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Simply the latest news, updated on the hour.

Thu, Apr 2, 2026, 5:22 PM EDT

Tech

AI Summary

  • OpenAI is making waves by acquiring TBPN, a business talk show, and also releasing new foundational AI models, signaling a continued push in the AI space.
  • NASA's Artemis II mission is highlighting the intersection of space exploration and terrestrial tech, from using laser-based communication to dealing with familiar IT issues like Microsoft Outlook problems.
  • The tech industry is grappling with significant security and privacy concerns, including data breaches exposing sensitive documents and accusations of companies misusing or misrepresenting open-source technology.
  • The automotive sector is seeing continued development in electric vehicles, with new models and incentives being rolled out, though some established players like Tesla are facing sales challenges.
  • The ongoing evolution of AI includes new tools for music generation, avatar direction, and coding assistance, alongside discussions about the trustworthiness and potential biases within these advanced models.

TechCrunch


Hacker News


Engadget

  • VR game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Empire City launches on April 30 an hour ago by Anna Washenko
    Media, Video Games, Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko

    Everyone's four favorite anthropomorphic turtles are returning to the world of video games. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Empire City will be released on April 30 for the Meta Quest, Steam VR and Pico. It is made by VR game company Cortopia Studios and will retail for $25. Empire City is a first-person action game that you’ll be able to play solo or co-op with up to four people. And yes, that means all four of the turtles are playable. We've seen a lot of the quartet flexing their fighting form in games over the years, but this is their first time appearing

  • OpenAI brings ChatGPT's Voice mode to CarPlay 3 hours ago by Igor Bonifacic
    Software, Mobile Apps, Technology & Electronics, Handheld & Connected Devices, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Igor Bonifacic

    In a surprise release, OpenAI has made ChatGPT's Voice mode available through Apple CarPlay. If you're running the latest version of both iOS and the ChatGPT app, and own a CarPlay-compatible vehicle, you can check out the experience. To get started, download all the necessary software, connect your iPhone to CarPlay and select "New voice chat" from ChatGPT. When the in-app text indicates ChatGPT is "listening," you can start a conversation.          There are some notable limitations to using ChatGPT Voice with CarPlay. For one, OpenAI's chatbot can't control car functions. If you want to adjust the cabin temperature or skip tracks,

  • CFTC sues three states for trying to regulate prediction markets 3 hours ago by Ian Carlos Campbell
    Politics & Government, Business, Finance, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Ian Carlos Campbell

    The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is suing Illinois, Arizona and Connecticut for attempting to outlaw or regulate prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket. The CFTC believes it has sole jurisdiction to regulate these platforms, and that states attempting to classify them as illegal gambling are overstepping their authority. CFTC defines prediction markets as “designated contract markets” where futures contracts are traded, essentially letting people bet on the outcome of events (for example, who will be the Democratic nominee for president in 2028). And because futures contracts are financial instruments distinct from traditional bets, they arguably fall under the supervision of

  • PSA: YouTube will be streaming Coachella for free next week 3 hours ago by Sam Rutherford
    Media, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Sam Rutherford

    Coachella officially kicks off next Friday, April 10. But for anyone who doesn’t want to fly out to the desert or fork over upwards of $650 for a ticket, YouTube is going to livestream the concert for free so you can enjoy it on your own terms. Here’s a quick overview of all the programming that will be available in just over a week.  With YouTube planning on providing feeds of seven different stages, there will be no shortage of content. This includes the Quasar stage in both horizontal and vertical formats, so no matter what device you're using, there should

  • Indie Pass is a forthcoming subscription service exclusively for indie games 5 hours ago by Lawrence Bonk
    Media, Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Lawrence Bonk

    Publisher and game management platform indie.io just announced the pending launch of something called Indie Pass. This is a subscription service, so it's sort of like Game Pass but for indie titles. It launches on April 13 and will offer over 70 games on that date, with more coming down the line. Not a single person on this planet wants another monthly subscription to manage, but this one costs just $8. That's a pretty good deal, considering Game Pass Ultimate costs a whopping $30 per month. However, these subscription platforms are only as good as their libraries. The company has already confirmed


The Verge

  • The best AirPods deals you can get right now 38 minutes ago
    Apple, Deals, Gadgets, Headphones, Tech, Verge Shopping

    If you know where to look, you can often score deals on Apple’s ever-expanding AirPods lineup. Both the AirPods Pro 3 and the AirPods 4 (with and without ANC) now consistently receive discounts, as do the AirPods Pro 3. And while major shopping events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day have delivered some of the biggest price drops, there are still good deals to be found on every model — including the recently released AirPods Max 2. Below, we’ve rounded up the best deals currently available on each set of AirPods, including both iterations of the AirPods 4 and AirPods Max,

  • This bike rack pioneer is selling Bluetooth suction cups to stick bikes to your car 2 hours ago by Sean Hollister
    Gadgets, News, Transportation

    Richard Allen didn't invent the automobile bike rack - his 1967 patent application makes it clear that others came before. But after nearly sixty years selling popular and simple mechanical bike carriers, his company Allen Bikes now offers a line of - yes - Bluetooth-monitored suction cups to stick bikes to your car. If you feel stressed just looking at these pictures of the new $299 Smart Suction Go, you're not alone! It's the first thing my colleague Andrew Liszewski said, and I wholeheartedly agree. But apparently some people already swear by the ease and portability of suction-cup bike mounts -

  • The ABS Challenge System is exposing the worst umpire in baseball 2 hours ago by Terrence O’Brien
    Entertainment, Report, Sports, Tech

    SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 09: Home plate umpire CB Bucknor looks on during the third inning of the game between the San Diego Padres and the Boston Red Sox at Petco Park on August 09, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images During Wednesday's game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers, umpire CB Bucknor took a foul ball to the mask and had to be helped off the field. It was the cap to what has been a particularly bad week for one of the most controversial umpires in baseball. It started

  • Pinterest said he violated laid-off colleagues’ privacy. Now he’s going public 2 hours ago by Lauren Feiner
    Exclusive, Labor, Policy, Report, Tech

    It was late January, and Pinterest engineer Teddy Martin was on edge about recent layoffs at the company. Martin had just survived a round of cuts, but he and other employees were confused about who was being let go and why, and explanations from top executives including CEO Bill Ready had done little to quell the unease. So when Martin saw someone mention a tool that would shed light on the scope of the impact, he decided to share it in Slack. The tool was a simple command known as ldapsearch - it aggregated a list of deactivated employee accounts from

  • Trump fires US attorney general Pam Bondi 3 hours ago by Richard Lawler
    Law, News, Policy, Politics

    Pam Bondi, US attorney general, during a swearing-in ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. | Bloomberg via Getty Images Taking a break from calling Bruce Springsteen a boring loser on Thursday, Donald Trump followed that up with another Truth Social post saying "loyal friend" Pam Bondi will transition to a yet-to-be-announced job in the private sector. CNN, the New York Times, and Fox News all reported that Bondi, a figure in the TikTok takeover, pressuring tech companies to block ICE-tracking apps, and the Epstein files release, has been fired. Her


Wired


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