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Tech

AI Summary

  • The tech industry is seeing rapid changes with a notable shift away from traditional hardware toward advanced AI solutions, as evidenced by venture capital predictions and the emergence of consumer applications.
  • Venture investors express optimism about the climate tech sector, highlighting deep tech university spinouts in Europe that are reaching significant valuations and revenue milestones.
  • A major acquisition by Meta, the buying of Manus, showcases a growing trend where technology giants aim to integrate AI capabilities into their platforms, further blurring the lines between social media and sophisticated AI applications.
  • Expectations for CES 2026 indicate an overwhelming presence of AI-driven innovations across various product categories, reflecting a broader push towards automation and intelligent systems in consumer and enterprise technology.
  • Emerging cybersecurity concerns are prompting industry leaders to issue warnings regarding government spyware, highlighting the increasing need for robust security measures in a world where digital privacy is increasingly vulnerable.

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TechCrunch

  • The dumbest things that happened in tech this year an hour ago by Amanda Silberling
    Startups, evergreen

    From Sam Altman's olive oil "scandal" to Soham Parekh's viral moment, a lot of silly stuff has gone down in tech this year.

  • The phone is dead. Long live . . . what exactly? 9 hours ago by Connie Loizos
    TC, Hardware, AI, fitbit, HashiCorp, jon callaghan, Peleton, Ring, True Ventures

    "We're not going to be using iPhones in 10 years," Callaghan says flatly. "I kind of don't think we'll be using them in five years."

  • Almost 80 European deep tech university spinouts reached $1B valuations or $100M in revenue in 2025 21 hours ago by Anna Heim
    Startups, Venture, spinouts, psv hafnium, u2v

    According to Dealroom’s European Spinout Report 2025, 76 European deep tech and life sciences spinouts have either reached $1 billion valuations, $100 million in revenue, or both.

  • 12 investors dish on what 2026 will bring for climate tech a day ago by Tim De Chant
    Climate, Venture, Analysis, At One Ventures, Azolla Ventures, climate tech, Congruent Ventures, energy impact partners, Incite, indiebio, Mill, Obvious Ventures, RA Capital, sosv, toyota ventures, Voyager Ventures

    After a tumultuous year, venture investors are still optimistic about climate tech's long-term prospects, especially as data centers continue to drive demand for electricity, manufacturing, and materials.

  • The best AI-powered dictation apps of 2025 a day ago by Ivan Mehta
    AI, Apps, ai dictation, voice AI, Wispr flow

    AI-powered dictation apps are useful for replying to emails, taking notes, and even coding through your voice


Hacker News


Engadget

  • How to use a VPN an hour ago by Sam Chapman
    Software, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Sam Chapman

    Chances are that if a VPN is marketed to everyday users, it more or less runs itself. As long as you go with one of the best VPNs instead of setting up your own manual connection, the interface is likely built so you have to engage with it as little as possible. Generally, if you find yourself constantly thinking about your VPN while using it — as happened to me with Norton VPN — that's a bad thing and you should change providers. That said, it's still useful to get a high-level view of how to use a VPN, especially if

  • The best winter tech for 2026 to get you through the coldest months 2 hours ago by Engadget
    Social & Online Media, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Engadget

    The festive lights, time off and cute scarfs can only conceal the truth for so long: Winter can be pretty bleak. I don't mean to be a downer, but it's cold all of the time, dark most of the time and this lasts far beyond the most wonderful time of the year. Here at Engadget, we've tried so many tools and products to make winter more bearable from therapy lamps to heaters. We've invested in tea sets, wrapped ourselves in heated blankets and learned to grow herbs indoors — really, anything that will make these three-plus months more bearable, we've

  • How to watch the first-ever Lego CES 2026 press conference live 2 hours ago by Katie Teague
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Katie Teague

    picture alliance via Getty Images The Lego Group is hosting its first-ever press conference at CES 2026 – but what the company is going to announce remains a mystery. While the huge toy brick creators haven't given any hints as to what they'll be showcasing, the possibilities run the gamut from new video games to Formula 1 race cars. Here's how you can watch Lego's presentation at CES, and what we might expect to see. HOW TO WATCH THE LEGO GROUP'S CES 2026 PRESS CONFERENCE The Lego CES press conference is scheduled for Monday, January 5 at 1PM ET. While Lego and the Consumer

  • From 'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve' to 'Nashville's Big Bash,' here's how to watch this year's biggest New Year's Eve TV specials 3 hours ago by Liz Kocan
    Celebrities, Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Liz Kocan

    Here are some of this year's biggest, most star-studded TV specials you can watch to help you ring in 2026. (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images) CHARLY TRIBALLEAU via Getty Images This year, it seems like there are more ways than ever to celebrate New Year's Eve... from the comfort of your couch, that is. Whether you want to catch the enduring Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve hosted by Ryan Seacrest and filmed live out of Times Square in New York City, or check out of one the many other live specials filled with music performances, comedy and celebrity guests,

  • The best cameras for 2026 5 hours ago by Steve Dent
    Cameras & Photography, Shopping, Technology & Electronics, Consumer Discretionary, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Steve Dent

    Choosing a camera is not just about resolution or price. It is about finding something that matches how you like to shoot. Some photographers want a compact mirrorless camera that travels easily. Others want an action cam that can handle rough hikes, or a full-frame system that delivers the best possible image quality. With so many options today, there is a camera built for almost every creative style. We tested the top models across categories to help you decide which one fits your needs. Whether you are filming your first vlog, shooting portraits or capturing fast-moving action, these are the best


The Verge

  • The Dreame X40 Ultra robovac is about $700 off, nearly matching its best price 24 minutes ago by Sheena Vasani
    Deals, Gadgets, Tech, Verge Shopping

    The Dreame X40 Ultra used to be one of our robot vacuums on the market before its successor took its place. With the year coming to a close, now’s a good time to set yourself up for a cleaner, more organized start in 2026. The Dreame X40 Ultra — one of our favorite robot vacuum deals from Black Friday — can handle most of the heavy lifting for you, and it’s once again on sale. You can currently buy it for $503 ($697 off) at Amazon at checkout, which is just $4 more than its record low price set during Black

  • Killing in the name of… nothing an hour ago by Sarah Jeong
    Analysis, Policy, Politics, Report

    In a good and just society, it would have been possible to bury Charlie Kirk without either threatening mass violence toward his enemies or making light of his death with a furry sex meme. But America in 2025 did not remotely resemble a working society, let alone a civil one, and Kirk's killing came prepackaged with its own desecrating shitposts. There was, briefly, an attempt at a national mood of somberness. The president ordered flags across the nation to be lowered to half-staff. Politicians, celebrities, and other public figures - even those not aligned with Kirk on the right - rushed

  • The 11 best Nintendo Switch 2 games we played in 2025 2 hours ago by Cameron Faulkner
    Entertainment, Gaming, Nintendo, Report, Roundup

    2025 was a big year for gaming, and that includes gaming hardware. Nintendo launched its Switch 2 console in June, and since then, numerous Switch 2 titles and noteworthy updates for original Switch games have launched. These include brand-new Nintendo experiences like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, as well as some belated but welcome third-party titles, including Cyberpunk 2077 and Divinity: Original Sin 2. Even classics like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild got some new life on the upgraded console. If you're considering buying a console, or you're getting one for someone else, there are 11

  • Two cybersecurity employees plead guilty to carrying out ransomware attacks 20 hours ago by Emma Roth
    News, Security, Tech

    Two former employees at cybersecurity firms - one of whom was a ransomware negotiator - have pleaded guilty to carrying out a series of ransomware attacks in 2023. The Department of Justice announced the guilty pleas on Tuesday, saying 40-year-old Ryan Goldberg and 36-year-old Kevin Martin extorted $1.2 million in Bitcoin from a medical device company and targeted several others. Goldberg, Martin, and an unnamed co-conspirator were indicted for the attacks in October, which involved using ALPHV / BlackCat ransomware to encrypt and steal data from their victims. As reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, Martin and the third conspirator worked as

  • The OneXSugar Wallet is the first gaming handheld with a folding screen 21 hours ago by Andrew Liszewski
    Gadgets, Gaming, News

    Folding OLED displays are still most commonly found on premium smartphones and laptops, but One-Netbook is bringing the tech to a new gaming device. Its new OneXSugar Wallet is reminiscent of the company's folding OneXSugar Sugar 1 handheld that launched earlier this year. But instead of two screens, the Wallet handheld unfolds to reveal just one big 8.01-inch OLED screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio, as spotted by Retro Handhelds. The OneXSugar Wallet was announced on China's Weibo yesterday, but with few details about its features and capabilities. That folding OLED screen has a resolution of 2480 x 1860 pixels, and


Wired


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