New Zealand’s rare nocturnal parrot breeds for the first time in four years – here’s why
Endangered flightless parrots are breeding in New Zealand for the first time in four years, authorities announced on January 6. The kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) is a large, flightless, nocturnal parrot with mottled green and yellow plumage that breeds only every two to four years. Their breeding season is triggered by the mass fruiting of the […]
NASA’s powerful new Roman Space Telescope is complete and will soon begin a mission to discover 100,000 alien worlds
NASA recently released the first photos of the newly constructed Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The telescope could soon help researchers search for exoplanets, map the Milky Way, and unravel some of the universe’s biggest mysteries, such as the identity of dark matter. Experts also revealed the most likely launch date for the next-generation spacecraft, […]
US imposes 25% tariff on Nvidia’s H200 AI chip destined for China
Tariffs on some chips were announced after months of rumors that the Trump administration intended to impose tariffs on semiconductors. The tariffs only apply to certain semiconductors, such as the Nvidia H200 advanced AI chip scheduled to be shipped to China. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation Wednesday imposing a 25% tariff on advanced AI […]
OpenAI invests in Sam Altman’s brain-computer interface startup Merge Labs
Just when you thought circular trading couldn’t get any more circular, OpenAI invested in CEO Sam Altman’s brain computer interface (BCI) startup Merge Labs. Merge Labs, which defines itself as a “research institute” dedicated to “bridging biological and artificial intelligence to maximize human potential,” came out of stealth on Thursday with an undisclosed seed round. […]
Critical flaw in WordPress Modular DS plugin can be actively exploited to gain administrator access
January 15, 2026Ravi LakshmananWeb security/vulnerabilities According to Patchstack, a maximum severity security flaw in a WordPress plugin called Modular DS is being exploited in the wild. This vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2026-23550 (CVSS score: 10.0) and is described as a case of unauthenticated privilege escalation affecting all versions of the plugin prior to 2.5.1. Version […]
Researchers uncover a re-prompting attack that allows data to be extracted from Microsoft Copilot with a single click
January 15, 2026Ravi LakshmananPrompt injection / enterprise security Cybersecurity researchers have revealed details of a new attack method called “Reprompt.” This attack technique could allow malicious attackers to steal sensitive data from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots such as Microsoft Copilot with a single click, completely bypassing corporate security controls. “It only takes one click on […]
US senators demand answers from X, Meta, Alphabet and more on sexual deepfakes
The tech industry’s non-consensual sexual deepfakes problem is now bigger than just an X. In a letter to the leaders of X, Meta, Alphabet, Snap, Reddit and TikTok, several US senators are asking the companies to provide evidence that they have “robust protections and policies” in place and explain how they intend to curb the […]
How one startup is using prebiotics to alleviate copper deficiency
Five years from now, the world may start running out of copper, a critical mineral used in everything from data centers to electric cars. If nothing changes, the world could face severe shortages as early as 2040, with demand exceeding supply by as much as 25%. If copper seems expensive now, wait a few years. […]
Spotify raises subscription prices in the US again
Spotify has increased the price of its subscription plans in the U.S. for the third time in three years, increasing monthly plans from $11.99 per month to $12.99 per month. The company sent an email to paying users informing them of the new price. This price will apply starting with your next monthly billing cycle. […]
Parloa triples valuation to $3 billion in 8 months with $350 million in funding
Berlin-based Parloa has raised $350 million in Series D funding from existing investors, valuing the six-year-old customer service AI startup at $3 billion. The round comes just eight months after the company raised $120 million at a $1 billion valuation. The new round was led by General Catalyst, with participation from returning backers including EQT […]