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Simply the latest news, updated on the hour.

Fri, Mar 20, 2026, 3:21 PM EDT

Tech

AI Summary

  • AI continues its rapid integration across industries, with startups attracting significant venture capital and companies like WordPress.com and Blue Origin exploring AI for content creation and space-based data centers, respectively.
  • The tech industry faces ongoing scrutiny regarding data privacy and security, highlighted by incidents like the French Navy's Strava leak, US accusations of Iranian government-backed hacking, and ongoing debates around child safety in AI frameworks.
  • Robotics and autonomous systems are advancing, with Amazon acquiring a stair-climbing robot maker, while concerns arise about the control of AI, as evidenced by a rogue humanoid robot incident.
  • The evolving digital landscape sees social media platforms grappling with user age limits, as seen with Pinterest's CEO proposal, and platforms like Bluesky securing significant funding amidst leadership changes.
  • Cybersecurity remains a critical concern, with a cyberattack disrupting vehicle breathalyzer services across the US and government agencies actively combating botnets and illegal tech exports.

TechCrunch


Hacker News


Engadget

  • Three people have been charged with illegally exporting NVIDIA GPUs to China an hour ago by Ian Carlos Campbell
    Crime & Justice, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Ian Carlos Campbell

    The US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York has charged three people with illegally exporting NVIDIA GPUs to China in violation of the Export Control Reform Act. NVIDIA's chips have become a critical component in the rush to train and run increasingly complex artificial intelligence models, one the US has sought to manipulate with export controls and profit-sharing schemes with NVIDIA. The three people, Yih-Shyan "Wally" Liaw, Ruei-Tsang "Steven" Chang and Ting-Wei "Willy" Sun, two employees and one contractor working for US IT company Super Micro Computer, allegedly circumvented export control laws via a multi-step scheme that involved

  • Here's how not to leak military information with your Strava run an hour ago by Lawrence Bonk
    Software, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Lawrence Bonk

    A French officer recently leaked the location of an aircraft carrier because of a run on the sports app Strava. This is not the first time this has happened, as the app tracks location data. It was used to access the location of US military bases back in 2018 and members of the Secret Service accidentally shared their whereabouts while protecting then-US President Joe Biden. The same has happened to President Trump and other world leaders. > 🚨🇫🇷 NEW: The location of the French aircraft carrier, FS Charles de Gaulle, has been given away by a sailor using Strava whilst jogging on

  • Nintendo is reportedly making a Switch 2 with a user-replaceable battery for the EU 2 hours ago by Lawrence Bonk
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Lawrence Bonk

    Nintendo is reportedly preparing a new version of the Switch 2 with a user-replaceable battery, according to Nikkei. This is to comply with a 2023 EU "right-to-repair" policy on portable electronics that mandates easy battery replacement. The regulation also covers the Joy-Con 2 controllers, so they are reportedly being redesigned to allow users to replace each lithium-ion battery. We don't know when this new Switch 2 will hit store shelves, but the policy gives companies until 2027 to make the required changes. This is great news for Europe, but the rest of the world isn't quite so lucky. There are no reported

  • Netflix’s Assassin’s Creed is officially set in ancient Rome 2 hours ago by Matt Tate
    Media, Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Matt Tate

    Netflix’s live-action Assassin’s Creed show has entered production and will officially be set in Rome in the year 64AD, confirming previous reports. The upcoming adaptation, then, will return to the setting of 2010’s Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, although the latter’s story took place more than 1,000 years after the events we'll see in Netflix's show. Ubisoft confirmed in a press release that the Netflix series will tell an original story centered on a war between the Templar Order and the Assassin Brotherhood, who each have very different ideas on how the future of mankind should look. The full ensemble cast has also now

  • Project Hail Mary could teach humanity a thing or two 4 hours ago by Devindra Hardawar
    Movies, Media, Celebrities, Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Devindra Hardawar

    It's hard not to find the premise of Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary instantly compelling: Something is slowly killing the sun and threatening life on Earth. That same mysterious force, dubbed the Astrophage, also destroyed every nearby star — except one. Our only hope is to visit that solar system and figure out what helped it survive. And there's just one middle school science teacher who can do it.  At its core is Weir's love of technical problem solving, along with a tremendous performance by Ryan Gosling in full nerd hero mode as the aforementioned science teacher (and former molecular biologist).


The Verge

  • Windows 11 is finally getting a movable taskbar 44 minutes ago by Tom Warren
    Microsoft, Tech, Windows

    It's taken almost five years, but Microsoft is finally bringing back the ability to move the Windows taskbar to the top or sides of your screen. The movable taskbar is part of some much bigger changes coming to Windows 11 this year in response to growing criticism of the operating system's performance, reliability, and user experience. "Repositioning the taskbar is one of the top asks we've heard from you," says Windows chief Pavan Davuluri. "We are introducing the ability to reposition it to the top or sides of your screen, making it easier to personalize your workspace." This taskbar change will be

  • Microsoft is ending the Windows Update nightmare — and letting you pause them indefinitely 44 minutes ago by Sean Hollister
    Desktops, Gadgets, Laptops, Microsoft, Tech, Windows

    In 2015, Microsoft decided that you shouldn't be in control of updating your PC anymore. At first, it seemed like a good idea to keep malware at bay - but soon, users discovered their computers were automatically shutting down and erasing work in the middle of the day. Then, Microsoft abused its power to install shovelware apps and force-feed us a new web browser. Now, each new update might add unwanted Copilot AI buttons or prevent our PCs from properly booting. My colleague Tom Warren wrote about Microsoft's many buggy Windows updates in this story. But today, as Microsoft commits to fix

  • This is Microsoft’s plan to fix Windows 11 an hour ago by Tom Warren
    Microsoft, News, Tech, Windows

    Microsoft has faced a breakdown of trust in Windows 11 and a backlash over AI additions to its operating system in recent months. After promising to rebuild trust in Windows earlier this year, Microsoft's Windows chief, Pavan Davuluri, is now revealing the company's plan to fix Windows 11 - and there are a lot of changes on the way. "Over the past several months, the team and I have spent a great deal of time analyzing your feedback," says Davuluri in a blog post committing to Windows quality improvements. "What came through was the voice of people who care deeply about

  • Trump takes another shot at dismantling state AI regulation an hour ago by Hayden Field
    AI, Analysis, Policy, Report

    The Trump administration on Friday unveiled its new legislative blueprint for AI regulation, and the seven-point plan includes a clear message: The federal government should avoid many AI regulations beyond a set of child safety rules, and it should bar states from messing with the "national strategy to achieve global AI dominance." The plan advises Congress to protect minors using AI services with more safeguards and take action to attempt to prevent electricity costs from spiking due to AI infrastructure. It encourages "youth development and skills training" to boost familiarity with AI tools, without much further detail. But it suggests … Read

  • These electronic Polaroids are powered by your phone’s NFC chip 2 hours ago by Andrew Liszewski
    Gadgets, News, Tech

    E Ink displays have expanded beyond e-readers. They're now used in digital photo frames, smartphones, and even the price tags found on grocery store shelves. VidaBay's Classic Plus NFC E-Ink Fridge Magnet - which looks like a Polaroid photo - features the same low power color E Ink screens used in those electronic price tags, but to display photos from your phone without the need for a battery. The small digital photo frames are now available globally in white, red, or yellow through VidaBay's online store for $35.99 each (currently discounted to $29.99), or as a three-pack for $99.99 (now discounted


Wired


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