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Thu, Mar 12, 2026, 5:21 AM EDT

Tech

AI Summary

  • AI advancements continue to dominate headlines, with breakthroughs in large language models like BitNet, advancements in AI agent platforms by NVIDIA and Google (Gemini), and significant funding rounds for AI science startups.
  • The autonomous vehicle sector is seeing global expansion, with Nuro testing its technology in Tokyo, signaling progress in self-driving capabilities in diverse urban environments.
  • The gaming industry is experiencing significant changes, including Google Play's new features for game discovery and trials, Valve's evolving stance on loot boxes, and the upcoming launch of Microsoft's 'Xbox Mode' for PCs.
  • Concerns regarding AI ethics and copyright infringement are escalating, with Grammarly facing lawsuits for AI-generated content and OpenAI being sued for copyright infringement, alongside discussions on regulating AI-generated content.
  • Major tech companies are bolstering their offerings through acquisitions and new product launches, with Zendesk acquiring Forethought and Google Play enhancing its platform, while Apple's MacBook Neo receives positive reviews for its value.

TechCrunch


Hacker News


Engadget

  • NVIDIA- and Uber-backed Nuro is testing autonomous vehicles in Tokyo an hour ago by Steve Dent
    Autos, Transportation, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Steve Dent

    US self-driving startup Nuro, which is backed by the likes of NVIDIA, Toyota and Uber, has started testing its autonomous vehicles on Tokyo's challenging streets, Bloomberg reported. The company, which plans to launch a robotaxi service with Uber and Lucid in San Francisco this year, will be testing a "handful" of vehicles in the city. Human safety drivers will be at the wheel, as is required by Japanese law.  Tokyo presents a challenge for autonomous vehicles, given its narrow, crowded streets and left side of the road driving. "Testing the capability of the autonomy system in such an interesting market with

  • Google Play will let you try a game before you buy it 4 hours ago by Mariella Moon
    Video Games, Sports & Recreation, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Mariella Moon

    Google Play has introduced a new feature called Game Trials, which will let you play a portion of paid games for free before you commit to buying them. It’s now rolling out to select paid games on mobile, and it’s coming soon to Google Play Games on PC. Titles that offer Game Trials will show a button marked “Try” on their profile pages. When you click it, you’ll see how long you can play the game before you have to buy it. In Google’s example, the survival and horror game Dredge will give you 60 minutes of free play time,

  • I guess this wasn't an Xbox after all 11 hours ago by Anna Washenko
    Technology & Electronics, Game Consoles, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko

    In 2024, Microsoft caused a lot of head-scratching and general bemusement with the launch of its "This is an Xbox" marketing campaign. Now, though, it appears the quandary over what is and isn't an Xbox has been resolved. Game Developer noticed that the original blog post on Xbox Wire that kicked off the whole affair has been removed. It seems Xbox will be going a new direction with its future promotions. Maybe since the new Project Helix hardware it has in the works is more definite attempt to blur console and PC gaming, "This is an Xbox" might have been truly confusing

  • Grammarly has disabled its tool offering generative-AI feedback credited to real writers 12 hours ago by Anna Washenko
    Social & Online Media, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko

    Superhuman has taken its writing assistant Grammarly on quite the merry-go-round ride regarding its approach to AI tools. In August, the company launched a feature called Expert Review that would offer feedback on your writing, offering AI-generated feedback that would appear to come from a famous writer or academic of note. These recreations were based on "publicly available information from third-party LLMs," which sounds a lot like web crawlers of dubious legality were involved.  The suggested experts would be based on the subject matter and could be anyone from great scientific minds to bestselling fiction authors to your friendly neighborhood tech

  • iPhone Fold rumors: Everything we know right now, including the leaked design, upgrades, price and more 12 hours ago by Georgie Peru,Ian Carlos Campbell
    Technology & Electronics, Handheld & Connected Devices, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Georgie Peru

    Apple still hasn’t confirmed a foldable iPhone, and the company’s latest round of product announcements didn’t change that. Apple launched several new devices last week, but there was still no mention of a folding iPhone. Even so, the steady stream of leaks and analyst reports hasn’t slowed. Over the past few months, supply-chain sources and leakers have continued to sketch out Apple’s possible plans, with most signs still pointing to a launch in the second half of 2026. As with any unannounced Apple hardware, plenty could shift before anything ships. Features can be revised, timelines can move and some ideas may


The Verge

  • One of Grammarly’s ‘experts’ is suing the company over its identity-stealing AI feature 11 hours ago by Stevie Bonifield
    AI, News, Tech

    Journalist Julia Angwin is one of the writers whose likeness was used in Grammarly’s “expert review” feature. | Photo: Eóin Noonan / Sportsfile via Getty Images For months, Grammarly has been using the identities of real people (including us) for its "Expert Review" AI suggestions without getting their permission, and now it's facing a lawsuit from one of the journalists included, as previously reported by Wired. The class-action complaint filed by journalist Julia Angwin on Wednesday alleges that Superhuman violated the "experts'" privacy and publicity rights by breaking laws against using someone's identity for commercial purposes without their consent. Angwin says she

  • iPhone Fold rumor: iPad-like multitasking, but no iPad apps and no Face ID 11 hours ago by Emma Roth
    Apple, Apple Rumors, iOS, iPhone, News, Tech

    The folding iPhone might come with an inner display the size of an iPad Mini, according to Bloomberg. Apple's rumored foldable iPhone will come with an iPad-style interface that will allow users to view apps side-by-side, according to a report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman also reports that the outer display will be around the size of a small iPhone. The inner display will reportedly come with a wider aspect ratio, similar to Google's first-generation Pixel Fold, but not foldable flagships currently on the market, like the Pixel Fold 10 or Galaxy Z Fold 7. Though the updated layout could make multitasking

  • Some of the best horror games ever made are included in Humble’s latest $15 bundle 12 hours ago by Cameron Faulkner
    Deals, Gadgets, Gaming, PC Gaming, Verge Shopping

    Humble has teamed up with Frictional Games for a new bundle of PC games that pushed the horror genre forward. The bundle includes the Penumbra Collectors Pack, all four Amnesia titles (The Dark Descent, A Machine for Pigs, The Bunker, and Rebirth), and Soma, which I consider to be its opus in terms of visual aesthetics. All six games are $15 each and redeemable on Steam (buying the same set on Steam would currently cost you $78). Some of the titles work on Mac and Linux, too, and all are at least playable on the Steam Deck. FRICTIONAL GAMES BUNDLE WHERE TO

  • Valve says it will fight New York’s loot box lawsuit 12 hours ago by Emma Roth
    Entertainment, Gaming, News, PC Gaming, Policy

    Valve wants players to know that it plans on fighting New York Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit, which last month accused the company of promoting "illegal gambling" through its in-game loot boxes. In an email sent to Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and Team Fortress 2 players in New York, Valve says it's "disappointed" in the lawsuit's claims, arguing that mystery boxes are "widely used" across other games and also exist in the physical world with baseball cards, Pokémon, and Labubu. Since 2023, Valve says it has worked with the AGs to explain how its virtual items and mystery boxes work. It

  • The Live Nation settlement has industry insiders baffled 14 hours ago by Lauren Feiner
    Antitrust, Entertainment, Policy, Report

    Instead of moving forward with a jury trial against Live Nation-Ticketmaster as expected, the Justice Department announced a settlement Monday that omitted what used to be on the top of its wish list: a breakup. What the DOJ did get was a series of concessions that some industry stakeholders found unsatisfying and even baffling. There are a few bright spots, those who spoke to The Verge said: a 15 percent cap on Ticketmaster service fees at Live Nation-owned or operated amphitheaters, for instance, and a pledge to give artists more transparency on their own ticket sales. But they remained unconvinced the


Wired


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