Minimalist News

Simply the latest news, updated on the hour.

Tech

AI Summary

  • Microsoft is actively investing in new AI infrastructure across the U.S. while ensuring that its data centers will not increase local electricity bills.
  • Concerns have been raised about Google's new Universal Commerce Protocol, with a consumer watchdog warning of potential misuse that could lead to higher prices for consumers, a claim that Google has disputed.
  • Ammobia is innovating within the ammonia production industry by reinventing the Haber-Bosch process, which could significantly impact sectors such as power generation and shipping if successful.
  • Meta is closing three VR studios and laying off a substantial number of employees from its Reality Labs division as the company pivots to focus on AI hardware instead of metaverse projects.
  • Legislation has been passed allowing victims of non-consensual deepfakes to pursue civil lawsuits against those who create and distribute such content, reflecting growing concerns over digital privacy and exploitation.

Powered by OpenAI

TechCrunch


Hacker News


Engadget

  • Senate passes Defiance Act for a second time to address Grok deepfakes an hour ago by Ian Carlos Campbell
    Politics & Government, Government, Legislative Branch, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Ian Carlos Campbell

    The Senate has passed the Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits (DEFIANCE ) Act with unanimous consent, according to the bill’s co-sponsor Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL). The bill lets the subjects of nonconsensual, sexually explicit deepfakes take civil action against the people who create and host them. Deepfakes are a known issue online, but without the proper protections, easy access to AI-powered image and video generation tools has made it possible for anyone to create compromising content using another person's likeness. This has become a particular problem on X, where the integration of Grok, the AI assistant created by X's

  • Meta has closed three VR studios as part of its metaverse cuts 2 hours ago by Karissa Bell
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Karissa Bell

    Several of Meta's VR studios have been affected by the company's metaverse-focused layoffs. The company has shuttered three of its VR studios, including Armature, Sanzaru and Twisted Pixel. VR fitness app Supernatural will no longer be updated with fresh content. Employees at Twisted Pixel, which released Marvel's Deadpool VR in November, and Sanzaru, known for Asgard's Wrath, posted on social media about the closures. Bloomberg reported that Armature, which brought Resident Evil 4 to Quest back in 2021 has also closed and that the popular VR fitness app Supernatural will no longer be updated with fresh content, though the current version

  • Proposed legislation opens the door to robotaxi services in New York 3 hours ago by Ian Carlos Campbell
    Politics & Government, Government, Transportation, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Ian Carlos Campbell

    Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving car company, tested its autonomous vehicles in New York City in 2025, and as part of proposed legislation from New York Governor Kathy Hochul, the company could soon offer its services across the state, Wired reports. Governor Hochul's proposed legislation was formally announced during a State of the State address covering policy proposals for the upcoming year. The new law, if passed, would loosen the state's restrictions on self-driving car companies by forming a pilot program that would allow for "the limited deployment of commercial for-hire autonomous passenger vehicles outside New York City." Applicants to the pilot program

  • Taiwan issues arrest warrant for Pete Lau, CEO of OnePlus 4 hours ago by Anna Washenko
    Smart Phones, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko

    Taiwanese officials have issued an arrest warrant for OnePlus CEO Pete Lau on allegations of illegally employing workers in Taiwan. Two Taiwanese citizens who worked for Lau have also been indicted. The China-based smartphone company has been accused of illegally recruiting more than 70 engineers from Taiwan.  Members of the Shilin District Prosecutors Office claim that OnePlus reportedly set up a shell company in Hong Kong with a distinct name, then launched a branch in Taiwan in 2015 without government approval. The branch reportedly worked on research and development for OnePlus mobile phones. Taiwanese officials claim these actions by OnePlus violated

  • EA delays Battlefield 6 Season 2 to February 17 4 hours ago by Will Shanklin
    Media, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Will Shanklin

    The second season of Battlefield 6 is being pushed back based on “community feedback.” On Tuesday, EA and Battlefield Studios said Season 2 will now arrive on February 17. Season 2 of Battlefield 6 had previously been scheduled for January 20, so we're looking at a delay of almost a month. As a consolation, the team is extending Season 1 through the start of the next season. "During our ongoing development, we've continued to review community feedback and, in order to keep our promise, determined that our best path forward is to extend Season 1 and give ourselves extra time to further


The Verge

  • I tested several cases for the Switch 2 and these are the best an hour ago by Cameron Faulkner
    Buying Guides, Gadgets, Gaming, Nintendo, Tech, Verge Shopping

    Our picks include carrying cases and ones you can leave on during handheld and docked play. | Image: The Verge, Getty Images You might find it kind of sad to put your hard-earned Switch 2 into a protective case. To me, it’s freeing. Sure, it can take away from the slick design. But using a case relieves me of the worry that the console will accumulate tons of little scratches, or worse. I’ve tested several types of cases on the Nintendo Switch 2 since it launched in June, including flimsy shells that snap or slide onto the Switch 2 to provide

  • The Bone Temple turns 28 Years Later into a terrifying crisis of faith 2 hours ago by Charles Pulliam-Moore
    Entertainment, Film, Movie Review

    Because there was such a long gap between the releases of 28 Weeks Later and 28 Years Later, it was surprising to hear that writer-director duo Alex Garland and Danny Boyle already had plans for their latest collaboration to be the first chapter of a new horror trilogy. Sony seemed keen on fast-tracking the pair's idea, as 28 Years Later and its sequel began shooting back to back. But it also felt like the studio wanted to bring a different kind of energy into the franchise when it tapped Nia DaCosta to direct the new film. That energy and its distinctness

  • Senate passes a bill that would let nonconsensual deepfake victims sue 2 hours ago by Lauren Feiner
    AI, News, Policy, Politics, xAI

    The Senate passed a bill that could give people who've found their likeness deepfaked into sexually-explicit images without their consent a new way to fight back. The Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act (DEFIANCE Act), would let victims sue the individuals who created the images for civil damages. The bill passed with unanimous consent - meaning there was no roll-call vote, and no Senator objected to its passage on the floor Tuesday. It's meant to build on the work of the Take It Down Act, a law that criminalizes the distribution of nonconsensual intimate images (NCII) and requires social

  • The best phone to buy right now 2 hours ago by Allison Johnson
    Apple, Buying Guides, Gadgets, Google, Google Pixel, Mobile, Phone Reviews, Reviews, Samsung, Tech, Verge Shopping

    Haven’t you heard? Phones are boring now. And that’s just fine! Most people buying a new phone just want something familiar that works better than the device they’re replacing. If that’s your MO, then you’re sure to find something reliable in my recommendations below. But even if you’re looking for something a little more extra, you’ve got some great options. They’re going to be pretty iterative compared to whatever you’re using now — we’re in more of a software era than a hardware innovation cycle these days — but you can still find a delightful new device. We finally have a

  • Anthropic shakes up C-suite to expand its internal incubator 2 hours ago by Hayden Field
    AI, Anthropic, News

    Mike Krieger, the Instagram co-founder who joined Anthropic two years ago as its chief product officer, is moving to a new focus at the AI startup: co-leading its internal incubator, dubbed the "Labs" team. The Anthropic Labs team started in mid-2024 with just two members; now, the company has decided to expand it, with a focus on building "experimental products." Krieger's new title will be simply a member of technical staff reporting to Anthropic president Daniela Amodei, and he'll co-lead the Labs team with Ben Mann, who has been the company's product engineering lead. Ami Vora, the company's current "head of


Wired


Looking for more? Search Google News