Minimalist News

Simply the latest news, updated on the hour.

Tech

AI Summary

  • African defense startup Terra has successfully raised $11.75 million to regain control of defense capabilities within the continent, signaling increased investment interest in security technology in Africa.
  • Motional is gearing up to launch a fully autonomous robotaxi service in Las Vegas by 2026, relying heavily on AI advancements to enhance safety and operational efficiency in the transportation sector.
  • Wing plans to expand its drone delivery service to 150 additional Walmart locations by 2027, reflecting the growing demand for innovative logistics solutions in urban areas.
  • SpaceX has received FCC approval to deploy an additional 7,500 Starlink satellites, which will enhance its capabilities for global internet service and provide a competitive edge in the satellite communication market.
  • In the wake of various controversies around AI technologies, companies like Google are adjusting their AI-driven services, such as removing misleading medical overviews, amidst growing scrutiny from regulatory bodies.

Powered by OpenAI

TechCrunch


Hacker News


Engadget

  • The best laptop power banks for 2026 an hour ago by Amy Skorheim
    Computing, Technology & Electronics, Handheld & Connected Devices, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Amy Skorheim

    Laptop power banks come in handy if you often travel or work away from your desk. These larger batteries have enough capacity to refill your computer to around 75 percent, giving you many more productive hours. Of course, they can also charge smaller devices like your phone, camera or tablet a few times over. Nearly all portable laptop chargers fall below the 100-watt-hour mark so you can bring them in your carry-on when you fly. Additional features, like built-in cables and digital displays make these battery banks easier to use, too. We tested over a dozen options and put our

  • Google's new commerce framework cranks up the heat on 'agentic shopping' 14 hours ago by Jackson Chen
    Internet & Networking Technology, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen

    To further push the limits of consumerism, Google has launched a new open standard for agentic commerce that's called Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP). In brief, it's a framework that combines the power of AI agents and online shopping platforms to help customers buy more things. Thanks to the introduction of UCP, Google is offering three new online shopping features. To start, Google's AI mode will have a new checkout feature that allows customers to buy eligible products from certain US retailers within Google Search. Currently, this feature works with Google Pay, but it will soon add PayPal compatibility and incorporate more

  • California's governor plans to set aside $200 million for state EV tax credits 15 hours ago by Jackson Chen
    State Budget & Tax, Budget, Tax & Economy, Politics & Government, Government, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen

    The loss of the federal EV tax credits may have been a huge blow to prospective buyers, but California wants to fill that gap for its residents. Governor Gavin Newsom's proposed budget for 2026-2027, which was released on Friday, includes a "light-duty zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) incentive program" that details a one-time infusion of $200 million. According to the budget summary, this incentive program is "a critical part of the Administration's strategy to keep ZEVs affordable and accessible for all." The proposed budget still has to make it through the state's legislature later this year, but if passed, the new incentive would

  • Wing's drone deliveries are coming to 150 more Walmarts 17 hours ago by Jackson Chen
    Business, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen

    Don't be surprised if you see even more drones delivering groceries across the US since the Alphabet-owned Wing announced another service expansion with Walmart over the next year. The partnership said that drone delivery services will be available at 150 more Walmart locations in Los Angeles, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Miami and more metros that have yet to be announced. According to Wing, its top 25 percent of customers have ordered its delivery drones up to three times a week. To meet growing demand, Wing and Walmart said it will serve up to 40 million US customers and build up a network

  • Instagram says accounts 'are secure' after wave of suspicious password reset requests 19 hours ago by Jackson Chen
    Internet & Networking Technology, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen

    If you received a bunch of password reset requests from Instagram recently, you're not alone. Malwarebytes, an antivirus software company, initially reported that there was a data breach revealing the "sensitive information" of 17.5 million Instagram users. Malwarebytes added that the leak included Instagram usernames, physical addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and more. However, Instagram said there was no breach and that user accounts were "secure." > We fixed an issue that let an external party request password reset emails for some people. There was no breach of our systems and your Instagram accounts are secure. > > You can ignore those


The Verge

  • Trump’s fundraisers asked Microsoft for its White House ballroom donation an hour ago by Emma Roth
    Amazon, Apple, Comcast, Microsoft, News, Policy, Politics, Tech

    The Trump administration approached Microsoft for its donation to fund the White House's $300 million ballroom, documents released by Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (D-MA) office reveal. In response to a Democrat-led letter questioning Big Tech's involvement in the ballroom's construction, Microsoft counsel Karen Christian writes that the company "was contacted by a fundraiser for the effort regarding a possible donation" around two months after President Donald Trump announced plans to replace the White House's East Wing with a privately funded ballroom. "At that time, Microsoft was provided information concerning the Trust for the National Mal … Read the full story at The Verge.

  • You need to listen to Billy Woods’ horrorcore masterpiece for the A24 crowd 12 hours ago by Terrence O’Brien
    Column, Entertainment, Music, Music Review

    Billy Woods has one of the highest batting averages in the game. Between his solo records like Hiding Places and Maps, and his collaborative albums with Elucid as Armand Hammer, the man has multiple stone-cold classics under his belt. And, while no one would ever claim that Woods' albums were light-hearted fare (these are not party records), Golliwog represents his darkest to date. This is not your typical horrorcore record. Others, like Geto Boys, Gravediggaz, and Insane Clown Posse, reach for slasher aesthetics and shock tactics. But what Billy Woods has crafted is more A24 than Blumhouse. Sure, the first track is

  • Google pulls AI overviews for some medical searches 16 hours ago by Terrence O’Brien
    AI, Google, Health, News, Science, Tech

    Earlier this month, The Guardian published an investigation that showed Google was serving up misleading and outright false information via its AI overviews in response to certain medical inquiries. Now those results appear to have been removed. According to the original report: > In one case that experts described as "really dangerous", Google wrongly advised people with pancreatic cancer to avoid high-fat foods. Experts said this was the exact opposite of what should be recommended, and may increase the risk of patients dying from the disease. > > In another "alarming" example, the company provided bogus information about crucial liver func … Read

  • Here are over 20 gadgets that’ll help you achieve your New Year’s resolutions 16 hours ago by Sheena Vasani
    Gadgets, Tech, Verge Shopping

    It happens every year: we set ambitious New Year's resolutions - work out more, spend less, keep the house cleaner - full of optimism and motivation. Then life happens, and suddenly it's June and you can't recall what your resolutions even were. But it doesn't have to be that way. Sometimes the problem isn't a lack of motivation but rather a lack of tools, the kind that can make those goals feel more manageable and easier to achieve. After all, the right gear can help turn good intentions into habits that actually last. Below, we've rounded up a few of our favorite

  • Instagram says it fixed the issue that let someone send all those password reset emails 18 hours ago by Terrence O’Brien
    News, Security, Social Media, Tech

    If you're one of the many, many people who received a password reset email from Instagram the other day, the company says it fixed the issue. What was the issue? Unclear. We reached out to Meta for clarification and have yet to receive a response. All we know is that an "external party" triggered the emails, and Instagram says you can safely ignore them. The company posted on X that the issue had been fixed and also claimed there was no breach of its systems. This seemingly contradicts reports from Malwarebytes, which said that information on 17.5 million Instagram accounts, including


Wired


Looking for more? Search Google News