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Fri, Apr 24, 2026, 1:33 AM EDT

Tech

AI Summary

  • Meta is reportedly planning significant layoffs, cutting approximately 10% of its workforce, impacting around 8,000 employees, and revamping its cross-app management system.
  • OpenAI has unveiled GPT-5.5, signaling a continued push towards developing a comprehensive AI 'super app', while Anthropic is investigating unauthorized access to its Mythos cybersecurity tool.
  • The tech industry is grappling with security and regulatory challenges, including a data breach at Vercel, a compromise of the Bitwarden CLI, and French and French government agencies confirming data breaches.
  • Authorities have arrested a US special forces soldier for allegedly profiting over $400,000 on Polymarket bets related to a Maduro operation, highlighting concerns in prediction markets.
  • Several countries are considering or implementing bans on social media for children, and Meta plans to provide parents visibility into their teens' AI conversations, reflecting growing concerns about child online safety.

TechCrunch


Hacker News


Engadget

  • US soldier arrested for allegedly making over $400,000 on Polymarket with classified Maduro information 4 hours ago by Mariella Moon
    Society & Culture, Crime & Justice, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Mariella Moon

    United States soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke has been arrested and charged for placing bets on prediction marketplace Polymarket using classified information he had access to related to the capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The US Army Special Forces master sergeant, who was directly involved with the planning and execution of the operation, allegedly made $409,881 in profits. According to the Department of Justice, Van Dyke created a Polymarket account around December 26, 2025 and made 13 bets related to Maduro from December 27 to January 2. He took the “Yes” position on several Polymarket wagers, including “US Forces

  • Claude can now connect to lifestyle apps like Spotify, Instacart and AllTrails 7 hours ago by Anna Washenko
    Mobile Apps, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko

    Anthropic is expanding its directory of connected services for its Claude AI chatbot. The platform can now link up with your accounts on AllTrails, Audible, Booking.com, Instacart, Intuit Credit Karma, Intuit TurboTax, Resy, Spotify, StubHub, Taskrabbit, Thumbtack, TripAdvisor, Uber, Uber Eats and Viator. Additional services will be added in the future. More and more AI companies are trying to up their third-party integrations in a pitch to make their services as useful as possible. The benefit of having multiple apps connected means that a chatbot can theoretically execute more complicated tasks on your behalf. This expansion takes that capability from the professional

  • Microsoft is reportedly offering voluntary buyouts to up to 7 percent of its employees 10 hours ago by Ian Carlos Campbell
    Internet & Networking Technology, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Ian Carlos Campbell

    Microsoft is planning to get rid of more US employees via its first voluntary buyout program, CNBC reports. The buyout program will reportedly be offered to US employees at "the senior director level and below whose years of employment and age add up to 70 or higher," and could cover up to 7 percent of the company's US workforce.  With around 125,000 employees in the US as of June 2025, that could mean up to 8,750 will be offered a paid exit when Microsoft begins its program in May. That's a smaller figure than the 15,000 or so employees the company

  • Meta is downsizing by about 10 percent 11 hours ago by Anna Washenko
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko

    Meta is making another steep cut to its staff, this time to the tune of a 10 percent reduction in its workforce. About 8,000 people will be laid off and about 6,000 open jobs will also be eliminated, according to Bloomberg. In an internal memo from Janelle Gale, Meta's head of human resources, the latest cuts are "part of our continued effort to run the company more efficiently and to allow us to offset the other investments we’re making." Those "other investments" are likely in artificial intelligence. Meta is building its own models and apparently training them on its own staff.

  • Titanium Court mashes together genres and cultural references to tell a strange, funny tale 11 hours ago by Kris Holt
    Video Games, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Kris Holt

    I would love to tell you everything about my favorite game of the year so far. But that would be doing a great disservice to Titanium Court. I'm not even sure I could explain it all, anyway. Titanium Court is a run-based game with elements of permanent progression, so it's technically a roguelite. However, you cannot really break Titanium Court like you can with Balatro. There are multiple ways to win a run, but you have to play by the rules. Gradually learning what those are — and how the game suddenly changes them — is a big part of what


The Verge

  • US arrests soldier who allegedly made $400K on Maduro Polymarket bets 7 hours ago by Richard Lawler
    News, Policy, Politics

    Nicolas Maduro is seen in handcuffs after landing at a Manhattan helipad on January 5, 2026 in New York City. We knew someone made over $400,000 on suspicious Polymarket bets around the US operation to capture Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, but now we have a name: Gannon Ken Van Dyke. The US Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced Thursday that Van Dyke is in custody, on several charges, including using confidential government information for personal gain. As described in the indictment, prosecutors allege Van Dyke was directly involved in the planning and execution of "Operation Absolute Resolve" to capture

  • Leak reveals new Xbox Game Pass ‘Starter Edition’ that’s part of Discord Nitro 8 hours ago by Tom Warren
    Gaming, Microsoft, News, Tech, Xbox

    Microsoft started teasing a mysterious Discord and Xbox Game Pass partnership yesterday, and a new leak appears to have detailed exactly what's coming. Discord Previews has uncovered a new Xbox Game Pass "Starter Edition" that is bundled with Discord Nitro. The Starter Edition reportedly includes "access to over 50 games from the Game Pass library," as well as 10 hours a month of Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming and the ability to earn Xbox Rewards points while playing games. It's not clear which games will be part of the more than 50 titles available, but the leaked images suggest that Stardew Valley,

  • Claude is connecting directly to your personal apps like Spotify, Uber Eats, and TurboTax 8 hours ago by Stevie Bonifield
    AI, Anthropic, News, Tech

    Claude users can access more apps with Anthropic's AI now thanks to new connectors for everything from hiking to grocery shopping. Anthropic already supported connecting numerous work-related apps to Claude, like Microsoft apps, but this expansion focuses on personal apps like Audible, Spotify, Uber, AllTrails, TripAdvisor, Instacart, TurboTax, and others. Some of these apps, such as Spotify, already have similar connectors in OpenAI's ChatGPT. Once an app is connected, Claude will suggest relevant connected apps directly in your conversations, like using AllTrails for hike recommendations. Anthropic notes in its blog post announcing the n … Read the full story at The Verge.

  • Brendan Carr’s war on wokeness targets inclusive children’s television 9 hours ago by Charles Pulliam-Moore
    Entertainment, Film, News, Policy, TV Shows

    Under the guidance of consummate bully / chairman Brendan Carr, the FCC is taking steps towards cracking down on children's entertainment that in any way explores the complexities of gender identity. On Wednesday, the FCC's Media Bureau announced that it is soliciting comments from the public about whether the TV ratings system has made sound decisions regarding children's programming with transgender or non-binary characters. In a statement about the commenting period the FCC said that it was soliciting feedback due to an alleged uptick in "significant concerns" about whether "controversial gender identity issues are being included or prom … Read the full

  • Sonos’ big sale on refurbished speakers is about to end 10 hours ago by Cameron Faulkner
    Deals, Gadgets, Verge Shopping

    The green model of the Move 2 shown here is sold out at Sonos’ refurbished site, but the black or white models are up for grabs. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Portable audio and home theater upgrades can be very pricey, which is why we make a habit out of telling readers when there are good deals happening. With that in mind, here’s a friendly reminder that a heap of refurbished Sonos gear is steeply discounted, and will be until the company’s sale ends April 24th. It’s an opportunity to get refurbished tech that is delivered in like-new condition,


Wired


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