Tech
AI Summary
- OpenAI is rolling out new voice features and a 'Trusted Contact' safeguard, while simultaneously facing scrutiny over safety records due to Elon Musk's lawsuit.
- Google is integrating AI deeply into its health and fitness offerings, launching a new Fitbit Air device and rebranding the Fitbit app to 'Google Health'.
- The AI industry continues its rapid expansion with new agents and tools, though concerns about 'AI slop' negatively impacting online communities and creative processes are growing.
- The tech sector is experiencing significant financial shifts, with companies like Kodiak AI facing stock declines and others like Gusto approaching public markets.
- Cybersecurity remains a critical concern, highlighted by various hacking incidents targeting schools and the ongoing debate around AI's role in enhancing or compromising digital security.
Sources
TechCrunch
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OpenAI launches new voice intelligence features in its API
an hour ago
by Lucas Ropek
AI, gpt, OpenAIThe new features could be handy for customer service systems, but OpenAI says they have applications that work across a variety of other fields, including education and creator platforms.
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Kodiak AI raises $100M at a steep discount, sending its stock tumbling 37%
an hour ago
by Kirsten Korosec
TransportationThe company made a series of other announcements during earnings, including a new commercial contract, a pilot program in Canada, and a collaboratio
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Disney looking to make a unified ‘super app,’ report says
2 hours ago
by Amanda Silberling
Apps, Media & Entertainment, Disney, Disney Plus, In Brief, josh d'amaroDisney CEO Josh D'Amaro, who took over for Bob Iger earlier this year, has emphasized his intent to streamline the Disney experience.
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Voi founders’ new AI startup Pit has become the latest rising star out of Stockholm
2 hours ago
by Anna Heim
AI, Startups, a16z, pit, VoiAI startup Pit is led by the co-founders of European scooter giant Voi and backed by a16z, which is leading the startup’s $16 million seed round.
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Hackers deface school login pages after claiming another Instructure hack
2 hours ago
by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai, Zack Whittaker
Security, Canvas, cybercrime, cybersecurity, data breach, ed tech, Education, extortion, hackers, hacking, instructure, shinyhuntersThe cybercrime group ShinyHunters claimed to have hacked Instructure again, defacing the login pages of several Instructure customer schools with an extortion message.
Hacker News
- Dirtyfrag: Universal Linux LPE 4 hours ago
- The Burning Man MOOP Map 9 hours ago
- Agents need control flow, not more prompts 7 hours ago
- AlphaEvolve: Gemini-powered coding agent scaling impact across fields 8 hours ago
- Natural Language Autoencoders: Turning Claude's Thoughts into Text 5 hours ago
Engadget
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The Paranormal Activity game project is dead
an hour ago
by Anna Washenko
GamingThe solo developer couldn't get an extension from rights-holder Paramount.
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Bumble will replace swiping right with... something
an hour ago
by Ian Carlos Campbell
AppsThe company previously announced it was working on an AI assistant that can make matches.
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OpenAI debuts a Codex plugin for Chrome
an hour ago
by Anna Washenko
AIThe new feature could turn Codex into more than a coding aid.
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Meta's AI agent plans reportedly include an OpenClaw competitor that can shop on Instagram
2 hours ago
by Karissa Bell
AI, MetaMark Zuckerberg has said he wants to make AI agents more accessible.
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The Lexus TZ is a quieter, upscale take on the Highlander EV
4 hours ago
by Sam Rutherford
EVs and TransportationIt's also the company's first fully-electric three-row SUV.
The Verge
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Canvas is down as ShinyHunters threatens to leak schools’ data
2 hours ago
by Emma Roth
News, Security, TechThe Instructure-owned learning management platform, Canvas, is down after recently confirming a massive data breach that impacted student names, email addresses, ID numbers, and messages. Students attempting to access the system on Thursday saw a message from the hacking group ShinyHunters, which claimed responsibility for the attack: > ShinyHunters has breached Instructure (again). Instead of contacting us to resolve it they ignored us and did some "security patches." If any of the schools in the affected list are interested in preventing the release of their data, please consult with a cyber advisory firm and contact us privately at TOX to … Read
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Mira Murati’s deposition pulled back the curtain on Sam Altman’s ouster
3 hours ago
by Hayden Field
AI, Analysis, Elon Musk, Law, OpenAI, Policy, Report, TechThe week leading up to Thanksgiving 2023 was the AI industry's biggest soap opera moment. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was abruptly ousted from his role at the ChatGPT-maker. The explanation? That Altman was "not consistently candid in his communications with the board." Now, via witness testimony and trial exhibits in Musk v. Altman, the public is getting a concrete look behind the scenes of that dramatic weekend for the first time, much of it centered on former CTO Mira Murati. It was a unique situation in that the rollercoaster of a power play - which seemed to change every hour -
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Apple’s AirPods with cameras for AI are apparently close to production
4 hours ago
by Jay Peters
AI, Apple, Gadgets, Headphones, News, TechAirPods Pro 3 | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Apple's rumored AirPods with cameras are nearing a stage where the company will test early mass production, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Currently, Apple testers are "actively using" prototypes that are in the design validation test stage, which is one step before the production validation test stage. The AirPods' cameras "aren't designed" to snap photos or video but instead can take in "visual information in low resolution" that users can query Siri about, like asking the AI assistant what they should cook with the ingredients they have in front of them,
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SpaceX has a $55 billion plan to build AI chips in Texas
4 hours ago
by Stevie Bonifield
AI, Elon Musk, News, Science, Space, SpaceX, Tech, xAIElon Musk's plans to get into the AI chip manufacturing business are going to be costly. As the New York Times and CNBC report, SpaceX is planning to invest at least $55 billion into its "Terafab" chip plant in Austin, Texas. That's according to the details of a public hearing notice filed in Grimes County, Texas, for a meeting to request tax breaks for the project. The company says that if additional phases are constructed, its investment could someday balloon to $119 billion total. When Musk initially announced the project in March, he shared ambitious plans for it to produce enough
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Peak Design is taking up to 50 percent off some of our favorite bags right now
4 hours ago
by Sheena Vasani
Deals, Gadgets, Tech, Verge ShoppingPeak Design’s Everyday Backpack Zip features a unique wraparound zipper that provides quick access to your belongings. | Image: Peak Design To celebrate founder Peter Dering’s birthday, Peak Design is taking up to 50 percent off a host of bags and accessories through May 8. The sale includes steep discounts on many of the company’s most popular backpacks and bags, as well as a couple of other items, including camera accessories. Many Verge staffers are fans of Peak Design, in part because the company is known for making durable, weatherproof products that can house a range of gadgets. Most of its bags
Wired
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Trump Pivots on AI Regulation, Worker Ousted by DOGE Runs for Office, and Hantavirus Explained
2 hours ago
by Brian Barrett, Zoë Schiffer, Leah Feiger
Business, Business / Artificial Intelligence, Uncanny, ValleyToday on Uncanny Valley, we’re diving into recent reports that the Trump administration is considering an executive order that would establish some sort of federal oversight over new AI models.
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How to Disable Google's Gemini in Chrome
3 hours ago
by Lily Hay Newman
Security, Security / Privacy, Security / Security Advice, Security / Security News, Business / Artificial Intelligence, ConundrumsChrome users were caught off guard by a 4-GB Google AI model baked into Chrome, sparking privacy concerns. The good news: You can easily uninstall it. The bad? You might not want to.
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Why the Hantavirus Cruise Ship Outbreak Isn’t Likely to Become a Global Crisis
4 hours ago
by Emily Mullin
Science, Science / Health, Cruise, concernsWhile the outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic is concerning, the virus isn’t easily transmitted through casual contact.
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How I Fixed My Webcam Lighting for Zoom Calls (2026)
5 hours ago
by Luke Larsen
Gear, Gear / How To and Advice, Gear / Products, Gear / Products / Cameras, Gear / Products / Computers, Light, It, UpI have a horrendous lighting setup in my home office, but as a mixed-use room, my options for fixing it were limited.
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ChatGPT Has ‘Goblin’ Mania in the US. In China It Will ‘Catch You Steadily’
7 hours ago
by Zeyi Yang
Business, Made, in, ChinaOpenAI’s chatbot has some weird linguistic tics in Chinese that are driving users crazy.