Minimalist News

Simply the latest news, updated on the hour.

Tech

AI Summary

  • Irina Ghose has been appointed as the new managing director of Anthropic in India, indicating a strategic expansion for the AI company in the region.
  • OpenAI and Microsoft face a legal challenge from Elon Musk as a federal judge dismissed their attempts to avoid a courtroom battle regarding AI and intellectual property issues.
  • AI journalism startup Symbolic.ai has announced a partnership with News Corp, aiming to enhance editorial processes through its AI platform, reflecting ongoing interest in AI's application in media.
  • A major $250 billion trade agreement has been reached between the U.S. and Taiwan, focusing on boosting semiconductor manufacturing capabilities in the U.S., a vital area for many tech companies.
  • Significant layoffs continue to rock the tech industry, with personnel changes at AI labs, including the notable exits from Thinking Machines Lab to OpenAI, highlighting the ongoing competition for talent in the sector.

Powered by OpenAI

TechCrunch


Hacker News


Engadget

  • Ray's Blocked Engadget Test Article 6 hours ago by Engadget
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US

    This article is blocked. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/rays-blocked-engadget-test-article-031847986.html?src=rss

  • Kathleen Kennedy steps down as Lucasfilm president, marking a new era for the Star Wars franchise 10 hours ago by Anna Washenko
    Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko

    Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down as president of Lucasfilm. Although she will continue as a producer for several Star Wars projects, including upcoming movie The Mandalorian and Grogu, the company will now be helmed by a duo in Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan. It's a big changing of the guard for Star Wars fans, and marks the start of a fresh chapter for the sci-fi universe.  Before taking over at Lucasfilm, Kennedy had seen great success as a producer with a couple little films you may have heard of: E.T. and Jurassic Park. She became Lucasfilm's president in 2012 when the

  • ASUS has stopped producing the NVIDIA RTX 5070 Ti and 5060 Ti 16GB, saying they've reached 'end of life' 11 hours ago by Igor Bonifacic
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Igor Bonifacic

    YouTube channel Hardware Unboxed is reporting that ASUS has stopped producing the RTX 5070 Ti and 5060 Ti 16GB due to the ongoing memory crunch. In its most recent video, the channel states ASUS “explicitly” told it the RTX 5070 Ti is “currently facing a supply shortage.” As a result, the company has “placed the model into end of life status,” and no longer plans to produce it. Hardware Unboxed also spoke to retailers in Australia, who told the channel the 5070 Ti is “no longer available to purchase from partners and distributors,” adding they expect that to be the case

  • Senate passes minibus bill funding NASA, rejecting Trump's proposed cuts 11 hours ago by Igor Bonifacic
    Science, Budget, Tax & Economy, Politics & Government, Government, Space & Astronomy, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Igor Bonifacic

    After a tumultuous 2025 that saw it lose around 4,000 employees, NASA finally has an operating budget for 2026, and one that largely preserves its scientific capabilities. On Thursday, the Senate passed an appropriations bill funding NASA, alongside the National Science Foundation and a handful of other federal agencies.  Going into the appropriations process, the president called for a 24 percent year over year reduction to NASA's total operating budget. As part of that plan, the White House wanted to reduce the Science Mission Directorate's funding by nearly half, a move that would have forced NASA to cancel 55 ongoing and

  • A $250 billion trade deal will see Taiwan bring more semiconductor production to the US 12 hours ago by Anna Washenko
    Finance, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko

    The US and Taiwan have signed an agreement that will see a multi-billion dollar investment into domestic development of semiconductors and related infrastructure. The US Department of Commerce announced that Taiwanese businesses will make an upfront investment of at least $250 billion into their US production capacity, while Taiwan's government will provide credit guarantees of at least another $250 billion in support of the semiconductor industry and supply chain in the US.  In exchange, Taiwan will receive a better deal on tariffs. Reciprocal tariffs will be limited to 15 percent, compared with the previous 20 percent rate. Generic pharmaceuticals and their


The Verge

  • Casting is dead. Long live casting! 6 hours ago by Janko Roettgers
    Column, Lowpass, Netflix, Streaming

    This is Lowpass by Janko Roettgers, a newsletter on the ever-evolving intersection of tech and entertainment, syndicated just for The Verge subscribers once a week. Last month, Netflix made the surprising decision to kill off a key feature: With no prior warning, the company removed the ability to cast videos from its mobile apps to a wide range of smart TVs and streaming devices. Casting is now only supported on older Chromecast streaming adapters that didn't ship with a remote, Nest Hub smart displays, and select Vizio and Compal smart TVs. That's a stunning departure for the company. Prior to those changes,

  • Meta has discontinued its metaverse for work, too 8 hours ago by Sean Hollister
    Meta, News, Tech, Virtual Reality

    Two months before it changed its name to "Meta," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg personally introduced us to his metaverse for work: Horizon Workrooms, envisioned as a virtual space for workers to collaborate. Today, the company announced it's shutting that space down: "Meta has made the decision to discontinue Workrooms as a standalone app, effective February 16, 2026," reads the note tucked away on a help page. Meta will also no longer sell its headsets and software as a service for businesses, another help page reads: "We are stopping sales of Meta Horizon managed services and commercial SKUs of Meta Quest, effective

  • The best Sonos speakers to buy in 2026 9 hours ago by Chris Welch
    Buying Guides, Gadgets, Sonos, Speakers, Tech, Verge Shopping

    After the self-induced tumult Sonos went through last year, I can understand why some people are reluctant to spend money on the company’s products. But newly appointed CEO Tom Conrad has shown that he’s determined to get back on track and revitalize Sonos as the leading whole-home audio brand. The contentious mobile app is in a much better place now than it was a couple of years ago, though some customers still encounter bugs and the frustration of speakers randomly vanishing from their system. It’s not all roses, but the situation is moving in the right direction — and I

  • Here are the best Apple Watch deals available right now 10 hours ago
    Apple, Deals, Gadgets, Report, Roundup, Smartwatch, Tech, Verge Shopping, Wearable

    The last-gen Apple Watch Ultra 2 is on sale starting at $549, matching its lowest price to date. | Photo: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge In September, Apple launched its latest fleet of smartwatches, including the Apple Watch Series 11, the SE 3, and the Ultra 3. Each wearable offers something a little different (their prices indicate their breadth of features), and we’re already starting to see big price drops. Additionally, we’re still recommending some recent predecessors in Apple’s portfolio, including the Series 10 and Ultra 2, for which discounts are fairly common. But with all of those options, which one

  • Grok undressed the mother of one of Elon Musk’s kids — and now she’s suing 11 hours ago by Lauren Feiner
    AI, Elon Musk, News, Policy, Tech, xAI

    Ashley St. Clair, the mother of one of X owner Elon Musk's children, is suing his company for enabling its AI to virtually strip her down into a bikini without her consent. St. Clair is one of the many people over the past couple weeks who have found themselves undressed without permission by X's AI chatbot, Grok. The chatbot has been gingerly complying with users' requests to remove clothing from many women and some apparent minors, or put them in sexualized poses or scenarios. The feature has caused an uproar from policymakers around the world who have launched investigations and vowed


Wired


Looking for more? Search Google News