Author: admin

The current wave of AI startups is unlike anything the tech world has seen before. Dozens of new labs are building their own foundation models, often led by famous researchers or former executives from major tech companies. Some of these teams clearly want to build massive, revenue-generating companies. Others seem perfectly content exploring ideas, publishing research, and letting investors worry about the rest. The problem? From the outside, it’s increasingly hard to tell who’s serious about making money. To make sense of this, it helps to think less about profits and more about intent. Instead of asking whether an AI…

A growing number of technology companies are experimenting with generative AI to create tools for children, but many of these products still rely heavily on text or voice-based interactions. For younger audiences, that approach often falls flat. A new startup called Sparkli, created by three former Google employees, is trying to change that by turning learning into an interactive, story-driven experience powered by AI. Sparkli was launched last year by Lax Poojary, Lucie Marchand, and Myn Kang. Two of the founders are parents, and their own experiences at home shaped the idea behind the app. When their children asked big…

Ireland is moving toward a major overhaul of its surveillance laws, with the government proposing legislation that would significantly expand the powers of police and security agencies to monitor digital communications — including the possible use of advanced spyware. This week, Irish officials confirmed plans to introduce the Communications (Interception and Lawful Access) Bill, a piece of legislation intended to modernize how authorities intercept communications in serious criminal and national security investigations. The bill aims to formally regulate “lawful interception,” a term commonly used to describe state-approved surveillance technologies, including sophisticated spyware tools developed by private vendors. According to Justice…

Apple has unveiled a new subscription offering designed to bring its most powerful creative tools under one roof. Called Creator Studio, the package bundles several of the company’s professional-grade apps and premium content into a single monthly or yearly plan aimed at video editors, musicians, designers, and students alike. Priced at $12.99 per month or $129 annually, Creator Studio unlocks access to six major creative applications. Subscribers can use Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and Pixelmator Pro on both Mac and iPad, while Motion, Compressor, and MainStage remain Mac-exclusive. The bundle also enhances Apple’s productivity apps—Pages, Numbers, and Keynote—by adding…

Despite growing resistance from communities across the U.S., major technology companies are pressing ahead with large-scale expansions of artificial intelligence infrastructure. Microsoft is the latest to outline its plans, unveiling a broad data center rollout paired with a set of assurances aimed at easing public concern—particularly around rising electricity bills. The company described its strategy as a “community-first” approach, signaling that it wants to change how people perceive data center development. While Microsoft has long made it clear that it intends to spend billions on AI-related infrastructure, this announcement stood out for its emphasis on local impact rather than technical…

Betterment, a well-known automated investing platform, has acknowledged a recent cybersecurity incident that exposed customer data and was used to deliver a fraudulent cryptocurrency message to users. The company confirmed that unauthorized actors accessed parts of its internal systems earlier this month through a deceptive social engineering scheme. According to Betterment, the breach occurred on January 9 and involved third-party services the firm relies on for marketing and operational support. By manipulating these external platforms, the attackers were able to gain limited access to internal tools without directly breaking into customer accounts. The information exposed during the incident included customer…

Skylight’s journey began with a simple digital photo frame, but the company has steadily evolved into something far more practical for modern households. Today, its focus is firmly on helping families coordinate busy lives through shared schedules, to-do lists, meal planning, and everyday reminders. At CES 2026, Skylight unveiled its newest device, the Calendar 2, a refreshed take on its popular family organization hub. The Calendar 2 strikes a middle ground in size and design. It’s slimmer and more refined than the original 15-inch model, yet more compact than the large 27-inch wall-mounted Calendar Max. Like earlier versions, it allows…

Google is reimagining how lessons are delivered by introducing an audio-first learning tool inside Google Classroom. Powered by Gemini, the new feature allows teachers to convert traditional lesson content into podcast-style audio episodes, offering students an alternative way to absorb and review material beyond textbooks and slides. The process is designed to be simple and flexible for educators. Within Google Classroom, teachers can open the Gemini section and begin shaping an audio lesson by selecting the grade level, defining the subject matter, and outlining learning goals. From there, the experience can be customized further. Educators can choose how many voices…

A dramatic act of digital protest unfolded last week when a hacktivist publicly dismantled several white supremacist websites during a live presentation at a major hacker conference in Germany. The takedown happened in real time, in front of a cheering audience — and the affected sites have yet to reappear online. The hacker, known by the alias Martha Root, took the stage at the Chaos Communication Congress in Hamburg wearing a Pink Ranger costume. At the conclusion of the talk, Root remotely deleted the servers behind three extremist platforms: WhiteDate, WhiteChild, and WhiteDeal. The presentation was delivered alongside investigative journalists…

For nearly four years, TikTok has been under intense scrutiny in the United States. Owned by China-based ByteDance, the short-form video app became a political flashpoint amid fears that American user data could be accessed by the Chinese government. Those concerns set off a chain reaction of legal threats, negotiations, and near-bans that repeatedly left U.S. users uncertain about the platform’s future. That uncertainty peaked earlier this year when TikTok briefly went dark in the U.S., only to reappear shortly afterward on Apple’s App Store and Google Play. Behind the scenes, however, negotiations were accelerating. After multiple deadline extensions, a…