FBI fights leaks by seizing Washington Post reporter’s phone, laptops, and watch

The FBI conducted an unprecedented search of a Washington Post reporter's home and seized her electronic devices as part of an investigation into leaked information from a Pentagon contractor. The reporter, Hannah Natanson, who has over 1,100 government contacts, was not the focus of the probe, according to investigators. The search has raised concerns about press freedom and the constitutional protections for journalists.

AI may be everywhere, but it's nowhere in recent productivity statistics

In an interview with The Register, Forrester's J. P. Gownder discusses how AI has not yet significantly impacted productivity, citing the Solow Paradox and statistics showing lower productivity growth despite technological advancements. He also notes that AI is not the primary driver of recent job losses, which are more often due to financial decisions and outsourcing.

Scientists Develop Spray-On Powder That Instantly Seals Life-Threatening Wounds

KAIST scientists have developed a spray-on powder hemostat that instantly seals life-threatening wounds in one second, significantly improving survival in combat and emergency medicine. The AGCL powder, composed of biocompatible natural materials, forms a strong hydrogel barrier when sprayed onto a wound, offering superior sealing performance and tissue regeneration effects. It is stable, easy to store, and effective in harsh environments, making it a potential breakthrough for emergency treatment on the battlefield and in disaster zones.

Trump, Ellison Wage War On ‘Woke Netflix’ In Effort To Scuttle Warner Brothers Deal, Dominate US Media

Trump and Larry Ellison are trying to stop Netflix's acquisition of Warner Brothers, citing it as 'woke' and dangerous. Ellison has attempted various strategies, including a hostile takeover and lawsuits, to thwart the deal. The article argues that while the acquisition may not be ideal, allowing Ellison to dominate U.S. media would be a worse outcome for democracy.

Boeing Knew About Flaws in UPS Plane That Crashed in Louisville, NTSB Says

TranslateGemma: A new family of open translation models

Google introduces TranslateGemma, a new family of open translation models built on Gemma 3, available in 4B, 12B, and 27B parameter sizes. These models, which cover 55 languages, are designed for diverse deployment environments and offer high-fidelity translation quality with greater efficiency. They outperform larger models in some cases and are built using a specialized two-stage fine-tuning process. Researchers and developers can access these models through Kaggle, Hugging Face, and Vertex AI.

Elon Musk's X Bans Access to ‘InfoFi’ Crypto Projects Amid ‘AI Slop’ Backlash

Elon Musk's X has banned access to 'InfoFi' crypto projects that reward users for posting on the platform, citing issues with AI slop and reply spam. Nikita Bier, Head of Product, announced the changes to API policies, revoking access to these projects. The decision led to a significant drop in the value of InfoFi tokens, with Kaito's token falling over 15%.

Apple is Fighting for TSMC Capacity as Nvidia Takes Center Stage

Apple's long-standing relationship with TSMC is facing challenges as the AI boom drives up demand for TSMC's high-powered chips, particularly from clients like Nvidia. Apple, which once dominated TSMC's customer base, now struggles to secure enough production capacity as it competes with AI companies for supply. TSMC's revenue surged 36% last year, fueled by a 48% growth in high-performance computing sales, driven by AI, while smartphone revenue growth slowed to 11%. The shift in demand from smartphones to AI chips means Apple may need to fight for TSMC capacity in the near term, though it remains a key client due to its diverse chip portfolio.

The Cyberattack In Venezuela Demonstrated The Precision Of US Capabilities

Spotify plans to raise its Premium subscription by $1 to $12.99/month in the US, Estonia, and Latvia, in its first US hike since July 2024

Spotify will increase its monthly premium subscription price to $12.99 in the United States, Estonia, and Latvia starting in February. The company has not observed significant customer churn despite recent price increases, emphasizing its focus on retaining existing users. The new pricing is part of Spotify's efforts to reinvest increased revenue into improving the platform and supporting creators. The company has 281 million premium subscribers and 713 million monthly active users.

Spotify to raise monthly subscription price to $12.99 in US and other markets

Spotify will increase its monthly premium subscription price to $12.99 in the United States, Estonia, and Latvia starting in February. The company has not observed significant customer churn despite recent price increases, emphasizing its focus on retaining existing users. The new pricing is part of Spotify's efforts to reinvest increased revenue into improving the platform and supporting creators. The company has 281 million premium subscribers and 713 million monthly active users.

Wikipedia turns 25 and shares a glimpse into the lives of its volunteer editors

Wikipedia celebrates its 25th anniversary with a docuseries featuring its volunteer editors and a digital time capsule, showcasing its journey and impact.

Supreme Court Hacked, Proving Its Cybersecurity Is As Robust As Its Ethical Code

A man from Tennessee is set to plead guilty to hacking the US Supreme Court's electronic filing system 25 times over two months, highlighting the federal judiciary's cybersecurity shortcomings.

Musk and Hegseth vow to “make Star Trek real” but miss the show’s lessons

This article discusses how SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's recent event, part of Hegseth's 'Arsenal of Freedom' tour, unintentionally highlighted the dangers of unchecked AI in military applications, as depicted in a 1988 episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Regulators say DoorDash and Uber Eats chiseled NYC delivery workers out of $550M in tips

City regulators have accused Uber and DoorDash of deliberately altering their app interfaces to discourage customers from tipping food delivery workers, costing employees over $550 million in tips over the last two years. The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection argues that the companies retaliated against minimum wage rules for delivery drivers by implementing 'design tricks' that obscure opportunities to offer a tip in their mobile apps. The average tip for DoorDash and Uber Eats drivers in the city fell from $2.17 to 76 cents per delivery after the companies made the changes to their apps.

Website that leaked thousands of ICE agents’ personal information is down after huge ‘Russian cyberattack,’ founder says

A website that leaked personal information about ICE officers and Border Patrol agents was reportedly subject to a sophisticated cyberattack, possibly originating from Russia, according to its founder, a Netherlands-based immigration activist. The attack, which disrupted access to the site, occurred as the founder prepared to release names obtained from a whistleblower. The Department of Homeland Security has condemned the website, stating it endangers the lives and families of law enforcement officers.

Trump enacts 25% tariff on chips — with a caveat

President Donald Trump has enacted a 25% tariff on certain advanced computing chips, including those from Nvidia and AMD, citing national security concerns. However, chips imported to support building up the US technological supply chain would be exempt, although the criteria for exemption are currently unclear. The White House has also warned of potential broader tariffs on semiconductors in the near future.

Parents can now put a time limit on YouTube Shorts scrolling

YouTube has introduced a new feature that allows parents to set time limits on their children's YouTube Shorts feed, ranging from fifteen minutes to two hours. This update adapts the Shorts time limit feature introduced in October for under-18 accounts. Additionally, parents can set custom reminders for bedtime and breaks, and adjust the content their kids' accounts can access. This move follows YouTube's efforts to identify and restrict minors' accounts using AI age estimation, and aligns with similar parental control measures on other social media platforms.

Digg, rebooted under original founder Kevin Rose and Alexis Ohanian, launches its open beta

Digg, a reboot of an earlier social news site, has launched its new Reddit rival to the public. The platform, now under the ownership of its original founder Kevin Rose and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, offers a website and mobile app for users to browse, post, comment, and upvote content across various communities. Digg aims to leverage AI to improve the social media landscape and enhance user trust through new verification technologies.

US tech giants allying with European far-right to strip back EU rules

A new report reveals that major US tech companies have been working with European far-right groups to weaken EU regulations on AI and data. The report, released by Corporate Europe Observatory and LobbyControl, claims that these tech giants have increased their meetings with far-right MEPs in the European Parliament. The European Commission's Digital Omnibus, which has delayed the AI Act and weakened GDPR protections, aligns closely with these companies' lobbying demands. The report raises concerns about the impact on EU citizens' digital rights and the potential for further entrenchment of dominant players in the market.

Waymo passenger jumps out of self-driving car after it stops on rail tracks near oncoming train

A Waymo self-driving car mistakenly drove onto Phoenix light rail tracks, prompting a passenger to exit the vehicle before it continued along the tracks near an oncoming train. This incident highlights the challenges of unexpected situations in autonomous vehicle technology, though experts believe these vehicles are generally safer than human drivers.

2026 May Be the Year of the Mega IPO

Verizon is down, with many users seeing 'SOS' – here's everything we know about this outage

This TechRadar live blog reports on a widespread Verizon outage affecting voice, text, and data services across multiple states in the US. Many users are seeing 'SOS' instead of network bars, indicating a loss of cellular connectivity. Verizon's engineering teams are investigating the issue but have not yet provided an estimated time for resolution.

California is investigating Elon Musk's Grok over sexualized images

Elon Musk claims he was unaware of Grok generating explicit images of minors

Elon Musk claims he was unaware of Grok generating explicit images of minors, as scrutiny of the AI tool intensifies worldwide. Musk's comment comes as xAI and X face growing global scrutiny, including calls by lawmakers and advocacy groups for Apple and Google to drop Grok from app stores, an investigation by UK regulators, and bans or legal action in countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia.

Gemini's new Personal Intelligence will look through your emails and photos - if you let it

Google has introduced Personal Intelligence, a feature for Gemini that scans your apps to provide more tailored assistance. It is off by default, available only to paid users initially, and does not train on sensitive data. The feature connects apps like Gmail, Photos, YouTube, and Search to pull specific details to improve responses. Privacy is a key concern, and Google assures that Gemini will not train directly on personal data. User feedback is crucial for refining the experience.