Minimalist News

Simply the latest news, updated on the hour.

Tech

AI Summary

  • Netflix is making waves in Hollywood with its recent announcement to acquire Warner Bros. for $82.7 billion, potentially reshaping the industry and raising concerns over its impact on theatrical filmmaking.
  • X has taken measures against the European Commission by deactivating its ad account following a significant €120 million fine related to transparency violations, demonstrating tensions between regulatory bodies and tech platforms.
  • Waymo is facing scrutiny over its robotaxi services, issuing a software recall attributed to issues like failing to stop for school buses, as federal regulators continue to investigate its autonomous vehicle practices.
  • Coinbase is preparing to re-enter the Indian market by onboarding users again and plans to establish a fiat on-ramp next year, signaling renewed interest in the burgeoning cryptocurrency sector in the region.
  • Meta is delaying the release of its highly anticipated mixed reality glasses until 2027, which reflects ongoing challenges in bringing new hardware to market amidst competitive pressures and internal strategy shifts.

Powered by OpenAI

TechCrunch

  • Netflix co-CEO discussed Warner Bros. deal with Trump 3 hours ago by Anthony Ha
    Government & Policy, Media & Entertainment, David Zaslav, Donald Trump, Netflix, ted sarandos, Warner Bros

    Will Netflix’s $82.7 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros. get approval from federal regulators? While Paramount was assumed to be the frontrunner to acquire the storied movie studio thanks to CEO David Ellison’s connections to the Trump administration, new reporting in Bloomberg and The Hollywood Reporter suggests that Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos met with President […]

  • X deactivates European Commission’s ad account after the company was fined €120M 12 hours ago by Anthony Ha
    Government & Policy, Social, Elon Musk, european commission, X, Nikita Bier

    X has seemingly penalized the European Commission's account after the commission fined the company over blue checkmarks and ad transparency.

  • The accelerator is on the floor for autonomous vehicles 14 hours ago by Kirsten Korosec
    Transportation, Amazon, nvidia, Tesla, Uber, Lucid Motors, Waymo, wayve, techcrunch mobility, avride

    Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation.

  • Coinbase starts onboarding users again in India, plans for fiat on-ramp next year 15 hours ago by Ivan Mehta
    TC, Crypto, Fintech, India, cryptocurrency, Coinbae

    Coinbase is exploring expansion into India with a staggered relaunch and hiring for different roles.

  • OpenAI says it’s turned off app suggestions that look like ads 16 hours ago by Anthony Ha
    Startups, AI, OpenAI

    While OpenAI continues to insist that there are currently no ads — or tests for advertising — live in ChatGPT, the company’s chief research officer also acknowledged that the company “fell short” with recent promotional messages.


Hacker News


Engadget

  • Apple's AirPods Pro 3 drop to $230 on Amazon 9 hours ago by Cheyenne MacDonald
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Cheyenne MacDonald

    If you haven't yet upgraded to Apple's AirPods Pro 3, you can pick up the company's latest model at a discount through a deal on Amazon right now. The AirPods Pro 3, which came out in September, are currently $20 off, bringing their price down to $230. With the new AirPods Pro, Apple made some big improvements, including better battery life and sound quality, and introduced useful new features, such as Live Translation. The AirPods Pro 3 are the best AirPods available today, with Apple's H2 chip, and earned a score of 90 out of 100 in Engadget's review this fall.

  • The Lord of the Rings trilogy returns to theaters in January for 25th anniversary 11 hours ago by Jackson Chen
    Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen

    One does not simply spend more than 11 hours watching The Lord of the Rings trilogy in a single weekend at home when the opportunity to do so in theaters arises. As The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring turns 25, Fathom Entertainment and Warner Bros. announced theatrical screenings of the Peter Jackson trilogy in their extended editions, according to an exclusive report from Variety. The re-releases will be available in DBOX presentations from January 16 to 19, complete with movements and vibrations to make you feel like you're making the journey to Mordor with Frodo and his

  • OpenAI’s head of ChatGPT says posts appearing to show in-app ads are ‘not real or not ads’ 12 hours ago by Jackson Chen
    Software, Media, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen

    Those might not exactly be ads you're seeing on ChatGPT, at least according to OpenAI. Nick Turley, OpenAI's head of ChatGPT, clarified the confusion around potential ads appearing with the AI chatbot. In a post on X, Turley said "there are no live tests for ads" and that "any screenshots you've seen are either not real or not ads." The OpenAI exec's explanation comes after another post from former xAI employee Benjamin De Kraker on X that has gained traction, which featured a screenshot showing an option to shop at Target within a ChatGPT conversation. OpenAI's Daniel McAuley responded to the

  • X shuts down the European Commission’s ad account the day after major fine 13 hours ago by Jackson Chen
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen

    Just a day after receiving a roughly $140 million fine, X has terminated the ad account of the European Commission. Nikita Bier, X's head of product, accused the European Commission of using an exploit to artificially boost the reach of its post announcing the major fine. In the post, Bier said that the commission "logged into [their] dormant ad account to take advantage of an exploit in our Ad Composer" and posted "a link that deceives users into thinking it’s a video and to artificially increase its reach." Bier explained in a separate post that the exploit has "never been abused

  • Missing NBC on Fubo? Here's how to watch Sunday Night Football this week and more 17 hours ago by Danica Creahan,Liz Kocan
    Media, Arts & Entertainment, Television, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Danica Creahan

    If you're a Fubo subscriber, you've certainly noticed that NBC and all NBCUniversal-owned channels have gone dark on the platform. For over a week, customers have gone without NBC programming like the Today Show and The Voice, and for the second week in a row, customers will have to find alternate methods of watching this week's Sunday Night Football game, too. It's all because Fubo and NBCUniversal are having a contract dispute, so channels like NBC, USA Network, Telemundo, and Bravo have been unavailable on Fubo since Nov. 21, and as of now, there's no projected date for their return.  A


The Verge

  • You need to watch the modern horror masterpiece, His House 5 hours ago by Terrence O’Brien
    Column, Entertainment, Film

    There's an argument to be made that "the real monster is trauma" has become an overused trope in modern horror. Hereditary, The Babadook, and, much less effectively, Smile, are just a few higher-profile examples. But, if you ask me, few films have deployed this trope quite as effectively as the 2020 film His House. The film follows Bol and Rial, refugees from South Sudan, played by Sope Dirisu and Wunmi Mosaku. Both deliver the kind of incredible performances that you rarely see in a genre film like this. It's part of what elevates His House above the standard "haunted by trauma"

  • Netflix CEO made a visit to the White House before buying Warner Bros. 8 hours ago by Terrence O’Brien
    Entertainment, Netflix, News, Streaming

    In November, Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s co-CEO made a trip to the White House for a lengthy meeting with Donald Trump. According to Bloomberg, the two discussed a number of topics, but chief among them was Netflix’s plan to bid on Warner Bros. At the end of their conversation, Sardonos felt that “Netflix wouldn’t face immediate opposition from the White House.” This week, Netflix successfully won the bidding war for Warner, offering $82.7 billion. It’s well known that Paramount and its CEO David Ellison were eager to acquire the storied studio and its streaming assets. Ellison and his father, Larry Ellison, have

  • X cuts off the European Commission’s ad account after being fined €120 million 10 hours ago by Terrence O’Brien
    News, Policy, Politics, Tech, Twitter - X

    Friday, the EU slapped X with a €120 million fine (about $140 million) for violating the Digital Services Act (DSA). It was the first time that a company had been hit with a penalty for running afoul of the law. Elon Musk responded with his trademark tact and professionalism by posting “Bullshit” on X in response to the announcement from the European Commission. But that wasn’t the end, because just a day later Nikita Bier, X’s head of product, accused the Commission of abusing an exploit to boost the reach of the announcement and responded by shutting down its ad

  • A very human vision for going all-in on AI 16 hours ago by David Pierce
    AI, Podcasts, Vergecast

    It's easy to think about AI as a sort of existential battle between human and machine. Maybe it will be, someday, in a Skynet sort of way. But there are also lots of people trying to figure out how to use AI not as a replacement for human creativity and thinking but as a tool meant to augment those things. Sari Azout is one of those people. She's the founder of Sublime, a platform dedicated to curation, creativity, and ideas. Sublime is all about taste, which makes it slightly surprising that there's a huge amount of AI powering the way it

  • What Google Glass got right — and really, really wrong 17 hours ago by David Pierce
    Gadgets, Google, Podcasts, Tech, Version History

    Google didn't invent the concept of smart glasses, but it did help make them mainstream. In retrospect, 13 years after their launch, this is both a good and bad thing. Glass made a lot of people dream about new ways to use computers without staring down at screens all day. Glass also made a lot of people realize just how bad it might feel to have a world full of face computers. Which is more predictive: Glass, or Glassholes? And can you even have one without the other? For this episode of Version History, we go back in time and tell


Wired


Looking for more? Search Google News