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Simply the latest news, updated on the hour.

Wed, Apr 15, 2026, 6:33 PM EDT

Tech

AI Summary

  • The tech industry is heavily influenced by advancements in AI, with companies like OpenAI releasing new SDKs for safer agent development, Google launching native Gemini apps for Mac, and startups like Hightouch and Gizmo experiencing significant growth fueled by AI tools.
  • The automotive sector is seeing major shifts, with Ford's EV and tech chief departing and Monarch Tractor's collapse leading to an acquisition by Caterpillar, indicating evolving strategies and consolidation.
  • The live entertainment and ticketing industry is under scrutiny, as Live Nation has been found guilty of monopolizing the market, signaling potential regulatory action and changes in how events are managed.
  • The cybersecurity landscape is becoming increasingly critical, with concerns ranging from destructive cyberattacks on infrastructure to the privacy implications of data centers and the potential for AI to impact whistleblowing.
  • The economic climate is prompting some companies to pivot, with Allbirds shifting focus to AI compute after selling its shoe business and Snap undertaking significant layoffs, suggesting a need for adaptation and efficiency.

TechCrunch


Hacker News


Engadget

  • Microsoft's new college deal is a half-hearted answer to the $500 MacBook Neo an hour ago by Ian Carlos Campbell
    Computing, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Ian Carlos Campbell

    Apple's MacBook Neo is a $600 (or $500 for students) shot across the bow at affordable Windows laptops, and it seems like Microsoft has ready its first response. The newly announced "Microsoft College Offer" is a bundle of Microsoft 365 Premium, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, custom Xbox controller and discounted laptop that the company thinks could woo students away from Apple's new deal.  With the purchase of a discounted machine directly from Microsoft, retailers like Amazon and Best Buy or PC makers like HP, ASUS and Acer, you can get what the company says is an extra $500 of value from

  • Federal jury finds concert business Live Nation is a monopoly 2 hours ago by Anna Washenko
    Politics & Government, Company Legal & Law Matters, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko

    Live Nation, which operates the Ticketmaster platform, has been determined to be a monopoly. A federal jury handed down its decision today that the company violated federal and state antitrust rules. This finding won't surprise anyone who has used Ticketmaster and been sticker-shocked by their final bill. However, it's unclear what the jury’s decision will mean in practice.  For starters, the judge overseeing the case hasn't determined what remedies will be applied. The actions could go as far as requiring Live Nation to sell off Ticketmaster. There are also monetary damages to be awarded, which haven't been set yet. And whatever

  • PlayStation Plus April catalog adds include Horizon Remastered, Squirrel with a Gun and Frank Stone 3 hours ago by Jessica Conditt
    Video Games, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jessica Conditt

    For PlayStation Plus subscribers, April is going to be a little bit spooky, a tad sporty and extra squirrelly. PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium players will get access to The Crew Motorfest, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, Football Manager 26 Console, Warriors: Abyss, Squirrel with a Gun, The Casting of Frank Stone and Monster Train. Additionally,Wild Arms 4 will be exclusive to Premium libraries. Expect the full lineup to go live on April 21. The Crew Motorfest, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, Warriors: Abyss and Wild Arms 4 will hit PS4 and PS5 consoles, while the rest of the month's additions are PS5

  • There's yet another study about how bad AI is for our brains 4 hours ago by Lawrence Bonk
    Teaching & Learning, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Lawrence Bonk

    A group of researchers from across the US and the UK have conducted a study on what AI does to our brains and the results are, in a word, grim. These results were published in a paper called "AI assistance reduces persistence and hurts independent performance" which kind of tells you everything you need to know. “We find that AI assistance improves immediate performance, but it comes at a heavy cognitive cost,” the study declares. Researchers went on to state that just ten minutes of using AI made people dependent on the technology, which led to worsening performance and burnout once

  • Google unleashes a native Gemini app for the Mac 6 hours ago by Kris Holt
    Software, Mobile Apps, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Kris Holt

    Not content with stuffing Gemini into all of its own apps and services, Google wants you to adopt its AI assistant on desktops and laptops too. The company released a Gemini Windows app on Tuesday and it's following that up a day later with one for Macs. Google says the macOS Gemini app is a "native desktop experience" that you can access with a keyboard shortcut. By default, pressing option and space will open a mini chat, while a combo of option, shift and space will open the full Gemini chat experience. You'll be able to adjust these bindings in the


The Verge

  • YouTube now lets you turn off Shorts 34 minutes ago by Stevie Bonifield
    News, Social Media, Streaming, Tech, YouTube

    YouTube's time management settings now have an option to put a zero-minute time limit on Shorts, effectively removing them from your app in Android and iOS. The option is an update to the Shorts timer YouTube originally announced in October; the lowest previous option was 15 minutes. The feature was expanded in January to give parents some control over how long their kids spend scrolling through Shorts, with an option for zero minutes "coming soon." According to YouTube spokesperson Makenzie Spiller, the option to set the timer to zero is now "live for all parents, and is currently being rolled out

  • Ford’s EV and software chief Doug Field is leaving the company 3 hours ago by Andrew J. Hawkins
    Cars, Electric Cars, Ford, News, Transportation

    Ford is shaking things up as it relates to its EV and software teams. Doug Field, who left Apple five years ago to helm Ford's multibillion-dollar bet on electric vehicles and software, is stepping down next month. Getting a promotion will be Alan Clarke, the ex-Tesla engineer who now leads Ford's California-based skunkworks lab. Clarke's new title will be vice president of advanced development projects, and he will continue to helm the effort to develop Ford's Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) Platform. The shake-up comes less five months after Ford announced a massive $19.5 billion writedown on its EV investment, as well

  • Trump’s posting even more AI-generated Trump-Jesus fan art 3 hours ago by Tina Nguyen
    AI, Column, Policy, Politics, Regulator

    The version posted by @realdonaldtrump/Truth Social. Hello and welcome to Regulator, a newsletter for Verge subscribers about Big Tech power plays in Washington and beyond. (And when I say beyond, I mean the great beyond, like Heaven, maybe.) If you've found your way to this newsletter from the wild, annual subscriptions are currently 50 percent off. That's $30 a year for access to an entire newsroom full of reporting about technology and how it's eating society alive - not just in politics! (I will also accept confidential tips at tina.nguyen+tips@theverge.com.) YOU CAN'T SPELL "ANTICHRIST" WITHOUT "AI" Of all the things that would have fractured

  • Ticketmaster is an illegal monopoly, jury finds 4 hours ago by Lauren Feiner
    Antitrust, Entertainment, News, Policy, Politics

    Live Nation-Ticketmaster is an illegal monopolist, a Manhattan jury found, according to Bloomberg. The jury found the company liable on three counts: illegally monopolizing the market for live event ticketing, amphitheaters, and tying its concert promotions business with the use of its venues, Bloomberg reported. The verdict, reached after several days of deliberation, leaves the live entertainment giant open to a potential breakup - which was the stated goal of the lawsuit back when it was filed by the Biden administration's Department of Justice. Such an outcome would go far beyond the settlement that the Trump administration's DOJ reache … Read the

  • FTC pushes ad agencies into dropping brand safety rules 4 hours ago by Jay Peters
    News, Policy

    FTC seal. | Image: The Verge The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and a group of eight states have announced a proposed settlement with big ad agencies that will prevent them from working together to avoid certain platforms like X based on their political viewpoints. In a complaint, the FTC argues that ad agencies violated antitrust rules by agreeing to a common set of brand safety rules, which would disfavor sites and services deemed to contain content like misinformation. That includes establishing groups like the World Federation of Advertisers' now-defunct Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) to coordinate collective brand safety efforts. GARM was


Wired


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