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Sun, Apr 12, 2026, 10:33 AM EDT

Tech

AI Summary

  • The tech industry is seeing a surge in AI developments, with companies like OpenAI and Anthropic releasing new plans and models, but also facing scrutiny over potential misuse and ethical concerns, as highlighted by a lawsuit against OpenAI and an attack on Sam Altman's home.
  • Space exploration continues to advance with NASA's Artemis II mission successfully returning astronauts to Earth after a journey around the moon, signaling progress in future lunar missions.
  • Electric vehicle startups, like the Bezos-backed Slate Auto, are gaining attention, while established companies such as Tesla are expanding their presence in Europe with features like Full Self-Driving.
  • The market for quick commerce and AI-driven products is becoming increasingly competitive, with major players like Amazon and Flipkart impacting smaller startups, and companies like Nvidia-backed SiFive focusing on AI chips.
  • Governments are starting to reconsider their reliance on US tech, with France announcing a move to Linux from Windows, and cybersecurity remains a key concern, evidenced by ongoing debates about AI liability and data breaches.

TechCrunch


Hacker News


Engadget

  • Rockstar Games has confirmed it was hit by third-party data breach 21 hours ago by Jackson Chen
    Internet & Networking Technology, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen

    An experienced hacking group has claimed to have infiltrated Rockstar Games' cloud servers, while the game publisher has confirmed that there was a "third-party data breach." ShinyHunters, a hacker group that's been linked to data breaches targeting Microsoft, Google, Ticketmaster and others, posted a message on its website with a final warning to Rockstar to "pay or leak." The hack was first spotted by Hackread and the Cybersec Guru. ShinyHunters didn't detail what Rockstar data it gained access to, only adding that the company had until April 14 to reach out or that the group would leak the compromised info that

  • The first European country to get Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Supervised will be the Netherlands a day ago by Jackson Chen
    Transportation, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen

    Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) is ready to make its European debut, and it's starting with the Netherlands. According to Tesla Europe, the automaker's driver assistance system was approved in the Netherlands and will start rolling out shortly. RDW, the country's regulatory authority on vehicles, confirmed the news with a post on its website about Tesla receiving a type approval for its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system. According to the RDW, Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) "has been extensively examined and tested for more than one and a half years on our test track and on public roads," and concluded that it was a

  • IBM settles its DEI lawsuit with the DOJ for $17 million a day ago by Jackson Chen
    Company Legal & Law Matters, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen

    IBM has agreed to settle the US Department of Justice's accusations that the company violated civil rights laws with its DEI practices. According to a press release from the DOJ, IBM will pay more than $17 million to resolve allegations of taking "race, color, national origin, or sex" into account when making employment decisions. This settlement is the latest development in a longstanding effort from the Trump administration to end DEI programs, which was kick-started from an executive order in early 2025. IBM denied any wrongdoing and said the settlement wasn't an admission of liability, while the US government said this

  • Engadget review recap: ASUS ZenBook A16, AirPods Max 2, Sonos Play and LG Sound Suite a day ago by Billy Steele
    Speakers & Headphones, Audio Technology, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Billy Steele

    Spring has certainly sprung here at Engadget. Well, it has in terms of reviews, at least. We’ve put over a dozen devices through their paces since my last roundup, which gives you a lot to catch up on over the weekend. Read on for the rundown of all the reviews you might’ve missed. ASUS ZENBOOK A16 ASUS’ ZenBook A14 didn’t live up to our expectations last year, but now the company is back with a 16-inch machine and a shot at redemption: the A16. “Compatibility issues aside, the ZenBook A16 delivers just about everything I want in an ultraportable,” senior reporter Devindra

  • X's messaging app, XChat, may be available soon a day ago by Mariella Moon
    Software, Mobile Apps, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Mariella Moon

    XChat is now on the App Store, where its listing says that it’s expected to be available for download on April 17. This isn’t the same IRC app from the early aughts, which you may remember if you’re of a certain age. This is a messaging app specifically for X users. X chief Elon Musk first talked about rolling out a new version of his social network’s direct messaging feature in mid-2025. In a series of posts back then, he said the new version would be encrypted and would feature a “whole new architecture.” He also said all X users


The Verge

  • You can grab a refurbished 2021 Kindle Paperwhite starting at just $49.99 13 minutes ago by Brandon Widder
    Deals, Gadgets, Verge Shopping

    We spend a lot of time at The Verge waxing poetic about the latest gadgets, but sometimes it’s the last-gen devices from several years ago that offer the better value. The 2021 Kindle Paperwhite is a great case in point — especially since you can grab it at Woot in refurbished condition with lockscreen ads, 8GB of storage, and a 90-day warranty starting at $49.99 through the rest of today, April 12th, which is about $90 off the e-reader’s original list price. Per usual, Amazon Prime members will also receive free shipping with their purchase. The entry-level refurb models are in

  • The Hisense UR9 is a great first shot against OLED’s bow an hour ago by John.Higgins
    Gadgets, Reviews, Tech, TVs

    Hisense is first out of the gate with the UR9 RGB LED TV, which uses individual red, green, and blue LEDs for its backlight. RGB LED TVs have been the talk of the TV world this year, with models coming from all the manufacturers, and the first one of 2026 is here - the Hisense UR9. It's the first look at the viability of the new backlight technology outside of demo rooms, and it's a step above the traditional mini-LED TVs of years past. HDR is colorful and accurate, it has great brightness, and it is capable of showing colors beyond

  • How AT&T created the most iconic phone ever an hour ago by David Pierce
    AT&T, Gadgets, Mobile, Podcasts, Tech, Version History

    For years, even decades, virtually everyone in the United States had the same phone. Nobody really thought about it, it didn't even matter what it was called - it was just The Phone. Well, The Phone was called the Western Electric 500, and when landline phones ruled the world, the Western Electric 500 ruled the landlines. It was so ubiquitous for so long that even if you've never touched a landline, you've encountered the 500. The Phone app on your iPhone? Looks like a 500. On this episode of Version History, we tell the story of the Western Electric 500, and

  • The AI code wars are heating up 3 hours ago by David Pierce
    AI, Anthropic, Column, Google, OpenAI, Tech, The Stepback

    This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on the AI coding and vibe-coding booms, follow David Pierce. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. HOW IT STARTED Writing code was a killer app for AI even before anyone was really talking about AI. In the spring of 2021, 18 months before the world knew the word "ChatGPT," Microsoft debuted the very first product of a partnership with a nonprofit called OpenAI: a tool called GitHub Copilot that watched developers as they wrote

  • Allow me to explain why I love this camera that can’t shoot color 4 hours ago by Antonio G. Di Benedetto
    Camera Reviews, Cameras, Gadgets, Reviews, Tech

    No frills, all artsy thrills. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge I love black-and-white photography. I also adore compact cameras you can always have by your side. So I'm a total mark for the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome, a fixed-lens camera that can't zoom and can't record color - at all. It's a formula that makes the average person ask, "Why?" I've tested the GR IV Monochrome for over a month, taking it with me everywhere and photographing everything. Let me explain how this pricey little point-and-shoot is likely to go down as one of my all-time-favorite cameras. RICOH GR


Wired


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