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Tech

AI Summary

  • AI continues its rapid integration across consumer products and services, from Apple's CarPlay chatbot support to Meta's AI-generated content apps, alongside significant investments in advanced AI hardware and agentic AI development.
  • Governments globally are increasing regulatory scrutiny on the tech industry, addressing issues like anti-competitive practices in streaming, "addictive design" in social media, and environmental concerns over data center expansion, with some states proposing development pauses.
  • The mobility sector is seeing new EV developments, such as Ford's affordable electric truck, but the long-term profitability and regulatory hurdles for robotaxi services remain significant challenges.
  • Major tech players are actively reshaping the industry through strategic acquisitions, new product launches, and consolidations of power, exemplified by Elon Musk's merged AI and space ventures and Reddit seeking M&A opportunities.
  • Investment in deep tech and AI startups remains strong, attracting substantial venture capital, while public and policy debates around tech wealth, taxation, and the broader societal impact of these advancements are intensifying.

TechCrunch


Hacker News


Engadget

  • How to stream the 2026 Super Bowl for free tonight: Patriots vs. Seahawks time, where to watch Super Bowl LX, start time, halftime show and more 26 minutes ago by Danica Creahan
    American Football, Sports & Recreation, National Football League, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Danica Creahan

    The 2026 Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks will air on NBC today, Feb. 8, at 6:30PM ET/3:30PM PT. The Big Game will also stream live on Peacock. If you no longer subscribe to cable, don't have access to NBC over the air and aren't currently signed up for Peacock, there are still ways to watch Super Bowl LX — and Bad Bunny's history-making Super Bowl halftime show — for free. Here's how to tune in.  HOW TO WATCH SUPER BOWL LX FREE: Date: Sunday, Feb. 8 Time: 6:30 p.m. ET Location: Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. TV channel:

  • The iPhone 17e will reportedly bring some key upgrades without raising the price an hour ago by Jackson Chen
    Smart Phones, Technology & Electronics, Handheld & Connected Devices, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen

    Apple is keeping the entry level for iPhones at $599, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest Power On report, Gurman said that the iPhone 17e is "due imminently" and will keep the same price as its predecessor. Considering we’re about a year away from the iPhone 16e’s announcement, we’re due for a successor to Apple’s more affordable smartphone. According to Gurman, Apple upgraded the new budget-friendly iPhone with MagSafe charging and the A19 chip that's seen in the iPhone 17 base model. The iPhone 17e will also get Apple's latest in-house cellular and wireless chips, Gurman reported.  In our review

  • New York lawmakers introduce bill that aims to halt data center development for three years 20 hours ago by Cheyenne MacDonald
    Politics & Government, Government, Nature & Environment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Cheyenne MacDonald

    On Friday, New York State Senators Liz Krueger and Kristen Gonzales introduced a bill that would stop the issuance of permits for new data centers for at least three years and ninety days to give time for impact assessments and to update regulations. The bill would require the Department of Environmental Conservation and Public Service Commissions to issue impact statements and reports during the pause, along with any new orders or regulations that they deem necessary to minimize data centers' impacts on the environment and consumers in New York. The bill would require these departments to study data centers' water, electricity

  • DOJ is investigating if Netflix used anticompetitive tactics as part of its merger probe a day ago by Jackson Chen
    Internet & Networking Technology, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen

    Netflix's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery isn't quite a done deal yet. As first reported by The Wall Street Journal, the US Department of Justice has started its probe of Netflix's proposed purchase, but is notably interested in whether the streaming giant was involved in any anticompetitive practices. According to the civil subpoena seen by WSJ, the Justice Department is looking into any "exclusionary conduct on the part of Netflix that would reasonably appear capable of entrenching market or monopoly power." While Netflix announced plans to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in December at a value of $82.7 billion, the deal was

  • The State Department is scrubbing its X accounts of all posts from before Trump's second term a day ago by Cheyenne MacDonald
    Politics & Government, Government, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Cheyenne MacDonald

    The State Department is wiping the post history of its X accounts and making it so you'll have to file a Freedom of Information Act request if you want to access any of the content it removed, according to NPR. The publication reports that the State Department is removing all posts from before President Trump's current term — a move that affects several accounts associated with the department, including those for US embassies, and posts from the Biden and Obama administrations. Posts from Trump's first term will be taken down too.  Unlike how past administrations have handled the removal of social


The Verge

  • You need to listen to the new Mandy, Indiana record: URGH an hour ago by Terrence O’Brien
    Column, Entertainment, Music, Music Review

    Often, I focus on recommending older media that isn't currently getting a ton of attention. But this week, I can't stop listening to the new Mandy, Indiana album long enough to even think about anything else. It's early still, obviously, but URGH is my favorite release of 2026 so far. The band that I fell in love with on I've Seen a Way has found an entirely new gear. Frontwoman Valentine Caulfield is even more uncompromising. Most of the lyrics are in French, but even if you don't know what she's saying, you can feel the contempt. On "Magazine" she's spitting

  • The iPhone 17e could launch soon with MagSafe and an A19 chip 3 hours ago by Terrence O’Brien
    Apple, Apple Rumors, iPad, iPhone, News, Tech

    Close up of the hands of a person setting up a brand new iPhone 16e. (Photo by: Nano Calvo/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) | Photo by: Nano Calvo/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Almost exactly one year after launching the iPhone 16e, Apple is preparing to launch the 17e, according to Mark Gurman. The iPhone 17e will feature an upgraded A19 chip from the iPhone 17 lineup, plus MagSafe charging, and move Apple's in-house cellular chips. Just as importantly, the company apparently plans to keep the price at $599, despite soaring RAM and storage prices. Gurman says Apple is

  • How I Built the Star Trek control panel of my dreams 4 hours ago by Ursa Wright
    Entertainment, Smart Home, Star Trek, Tech, TV Shows

    Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) using the LCARS in Star Trek: The Next Generation. | Image: CBS via Getty Images One of my pandemic hobbies that stuck was home automation. I discovered Home Assistant - the popular open source, extremely customizable home automation platform - and all the intricate things you can do with it to make your home work better. I have ADHD and have found Home Assistant to be a valuable tool for managing executive dysfunction. I use it for audible calendar reminders, laundry reminders, timers, and monitoring my doorbell camera and my nanny cam for my dog. Its also

  • GuliKit’s tiny USB dongle lets you connect your PS5 controller to your Switch 2 4 hours ago by Cameron Faulkner
    Gadgets, Hands-on, Reviews, Tech, Verge Shopping

    Dongles have a well-earned reputation for being a nuisance. They're often costly and annoying to deal with, but for gamers, there's one that I love to recommend that's neither. 8BitDo's $20 USB Adapter 2 lets you wirelessly link controllers to the Switch 2 that would otherwise be unsupported, like the Sony DualSense (complete with rumble and motion controls), Microsoft's latest Xbox gamepads, and more. You can plug it into the Switch 2's dock or use a USB-A-to-USB-C adapter to connect it directly to the console. It's great to save money, since I can simply use a controller that I already own

  • Section 230 turns 30 as it faces its biggest tests yet 5 hours ago by Lauren Feiner
    Policy, Politics, Report, Speech

    Thirty years ago today, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a bill credited with creating the groundwork for the modern internet, became law and set off a chain of events that would make it a lightning rod for the techlash. The statute has survived everything from the dot-com bubble to a Supreme Court challenge that struck down the surrounding text in the CDA. But as it marks this major milestone, Section 230 is facing what could be among its biggest threats to date, as prominent lawmakers plot to bring it down and a mountain of legal challenges give courts the


Wired


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