Amazon announces 97% of its devices can support Alexa+
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week, Amazon provided a little more insight into how it thinks its AI platform will compete in the real world. In other words, Amazon plans to take advantage of the wide footprint its devices already have in homes and the familiarity that consumers already have with […]
Fintech company Betterment confirms data breach after hackers sent fake crypto fraud notifications to users
Automated investment platform Betterment admitted last week that hackers broke into some of its systems and accessed non-public personal information of many of its customers. In an email sent Monday and seen by TechCrunch, Betterment said hackers gained access to some company systems on Jan. 9 through a social engineering attack that involved a “third-party […]
Google’s Gemini powers Apple’s AI features such as Siri
It’s official. Apple has chosen to work with long-time partner Google to power AI capabilities such as Siri. “After careful evaluation, we determined that Google’s technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models, and we are excited about the innovative new experiences this will unlock for our users,” Apple and Google said in […]
New Jersey lawsuit shows how difficult it is to combat deepfake porn
For more than two years, an app called ClothOff has been terrorizing young women online, and it’s been extremely difficult to stop. The app has been removed from two major app stores and banned from most social platforms, but is still available on the web and through Telegram bots. In October, Yale Law School’s clinic […]
Netflix had a great night at the 2026 Golden Globes with seven wins
The 83rd Golden Globe Awards was a standout night for streaming platforms. Netflix led the pack with seven wins, followed by Apple TV and HBO Max with three awards each and Hulu with one. Among Netflix’s highlights, the hit series “Adolescence” won four awards, including Best Limited Series. The show also won Best Actor in […]
Luminar lines up $22 million bidder for lidar business
Luminar has reached a deal to sell its lidar business to a company called Quantum Computing Inc. for just $22 million unless it gets a better offer by Monday’s deadline of 5 p.m. CT. The lidar maker filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December and has already announced plans to sell its semiconductor subsidiary […]
Google removes AI summaries for certain medical queries
Following a Guardian investigation that found Google AI Overview provided misleading information for certain health-related queries, the company appears to have removed AI Overview for some of those queries. For example, the Guardian initially reported that when users ask, “What is the normal range for a liver blood test?” they are presented with a number […]
Nuclear startups are back in vogue with small reactors and big challenges
The nuclear industry is in the fog of a renaissance. Old factories are being renovated and investors are pouring cash into startups. In the last few weeks of 2025 alone, nuclear startups raised $1.1 billion, largely due to investor optimism that small nuclear reactors would succeed, something the entire industry had recently stumbled over. Traditional […]
Indonesia and Malaysia block Grok over non-consensual sexual deepfakes
Officials in Indonesia and Malaysia said they have temporarily blocked access to xAI’s chatbot Grok. These are the most aggressive moves yet by government authorities in response to a flood of AI-generated sexual images (often depicting real women and minors, and sometimes depicting violence) posted by Grok in response to requests from users on the […]
Wing expands drone delivery to 150 more Walmart stores
Wing, the Alphabet-owned company that delivers groceries, over-the-counter medications and hot lattes, is expanding its partnership with Walmart for the second time in less than a year. On Sunday, the companies announced plans to bring on-demand drone delivery service to an additional 150 Walmart stores. The rollout, which builds on existing services at stores in […]