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Tue, Apr 14, 2026, 4:33 PM EDT

Tech

AI Summary

  • Google is integrating AI-powered 'Skills' into Chrome, allowing users to save and automate favorite workflows, alongside expanding Gemini to India.
  • Waymo and Uber are advancing robotaxi services in San Francisco, with Waymo beginning testing and Uber launching a premium service, while Amazon is acquiring Globalstar to bolster its satellite business.
  • Anthropic is navigating both public policy and cybersecurity concerns, briefing the Trump administration on its AI 'Mythos' and developing new cybersecurity models in response to threats.
  • The tech industry is facing scrutiny over AI ethics and security, with OpenAI dealing with legal challenges and cybersecurity threats, and concerns arising about facial recognition on Meta's smart glasses.
  • Major tech companies are making strategic acquisitions and product announcements, including Instacart's purchase of Instaleap for international expansion, and Sony and Samsung unveiling new high-performance monitors.

TechCrunch


Hacker News


Engadget

  • What to expect from Google I/O 2026 42 minutes ago by Kris Holt
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Kris Holt

    We're sliding into developer conference season and one of the biggest events on the upcoming calendar is Google I/O. This year's edition is taking place on May 19 and 20. As usual, the in-person element will happen in Mountain View, California, though many of the keynotes and sessions will be livestreamed. Google will surely make its biggest announcements during the opening keynote, which will start at 1PM ET on May 19. A developer keynote will take place later the same day. As ever, the rumor mill will pick up speed in the leadup to Google I/O. We do have some ideas

  • League of Legends' new WASD control scheme will be enabled for ranked later this month an hour ago by Anna Washenko
    Sports & Recreation, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko

    Riot Games released a pile of updates for its long-running MOBA League of Legends. One of the more noteworthy changes coming to the game is the official launch of WASD controls. This alternate option, allowing players to traverse the rift by keyboard rather than by mouse, is rolling out to ranked matches in patch 26.9.  Riot first announced that it was pursuing support for WASD controls last August. The studio said it wanted to ensure that the alternate control scheme wasn't more powerful than point-and-click movement; Riot said it was targeting a low win-loss rate difference between the options before releasing

  • Microsoft raises prices on Surface PCs due to skyrocketing RAM costs 2 hours ago by Lawrence Bonk
    Computing, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Lawrence Bonk

    The RAMpocalypse continues. Microsoft just revealed significant price increases across the entire Surface line of products, according to reporting by Windows Central. The updated pricing has already hit the official Microsoft Store, with other retailers expected to follow suit in the near future. These are fairly significant upticks. For instance, the base model 15-inch Surface Laptop 7 now starts at $1,600. It cost $1,300 when the laptop was first released back in 2024. It did receive a price increase last year to $1,500, so today's increase tacks on another $100. The cost balloons even further when upgrading components, as a top-end Laptop

  • Chrome Skills let you save your favorite Gemini prompts for easy access 4 hours ago by Igor Bonifacic
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Igor Bonifacic

    Gemini in Chrome is about to get a small but handy upgrade. Starting today, Google is rolling out a feature it calls Skills to Chrome on desktop. Skills allow you to save your favorite Gemini in Chrome prompts for quick access, thereby making it easier and faster to repeat certain tasks. For instance, Google suggests you could use one saved prompt to get Gemini to calculate how much protein there could be in a new recipe you found online. Another Skill can make it easier to do a side-by-side spec comparison of a few different products you're looking at across

  • Sony Inzone's latest monitor boasts a blazing 720Hz panel for competitive gamers 4 hours ago by Sam Rutherford
    Technology & Electronics, Game Consoles, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Sam Rutherford

    Super fast gaming displays have grown in popularity recently following the release of several new models back at CES. Now Sony is hopping on that bandwagon with its latest display featuring a tandem OLED panel from LG that offers the choice of either 540Hz or 720Hz refresh rates.  That said, priced at $1,100, the new 24.5-inch Sony Inzone M10S II is only for the most dedicated and deep-pocketed gamers. In normal use, the monitor offers a 540Hz refresh rate at QHD (2,560 x 1,440). However, in competitive situations where that still might not be enough, the display can go even faster


The Verge

  • Dozens of 4K Blu-rays are included in Amazon’s three for $33 sale an hour ago by Cameron Faulkner
    Deals, Entertainment, Gadgets, Verge Shopping

    Amazon has switched on its semi-regular three for $33 sale for a large batch of 4K Blu-ray movies. As usual, there are too many to list individually, though it’s a comprehensive mix of old and new flicks that should keep physical media fans scrolling for a minute. The steps to get in on the deal are the same as ever: add three titles from the sale page to your cart, and each item will be price-adjusted at checkout for a total of $33. The deal also works if you add six eligible movies to your cart. These sales are always a

  • Prime Video is bundling Apple TV Plus and Peacock for a limited time 2 hours ago by Stevie Bonifield
    Amazon, Entertainment, News, Streaming, Tech

    Amazon is offering Prime Video subscribers a way to get Apple TV Plus and Peacock Premium Plus at a discount. With a new bundle, subscribers can access all content from both services directly through Prime Video. The bundle includes both streaming services for $19.99 per month, as opposed to the total $29.98 per month it costs to buy each subscription separately. An active Amazon Prime membership is required to sign up for the bundle, though, which costs an extra $14.99 per month, making this option a bit pricier if you don't already have Prime. A matching bundle is also available for

  • Privacy advocates want Google to stop handing consumer data over to ICE 2 hours ago by Gaby Del Valle
    News, Privacy, Tech

    The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is asking the attorneys general of California and New York to investigate Google for deceptive trade practices, saying the tech giant fails to notify users before handing over their data to law enforcement agencies like ICE. "For nearly a decade, Google has promised billions of users that it will notify them before disclosing their personal data to law enforcement," the letter says. But it didn't in the case of Amandla Thomas-Johnson, a former PhD candidate at Cornell University who says he received no notice that ICE had accessed his university email. The EFF alleges that this isn't

  • The attacks on Sam Altman are a warning for the AI world 3 hours ago by Lauren Feiner
    AI, OpenAI, Policy, Politics, Report

    Before allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's home, the 20-year-old accused attacker wrote about his fear that the AI race would cause humans to go extinct, the San Francisco Chronicle found. Two days later, Altman's home appeared to be targeted a second time, according to The San Francisco Standard. Only a week earlier, an Indianapolis councilman reported 13 shots fired at his door, with a note that read "No Data Centers," after he'd supported a rezoning petition for a data center developer. These unsettling incidents have set off alarms in and around the AI industry. There's long

  • Elon Musk grilled by senator over X Money plans 3 hours ago by Emma Roth
    Apps, Elon Musk, News, Policy, Politics, Tech

    Elon Musk is facing questions about his upcoming payments platform, X Money, and whether it will allow users to safely perform transactions. In a letter to Musk on Tuesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) writes that X Money could pose a risk to "consumers, our national security, and the stability of the financial system," citing Musk's "track record operating X." Musk said X Money will launch in early public access in April. Though Musk hasn't shared much about the platform, former X CEO Linda Yaccarino said last year that it will allow users to fund their X Wallet using Visa's Direct service,


Wired


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