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Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 8:21 PM EST

Tech

AI Summary

  • The tech industry is seeing a significant push in AI infrastructure development, with major deals powering the current boom and OpenAI announcing significant partnerships.
  • Anthropic is facing scrutiny from the Pentagon, which has designated the AI company as a supply-chain risk, sparking debate and attracting support from other tech employees.
  • Netflix has backed out of the bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal that reportedly would have seen Paramount acquire the company with Netflix contributing financially.
  • Xiaomi has launched its new 17 Ultra smartphone, featuring advanced cameras, alongside other tech products like an AirTag clone and an ultra-slim powerbank.
  • The geopolitical landscape is impacting the tech industry, with news of US and Israeli strikes on Iran leading to increased disinformation on X and affecting AI companies' operations.

TechCrunch


Hacker News


Engadget

  • This retro-inspired handheld comes with Banjo-Kazooie and Battletoads built in 5 hours ago by Jackson Chen
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen

    Who would've guessed we'd get to play the original Banjo-Kazooie on a handheld with just a D-pad in 2026. HyperMegaTech!'s latest release is a collaboration with Rare Ltd., the legendary game developer known for the Banjo-Kazooie franchise and, more recently, Sea of Thieves, called the Super Pocket Rare Edition. The vertical handheld features 14 classics from the British developer, including two Battletoads titles, Conker's Pocket Tales and many more. While most of the games were released on 8- or 16-bit consoles, Banjo-Kazooie will be the headliner since it was originally released on the Nintendo 64. It may sound weird to control

  • Everything announced at MWC 2026: The new Leica Leitzphone by Xiaomi, Honor's ultra-thin MagicPad 4 and more 7 hours ago by Cheyenne MacDonald
    Technology & Electronics, Handheld & Connected Devices, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Cheyenne MacDonald

    MWC 2026 officially gets underway on March 2 and will continue through March 5, but the announcements are already coming ahead of its start. We can always count on the annual tech event to bring tons of new phones, laptops and tablets, and we're expecting to see some robots and other gadgets too — plus plenty of AI news, of course. In addition to the announcements, MWC is our chance to get hands-on time with some of the most interesting new devices, like the Xiaomi 17 Ultra. Engadget’s Mat Smith is on the ground in Barcelona, and we'll be updating this

  • Alaska could be the next state to crack down on AI-generated CSAM and restrict kids' social media use 7 hours ago by Jackson Chen
    Internet & Networking Technology, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen

    Alaska's House of Representatives unanimously passed HB47, a bill that imposes sweeping limits on when and how minors use social media apps, along with bans on generating or distributing harmful deepfakes of children. The bill's original form was focused on prohibiting the possession and distribution of sexually explicit images of children using AI, but Alaska lawmakers decided to add amendments that would impose social media restrictions. The proposed limitations include a statewide curfew on using social media between 10:30 PM and 6:30 AM, banning "addictive design features" and requiring social media platforms to verify user ages and get parental consent if

  • Shuttered studio Bluepoint reportedly pitched a Bloodborne remake, but it got shot down by FromSoftware 8 hours ago by Jackson Chen
    Video Games, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen

    Bloodborne fans may not be happy to hear that a remake was reportedly rejected, but that doesn't mean it's completely off the table. Bluepoint Games, Sony's closed-down studio behind many PlayStation remakes, pitched remaking the classic Gothic horror RPG in early 2025, but was blocked by the game's developer, FromSoftware, according to a Bloomberg report. As Bloomberg reported, Bluepoint pitched a Bloodborne remake after several years of working towards a live-service title in the God of War franchise that was ultimately canceled. Looking for the next project, a modern-day version of Bloodborne made a lot of sense, considering the title came

  • Leica’s Leitzphone by Xiaomi has a huge 1-inch camera sensor and a stylish new design 10 hours ago by Mat Smith
    Cameras & Photography, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Mat Smith

    Alongside a global launch for Xiaomi's 17 Ultra (read about that right here), the company announced a further deepening of its relationship with Leica. The CEO of Leica, Matthias Harsch, took to the stage to announce a new Leitzphone, which appears to be an even deeper collaboration than 17 Ultra by Leica, which is a different phone. Confused? That's fair.  Design-wise, Leica has shifted back to a single tone body color, which looks more "Leica" to this camera dilettante's eyes. And if you’re thinking you’ve heard of the Leitzphone before, you probably have: it was a series of phones made by


The Verge

  • Polymarket defends its decision to allow betting on war as ‘invaluable’ 5 hours ago by Terrence O’Brien
    News, Policy, Politics, Tech

    It might be World War III, but at least I won $20. | Image: Polymarket / The Verge Polymarket has been allowing people to bet on when the US would strike Iran next. Obviously, now that it's actually happened and people have died, the prediction betting market is feeling some pressure. The site has been at the center of controversy before, including suspicions of insider trading on the Super Bowl halftime show and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. In a statement posted on its site, Polymarket defended its decision to allow betting on the potential start of a war, saying

  • The Rubin Observatory’s alert system sent 800,000 pings on its first night 6 hours ago by Terrence O’Brien
    News, Science, Space

    That’s coming on a little strong, maybe. | Image: Vera C. Rubin Observatory The Vera C. Rubin Observatory's automated alert system is online and already bombarding astronomers with things to look at in the night sky. The system went live publicly on Tuesday, February 24th, and on the first night dropped some 800,000 alerts about asteroids, supernovas, and feasting black holes. And that number is only expected to climb to the multiple millions per night. The observatory released the first images taken with its car-sized Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) camera in June of last year. But researchers and stargazers

  • You can still grab great deals on Bose headphones and Astro Bot this weekend 10 hours ago
    Bose, Deals, Gadgets, Headphones, Tech, Verge Shopping

    Welcome to the weekend, friends! While the rest of our team was checking out Samsung’s forthcoming Galaxy S26 lineup and prepping for Apple’s “special experience” next week, we’ve been sifting through Woot’s “Video Games for All” sale and a truly weird slate of deals that, frankly, don’t have a throughline. (Some of us have also spent the last week unpacking what Huel is, but that’s neither here nor there.) Here’s what we can tell you. If you’re thinking of picking up the Galaxy S26 Ultra at launch, putting in your preorder now isn’t a bad idea. It’s also a great time

  • Xiaomi’s tracker doesn’t need a case to clip to your keys 11 hours ago by Andrew Liszewski
    Gadgets, MWC 2026, News, Tech

    The Xiaomi Tag is a bit larger than Apple’s second-gen AirTags. | Image: Xiaomi Xiaomi has announced its first Bluetooth tracker, and while the Xiaomi Tag has a more elongated design than the Apple AirTag, that lets you use it in more places right out of the box. On one end of the tracker you'll find an integrated metal loop that can be attached to a keyring or clipped to a carabiner without the need for an extra case. The Xiaomi Tag is compatible with both Apple's Find My and Google's Find Hub tracking networks and mobile apps, but not at the

  • Xiaomi’s Leica Leitzphone mostly earns the name 11 hours ago by Dominic Preston
    Gadgets, Mobile, MWC 2026, Phone Reviews, Phones, Reviews, Tech, Xiaomi

    The Leitzphone has just launched internationally alongside a regular version of the 17 Ultra. Xiaomi and Leica's long-running phone partnership just got a little closer. Alongside the new international release of its 17 Ultra flagship, Xiaomi has been entrusted with manufacturing a separate version that is the first Leica Leitzphone to release outside of Japan, following three Sharp-made models exclusive to the country. In truth, the Leitzphone is a 17 Ultra with Leica branding and a rotatable camera ring, and apart from a few design tweaks, it's mostly the same as the Leica Edition of that phone already available in China. But


Wired


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