Minimalist News

Simply the latest news, updated on the hour.

Tech

AI Summary

  • Anthropic's CEO commented on the current AI landscape, suggesting that some competitors are taking reckless financial risks amidst growing chatter about an AI bubble.
  • Elon Musk has faced backlash over Tesla's new software update enabling texting while driving, a behavior that remains illegal in most states, raising safety concerns.
  • The European Commission has initiated an antitrust investigation against Meta regarding its policy change that prevents rival AI chatbots from using WhatsApp's business services.
  • Amazon is reportedly contemplating terminating its partnership with the USPS, possibly leading to the creation of its own shipping network as negotiations stall.
  • Spotify has seen a resurgence in user engagement with its Wrapped 2025 feature, which has attracted over 200 million users in its first day, up 19% from last year.

Powered by OpenAI

TechCrunch


Hacker News


Engadget

  • Russia reportedly bans Snapchat and FaceTime an hour ago by Ian Carlos Campbell
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Ian Carlos Campbell

    Roskomnadzor, Russia's federal agency for monitoring and censoring mass media, has blocked access to Snapchat and FaceTime in the country, Bloomberg reports, citing Russian news service Interfax. The bans were reportedly put in place because the platforms were used "to organize and carry out terrorist acts,” and commit fraud. It's not clear if either service is still accessible by using a VPN, but banning Snapchat and FaceTime fits with Russia’s crackdown on communication and social platforms that started after the country’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Facebook and X were blocked in March of that year, and Instagram was added to

  • Amazon reportedly considering ending ties with the US Postal Service 2 hours ago by Andre Revilla
    Internet & Networking Technology, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Andre Revilla

    Amazon is reportedly considering discontinuing use of the US Postal Service and building out its own shipping network to rival it, according to The Washington Post. The e-commerce behemoth spends more than $6 billion a year on the public mail carrier, representing just shy of 8 percent of the service's total revenues. That's up from just shy of $4 billion in 2019, and Amazon continues to grow. However, it sounds like that split might be due to a breakdown in negotiations between Amazon and the USPS rather than Amazon proactively pullings its business. Amazon provided Engadget with the following statement regarding

  • Meta says it's fixing its broken support system, with the help of AI 2 hours ago by Karissa Bell
    Media, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Karissa Bell

    If you've ever had something go wrong with your Facebook or Instagram account, then you probably have a good idea of just how frustrating the support process can be. The company's automated processes are so broken that some people have found that suing Meta in small claims court can be a more reliable way of getting help from the company. Now, Meta says it's trying to address some of these longstanding issues. In an update, the company acknowledged that its "support hasn’t always met expectations" but that a series of AI-powered updates should make it easier for people to get help.  The

  • The Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle is still on sale for $50 off right now 2 hours ago by Sarah Fielding
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Sarah Fielding

    Cyber Monday may be long gone, but there are still some deals floating around on the internet today. One deal that wasn't available on Black Friday but made an appearance on Cyber Monday was a discount on the Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle. It's back again today at both Amazon and Walmart — you can get the bundle for $50 off, bringing the final price down to $449. For Amazon, you have to add the bundle to your cart to see the discounted price. For Walmart, you'll need to be signed in to a Walmart account (which is

  • Amazon Luna's December lineup includes Hollow Knight, Lego 2K Drive and a few Fallout games 3 hours ago by Matt Tate
    Video Games, Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Matt Tate

    Amazon Luna’s December lineup of games has been announced, and there are plenty of early Christmas presents to sink your teeth into. For those unaware, Prime members automatically qualify for Luna standard, the entry-level tier of Amazon’s cloud gaming service, and each month the company also hands out a number of codes for PC games that permanently join in your library once redeemed. Among those claim-and-keep-forever games this month are the underrated open-world Lego racing game, Lego 2K Drive, the very pretty Metroidvania, Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus, and a couple of retro Fallout games, just in time for the


The Verge

  • Metroid Prime 4 doesn’t stand up to Nintendo’s best an hour ago by Ash Parrish
    Analysis, Gaming, Nintendo, Report

    Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is finally out after a long and difficult development - and despite some bright spots, the game really shows its age. Nintendo has a long and celebrated history of doing things its own way. During the original Switch era, going back to Super Mario Odyssey in 2017, Nintendo has focused on bringing open-world style exploration elements to many of its major releases. That strategy has worked very well, breathing new life into storied franchises like Donkey Kong, Mario Kart, and The Legend of Zelda. But it hasn't quite added the same revolutionary touch to Metroid Prime 4. In

  • Amazon’s dynamic pricing is causing chaos for school budgets an hour ago by Stevie Bonifield
    Amazon, News, Policy, Tech

    School districts are paying extra for basic supplies thanks to unpredictable dynamic pricing on Amazon, which is costing them on average 17 percent more, according to a report by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR). Unlike the contracts schools and local governments would traditionally make with local suppliers, who would bid to offer the best rates, Amazon Business doesn’t guarantee locked-in prices, resulting in huge pricing swings.  For instance, the report mentions an employee of the City of Boulder, Colorado who purchased a 12-pack of Sharpie markers for $8.99, while an employee of the nearby Denver Public Schools was charged $28.63

  • Trump admin may deny H1-B visas to people who worked in content moderation, report says an hour ago by Emma Roth
    News, Policy, Politics, Social Media, Speech, Tech

    The Trump administration has ordered US consulates to consider rejecting H1-B visa applicants involved in content moderation or “censorship,” according to a report from Reuters. A State Department cable viewed by the outlet says officials should check an applicant’s resume or LinkedIn profile for a job history involving moderation, fact-checking, online safety, compliance, and misinformation. As reported by Reuters, the cable says the policy applies to all visa applicants, but it’s directed at people applying for an H1-B visa who may have had a history of working in “social media or financial services companies involved in the suppression of protected expression.”

  • Microsoft is quietly walking back its diversity efforts 2 hours ago by Tom Warren
    AI, Microsoft, Notepad, Policy, Politics, Tech

    Microsoft has been publishing data about the gender, race, and ethnic breakdown of its employees for more than a decade. Since 2019 it's been publishing a full diversity and inclusion report annually, and at the same time made reporting on diversity a requirement for employee performance reviews. Now it's scrapping its diversity report and dropping diversity and inclusion as a companywide core priority for performance reviews, just months after President Donald Trump issued an executive order to try and eradicate workforce diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Game File reported last week that Microsoft will cease publicati … Read the full story at

  • Google’s AI model is getting really good at spoofing phone photos 2 hours ago by Allison Johnson
    AI, Google, Mobile, Report, Tech

    These aren’t real people! | Image: Nano Banana Pro I'm starting to understand where Google's visual AI model gets its name, because after playing around with it for a couple of days, that's how I'd sum it up: bananas. The images it generates are so realistic it's bananas. I feel like I'm going bananas after staring at them for too long. And if I had to pinpoint one reason why Nano Banana Pro's images look so much more realistic than the AI slop that came before them, it's this: They look like photos taken with a phone camera. Sure, the tells are


Wired


Looking for more? Search Google News