is being partially acquired by HP for $116 million, less than half of its venture capital funding. Hours after the acquisition announcement, some Humane employees received job offers with pay increases and HP stock, while others were notified of job losses. HP is interested in Humane’s pool of AI-focused software engineers to integrate AI into HP’s personal computers, printers, and connected conference rooms.

Gizmodo

13 hours ago

Elon Musk Says He’ll ‘Fix’ Community Notes on X After It Disagreed With Him

Elon Musk is unhappy with Community Notes, X’s crowdsourced fact-checking program, claiming it is being manipulated by governments and the media. This comes after notes appeared under tweets about Ukraine, fact-checking claims made by the U.S. government. Musk criticizes notes that contradict his views, particularly regarding Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy. He argues that Zelenskyy’s approval ratings are not credible and questions the absence of elections in Ukraine due to the ongoing war. Musk’s stance aligns with some MAGA conservatives who dispute the reasons for the lack of elections in Ukraine.

Engadget

13 hours ago

Amazon will take full creative control of the James Bond franchise

Amazon MGM Studios will form a joint venture with Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli to hold the intellectual property rights to the James Bond movies. Wilson and Broccoli will step back to focus on other projects, with Amazon gaining full creative control. Production of Bond movies had been on hold amid reports of a power struggle between Amazon and Broccoli, who felt that an ecommerce giant was not the right fit for her family’s franchise. With the conclusion of ‘No Time to Die’ and Michael retiring from the films, it is time to focus on other projects.

Mashable

13 hours ago

Remember the Rabbit R1? The company just introduced a new Android AI agent.

Humane announced it was killing its Ai Pin less than one year after launching it, confirming it was a failure. Rabbit released a preview video of its new Android AI agent that is able to control an Android device based on prompts from the user. The Android AI agent is a work in progress and delivers on each user request with varying degrees of competence. The company’s wearable AI agent, Rabbit R1, is not involved in the performance of any of the tasks being demoed.

The Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 Gaming Monitor is on sale for $549.99 at B&H Photo, down from its original price of $899.99. This 27-inch monitor features a 16:9 OLED panel with a 2560×1440 resolution, a 360Hz refresh rate, and a 0.03ms response time. AMD FreeSync helps to remove screen tearing issues, and the display offers 250 nits of brightness.

Wired

14 hours ago

The Showdown Between Elon Musk and Sam Altman

Sam Altman and Elon Musk, once collaborators in OpenAI’s early days, are now embroiled in a public dispute over the AI company. The podcast catalogs the evolution of their relationship from friendship to feud, highlighting how OpenAI remains central to their conflict. The WIRED team discusses their work and experiences, including meetings with literary figures and appearances on international media outlets discussing the “Brologarchy.”

The Apex Fusion Foundation has launched its blockchain ecosystem, introducing the AP3X token and the PRIMEchain. The PRIMEchain is now operational, using a decentralized staking model where token holders lock up AP3X to validate transactions and secure the network. The AP3X token will be available on the LBANK exchange. Apex Fusion seeks to combine Bitcoin’s UTXO model with Ethereum’s EVM, providing a platform that balances security with the ability to run decentralized applications (dApps).

HackerNoon

17 hours ago

Why Crypto’s Future Depends on Fair and Transparent Token Distribution

The manner in which tokens are distributed can significantly impact a crypto project’s success. Fair token launches, modeled after Bitcoin’s original distribution mechanism, offer an alternative to the VC-dominated model by eliminating pre-mining and pre-allocations, creating a level playing field where all participants have equal footing to acquire tokens through active network participation. Recent events have highlighted the growing tension between venture capital-backed launches and community-oriented models.

Designer Katarina discusses her background and how she got into design. She emphasizes her passion for learning and expanding her skills in coding and computer science. She enjoys being involved in all steps of the design process, particularly working with colors, experimenting, and researching the right solution. She highlights Dynamica App and Workflow Labs as pieces of work she is most proud of.

AI Guide

Artificial Intelligence

OpenAI's New Models

Microsoft is preparing server capacity for OpenAI's upcoming GPT-4.5 (codenamed Orion) and GPT-5 models. GPT-4.5, OpenAI's next frontier model, is expected to launch as early as next week, while GPT-5 is anticipated in late May. GPT-5 will integrate a lot of OpenAI's technology and include more significant changes.

AI-Powered Automation

Figure CEO Brett Adcock unveiled Helix, a "generalist" Vision-Language-Action (VLA) model for humanoid robots. Helix combines visual data and language prompts to control robots in real-time, enabling them to perform household tasks by processing natural language voice prompts and visually assessing their environment. It can control two robots at once, with one assisting the other. The company is showcasing the VLM with its 02 humanoid robot, highlighting its ability to handle the unstructured nature of home environments.

AI Audiobook Narration

Spotify now accepts audiobooks narrated using ElevenLabs' AI voice technology. Authors can upload AI-narrated audiobooks through Findaway Voices, with titles labeled as AI-narrated. ElevenLabs supports narration in 29 languages. Spotify plans to partner with more companies to expand its audiobook library.

AI Observability Platform

Arize AI offers an AI observability platform that helps companies evaluate and monitor their AI products, from machine learning to generative AI. The platform uses a "council of judges" approach, evaluating AI with different AI models and human input. Arize works with enterprises like Uber and Tripadvisor.

Entertainment

Murderbot Diaries Adaptation

Apple TV+ is set to premiere its adaptation of Martha Wells' "Murderbot Diaries" series, starring Alexander Skarsgård as Murderbot. The series will premiere on May 16 with its first two episodes and will run for 10 episodes with weekly releases through July 11.

Transportation

Lamborghini Revuelto PHEV

Lamborghini improves on the Aventador in every way with Revuelto PHEV.

Space

Starship's Eighth Test Flight

The FAA has not concluded its investigation, but a resolution is expected soon.

Home Gadgets

Essential Oil Diffusers

Keep things smelling fresh with these handy home gadgets.

Spotify now accepts audiobooks narrated using ElevenLabs’ AI voice technology. This partnership is expected to increase the number of AI-narrated audiobooks on the platform. Authors can upload AI-narrated audiobooks through Findaway Voices, with titles labeled as AI-narrated. ElevenLabs supports narration in 29 languages. Spotify plans to partner with more companies to expand its audiobook library. However, the rise of AI-generated audiobooks may spark debate within the publishing community, with concerns about the quality of AI recordings.

TechCrunch

15 hours ago

Arize AI hopes it has first-mover advantage in AI observability

Arize AI offers an AI observability platform that helps companies evaluate and monitor their AI products, from machine learning to generative AI. The platform uses a “council of judges” approach, evaluating AI with different AI models and human input. Arize works with enterprises like Uber and Tripadvisor and has an open-source offering. The company experienced explosive growth in the last two years due to increased AI accessibility, with everyone becoming a prompt engineer.

AI Guide

AI & Tech

OpenAI Restructuring

OpenAI is planning to reorganize its for-profit arm into a public benefit corporation (PBC) in Delaware. PBCs balance shareholder interests with those of other stakeholders like employees, customers, and the public.

Windows Setup Tool

WinUtil, a free tool by Chris Titus, simplifies setting up a new Windows computer by installing apps, running tweaks, uninstalling unwanted software like OneDrive, and disabling telemetry.

Twitch Storage Limit

Twitch will limit streamers to 100 hours of highlights and uploads, deleting content exceeding this cap starting April 19th. This affects less than 0.5% of active channels and accounts for less than 0.1% of hours watched due to the high cost of storage and low discoverability of highlights.

Skylight Calendar AI Integration

Skylight Calendar introduces Sidekick, an AI-powered feature, to manage family schedules by parsing data from emails, schedules, and spreadsheets, then organizing it into events on Google Calendar and the Skylight Calendar Max smart display.

Autonomous Driving Development

Stellantis, the parent company of Jeep, Dodge, and Ram, announced its STLA AutoDrive feature, offering hands-free, eyes-off partial autonomous driving in specific situations. The Level 3+ system can operate at speeds less than 60km/h, even at night and in challenging weather, with plans to evolve to 95km/h and off-roading capabilities.

Deals & Products

Sony Earbuds Discount

Grade A refurbished Sony WF-1000XM5 noise-canceling earbuds are available on Woot for $164.99. They offer top-tier active noise cancellation, high-quality drivers, full EQ customization, built-in Alexa and Google Assistant, and support for various codecs.

Samsung SSD Sale

The Samsung 870 EVO SSD is on sale on Amazon, with discounts up to 41%. The 500GB model is $55, the 1TB model is $90, and the 2TB model is $150. It features fast read speeds of up to 560MB/s and write speeds of up to 530MB/s.

Lenovo Laptop Discount

The 2025 Lenovo IdeaPad 1 Student Laptop is currently 53% off on Amazon, priced at $379. It features a 15.6-inch Full-HD screen, 32GB of DDR4 RAM, 1TB of storage, an Intel Celeron N4500 dual-core processor, and Windows 11 Professional.

Gaming & Entertainment

Amazon Acquires James Bond Creative Control

Amazon MGM, Barbara Broccoli, and Michael G. Wilson have formed a joint venture, granting Amazon MGM full creative control over the James Bond movie franchise. Broccoli and Wilson will remain co-owners but plan to step back to focus on other projects.

The Order: 1886 Retrospective

The Order: 1886, developed by Ready at Dawn, is a PlayStation 4 game set in an alt-history steampunk London where the Knights of the Round Table defend the city from werewolves and other threats.

Lego Game Boy Leak

According to an Instagram account, the Lego Nintendo Game Boy will sell for $59.99 and will include 421 pieces.

Science & Environment

Asteroid Impact Probability

The odds of asteroid 2024 YR4 striking Earth in 2032 have increased to 3.2 percent, according to NASA. The asteroid, tens of meters across, could cause localized devastation near its impact site.

NYC Congestion Tolls

NYC voters overwhelmingly wanted less traffic and air pollution; Trump says tough.

Archaeology

Iron Age Divination Spoon

Experts on the Isle of Man have discovered a bronze spoon dating back to the Iron Age, believed to be a divination spoon used to forecast the future approximately 2,000 years ago.

Miscellaneous

The Verge's Favorite Things

The Verge staff shares their favorite items for working at home, cooking, playing, and more, including laptops, headphones, controllers, coffee makers, TV shows, hiking boots, and immersion blenders.

The Samsung 870 EVO SSD is part of a limited-time deal on Amazon, with discounts up to 41%. The 500GB model is priced at $55, the 1TB model at $90, and the 2TB model at $150. The SSD offers fast read speeds of up to 560MB/s and write speeds of up to 530MB/s and is designed for IT pros, creators, and everyday users.

AI Guide

AI & Technology

AI Development and Growth

OpenAI is experiencing significant growth, with weekly active users increasing from 300 million in December 2024 to 400 million. The company's enterprise plans are also expanding, with 2 million paying enterprise users, doubling since September 2024. Developer API traffic has also doubled in the last six months. This growth announcement follows DeepSeek's release of competing AI technology, indicating OpenAI's intent to showcase its thriving business.

AI Ethics and Applications

Netflix is facing criticism for using AI to recreate the voice of Gabby Petito in a new documentary. This decision has sparked debate about the ethics of using AI in sensitive contexts, with many finding it disrespectful and unsettling.

AI in Audiobooks

Spotify is expanding its AI-narrated audiobook offerings through a new partnership with ElevenLabs, which enables authors to use ElevenLabs' AI voice software to record audiobooks in 32 languages. Spotify emphasizes its belief in human narration but sees the potential in digital voices for market expansion, believing digital voices can make audiobook production more cost-effective for smaller authors and revive older titles. All AI-narrated titles will be clearly marked for listeners.

AI in Recruitment

Mercor, an AI recruiting startup, has raised $100 million in a Series B round, valuing the company at $2 billion. Mercor uses AI to automate resume screening, candidate matching, AI-powered interviews, and payroll management. The platform claims its automated system removes bias and helps companies find better candidates, with companies like OpenAI already using its tools.

Cybersecurity

Healthcare Data Breach

U.K. healthcare giant HCRG Care Group is investigating a cybersecurity incident after the Medusa ransomware group claimed to have breached its systems and stolen over two terabytes of sensitive data. The stolen data allegedly includes employees' personal information, medical records, financial records, and government identification documents. The Medusa ransomware group is threatening to publish the stolen data unless HCRG pays a ransom demand of $2 million.

Gaming

New Gaming Controller

Gaming Handheld Device

Lenovo has teased the second-gen version of its flagship gaming handheld, but in the meantime, it has released the Legion Go S, a sturdier and more portable option. The device will be available in different configurations, including one pre-installed with SteamOS. Both models feature a 1,920×1,200 display with a 120Hz refresh rate, precise Halleffect sensor joysticks, and dual USB4 ports.

Dune: Awakening Release

Funcom's multiplayer survival game, Dune: Awakening, is set to launch on Steam on May 20th. A character creator and benchmark mode are now available for free on Steam.

Xbox Challenges and Strategy

This special episode of Decoder delves into the challenges facing Microsoft's Xbox division and its shift towards subscription gaming, cloud streaming, and multi-platform software availability.

Nvidia GPU Raffle

Nvidia is implementing a raffle system to allow users to purchase GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 Founders Edition GPUs at their base prices ($2,000 and $1,000, respectively), due to significant markups on reselling platforms. Users with an Nvidia account created before January 30 can enter the raffle.

Twitch Storage Limit

Twitch is implementing a storage limit for streamers' uploads and highlight videos, capping it at 100 hours per streamer starting on April 19. This cap doesn't apply to past broadcasts or clips.

Home Entertainment & Smart Devices

JBL Soundbar Sale

Ring Outdoor Cam Plus

Ring has announced the Outdoor Cam Plus, featuring a new high-quality lens and 2K imaging sensor for clearer, more colorful views even in dark conditions. It can run from mains power, a rechargeable battery, or a custom solar panel.

Best Projectors

A selection of projectors are recommended for upgrading your movie nights.

Software & Tools

Text Replacement Tool

Beeftext is a free and open-source text replacement tool for Windows that allows users to paste frequently used text with a few keystrokes.

Enterprise Collaboration Platform

SmartSuite, a platform that allows teams to collaborate on projects and build automations, has announced $38 million in funding to expand.

Film & TV

James Bond Franchise

Amazon's MGM Studios has formed a joint venture with Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson to oversee the future of the James Bond franchise. MGM Studios will have creative control over the franchise going forward.

Movie Casting News

Will Smith is considering Zendaya for a role in a potential Hancock sequel. Daniel Craig is no longer attached to star in Sgt. Rock. Jack O’Connell will star in the next untitled Monsterverse movie. Kitao Sakurai is attached to direct a new Street Fighter movie. Bong Joon-ho hopes to direct a new action-horror film set in the subway of Seoul after his planned animated film about sea creatures.

Mobile Devices

Galaxy S25 Series

Samsung's latest Galaxy S25 series smartphones feature software enhancements like Galaxy AI and improved photo processing. The S25 Ultra includes a 50-megapixel ultrawide lens, LOG video, and AI audio processing, similar to features in Apple's iPhone 16 Pro.

Accessories

Compact Camera for Video Content Creators

Canon has introduced the PowerShot V1, a compact camera designed for video content creators. It features a new Type 1.4 sensor, a wide-angle lens, and "moods" for customizing video look.

Twelve South PlugBug Sale

Twelve South's PlugBug, a compact USB-C wall charger with location tracking, is on sale at Amazon. Both versions tap into Apple's Find My network, allowing users to track the charger via iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

Health & Lifestyle

Tech Neck Solution

The author found the Chirp Wheel XR, a rolling device designed to decompress the spine and relieve tension, to be effective in addressing posture issues caused by modern life.

Twitch is implementing a storage limit for streamers’ uploads and highlight videos, capping it at 100 hours per streamer starting on April 19, regardless of whether the videos are published. This cap doesn’t apply to past broadcasts or clips. Twitch explained that highlights haven’t been as effective as clips and the mobile discovery feed, and limiting storage will allow the service to support desired videos and improve features like Clips and the mobile feed. Less than 0.5% of active streamers have exceeded the limit, and they will be notified directly. Twitch will delete videos exceeding the cap on April 19 and limit future uploads and highlights.

Mercor, an AI recruiting startup founded by Thiel Fellows, has raised $100 million in a Series B round led by Felicis, valuing the company at $2 billion. Mercor uses AI to streamline hiring by automating resume screening, candidate matching, AI-powered interviews, and payroll management. The platform claims its automated system removes bias and helps companies find better candidates, with companies like OpenAI already using its tools. Mercor has expanded its talent pool to meet rising demand for professionals beyond software engineering.

AI Guide

AI and Software

xAI's Grok 3 Access

xAI's advanced large language model, Grok 3, is available for free on X for a limited time, even without a subscription. Launched a few days ago, some models in the Grok 3 family are capable of "human-like reasoning". All users can access the "Think" and "Deep Search" options powered by Grok 3, while X Premium+ and Super Grok plan users get increased access and early access to features like Voice Mode. Free version users might encounter server limits, while paid users get priority, access to "Big Brain" mode for complex problems, and unlimited image generation.

Amazon Appstore Shutdown

Amazon will discontinue its Appstore for Android on August 20, 2025, ceasing new app submissions. The company will also discontinue its Coins digital currency and refund user holdings. The Appstore will remain functional on FireTV and Fire Tablet devices. Support for the Appstore on Windows, which offered Android apps, will end starting March 5, 2025.

Mobile Devices and Accessories

Oppo Find N5 Launch

Oppo has officially launched the Find N5, the world's thinnest book-style foldable phone. It features an 8.12-inch main OLED display and a 6.62-inch OLED cover display, both with a 120Hz refresh rate, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage. It has a triple camera system with a 50MP main shooter, a 50MP periscope telephoto camera, and an 8MP ultrawide camera. The device is powered by a 5,600mAh battery with 80W wired and 50W wireless charging. Launching with Android 15 and ColorOS 15, pre-orders begin on Feb. 21, with global availability starting on Feb. 28.

iPhone 16e Details

Apple's new iPhone 16e lacks MagSafe and features only a single rear camera, a surprising omission given its $599 price tag. The camera package appears to have suffered in order to implement a state-of-the-art A18 chip to run its AI suite.

Anker Magnetic Battery Sale

The Anker 633 Magnetic Battery for iPhones is on sale for $40. This portable MagSafe charger doubles as a phone stand and offers a 10,000mAh capacity. It can also hardwire via USB-C for 3x faster charging. The foldable stand is ideal for hands-free use. It is compatible with newer iPhones and requires a compatible magnetic phone case.

MWC 2025 Preview

Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 will take place in Barcelona from March 3-6. Xiaomi is expected to unveil its new flagship, likely the Xiaomi 15. Nothing has also sent out invites for the Phone (3a).

Home and Personal Technology

LG C3 OLED TV Discount

Amazon is offering the LG C3 OLED 65-inch TV for $1,197, a $497 discount. The TV features perfect OLED blacks, vibrant colors, and a bright Evo panel, making it ideal for gaming with 4K at 120Hz.

Tado App Fee Controversy

Tado may start charging customers £1/€1 monthly to control their smart thermostats, radiator valves, and heat pump controllers via its app, effective as early as February 19th, 2025, or May 1st, 2025. Users can still use Apple Home, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa for free control.

Ring Outdoor Cam Plus

ProtoArc CaseUp Combo

Gaming Keyboard Trends

Gaming keyboards are becoming increasingly sophisticated with features to improve gameplay. Mechanical keyboards are prioritized for their durability, customizability, and satisfying press.

DJI RS 4 Mini Gimbal

Chipolo One Tracker Sale

Chipolo One Bluetooth trackers are on sale for just under $68 for a pack of four with the code ENGADGET10. Praised for its two-year battery life, compatibility with Android and iOS, and loud ringer.

Space and Aviation

SpaceX Debris Incident

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket made an uncontrolled reentry into Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in fiery debris sightings over Northern Europe. Parts of the rocket crash-landed in Poland.

Apple’s new iPhone 16e lacks MagSafe and features only a single rear camera, a surprising omission given its $599 price tag. Competing phones like the Pixel 8a and Nothing Phone 2a offer dual rear cameras at lower prices. While the 16e includes a state-of-the-art A18 chip to run its AI suite, the camera package appears to have suffered as a result. The lack of multiple cameras may deter consumers who prioritize phone cameras for documenting their lives.

AI Guide

Technology & Gadgets

Wearable Tech

WIRED recommends wearables that reduce reliance on phones while staying connected.

Foldable Phones

Oppo has launched the Find N5, claiming it's the world's thinnest foldable phone at 8.92mm when closed. It features a 6.62-inch outer display, an 8.12-inch inner screen, a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, a 5,600mAh battery, wireless charging, and impressive Hasselblad-branded cameras (50MP main and telephoto, 12MP ultrawide). The Find N5 also offers wireless charging and water resistance. It is launching in markets worldwide, including across Europe and Asia, at $2,499 SGD (about $1,867 USD). Users can also connect the Find N5 to a Mac for file transfers and remote control using Oppo's OPlus Connect app.

Streaming Superapps

With streaming subscription overload, content superapps could integrate multiple services into one interface, enhancing user experience and content accessibility.

End of the Home Button

With the iPhone 16E's recent release, Apple has officially stopped selling smartphones with a home button, marking the end of an era that began in 2007.

Headphones Deal

The Sennheiser Accentum headphones are on sale for $99.95 at Amazon, 50% off their list price. They offer excellent sound quality, Hybrid Active Noise Cancelation, and up to 50 hours of playtime.

Software Development

Blockchain Development

Blockchain development has seen significant growth, with salaries for experienced developers ranging from $136,000 in the US to $100,000 in Europe. Applications include NFTs, Web3.0, and transforming bank operations.

Fleet Management Solution

PrimeSoftTech focused on web application UI improvements for ease of use, and developed features for real-time tracking, maintenance scheduling, and compliance management for a fleet management solution.

Angular Unit Testing

The importance of unit tests for code assurance, documentation, and design understanding in Angular. The author advocates for mocking external dependencies and introduces SIFERS as a way to capture the testing environment setup and discusses the Angular Testing Library (ATL) for effective testing.

Data Clustering

Several articles focus on improving k-means and k-median clustering through techniques like coresets and optimized sampling strategies. These aim to reduce runtime and improve accuracy in big data analysis. Key concepts include sensitivity sampling, Fast-Coresets, and reducing the impact of spread. The performance of these methods is compared against benchmark sampling strategies across real and artificial datasets.

Security & Privacy

Google's Advertising Ecosystem

A WIRED investigation reveals that Google's advertising ecosystem, specifically Display & Video 360 (DV360), offers companies access to sensitive information on Americans, including lists of internet users believed to suffer from chronic illnesses and financial distress.

Techbeat

HackerNoon's Techbeat covers trending tech stories, including cybercrooks using fake job listings to steal crypto, and spotting fake crypto trading platforms.

Controversy

Elon Musk's DOGE Team

Elon Musk's DOGE team has made missteps, including launching a website with inaccurate savings data, publishing classified information, and struggling to rehire fired employees. Musk himself spread conspiracy theories about Social Security benefits.

This article shares experiences with unit testing in Angular. It emphasizes the importance of unit tests for code assurance, documentation, and design understanding. The author advocates for mocking external dependencies to concentrate on the code being tested, highlighting the disadvantages of using real implementations. It introduces SIFERS (Simple Injectable Functions Explicitly Returning State) as a way to capture the testing environment setup and discusses the Angular Testing Library (ATL) for effective testing.

HackerNoon

20 hours ago

Why Some Data Sampling Methods Fail (And Others Don’t)

The article compares the Fast-Coreset algorithm with standard sensitivity sampling for k-means and k-median clustering on large datasets. Experiments show that Fast-Coreset consistently produces low distortion compressions across various datasets and in streaming settings. While sensitivity sampling slows down linearly with increasing k, Fast-Coreset exhibits only a logarithmic slowdown. Accelerated sampling methods achieve competitive distortions on real-world datasets but run faster than Fast-Coresets in practice. Uniform sampling, however, breaks on datasets with varied cluster sizes.

HackerNoon

20 hours ago

How Different Sampling Strategies Affect Clustering Accuracy

This article compares the Fast-Coresets algorithm against various benchmark sampling strategies for k-means clustering, including standard uniform sampling, lightweight coresets, standard sensitivity sampling, BICO, and Streamkm++. The study does not compare against groupsampling. The algorithms are evaluated based on their performance in terms of distortion and runtime. Lightweight coresets sample sensitivity values with respect to the 1-means solution, while Fast-Coresets have j=k, where j is the number of centers in the candidate j-means solution.

HackerNoon

20 hours ago

What Is the Best Way To Compress Big Data Without Sacrificing Accuracy?

This article discusses the practical compression of k-means and k-median clustering, focusing on whether simplified sampling strategies can achieve good compression. It compares uniform sampling and the Fast-Coreset algorithm against sensitivity sampling across real datasets like Adult, MNIST, Taxi, Star, Song, Census, and CoverType. The results indicate that Fast-Coresets obtain consistent distortions with standard sensitivity sampling, but the study questions whether this is necessary in practice.

HackerNoon

20 hours ago

Reducing Spread Impact in Clustering Algorithms

This article focuses on reducing the impact of spread in clustering algorithms by replacing the linear time-dependency on log∆ with a logarithmic one. It introduces a method to produce a substituted dataset P′ with a lower bound on its minimum distance and an upper bound on its maximum distance. By finding a crude upper bound on the cost of the optimal solution and creating a grid where clusters are contained in grid cells, the diameter of P′ can be constrained. This approach constrains the minimum distance to be comparable to the quality of the approximate solution.

HackerNoon

20 hours ago

How to Make Big Data Clustering Faster and More Efficient

This article introduces Fast-Coresets, presenting an overview of its arguments. There is a strong relationship between computing coresets and approximate solutions. The algorithm uses dimension reduction and quadtree embeddings to find a rough solution quickly, facilitating the discovery of a coreset that approximates all solutions. The coreset size depends linearly on the quality of the rough solution. The algorithm combines Fast-kmeans++ with sensitivity sampling to compute an ε-coreset in time O˜(ndlog∆).

HackerNoon

20 hours ago

Coresets, Compression, and the Quest for Faster Data Clustering

This article studies linear and sublinear time sampling strategies for k-means and k-median clustering, focusing on compression algorithms that can be executed quickly, result in compressed data independent of the original dataset size, and provide provably good candidate solutions. A strong ε-coreset is defined as a pair (Ω, w) satisfying certain conditions for any candidate solution C. The article also discusses advancements in coreset strategies, particularly in Euclidean space, and mentions the lightweight coresets approach as another linear-time method with sensitivity sampling.

HackerNoon

20 hours ago

How to Fit an Elephant in a Spreadsheet

This paper studies the runtime limits of k-means and k-median clustering on large datasets. It introduces an algorithm that obtains scoresets via sensitivity sampling in linear time. The study examines sampling strategies across real and artificial datasets in static and streaming settings. The paper provides a theoretical analysis and empirical evaluation of various sampling strategies, offering insights into when coresets are necessary for preserving cluster validity and when faster sampling strategies suffice.

HackerNoon

21 hours ago

Developing a Cutting-Edge Mobile App and Enhancing a Web Portal for Fleet Management

PrimeSoftTech, a software development company, faced challenges in delivering a fleet management solution. To address this, they focused on web application UI improvements for ease of use, designing a readable interface, and providing continuous support. They developed features for real-time tracking, maintenance scheduling, and compliance management, ensuring a user-friendly experience for fleet employees. Key challenges included tracking vehicle locations, optimizing routes, ensuring safety and regulatory compliance, managing trip logs, reporting fuel tax, and tracking maintenance schedules. The goal was to design an app tailored to these needs.

HackerNoon

21 hours ago

Your Next Movie Watch Could Be From a Superapp

With the streaming market facing subscription overload, users are struggling to access content across various platforms. Content superapps could be the next stage, integrating multiple services into one interface. Superapps, like WeChat and Kaspi, integrate services from messaging to financial transactions. For streaming, this means integrating multiple platform catalogs to enhance user experience and content accessibility.

HackerNoon

21 hours ago

Blockchain Developer Roadmap: Tech Stack, Tools, Salaries & Career Path

Blockchain development has seen significant growth, with salaries for experienced developers ranging from $136,000 in the US to $100,000 in Europe. Applications of blockchain include NFTs, Web3.0, and transforming bank operations, medical record storage, and removing intermediaries in transactions. A blockchain is a chain of blocks, forming a secured database, differing from traditional databases by focusing on immutability. Blockchain developers work on front-end and back-end development, creating decentralized applications.

HackerNoon

1 days ago

The TechBeat: Tether May Become America’s New Strategic Reserve Buyer (2/20/2025)

The Techbeat by HackerNoon provides trending tech stories, including cybercrooks using fake job listings to steal crypto, how EVEDEX blends social logins and embedded wallets for decentralized app accessibility, and the case against content marketing. Other topics include Tether’s potential role as America’s new strategic reserve buyer, Yandex’s open-sourced high-performance profiler, vibe coding with AI, spotting fake crypto trading platforms, Linux access control mechanisms, theories about hacking reality, and conspiracy theories surrounding the TikTok ban.

AI Guide

Artificial Intelligence

The Ethics of Generative AI

According to a recent article, no generative AI tool from the major players is more ethical than any other. The ethics can be broken down into issues with how the models are developed—specifically, how the data used to train them was accessed—as well as ongoing concerns about their environmental impact. These tools require vast amounts of data, and the decisions developers have made to obtain this data are questionable. The current environmental impact of generative AI usage is similarly outsized across the major options and require vastly more energy to create and run than their non-generative counterparts.

Technology & Gadgets

Smartwatch Deals

The Garmin vívoactive 5 smartwatch is on sale at Best Buy for $229.99, a $70 discount. This smartwatch offers personalized insights into workouts, sleep, and stress levels, featuring a bright AMOLED display and up to 11 days of battery life. Other smartwatch deals include discounts on the Garmin Lily 2, Google Pixel Watch 3, and Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra.

Nuclear Energy Startup

Valar Atomic secured $19 million in seed funding to develop its first test reactor. Their SMR technology uses a helium-cooled, high-temperature gas reactor and aims to reduce costs by building reactors in 'gigasites,' similar to battery gigafactories. Valar plans to build hundreds of SMRs at off-grid sites, powering data centers and industrial plants, with an initial contract to build a test reactor in the Philippines. The technology can reach temperatures up to 900°C, enabling efficient hydrogen production and low-carbon synthetic fuels.

Streaming Service Landscape

Tubi, the free, ad-supported streaming service, claims to have the largest content library among streamers with over 275,000 titles. Despite its extensive offerings, including simulcasting the Super Bowl and deals with WWE and The Black List, Tubi faces public perception issues and has 97 million monthly active users. Tubi's zero-restrictions approach to licensing has led to criticisms, but the platform aims to offer a wide variety of content without dictating what is considered 'good'.

Twitch Storage Limit

Twitch plans to introduce a 100-hour storage limit for Highlights and Uploads starting April 19th to save on storage costs. Users exceeding the limit can download content before the deadline, after which the least viewed Highlights will be deleted first. Twitch is rolling out a storage tracker and filter options to help users manage their content. This change impacts less than 0.5% of active channels and accounts for less than 0.1% of hours watched.

News List

TechCrunch

19 hours ago

Valar Atomics comes out of stealth with $19M and a pilot reactor site

Valar Atomic, an SMR startup, secured $19 million in seed funding to develop its first test reactor. Their SMR technology uses a helium-cooled, high-temperature gas reactor and aims to reduce costs by building reactors in ‘gigasites,’ similar to battery gigafactories. Valar plans to build hundreds of SMRs at off-grid sites, powering data centers and industrial plants, with an initial contract to build a test reactor in the Philippines. The technology can reach temperatures up to 900°C, enabling efficient hydrogen production and low-carbon synthetic fuels.

Wired

19 hours ago

I’m Not Convinced Ethical Generative AI Currently Exists

According to the article, no generative AI tool from the major players is more ethical than any other. The ethics of generative AI use can be broken down into issues with how the models are developed—specifically, how the data used to train them was accessed—as well as ongoing concerns about their environmental impact. In order to power a chatbot or image generator, an obscene amount of data is required, and the decisions developers have made in the past—and continue to make—to obtain this repository of data are questionable and shrouded in secrecy. The current environmental impact of generative AI usage is similarly outsized across the major options and require vastly more energy to create and run than their non-generative counterparts.

The Verge

19 hours ago

Twitch is limiting streamers to 100 hours of Highlights and Uploads

Twitch plans to introduce a 100-hour storage limit for Highlights and Uploads starting April 19th to save on storage costs. Users exceeding the limit can download content before the deadline, after which the least viewed Highlights will be deleted first. Twitch is rolling out a storage tracker and filter options to help users manage their content. This change impacts less than 0.5% of active channels and accounts for less than 0.1% of hours watched, helping Twitch manage resources and invest in viewer engagement tools.

Mashable

19 hours ago

Score $70 off the Garmin vívoactive 5 at Best Buy

The Garmin vívoactive 5 smartwatch is on sale at Best Buy for $229.99, a $70 discount. This smartwatch offers personalized insights into workouts, sleep, and stress levels, featuring a bright AMOLED display and up to 11 days of battery life. Other smartwatch deals include discounts on the Garmin Lily 2, Google Pixel Watch 3, and Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra.

Wired

20 hours ago

Tubi Is Not the Next Netflix. It’s Something Better

Tubi, the free, ad-supported streaming service, claims to have the largest content library among streamers with over 275,000 titles. Despite its extensive offerings, including simulcasting the Super Bowl and deals with WWE and The Black List, Tubi faces public perception issues. It has 97 million monthly active users. Tubi’s zero-restrictions approach to licensing has led to criticisms, but the platform aims to offer a wide variety of content without dictating what is considered ‘good’.

AI Guide

Tech & Gadget Deals

Apple Products

The Apple Studio Display is on sale at Amazon for $1,299.99 (19% off). It features a 27-inch 5K Retina display, a 12MP Ultra Wide camera with Center Stage, and a six-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio.
The Apple iPhone 15 Silicone Case is heavily discounted to $9.99 on Amazon (originally $49). This official MagSafe case offers reliable protection and MagSafe compatibility.
While the Apple iPhone 16e doesn't natively support MagSafe, third-party cases from companies like Spigen and Mous offer MagSafe compatibility.

Audio

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are on sale for $125.99 at Amazon (16% off). These earbuds feature Samsung’s SSC HiFi and UHQ audio codecs, active noise cancellation (ANC), AI-powered voice enhancement, and real-time translation using Samsung’s Galaxy AI.
For Android phone users looking for wireless earbuds, factors to consider include sound quality, comfort, battery life, water resistance, and microphone quality.

Smartwatches & Trackers

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is on sale at Amazon for $419.99 (35% off). It is designed for active lifestyles and outdoor use, featuring heart rate tracking, sleep tracking, and a rugged design.
The Garmin Instinct 2 is on sale for $194.83 at Amazon (35% off). This GPS smartwatch is water-rated to 100 meters, shock-resistant, and features built-in GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo tracking, along with health tracking features.

Home Entertainment & Automation

The Amazon Fire TV 4-Series is on sale for $359.99 at Amazon (22% off). It features 4K Ultra HD, HDR 10, HLG, and Dolby Digital Plus, and has Alexa built-in.
The CinéMini 720P HD Mini Projector is on sale for $129.99. This portable projector can transform any wall into a 200-inch movie screen and features dual-band WiFi, AirPlay, and Miracast.
The Shark Robot Vacuum and Mop is on sale for $399.99 at Amazon (43% off).

Productivity & Software

A lifetime license to Microsoft Windows 11 Pro is on sale for $17.97. This upgrade provides advanced security and productivity tools.
Babbel is offering a lifetime subscription for language learning, priced at $149.99 with the code LEARN20. This subscription provides access to up to 14 languages.

Accessories

A 2-pack of MagSafe-compatible Apple Find My trackable wallets is on sale for $54.99.

Autonomous Vehicles

Waymo and the Future of Driving

The author explores the potential of Waymo robotaxis as a solution to unsafe driving habits in the San Francisco Bay Area. Waymo operates in multiple cities and promises safer transportation.
Autonomous vehicle (AV) companies like Waymo are expanding, leading to questions about a transportation revolution. A Tesla driver using the FSD (Supervised) mode caused a fatal accident while distracted, highlighting the risks of relying on current autonomous systems.

Digital Abuse

Breeze Liu's Experience

Breeze Liu faced a distressing online experience when an explicit video of her, filmed without her consent as a minor, was posted on PornHub. Microsoft delayed removing approximately 150 explicit images of Liu stored on its Azure cloud services, even after repeated pleas.

The Apple Studio Display is on sale for $1,299.99 at Amazon, a 19% discount. The screen boasts a 27-inch 5K Retina display with 600 nits of brightness, P3 wide color, and support for a billion colors. It’s got a 12MP Ultra Wide camera with Center Stage, meaning your video calls stay focused on you, even if you move around. The three-mics system is seriously impressive, ensuring your voice comes through loud and clear, and the six-speakers sound system with Spatial Audio delivers an immersive listening experience.