Minimalist News

Simply the latest news, updated on the hour.

Tech

AI Summary

  • Onton has secured $7.5 million in funding to broaden its AI-driven shopping platform, moving beyond just furniture to enhance users' purchasing decisions through image generation technology.
  • Uber has officially launched its fully driverless robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi, transitioning from a human-operated system to fully autonomous vehicles.
  • In the venture capital scene, investors are adopting a strategy called "buy, fix, and hold" to acquire struggling startups, transforming them into profitable entities rather than pursuing quick returns.
  • YouTube is piloting a new customization option for its home feed, which aims to help users tailor their viewing experiences and improve algorithm-driven content delivery.
  • OpenAI's ChatGPT has integrated voice and text functionalities into the same interface, allowing for more natural conversations, while also preparing for the departure of its services from WhatsApp amid new policy regulations.

Powered by OpenAI

TechCrunch


Hacker News


Engadget

  • Walmart Black Friday deals: Get the AirPods Pro 2 for their lowest price yet an hour ago by Valentina Palladino
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Valentina Palladino

    Apple updated its flagship earbuds this year with the new AirPods Pro 3, but the AirPods Pro 2 were our top picks for the best wireless earbuds for Apple users for many years before that. They're a bit hard to find at this point, but Walmart Black Friday deals have come for them (in addition to a bunch of other Apple products). Walmart has the AirPods Pro 2 for $139, which is the lowest price we've ever seen them and more than $100 off their standard $249 price tag. During Black Friday last year, they dropped to around $155. At this

  • Black Friday PS5 deals: Sony takes $100 off consoles, plus sales on other PlayStation games and accessories an hour ago by Georgie Peru
    Shopping, Technology & Electronics, Game Consoles, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Georgie Peru

    The PlayStation 5 is getting a major Black Friday discount, with $100 off all models. That brings the PS5 Digital Edition down to $399, the standard PS5 to $449 and the new PS5 Pro to $649. If you’ve been holding out for the right time to upgrade or buy your first console, this is the deal to beat. You'll find the deals direct at Sony and from other retailers including Amazon and Walmart. Sony’s flagship console remains one of the most popular gaming systems available, and this Black Friday discount makes it even easier to jump in if you haven’t already.

  • Apple's MacBook Air M4 falls to a record low for Black Friday an hour ago by Lawrence Bonk,Georgie Peru
    Computing, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Lawrence Bonk

    Apple’s latest MacBook Air M4 is now discounted to $750 for Black Friday. The deal applies to the entry-level 13-inch model, giving you the same sharp Liquid Retina display and impressive M4 performance that we praised in our review, now for less. The MacBook Air M4 continues Apple’s streak of refining what’s already its most popular laptop. It runs on the new M4 chip with a 10-core GPU, offering fast performance for everyday work, creative apps and light gaming. The upgrade from the M3 model is noticeable in both speed and efficiency, making it ideal for multitasking or editing photos and

  • Nintendo Switch 2 Black Friday deals are live: Savings on Switch games and accessories, plus the best Switch 2 console bundles for the holiday shopping season an hour ago by Valentina Palladino
    Shopping, Hobbies & Personal Activities, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Valentina Palladino

    Nintendo gear is always sought after during the holiday shopping season, but this year likely more so than others. The Nintendo Switch 2 is the console launch of 2025 and it will undoubtedly be at the top of many wish lists for both kids and adults alike. If you were hoping to save a bit on the console during the Black Friday shopping season, you may be disappointed. The Nintendo Black Friday sale was announced, and unsurprisingly, there aren't a lot of true "deals" to be had. This is typical of Nintendo — legit Nintendo Black Friday deals are hard

  • Black Friday 2025 deals: The biggest sales from Amazon, Apple, Lego, Ninja, Dyson and others to start shopping now an hour ago by Valentina Palladino
    Shopping, Technology & Electronics, Hobbies & Personal Activities, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Valentina Palladino

    November has turned into Black Friday and vice versa. What was once a one-day shopping sprint has turned into a month-long marathon, with retailers rolling out discounts week after week. Thanks to this, it can be easy to get deal fatigue after a while — but no one wants to miss out on a good discount, regardless of if you’re buying for yourself or someone else. We’re tracking all of the best Black Friday deals you can get right now so you don’t have to go searching for them. Engadget can help if you have tech on your shopping list this


The Verge

  • Character.AI launches Stories for teens after banning them from chats 2 hours ago by Emma Roth
    AI, News

    Character.AI, under threat from several lawsuits over its alleged negative impact on teen mental health, is banning underage users from open-ended chats on its site. Instead, teens will be allowed to use a new “Stories” format that, unlike regular chats, offers “structured” choose-your-own-adventure-style experiences with the AI characters on its platform. The feature is available to everyone, but Character.AI is pitching it as a way to “enhance” the experience for users under 18. In October, Character.AI announced that it would shut down chats for teens on November 25th while it develops an age assurance feature that will automatically place underage users

  • You’re buying a Frame TV? It’s okay to cheap out a little 2 hours ago by John.Higgins
    Gadgets, Reviews, Tech, TVs, Versus

    Let's get this out of the way: The Samsung Frame is not a good TV. None of the displays that I'd classify as art TVs are - at least not in the ways that we usually think about TVs. They only get a fraction as bright as comparably priced TVs, picture quality is middling, black level performance is bad (even for an LCD TV), and color accuracy out of the box leaves a lot to be desired. But that's not why people buy art TVs. Close friends of mine love The Frame on their living room wall and have asked me

  • ChatGPT and Copilot are being booted out of WhatsApp 3 hours ago by Dominic Preston
    AI, Meta, Microsoft, News, OpenAI, Tech

    OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot are both leaving WhatsApp thanks to upcoming changes to the messaging app’s terms of service that will prohibit using it to distribute AI chatbots not made by Meta. OpenAI announced its planned departure a few weeks ago, with Microsoft following it this week. Both companies attributed the departures to Meta’s new terms of service for WhatsApp Business Solution, which come into effect on January 15th, 2026, and said the chatbots will remain accessible in WhatsApp until that date. ChatGPT users can link their accounts to WhatsApp to make sure their chat history carries over, though Copilot

  • First there was nothing, then there was Hoto and Fanttik 4 hours ago by Sean Hollister
    Report, Tech

    Hoto exists because someone got bored. CEO Lidan Liu, the company's founder and a notable industrial designer, tells The Verge she was tired of advising from her consultancy Designaffairs China. I have to build something on my own, she thought. And back then, she was spending a lot of time in her workshop surrounded by the same old tools. "The tool industry, it never changes, the products are boring, very masculine and very much designed for professional users," Liu thought. "We can start something new." So she founded iMonkey Technology, which later became Hoto, short for "Home Tools." She didn't have to build

  • Poco partners with Bose to put a subwoofer in its latest phone 7 hours ago by Dominic Preston
    Bose, Gadgets, Mobile, News, Phones, Tech, Xiaomi

    Poco is at pains to admit that this “denim blue” version of the F8 Ultra includes no actual denim fabric. Xiaomi spin-off brand Poco has partnered with Bose to help its new F8 phones stand out in an increasingly crowded market. Both the F8 Pro and F8 Ultra feature stereo speakers designed collaboratively with the audio company, and the Ultra goes one step further by including a subwoofer too. Both new F8 phones feature the same dual stereo speakers tuned by Bose, though you’ll have to buy the Ultra if you want the benefits of the subwoofer as well, which Poco says


Wired


Looking for more? Search Google News