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Simply the latest news, updated on the hour.

Mon, Apr 13, 2026, 11:33 PM EDT

Tech

AI Summary

  • OpenAI is facing legal scrutiny, with Elon Musk alleging a 'legal ambush' and a suspect arrested for attacking Sam Altman's home, while the company also acquires AI personal finance startup Hiro.
  • The autonomous vehicle sector is experiencing significant talent poaching, with Uber and Nuro launching a premium robotaxi service in San Francisco and Tesla's Full Self-Driving expanding to the Netherlands.
  • Microsoft is streamlining its offerings by shutting down Outlook Lite and removing unnecessary Copilot buttons in Windows 11, while also developing new AI agents.
  • Cybersecurity remains a major concern, with Booking.com confirming a data breach, the FBI taking down a phishing operation, and hackers targeting companies via breached WordPress plugins.
  • The tech industry is navigating the complexities of AI, with reports on a growing disconnect between AI insiders and the public, and the emergence of AI agents in various applications from finance to dating.

TechCrunch


Hacker News


Engadget

  • Xbox CEO called Game Pass 'too expensive for players' in a leaked memo 8 hours ago by Anna Washenko
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko

    Xbox's new chief exec, Asha Sharma, has only been in charge for a few months but things already seem like they might be changing for the better. Or at the very least, they might be getting cheaper. The Verge reported that the new Xbox CEO wrote a memo to employees addressing the current pricing of the Game Pass subscription service.  "Game Pass is central to gaming value on Xbox. It’s also clear that the current model isn’t the final one," Sharma allegedly said. "Short term, Game Pass has become too expensive for players, so we need a better value equation. Long

  • Games Workshop brings seven classic Warhammer games to Steam for the first time 9 hours ago by Igor Bonifacic
    Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Igor Bonifacic

    Fans of miniature plastic soldiers, rejoice. Games Workshop has brought a host of older Warhammer and Warhammer 40K video games to Steam for the first time, alongside a dozen games that haven't been available on Valve's storefront for a few years. The new to Steam releases consist of three games from the Warhammer fantasy range — Shadow of the Horned Rat, Mark of Chaos – Gold Edition and Dark Omen — and four from its sci-fi 40K universe — Chaos Gate, Fire Warrior, Final Liberation and Rites of War.   If you're a Warhammer fan of a certain age, some of these

  • Meta warned by dozens of organizations that facial recognition on its smart glasses would empower predators 9 hours ago by Lawrence Bonk
    Internet & Networking Technology, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Lawrence Bonk

    Dozens of civil rights organizations have written a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to warn of the dangers in bringing facial recognition technology to the company's smart glasses. More than 70 groups have banded together to form a coalition to urge Zuckerberg to abandon plans to incorporate the tech, on the grounds that it would empower stalkers, sexual predators and other bad actors. This coalition includes organizations like the ACLU, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, Fight for the Future, Access Now and many others. The letter isn't asking for safeguards. These groups want the feature to be completely eliminated, stating

  • Retro handheld maker Anbernic's latest device has a swiveling display 10 hours ago by Jackson Chen
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen

    There are plenty of retro gaming handhelds on the market, but Anbernic is introducing one that offers a unique spin on the square shape. The retro gaming handheld maker revealed the RG Rotate on its YouTube channel, showing off a 1:1 display that swivels out much like the T-Mobile Sidekick of yore. Anbernic often drip feeds details of its upcoming products over time, but so far, we know that the RG Rotate will run on Android, feature an aluminum alloy frame and come in Polar Black and Aurora Silver. Anbernic's video detailed that the handheld will have a "proprietary ultra-thin alloy

  • How to de-Gemini your Google apps 11 hours ago by Igor Bonifacic
    Software, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Igor Bonifacic

    Over the past couple of years, Google has found ways to stuff Gemini in nearly every app and service it offers. Whether it's Gmail with its AI inbox or Chrome with its chat sidebar, Gemini is now inescapable inside of Workspace. I don't know about you, but I don't need an AI to tell me how to write a =SUM equation in Sheets or an outline for a first draft. Most of the time, I find Gemini is a distraction. If you feel the same way, this how-to is for you.     HOW TO REMOVE GEMINI FROM YOUR PERSONAL WORKSPACE ACCOUNT  From the


The Verge

  • Daniel Moreno-Gama is facing federal charges for attacking Sam Altman’s home and OpenAI’s HQ 4 hours ago by Jay Peters
    AI, News, OpenAI

    Daniel Moreno-Gama is now facing federal charges after allegedly traveling from Texas to California with the intent to kill OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. On April 10th, he was arrested after throwing a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's home and attempting to break into OpenAI's headquarters. According to prosecutors, at the HQ, "Moreno-Gama attempted to break the glass doors of the building with a chair and stated that he had come to burn down the location and kill anyone inside." His charges include "attempted damage and destruction of property by means of explosives and possession of an unregistered firearm," according

  • The Mercedes EQS returns with massive range and charging gains 6 hours ago by Andrew J. Hawkins
    Cars, Electric Cars, Mercedes-Benz, News, Transportation

    A year ago, Mercedes-Benz did the prudent thing and paused its EQ lineup of electric vehicles in the US. With customer demand drying up for luxury EVs, and federal incentives getting axed by vengeful Republicans, Mercedes put its first-generation EVs on ice. But then, in January, Mercedes quietly reintroduced the EQS brand in the US, with The Drive declaring that the "blobs are back" - a reference to the sedan's much-maligned jelly-bean shape that prioritized aerodynamics over a more traditional profile. But we didn't yet realize how back the EQS truly was. Today, Mercedes is reintroducing its electric sedan to a wary,

  • Justin Bieber’s YouTube Coachella set had nothing to do with who owns his music 7 hours ago by Jay Peters
    Entertainment, Music, News, Streaming, YouTube

    This past Saturday at the Coachella music festival, Justin Bieber played the first of two headlining sets in a deal reportedly worth $10 million. It was his most significant solo performance in years. But Bieber spent some of his time on stage the way many of us do on Saturday nights: on YouTube. For some of the set, Bieber played parts of his older songs right off YouTube from a Mac laptop. Behind him, on the stage's screen, you could see YouTube's website as he searched for songs in real time and then put the videos on full-screen while he

  • RAMageddon has come for Microsoft’s Surface Pro and Surface Laptop 7 hours ago by Emma Roth
    Gadgets, Laptops, Microsoft, News, Tech

    Microsoft just raised the prices across its line of Surface devices amid the global RAM shortage. Now, the 13-inch Surface Pro 11 and the 13.8-inch Surface Laptop 7 cost $500 more than their original starting price, going from $999 to $1,499, as reported earlier by Windows Central. Last year, Microsoft stopped selling the $999 versions of the Surface Pro 11 and the 13.8-inch Surface Laptop 7 in favor of the $1,199 models with more storage. At the time, it seemed like Microsoft was trying to make room for the cheaper 12-inch Surface Pro and 13-inch Surface Laptop that launched last May.

  • NZXT to pay $3.45 million settlement over Flex PC rentals 8 hours ago by Jess Weatherbed
    Gaming, Law, News, PC Gaming, Policy, Tech

    The Flex PC rental service didn’t make it clear to customers that it wasn’t a “rent-to-own” program. | Image: NZXT NZXT and its business partner Fragile have agreed to pay $3.45 million to settle a class-action lawsuit that accused the companies of attempting to "scam" consumers through their Flex PC rental service. The preliminary settlement was filed in a California District Court on April 7th to close a civil RICO case against the Flex program over allegations that it defrauded 19,322 customers through deceptive marketing practices and aggressive debt collection. The settlement was shared on YouTube by Gamers Nexus, with host Steve


Wired


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