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Simply the latest news, updated on the hour.

Sat, Mar 7, 2026, 10:21 PM EST

Tech

AI Summary

  • OpenAI is facing scrutiny and delays regarding its 'adult mode' and has seen its robotics lead depart following a Pentagon deal, highlighting concerns about startups chasing federal contracts.
  • Google's executive compensation continues to be a major topic, with Sundar Pichai receiving a significant pay package, while the company also faces scrutiny for battery-draining Android apps and pledges climate change initiatives.
  • The tech industry is grappling with data privacy and security issues, as evidenced by a breach affecting millions of health records and Meta facing lawsuits over its smart glasses' privacy claims.
  • Governments worldwide are considering or implementing bans and limitations on social media access for children, with Indonesia leading the charge with a plan to restrict access for under-16s.
  • Major tech players like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are ensuring access to AI models like Anthropic's Claude for non-defense customers, amidst ongoing discussions about AI safety and its integration into various sectors.

TechCrunch


Hacker News


Engadget

  • OpenAI is reportedly pushing back the launch of its 'adult mode' even further 7 hours ago by Jackson Chen
    Internet & Networking Technology, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen

    Here comes another disappointment for ChatGPT users. As first reported by Sources' Alex Heath, OpenAI is yet again delaying its "adult mode" for ChatGPT. A company spokesperson told Heath that "we're pushing out the launch of adult mode so we can focus on work that is a higher priority for more users right now." More specifically, OpenAI's spokesperson said that things like "gains in intelligence, personality improvements, personalization, and making the experience more proactive" were being prioritized instead. However, the company still wants to release an adult mode, but it would "take more time," according to the company spokesperson. The reveal of

  • NASA's DART spacecraft changed a binary asteroid's orbit around the sun, in a first for a human-made object 7 hours ago by Cheyenne MacDonald
    Science, Space & Astronomy, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Cheyenne MacDonald

    When NASA crashed a spacecraft into the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos in 2022, it altered both Dimorphos' orbit around its parent asteroid, Didymos, and the two objects' orbit around the sun, according to new research. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) said in a press release that this "marks the first time a human-made object has measurably altered the path of a celestial body around the Sun." It's a promising result as scientists work to find a feasible method of defending Earth from hazardous space objects. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission was designed to demonstrate one possible way of deflecting such

  • OpenAI's head of robotics resigns following deal with the Department of Defense 8 hours ago by Jackson Chen
    Internet & Networking Technology, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen

    OpenAI is going to need to find a new head of robotics. Caitlin Kalinowski, OpenAI's now-former head of robotics, posted on X that she was resigning from her role, while criticizing the company's haste in partnering with the Department of Defense without investigating proper guardrails. Kalinowski, who previously worked at Meta before leaving to join OpenAI in late 2024, wrote on X that "surveillance of Americans without judicial oversight and lethal autonomy without human authorization are lines that deserved more deliberation than they got." Responding to another post, the former OpenAI exec explained that "the announcement was rushed without the guardrails

  • Indonesia announces a social media ban for anyone under 16 11 hours ago by Jackson Chen
    Politics & Government, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen

    Following in the footsteps of Australia, Indonesia will be the latest country to limit social media usage for children under 16. Meutya Hafid, Indonesia's communication and digital affairs minister, announced that a new government regulation will require "high-risk" platforms to delete any accounts from Indonesia that are under 16, starting on March 28. Hafid said in the announcement that the implementation would be done in stages, starting with major platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Roblox and Bigo Live, a live-streaming platform based in Singapore. The minister added that all platforms will have to fulfill compliance obligations from the

  • Roblox introduces real-time AI-powered chat rephraser for inappropriate language 12 hours ago by Mariella Moon
    Media, Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Mariella Moon

    Roblox has launched a feature powered by AI that can rephrase inappropriate language in real time. The online game has been using AI filters to block out any language that goes against its policy for a while now, but it has been replacing censored chats with a series of hash signs (####). Roblox admits that encountering too many hashmarks can be disruptive and make conversations hard to follow. This new feature will instead replace words and phrases with what the AI deems as more appropriate substitutes. Rajiv Bhatia, Roblox’s Chief Safety Office, said the game is starting with profanity. For instance,


The Verge

  • Sony appears to be testing dynamic pricing on PlayStation games 10 hours ago by Terrence O’Brien
    Business, Gaming, News, PlayStation, Sony, Tech

    A site called PSprices has been tracking prices on Sony's digital game store and noticed something unusual: some games were being offered at different prices to different users. What's more, those offers are tracked in the PlayStation API with experiment identifiers like IPT_PILOT and IPT_OPR_TESTING. Dynamic pricing is nothing new and is used across a number of industries. But it's often met with backlash and isn't typically found in online game stores. According to PSprices, Sony is running A/B testing on prices for over 150 games in 68 regions, though the US doesn't currently appear to be part of the experiment.

  • Time’s running out to get a free gift card when you preorder a new MacBook 11 hours ago by Cameron Faulkner
    Deals, Gadgets, Verge Shopping

    This has been a week to remember here at The Verge. MWC 2026 in Barcelona lead straight into Apple’s week of product announcements. There was truly something for everyone, whether you’ve been wanting a company to make a phone that can start fires, or had your fingers crossed for a brand-new MacBook model that costs just $599.99. It was also a great week for gaming, with the launch of Slay the Spire 2 on Steam as an early access game, plus Pokémon Pokopia on Nintendo Switch 2, and Marathon on PC and PS5. It was also a pretty good week when

  • Vizio accounts are becoming Walmart accounts 13 hours ago by Terrence O’Brien
    Gadgets, News, Tech, TVs

    Walmart bought Vizio in 2024, and now it's taking the next steps to formally fold the TV maker into itself by phasing out Vizio accounts. Now, when you purchase a new Vizio TV, you'll be asked to sign in or create a Walmart account. Customers will have the option to merge their Vizio account, if they have one, with their Walmart account. Your only other option will be to simply delete it. According to an email sent by Vizio, customers who choose to delete their account will have 30 days to request a copy of any data related to the account,

  • The OpenClaw superfan meetup serves optimism and lobster 14 hours ago by Hayden Field
    AI, Report

    The woman at the door wore a plush lobster headdress. She sat in the front hallway of a multistory event venue in Manhattan, beside a bundle of wristbands. If she granted you one, the world of ClawCon beckoned behind her - full of vibey pink and purple lighting, lobster claw headbands, multicolored name tags, sponsor information stations, and a demo stage underneath a skylight. Hundreds of people were gathered to celebrate OpenClaw, the AI assistant platform created by Peter Steinberger in November 2025. OpenClaw (previously known as Clawdbot and Moltbolt) has quickly become popular in the tech industry for being open-source, in

  • A bite-sized adventure that puts a wrench into the classic Zelda formula 14 hours ago by Andrew Webster
    Entertainment, Games Review, Gaming

    There are a lot of games that try to emulate The Legend of Zelda, but few that manage to capture that spirit in such a small, concise package as Ratcheteer DX. The postapocalyptic game only takes a few hours to complete, but over that span it nails the classic Zelda vibe almost perfectly, offering a real sense of adventure along with the satisfaction of figuring things out on your own. The game is set in a bleak future when most of humanity is hibernating beneath the Earth's surface in order to wait out an ice age. To keep things going, mechanics


Wired


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