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Tue, Mar 3, 2026, 3:21 AM EST

Tech

AI Summary

  • Apple's latest product launches include the M4-powered iPad Air and the budget-friendly iPhone 17e, signaling continued innovation in their hardware lineup.
  • AI continues its rapid integration into tech, with companies like Stripe exploring monetization of AI costs and Cursor reportedly hitting significant revenue milestones.
  • The geopolitical landscape is impacting tech, as seen with the stalled IPO of SoftBank-backed PayPay and the controversial use of AI in military operations involving Iran.
  • The streaming wars are heating up with potential mergers like Paramount+ and HBO Max, alongside ongoing debates about AI's role and regulation within government and supply chains, particularly concerning Anthropic.
  • Concerns around data privacy and AI ethics persist, highlighted by Instagram's tracking practices, the emergence of smart glasses that detect nearby devices, and the ongoing discussion about AI-generated art and copyright.

TechCrunch


Hacker News


Engadget

  • OpenAI will amend Defense Department deal to prevent mass surveillance in the US 4 hours ago by Mariella Moon
    Politics & Government, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Mariella Moon

    OpenAI’s Sam Altman said the company will amend its deal with the Defense Department (or the Department of War) to explicitly prohibit the use of its AI system on mass surveillance against Americans. Altman has published an internal memo previously sent to employees on X, telling them that the company will tweak the agreement to add language to make that point especially clear. Specifically, it says: “Consistent with applicable laws, including the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, National Security Act of 1947, FISA Act of 1978, the AI system shall not be intentionally used for domestic surveillance of U.S.

  • Australia will consider requiring app stores to block AI services without age verification 11 hours ago by Anna Washenko
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko

    Australia's government may take a strict stance on ensuring younger users cannot access AI chatbots. Reuters reports that Australian regulators may require app storefronts to block AI services that do not implement age verification for restricting mature content by March 9.  "eSafety will use the full range of our powers where there is non-compliance," a representative for the commissioner said in a statement to the publication. Those paths could include "action in respect of gatekeeper services such as search engines and app stores that provide key points of access to particular ‌services." A review by Reuters found that of 50 leading text-based

  • Anthropic brings memory to Claude's free plan 11 hours ago by Igor Bonifacic
    Internet & Networking Technology, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Igor Bonifacic

    Anthropic is bringing another paid feature to Claude's free tier. The next time you chat with Claude, you'll have the option to have it reference your previous conversation to inform its outputs. Anthropic first made its chatbot capable of remembering past interactions last August, before giving it the ability to compartmentalize memories in the fall. Making memory a free feature is well-timed; earlier today Anthropic made it easier for users to import their past conversations with a competing chatbot to Claude. If after enabling memory you decide to turn it off, you can either pause the feature, preserving Claude’s memories for

  • Call of Duty will add Black Ops Royale, a new free game mode coming March 13 12 hours ago by Anna Washenko
    Video Games, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko

    Call of Duty is getting a new battle royale mode later this month. The popular first-person shooter will introduce Black Ops Royale as a free game mode on March 13.  Black Ops Royale pays homage to Blackout, the series' first foray into a battle royale game mode back in CoD: Black Ops 4. Matches will have 100 players dropping in as four-person teams. The mode takes place on the massive Avalon map, but there will be no familiar Warzone features like loadouts, the gulag, or buy stations. Instead, it's all about the scavenging the weapons from the recent Black Ops 7

  • Starlink's next-gen satellite network could provide 150 Mbps speeds by end of next year 14 hours ago by Jackson Chen
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Jackson Chen

    Starlink is getting ready to launch its second generation of satellites, and it's expected to match the speeds of a traditional terrestrial network. During a keynote at Mobile World Congress, Starlink execs detailed the roadmap for the company's upgrade towards the next generation of satellites called V2. "The goal of Starlink Mobile ... is to provide a terrestrial-like connectivity when you're connected to the satellite system," Michael Nicolls, SpaceX's senior vice president of Starlink engineering, said during the MWC keynote. "In the right conditions, it should look and feel like you're connected to a high-performing 5G terrestrial network." Nicolls detailed that the


The Verge

  • Anthropic upgrades Claude’s memory to attract AI switchers 11 hours ago by Stevie Bonifield
    AI, Anthropic, News, Tech

    Anthropic is making it easier to switch to its Claude AI from other chatbots with an update that brings Claude's memory feature to users on the free plan, along with a new prompt and dedicated tool for importing data from other chatbots. These upgrades could allow users who have been using rivals like OpenAI's ChatGPT or Google's Gemini to quickly copy the data their preferred AI has collected on them and bring it over to Anthropic's chatbot. That way, they don't have to "start over" teaching Claude the context and history their previous chatbot already knows. The option to import and

  • Apple’s cheapest AirPods have hit $89 11 hours ago by Sheena Vasani
    Apple, Deals, Gadgets, Tech, Verge Shopping

    The AirPods 4 are the best entry-level AirPods yet. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge It’s a good day for Apple fans on a budget. Not only did the company introduce a new budget phone, its entry-level AirPods 4 are also on sale. Right now, you can snag a pair of Apple’s AirPods 4 starting at just $89 ($30 off) at Walmart. The model with active noise-cancellation are also down to their second best price to date, going for $119 ($60 off) at Amazon and Walmart. AIRPODS 4 WHERE TO BUY: * $129 $89 at Walmart * $179 $119 at Amazon

  • How the new iPhone 17E stacks up against Apple’s pricier phones 13 hours ago by Sheena Vasani
    Apple, Deals, Gadgets, iPhone, Tech, Verge Shopping

    Unlike its predecessor, the iPhone 17E supports MagSafe. | Image: Apple The iPhone 17 lineup now has a “budget” option. Announced this week, the iPhone 17E will hit stores on Wednesday, March 11th, starting at $599, with preorders opening on March 4th. The 6.1-inch phone joins the rest of Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup, which includes the iPhone 17 ($799), the more powerful iPhone 17 Pro ($1,099), and the iPhone 17 Pro Max ($1,199), as well as the ultra-thin iPhone Air ($999). Unlike last year’s iPhone 16E, the 17E features MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging, along with the faster A19 chip found in

  • Apple might use Google servers to store data for its upgraded AI Siri 13 hours ago by Jay Peters
    AI, Apple, Google, Tech

    Apple has asked Google to look into "setting up servers" for a new version of Siri that's Gemini-powered and meets Apple's privacy requirements, The Information reports. Apple had already announced in January that Google's Gemini AI models would help power the upgraded version of Siri it delayed last year, but The Information's report indicates Apple might lean even more on Google so it can catch up in AI. The original partnership announcement said that "the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google's Gemini models and cloud technology," and that the models would "help power future Apple Intelligence

  • Mastodon now has a button for sharing content from other websites 13 hours ago by Stevie Bonifield
    News, Social Media, Tech

    Sharing content to Mastodon is getting easier with the addition of a universal "Share to Mastodon" button for the decentralized social media platform. Announced on Monday, the widget allows users to share content on any Mastodon server by connecting your Mastodon account and redirecting you to the server that account is on. The blog post announcing the feature also explains that the tool "works entirely in your browser: there is no tracking data, and it does not store any information on the server." Previously, a "share" widget wasn't available on Mastodon mainly due to the technical challenges that come with the


Wired

  • L.L.Bean Promo Codes and Deals: Up to 75% Off Outdoor Gear 3 hours ago by Julia Forbes
    Gear, Gear / Deals, Coupons

    Find the best L.L.Bean promo codes and coupons for 10% off your first order, major sale discounts, free shipping on $75+, and extra savings for select groups.

  • Lowe’s Promo Codes and Deals: Up to $300 Off Appliances 3 hours ago by Matthew Korfhage
    Gear, Gear / Deals, Coupons

    Find the latest Lowe’s promo codes and offers, including up to $300 off select major appliances and $5 off $50 with sign-up, here at WIRED.

  • What Is That Mysterious Metallic Device US Chief Design Officer Joe Gebbia Is Using? 8 hours ago by Reece Rogers
    Gear, Gear / Gear News and Events, Gear / Products / Headphones, Unidentified, Hardware, Object

    Gebbia was reportedly spotted at a San Francisco coffee shop using an unidentified pair of earbuds with a circular disc that looks similar to the device seen in a recent OpenAI hoax ad.

  • The ‘European’ Jolla Phone Is an Anti-Big-Tech Smartphone 9 hours ago by Julian Chokkattu
    Gear, Gear / Gear News and Events, Gear / Products / Phones, MWC, 2026

    The Finnish company Jolla is back with the Linux-powered Jolla Phone. It’s being positioned as an antidote to the US-dominated smartphone status quo of Android and iOS.

  • This AI Agent Is Ready to Serve, Mid-Phone Call 9 hours ago by Boone Ashworth
    Gear, Gear / Gear News and Events, Gear / Products / Phones, Das, Labs

    Deutsche Telekom, the German cell provider—which holds a majority stake in T-Mobile—is partnering with ElevenLabs to enable an AI assistant on all of its network’s calls in Germany. No app required.


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