Artificial Intelligence
Is the Pentagon allowed to surveil Americans with AI?
Summary
The ongoing public feud between the Department of Defense and AI company Anthropic over its technology has raised a deep open question: does the law actually allow the US government to conduct mass surveillance on Americans? Surprisingly, the answer is not straightforward. More than a decade after Edward Snowden exposed the NSA’s collection of bulk metadata from the phones of Americans, the US is still navigating a gap between what ordinary people think is surveillance and what the law allows. The flashpoint in the standoff between Anthropic and the government was the Pentagon’s desire to use Anthropic’s AI Claude to analyze bulk commercial data collected from Americans. Anthropic demanded its AI not be used for mass domestic surveillance (or for autonomous weapons, which are machines that can kill targets without…
Microsoft has a new plan to prove what’s real and what’s AI online
Summary
AI-enabled deception now permeates our online lives. There are the high-profile cases you may easily spot, like when White House officials recently shared a manipulated image of a protester in Minnesota and then mocked those asking about it. Other times, it slips quietly into social media feeds and racks up views, like the videos that Russian influence campaigns are currently spreading to discourage Ukrainians from enlisting. It is into this mess that Microsoft has put forward a blueprint, shared with MIT Technology Review on Thursday, for how to prove what’s real online. An AI safety research team at the company recently evaluated how methods for documenting digital manipulation are faring against today’s most worrying AI developments, like interactive deepfakes and widely accessible hyperrealistic models. It then recommended technical standards that…
Hyperscale AI data centers: 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2026
Summary
In sprawling stretches of farmland and industrial parks, supersized buildings packed with racks of computers are springing up to fuel the AI race. These engineering marvels are a new species of infrastructure: supercomputers designed to train and run large language models at mind-bending scale, complete with their own specialized chips, cooling systems, and even energy supplies. Hyperscale AI data centers bundle hundreds of thousands of specialized computer chips called graphics processing units (GPUs), such as Nvidia’s H100s, into synchronized clusters that work like one giant supercomputer. These chips excel at processing massive amounts of data in parallel. Hundreds of thousands of miles of fiber-optic cables connect the chips like a nervous system, letting them communicate at lightning speed. Enormous storage systems continuously feed data to the chips as the facilities…
The ascent of the AI therapist
Summary
We’re in the midst of a global mental-health crisis. More than a billion people worldwide suffer from a mental-health condition, according to the World Health Organization. The prevalence of anxiety and depression is growing in many demographics, particularly young people, and suicide is claiming hundreds of thousands of lives globally each year. Given the clear demand for accessible and affordable mental-health services, it’s no wonder that people have looked to artificial intelligence for possible relief. Millions are already actively seeking therapy from popular chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude, or from specialized psychology apps like Wysa and Woebot. On a broader scale, researchers are exploring AI’s potential to monitor and collect behavioral and biometric observations using wearables and smart devices, analyze vast volumes of clinical data for new insights,…
Business & Finance
Trump’s immigration crackdown is backfiring by hurting the U.S.-born workers it was meant to help, data shows
Summary
More than one year into the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, there’s little to suggest White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller has achieved his goal of boosting the U.S.-born workforce by closing borders. A National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) policy brief published this month noted from February 2025 to February 2026, labor force participation for U.S.-born workers aged 16 and older actually fell from 61.4% to 61%, citing jobs data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That dip in the U.S.-born labor force—part of a larger labor market slowdown that saw just 181,000 jobs added to the U.S. economy in 2025—coincided with a swath of actions meant to curb immigration. This included roughly $170 billion in immigration enforcement funding, counting $75 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement through…
Man hailed as a hero for finding the Ship of Gold and then jailed for losing the coins now released after a decade in prison
Summary
A former deep-sea treasure hunter who made one of the great shipwreck discoveries in American history and spent more than a decade in jail after refusing to disclose the whereabouts of some of its missing gold coins is now out of prison, federal records show. Tommy Thompson, who in 1988 located what was known as the Ship of Gold off the coast of South Carolina, was released last Wednesday, according to federal Bureau of Prisons records reviewed by The Associated Press. Thompson, an Ohio-born research scientist, was hailed as a hero after finding the S.S. Central America and its thousands of pounds of sunken treasure that sat at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean for more than 150 years. But in the decades that followed, he battled with investors who accused him…
Gen Z is already nostalgic for TikTok—and the platform is only 6 years old
Summary
It started, as most cultural alarms do, on TikTok itself. Earlier this year, a wave of young users began flooding their For You Pages with a simple, mournful question that was dubbed “the great meme reset of 2026.” There was one clear message: Where did the old TikTok go? The scrappy, chaotic, 15-second clips that once made the app feel like a carnival in your pocket have given way to something slower, more polished, and far more familiar. Gen Z, the generation that built TikTok into a cultural juggernaut, is now nostalgic for it—and that nostalgia suggests that TikTok is turning into something else. Seventy-nine percent of Gen Z TikTok users say they miss the early days of the platform, according to a new Harris Poll report, a striking number…
Pentagon says 7th U.S. service member has died in Mideast war after being injured in Iranian attack on Saudi Arabia
Summary
Israel has struck southern Lebanon, Beirut and an oil storage facility in Tehran as the war in the Middle East keeps escalating, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised “many surprises” for the next phase of the conflict. Iran also hit a desalination plant in Bahrain. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a U.S. airstrike damaged an Iranian desalination plant on Qeshm Island, warning that in doing so “the U.S. set this precedent, not Iran.” Such infrastructure is critical for drinking water supplies in the parched deserts of the Gulf. An Israeli attack on an oil storage facility in Tehran sent up pillars of fire that could be seen in Associated Press video as a glow against the Saturday night sky. It appeared to be the first time a civil industrial facility has been targeted in the war. The…
Education
Education Department Takes a Preliminary Step Toward Revamping Its Research and Statistics Arm
Summary
In his first two months in office, President Donald Trump ordered the closing of the Education Department and fired half of its staff. The department’s research and statistics division, called the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), was particularly hard hit. About 90 percent of its staff lost their jobs and more than 100 federal contracts to conduct its primary activities were canceled. But now there are signs that the Trump administration is partially reversing course and wants the federal government to retain a role in generating education statistics and evidence for what works in classrooms — at least to some extent. On Sept. 25, the department posted a notice in the Federal Register asking the public to submit feedback by Oct. 15 on reforming IES to make research more relevant…
How the New Dietary Guidelines Could Impact School Meals
Summary
Putting together a school meal isn’t easy. “It is a puzzle essentially,” said Lori Nelson of the Chef Ann Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes scratch cooking in schools. “When you think about the guidelines, there’s so many different pieces that you have to meet. You have to meet calorie minimums and maximums for the day and for the week. You have to meet vegetable subgroup categories.” Districts that receive federal funding for school meals — through, for example, the National School Lunch Program — must follow rules set by the Department of Agriculture (USDA). And those rules may be changing soon. In early January, the Department of Health and Human Services and the USDA unveiled new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, along with a new food pyramid. The USDA sets school…
PEN America Warns of Rise in Books ‘Systematically Removed From School Libraries’
Summary
PEN America released its list of the most-banned books of the 2024-2025 school year on Wednesday – and warned that the number of books challenged or banned in public school districts across the country has risen exponentially in the past two years. The group dedicated to free expression counted 6,870 bans during the past academic year. While that’s down from a total of 10,046 bans imposed during the 2023-24 school year, it’s still a sharp rise from the period of 2021-2023, which averaged just under 3,000 incidents of book banning each year, in what it calls a “disturbing normalization of censorship” in public schools. PEN America defines a school book ban as “any action taken against a book based on its content and as a result of parent or community…
A New Nation’s Report Card Shows Drops in Science, Math and Reading Scores
Summary
New test scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card, show eighth-graders’ science scores have fallen 4 points since 2019 and 12th-graders’ math and reading scores have fallen 3 points in the same time period. The tests were administered between January and March 2024. This is the first NAEP score release since the Trump administration began making cuts to the U.S. Education Department. Those cuts, included laying off more than half the workers at the Institute of Education Sciences, IES, the arm of the department charged with measuring student achievement and overseeing and processing the data that comes from the tests students take. After those cuts, the department also canceled about a dozen national and state assessments of student progress through 2032…
Entertainment
T Bone Burnett Looks Back at ‘O Brother Where Art Thou’ Soundtrack’s Legacy of Shining a Spotlight on ‘Incredibly Talented’ & ‘Underappreciated’ Artists
Summary
In 2000, The Coen Brothers film O Brother, Where Art Thou? utilized a collection of songs that represented a broad canvas of blues, bluegrass, Gospel and country to help drive a tale set in 1930s Mississippi during the Great Depression, chronicling the story of trio of chain gang escapees, portrayed by George Clooney, Tim Blake Nelson and John Turturro. Those songs were foundational to the movie, as prior to its filming, producer, songwriter and musician T Bone Burnett assembled a group of artists to create the movie’s 19-song soundtrack. The result was an unexpected runaway hit, which cast a national spotlight on a rich catalog of timeless songs and artists including Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, The Fairfield Four, Dan Tyminski and Ralph Stanley, while also featuring select original recordings from…
‘Tehran’ producer Dana Eden found dead in Athens hotel room while filming new season: “A moment of great sorrow”
Summary
Dana Eden, a producer on the Apple TV hit spy thriller series Tehran, was found dead at the age of 52 on Sunday (February 15) in a hotel room in Athens, Greece. No cause of death has yet been confirmed, but Reuters quoted local police officials as saying that they’re currently treating it as a potential suicide, based on early evidence and testimonies. Eden was in the capital filming the fourth season of the Apple TV+ series, and the publication added that Greek investigators found pills at the scene, and a coroner found bruises on Eden’s neck. “This is a moment of great sorrow for the family, friends, and colleagues,” production company Donna and Shula Productions said in a statement, per The Hollywood Reporter. The address also appeared to address…
Casey Wasserman to sell namesake agency after Epstein files fallout
Summary
Casey Wasserman is planning to sell his namesake agency amid escalating fallout over his mentions in the newly released Epstein files. On Friday (February 13), the CEO and founder of the sports and music agency put the agency on the market, informing staff of the move in an internal memo that pointed to the ongoing controversy and recent client departures, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. In the memo, Wasserman wrote: “At this moment, I believe that I have become a distraction to those efforts. That is why I have begun the process of selling the company, an effort that is already underway.” He added that Wasserman president Mike Watts would assume day-to-day control of the business, while he focuses on his role leading the Los Angeles…
Actor Bud Cort, star of cult film ‘Harold and Maude’ has died, aged 77
Summary
Actor Bud Cort, star of cult film Harold and Maude has died, aged 77. The actor had his breakout role in the cult classic in 1971, where he starred alongside Ruth Gordon. His death was confirmed by close friend Dorian Hannaway, a writer and producer who said Cort died following “a long illness” (as per the BBC). Reports suggest the actor died at his home in Connecticut, while a memorial service is reportedly set to be held in Los Angeles. Cort was a veteran actor of stage and screen and appeared in more than 80 films and TV shows during his career, including Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Coyote Ugly, Arrested Development and the series Ugly Betty. Yet it was his portrayal as a death-obsessed young man Harold who…
Environment & Sustainability
About Subsonic Vehicle Technologies and Tools Project
Summary
2 min read About Subsonic Vehicle Technologies and Tools Project An advanced vehicle concept. NASA Project Overview NASA’s Subsonic Vehicle Technologies and Tools (SVTT) project develops technologies and tools for various types of aircraft that fly in different speed regimes, including next-generation vertical take-off and landing and fixed-wing subsonic aircraft. The research advances knowledge, technologies, and concepts that enable major steps to lowering operating costs of the next-generation single-aisle aircraft. SVTT also develops computer modeling and simulation tools to study the noise and performance of multi-rotor urban air mobility vehicles. Purpose SVTT subsonic aircraft research enables revolutionary advancements in future aircraft performance to keep the nation ahead of global competitors. Next-Generation Fixed-Wing Aircraft SVTT works to advance the next-generation single-aisle aircraft through efficient airframes, reduced fuel consumption and noise, and…
Subsonic Vehicle Technologies and Tools (SVTT) Project
Summary
Subsonic Vehicle Technologies and Tools (SVTT) Project NASA’s Subsonic Vehicle Technologies and Tools (SVTT) project develops technologies and tools for a wide array of subsonic air vehicle applications, ranging from next-generation vertical take-off and landing to transonic, fixed-wing aircraft. The research advances knowledge, technologies, and concepts that enable major steps to lowering operating costs of the next-generation single-aisle aircraft. SVTT also develops computer modeling and simulation tools to study the noise and performance of multi-rotor urban air mobility vehicles. Learn More About SVTT about Subsonic Vehicle Technologies and Tools (SVTT) Project project manager Tony Nerone deputy pm Noah Schiller Latest SVTT Project News Article 2 Min Read About Subsonic Vehicle Technologies and Tools Project Article 1 Min Read High-Speed Flight Project Overview 2 Min Read About Advanced Air Vehicles Program…
Computational Modeling of Failure at the Fabric Weave Level in Reentry Parachute Energy Modulators
Summary
Download PDF: Computational Modeling of Failure at the Fabric Weave Level in Reentry Parachute Energy Modulators Energy modulators (EM) are textile mechanical devices designed to dissipate snatch loads that occur when parachutes are deployed. Although critical for mitigating shock loads, recent flight testing has shown increasing variability in EM behavior, raising concerns about their performance predictability and potential failure under dynamic loading conditions. In response, a novel approach was implemented to create a computational model of an EM at the fabric weave level using the simulation software, LS-DYNA. This work was organized into two primary objectives: (1) development of a per-unit stitch model capturing the geometry and material behavior of the EM stitching pattern, and (2) implementation of a Python script to duplicate the unit model along the full length of an…
As gas prices soar, Trump is ignoring the lessons of the last oil crisis
Summary
During the infamous oil embargo of 1973, when the world’s petroleum-producing countries stopped exporting to the United States during the Yom Kippur War, the effects on the U.S. were disastrous. Gasoline prices jumped by almost 50 percent, gas stations had to ration fuel, and lines at the pump snaked for miles. President Richard Nixon announced desperate measures to save energy, from asking workers to start their day an hour earlier to pleading with citizens not to put up Christmas lights. More than 50 years later, war in the Middle East has once again stalled the flow of much of the world’s oil. Around 20 percent of global petroleum exports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which is effectively closed as it remains near the center of hostilities that began when…
Food & Travel
Is Mexico Safe Right Now? What US Travelers Should Know
Summary
Mexico is experiencing localized travel disruptions after a federal security operation in Jalisco on February 22, according to reporting by the Associated Press. The country remains open to tourism, but there are developments travelers should be aware of. Mexican authorities confirmed the operation targeted a senior leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). In the hours that followed, roadblocks and vehicle fires were reported in parts of Jalisco, the western Mexican state that includes the beach resort of Puerto Vallarta and the city of Guadalajara. Mexico’s Defense Secretariat confirmed the operation and said intelligence cooperation with the United States took place, noting that information “was provided” by US authorities while Mexican forces conducted the mission. President Claudia Sheinbaum said that “in most of the national territory, activities are developing…
Dodging the “King of Fruits”: Inside the Dangerous Durian Plantations of Raub, Malaysia
Summary
People in the United States usually only mention durian in the form of a punchline. It’s the spiky “King of Fruits” that’s banned on trains and in hotels thanks to a potent sulfur, sewage, rotting smell. The sweet-savory custard flavor that makes it so appealing despite the aroma is often forgotten in the viral videos and meme-ready headlines. So too is the multi-billion dollar (and growing) economy behind this fruit that sends massive shipments from Southeast Asia into China and around the world. The biggest oversight, however, is of the farmers and families who have built a life around durian. Ian Poh Jin Tze has spent years documenting the people and places behind Southeast Asia’s most iconic ingredients. In his book, “Behind The Scenes: Lives of These Unsung Heroes,” the…
Is Your Favorite National Park at Risk During the Shutdown? It Depends on the State.
Summary
The federal government’s shutdown had an immediate impact, that will be increasingly felt for however long the shutdown continues, on the National Park Service. According to the AP, parks remain “generally” open, but services are pared back, facilities may be closed, and most staff are furloughed. This follows what has already been a tumultuous year that has seen deep staffing cuts and high visitation. The agency is leaning on limited fee revenue and skeleton crews to keep access open while protecting life and property — a trade-off that will vary widely by site. Certain states working to keep parks open Utah officials said the state will support keeping its “Mighty 5” (Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion) accessible during the lapse, though visitors should expect minimal services. Colorado…
Hotel Prices Keep Climbing in New York City 2 Years After Airbnb Crackdown
Summary
Two years after New York City’s sweeping crackdown on Airbnb, visitors looking for affordable accommodations in the Big Apple face an even more expensive new reality in a city already known for being pricey. New data shows that short-term rentals are all but erased from the five boroughs, and hotel prices are continuing to go up. In July 2025, the average nightly rate for a hotel room in NYC hit $283, a 7 percent increase over two years prior, according to data from CoStar first published in the Wall Street Journal. Fall and into the holiday season sees much higher nightly rates — last year September had a record-setting month where average rates reached $417 per night. These spikes are not temporary: occupancy has outpaced 2023 levels in every month…
Gaming
3 months after revealing his debut project at The Game Awards, Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi loses NetEase funding for his studio
Summary
Just three months after the world premier trailer for Nagoshi Studio's upcoming Gang of Dragon was revealed at the 2025 Game Awards, a Bloomberg report (via GamesIndustry) says NetEase has decided to end funding for the studio in May.Nagoshi Studio was founded by Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi in 2021, after a 32-year run at Sega. He said in 2022 that his new studio's first game would be "bigger" than those of the Yakuza series, although he dialed that back a bit in 2024, saying at the time that the studio was reining in the scope. It took until The Game Awards in 2025 before we actually got a look at the game, though, and even that really wasn't anything to go on: Basically just a brief CGI clip of Ma…
Valve quickly updates its own Steam Machine update, recommitting to a 2026 launch despite AI woes: ‘Nothing’s really changed on our end’
Summary
As reported by The Verge, Valve has responded to confusion about its release schedule for the Steam Frame, Controller, and Machine, reaffirming that the devices will come out in 2026 despite the AI-driven squeeze on PC hardware. Valve's 2025 year in review post initially made it sound like a 2027 delay was in the cards for the much-anticipated new tech. Valve communications lead Kaci Aitchison Boyle told The Verge that "nothing has really changed on our end," while the year in review post at the heart of the story has been updated to have more definitive, confident language about a 2026 release window for the hardware. Original wording: "We hope to ship in 2026, but as we shared recently, memory and storage shortages have created challenges for us. We'll share…
The Pokémon Company criticises Trump administration’s use of its imagery in political memes, says Pokémon is apolitical, Trump spokesman uses decade-old Clinton post to accuse them of bias
Summary
The Pokémon Company International has criticised the Trump administration's use of its characters and imagery in political meme posts. The latest example was a still image from the newly released Pokopia that has been altered to feature the slogan "Make America Great Again", with series mascot Pikachu poking out from behind the "e" in "Make". "We were not involved in its creation or distribution, and no permission was granted for the use of our intellectual property," said Pokémon spokeswoman Sravanthi Dev (thanks, BBC). "Our mission is to bring the world together, and that mission is not affiliated with any political viewpoint or agenda." The Pokémon Company has previously criticised the White House for the use of Pokémon imagery in what Trump administration spokeswoman Abigail Jackson has previously described as "engaging…
‘We see everything’: Report says Meta’s AI smart glasses footage is reviewed by human contractors who see far more than they bargained for, which has led to a new lawsuit against the company
Summary
Meta's Ray-Ban AI smart glasses have been at the center of many privacy concerns since their release, particularly as the data the glasses are capable of capturing can be sent back to Meta for training purposes. In a joint report, Swedish newspapers Svenska Dagbladet and Göteborgs-Posten spoke to workers of Sama, a Kenya-based subcontractor that is claimed to provide human-led data annotation for video and audio captured by the Ray-Ban Meta glasses (via Ars Technica). According to the authors, several of the workers they spoke to reported seeing extremely private footage, and that wearers of the glasses may be unaware their private lives are being recorded for human review. "We see everything—from living rooms to naked bodies. Meta has that type of content in its databases", said one of the…
Health & Wellness
You don’t need to be very altruistic to stop an epidemic
Summary
Reducing social contact is widely understood to slow disease spread, but because there is no personal health benefit gained from self-isolating, this would seem to require some concern for others. But how much do you have to care about others before you would choose to self-isolate when sick? Even people who are only barely altruistic still choose to self-isolate when infected, suggesting it may be a natural survival strategy, finds a new University of Warwick-led study. Reducing social contact is widely understood to slow disease spread, but because there is no personal health benefit gained from self-isolating, this would seem to require some concern for others. But how much do you have to care about others before you would choose to self-isolate when sick? Even people who are only barely…
Rising temperature may shift sex ratios at birth, analysis of five million births finds
Summary
"Temperature and sex ratios at birth," a new study led by researchers at the Department of Sociology at the University of Oxford and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides new evidence that higher temperatures can influence the sex ratio at birth, with important implications for population health and gender balance in a warming world. The study analyzes more than five million births across 33 sub-Saharan African countries and India. By linking large-scale survey data with high-resolution temperature records, the authors examine how exposure to heat during pregnancy affects the sex ratio at birth. "Temperature and sex ratios at birth," a new study led by researchers at the Department of Sociology at the University of Oxford and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides…
New imaging technique could transform precision of vocal fold injection procedures
Summary
Researchers at Stanford University, in collaboration with scientists at the German Cancer Institute, have shown for the first time that shortwave infrared (SWIR) imaging can be used to visualize injectable filler materials during injection laryngoplasty, a common procedure used to treat vocal fold paralysis and other forms of glottic insufficiency. The findings, published in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, of this novel visualization technique could pave the way for precision-guided techniques in laryngeal surgery. Researchers at Stanford University, in collaboration with scientists at the German Cancer Institute, have shown for the first time that shortwave infrared (SWIR) imaging can be used to visualize injectable filler materials during injection laryngoplasty, a common procedure used to treat vocal fold paralysis and other forms of glottic insufficiency. The findings, published in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck…
AI chatbots may worsen mental illness
Summary
People with mental illness who use AI chatbots risk experiencing a worsening of their condition. This is shown by a new study published in the journal Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. The researchers screened electronic health records from nearly 54,000 patients with mental illness and found several cases in which the use of AI chatbots appears to have had negative consequences—primarily in the form of worsened delusions, but also potential worsening of mania, suicidal ideation, and eating disorder. People with mental illness who use AI chatbots risk experiencing a worsening of their condition. This is shown by a new study published in the journal Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. The researchers screened electronic health records from nearly 54,000 patients with mental illness and found several cases in which the use of AI chatbots appears…
Lifestyle
Your Android Phone Will Soon Be Able to Help Airlines Find Your Lost Luggage
Summary
Android users will soon be able to use tracking devices to coordinate lost luggage recovery directly with airlines. The feature, one of many announced as part of Google's March Pixel Drop, generates a Find Hub link for compatible trackers that can be shared with airlines to help locate bags that have gone missing transit. Apple rolled out a similar feature for AirTags in late 2024, called Share Item Location. iOS users can temporarily share the location of a Find My accessory with their airline to help find lost luggage. It's important to note that AirTags (and other tracking tags, including those compatible with Android's Find Hub) aren't real-time trackers, as they generally rely on pinging other internet-connected devices nearby to share their whereabouts. Share Item Location for AirTags is currently…
Watch Out for This Phone Delivery Scam
Summary
If you order a new smartphone to be delivered to your home, you may be a target for scammers. Fraudsters are impersonating representatives from mobile carriers, calling customers and claiming that they've been sent the wrong device and need to return it. Obviously, if you follow through, scammers get to keep your phone—they may either to sell it or activate it using your information to perpetrate identity fraud. Scams centered on stealing high-value tech aren't anything new. In addition to regular porch pirating, thieves have been known to knock on doors, posing as couriers or company representatives attempting to recover a "wrongly delivered" item. Fraudsters have also used fake Find My alerts to gain access to lost or stolen iPhones. How the phone return scam works As an editor at…
Google Made an iPhone Camera App That Might Be Even Better Than Apple’s
Summary
Google acquired the excellent photo editor Snapseed back in 2012—not long after Apple had crowned it one of its apps of the year—and despite having plenty to offer and being completely free to use, it remains one of Google's lesser-known apps. That might be about to change. Snapseed's latest update for iOS, version 3.15.0, comes with a full camera app inside—and there's a case to be made that it's better than Apple's default Camera app. It certainly offers more in the way of manual shooting controls, with the added benefit of an entire integrated suite of editing features. Using Snapseed's built-in camera on iPhone Once you've installed or updated Snapseed to the latest version, you'll see the new camera icon up in the top right corner. While you can start…
Microsoft Is Now Testing a ‘Built-In’ Network Speed Test Tool in Windows 11
Summary
When your internet isn't as fast as it should be, it can be helpful to check a network speed test tool. If the results are slower than expected, you'll know it's your network that's acting up. If it's performing well, perhaps it's the website in question, your web browser, or the device itself that's in need of a tune up. You have plenty of options across the internet to choose from, of course, but if you have a PC, you're about to get one built right into the OS—at least, in theory. Windows' "built-in" network speed test tool is really a shortcut As part of the latest Release Preview Channel update for Windows 11 Insiders, Microsoft rolled out a network speed test tool, though "shortcut" might be a more appropriate…
Marketing & SEO
Meta is passing Europe’s digital taxes directly to advertisers
Summary
Starting July 1st, Meta will add “location fees” to ad buys targeting users in six countries — effectively offloading the cost of European digital services taxes onto the advertisers themselves. The numbers. Fees will match each country’s digital services tax rate: France, Italy, Spain: 3% Austria, Turkey: 5% UK: 2% How it works in practice. Per Meta’s email to advertisers — “$100 in ads delivered to Italy will cost $103, plus any applicable VAT on top of that.” The fine print. The fees apply to where the ad is delivered, not where the advertiser is based — meaning a US brand running campaigns targeting French users will pay the French rate regardless. Why we care. This is a direct, unavoidable cost increase hitting European campaigns on July 1 — with…
Court restricts Perplexity’s AI shopping bot from accessing Amazon
Summary
Perplexity AI must stop using its Comet browser agent to make purchases on Amazon. A federal judge sided with Amazon in an early ruling over AI shopping bots. Why we care. The case targets a core promise of AI agents: completing tasks like shopping on a user’s behalf. If courts restrict how agents access sites, AI agents could face strict limits when interacting with logged-in accounts on major websites. What happened. U.S. District Judge Maxine Chesney granted Amazon a preliminary injunction Monday in San Francisco federal court. The order blocks Perplexity from using its Comet browser agent to access password-protected parts of Amazon, including Prime subscriber accounts. Chesney wrote that Amazon presented “strong evidence” that Comet accessed accounts “with the Amazon user’s permission but without authorization by Amazon.” The ruling…
The AI writing tics that hurt engagement: A study
Summary
The web has strong opinions about what “AI-written” content looks like, and even stronger ones about what’s supposedly wrong with it. Scroll any content marketer’s LinkedIn feed, and you’ll find confident claims that em dashes and other AI “tells” signal bad, automated writing. The problem with these debates is that they often confuse taste with performance. What counts as “bad writing” will always be subjective. But if the goal for content marketers is to communicate clearly and compete in the information marketplace, the practical question should be: which LLM habits actually turn readers off? To find out, we analyzed a large dataset of content marketing pages to identify which AI writing “tics” we see most often called out to understand which are turning off readers — and the ones we…
OpenAI begins testing ads inside ChatGPT
Summary
OpenAI is rolling out its first live test of ads in ChatGPT, placing sponsored messages directly inside the app for some users. The details. According to CNBC, the ads will appear in a clearly labeled section beneath the chat interface rather than inside responses. The format is designed to keep ads visually separate from ChatGPT’s answers. OpenAI will show ads to logged-in users on the free tier and its lower-cost Go subscription. The company says advertisers won’t see users’ conversations and won’t influence ChatGPT’s responses, though ads will be optimized based on what OpenAI considers helpful to the user. What else is coming. In an internal memo cited by CNBC, CEO Sam Altman told employees an updated chat model is expected this week. He also said ChatGPT is again exceeding…
Politics & Society
CDC Director Susan Monarez ousted just weeks after confirmation
Summary
Susan Monarez, the longtime government scientist recently confirmed as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has been let go from her position after less than a month in the role. A source familiar with the situation confirmed to The Hill that Monarez is ousted as CDC director. The Senate confirmed her on July 29. The Washington Post was first to report Monarez's firing. The Hill has reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services for comment. Prior to being nominated to lead the CDC, Monarez had served as acting CDC Director shortly after the start of the second Trump administration. She previously served as deputy director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). President Trump chose Monarez as his second choice after…
Suspected Minnesota shooter’s rifle magazine had ‘Kill Donald Trump’ inscription
Summary
The suspected shooter who killed two children at a Minnesota church on Wednesday wrote incendiary messages on gun magazines, including one that read “Kill Donald Trump.” The images appeared in a manifesto posted online around the same time as the shooting on Wednesday morning. The manifesto included a lengthy written note from the suspected shooter as well. The video had been taken down from YouTube as of late Wednesday afternoon. The video also showed messages written on rifle magazines that said "For the Children" and "Where is your God." "This level of violence is unthinkable," said Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, in a post on X where she discussed the messages. "Our deepest prayers are with the children, parents, families, educators, and Christians everywhere. We mourn with them,…
Trump ramps up DC power grab
Summary
President Trump is ramping up his power grab over Washington, D.C., on everything from the city’s law enforcement to a takeover of its transportation hub and key cultural center. He’s called for the death penalty in D.C. murder cases, cleared out homeless encampments, and is promising to fix everything from fences to light fixtures in what he calls a “beautification” of the city. On Wednesday, his Transportation secretary also announced a takeover of managing Union Station, where National Guard troops have been stationed for weeks. It marked the latest escalation by Trump to encroach on the city’s key institutions and landmarks, and that timing, according to a source close to Trump World, is no coincidence ahead of Congress coming back. “Trump is on very firm political footing on this issue.…
Nvidia revenue jumped 56 percent last year, beats Wall Street expectations
Summary
Nvidia reported a solid jump in second-quarter revenue Wednesday, beating Wall Street expectations for its highly anticipated earnings report. The chipmaker reported $46.7 billion in second-quarter revenue, up 6 percent from the previous quarter and 56 percent over the past year. Wall Street analysts had forecasted revenue of roughly $46 billion, according to consensus estimates. Nvidia has become one of the most powerful and richest U.S. technology companies amid the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, including generative AI chatbots and image generators, which use immense computing power. Nvidia has risen to prominence as the top U.S. manufacturer of the semiconductor chips widely used to run AI programs. The company has also found itself caught in the crossfire of the U.S-China battle over AI. Nvidia and AMD, another major U.S.…
Science
Ice to Fuel: NASA Tests Technology for Refueling Landers
Summary
3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA engineers Jonathan Davis, left, and Markus Perkins inspect a flight-like cryocooler developed by Creare LLC prior to its integration into the CryoFILL system NASA is testing. Engineers are working inside NASA Glenn Research Center’s Creek Road Cryogenics Complex on Sept. 24, 2025. Credit: NASA/Jef Janis The farther the destination, the more fuel a rocket needs. The more fuel the rocket carries, the heavier the spacecraft. The heavier the spacecraft, the more fuel it requires to launch. Experts at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland are testing technology that could solve this problem. The CryoFILL (Cryogenic Fluid In-Situ Liquefaction for Landers) project could transform the way NASA fuels future space exploration missions, reducing costs and extending the duration of planetary surface operations. “If you think about how much fuel your spacecraft would need to go to Mars and come home, it’s…
La NASA compartirá información actualizada sobre la evaluación de aptitud para el vuelo de Artemis II
Summary
El transportador oruga 2 de la NASA, que traslada el cohete Sistema de Lanzamiento Espacial con la nave espacial Orion de la misión Artemis II de la agencia, llega el 25 de febrero de 2026 al interior del Edificio de Ensamblaje de Vehículos del Centro Espacial Kennedy de la NASA en Florida para solucionar el problema del flujo de helio a la etapa superior del cohete (la etapa de propulsión criogénica provisional). Una vez completado, el cohete regresará al Complejo de Lanzamiento 39B para prepararse para lanzar a cuatro astronautas en el vuelo de prueba Artemis II alrededor de la Luna y de vuelta. Crédito: NASA/Cory Huston Read this media advisory in English here. La NASA ofrecerá una rueda de prensa a las 3 p.m. EDT (hora del este) del jueves…
NASA Astronauts to Answer Questions from Students in New York
Summary
NASA astronaut Chris Williams calls mission controllers during Crew Medical Officer training while inside the International Space Station’s Destiny laboratory module. NASA/Jessica Meir Students in New York will hear from NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway and Chris Williams as they answer prerecorded science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) questions while aboard the International Space Station. The Earth-to-space call will begin at 12:05 p.m. EDT Wednesday, March 11, and will stream live on the agency’s Learn With NASA YouTube channel. This event is hosted by the Queens Borough Public Library in Jamaica, New York, for students in grades K-12 and members of the community. This unique opportunity aims to deepen understanding of space exploration and inspire young people to pursue a future career in STEM. Media interested in covering the event must…
From Cabbages to Countdowns: NASA Marks 100 Years of Modern Rocketry
Summary
3 Min Read From Cabbages to Countdowns: NASA Marks 100 Years of Modern Rocketry Photograph of Robert Goddard and his liquid-fueled rocket, prior to its first flight on March 16, 1926, from a farm at Auburn, Mass. Credits: Esther Goddard, Courtesy of Clark University Snow covered the ground that Tuesday morning 100 years ago, when a college professor and his wife took a morning drive to the family farm a few miles south in Auburn, Massachusetts. Along for the ride, the couple brought two work colleagues — and “Nell.” They may not have known it at the time, but thanks to Nell, the four New Englanders were about to attend an auspicious birth. Some eleven feet tall and weighing a mere 10 pounds, Nell was a contraption of the professor’s…
Sports
Report: Argentina-PR moved, Chicago unrest cited
Summary
A friendly between Argentina and Puerto Rico, originally scheduled for next week in Chicago, has been relocated to Florida amid the immigration crackdown in the city, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday. A friendly between Argentina and Puerto Rico, originally scheduled for next week in Chicago, has been relocated to Florida amid the immigration crackdown in the city, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday. A friendly between Argentina and Puerto Rico, originally scheduled for next week in Chicago, has been relocated to Florida amid the immigration crackdown in the city, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday. A friendly between Argentina and Puerto Rico, originally scheduled for next week in Chicago, has been…
Phillies’ Schwarber 1st in NL to reach 50 homers
Summary
Philadelphia slugger Kyle Schwarber hit his 50th home run of the season, a three-run shot off reliever Justin Hagenman in the seventh inning that gave the Phillies a 7-1 lead en route to a comfortable 9-3 victory over the New York Mets on Tuesday night. Philadelphia slugger Kyle Schwarber hit his 50th home run of the season, a three-run shot off reliever Justin Hagenman in the seventh inning that gave the Phillies a 7-1 lead en route to a comfortable 9-3 victory over the New York Mets on Tuesday night. Philadelphia slugger Kyle Schwarber hit his 50th home run of the season, a three-run shot off reliever Justin Hagenman in the seventh inning that gave the Phillies a 7-1 lead en route to a comfortable 9-3 victory over the New…
Kane among those thrilled to see return of Toews
Summary
Like so many around the NHL, Red Wings forward Patrick Kane, who won three Stanley Cup championships with the Blackhawks playing alongside Jonathan Toews, is eager to see the return of his former running mate, who signed with the Jets this offseason. Like so many around the NHL, Red Wings forward Patrick Kane, who won three Stanley Cup championships with the Blackhawks playing alongside Jonathan Toews, is eager to see the return of his former running mate, who signed with the Jets this offseason. Like so many around the NHL, Red Wings forward Patrick Kane, who won three Stanley Cup championships with the Blackhawks playing alongside Jonathan Toews, is eager to see the return of his former running mate, who signed with the Jets this offseason.
Source: Steelers sign Peppers with Elliott injured
Summary
The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed veteran safety Jabrill Peppers, a source confirmed to ESPN, after starting safety DeShon Elliott left Sunday's season opener against the Jets with a knee injury. The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed veteran safety Jabrill Peppers, a source confirmed to ESPN, after starting safety DeShon Elliott left Sunday's season opener against the Jets with a knee injury. The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed veteran safety Jabrill Peppers, a source confirmed to ESPN, after starting safety DeShon Elliott left Sunday's season opener against the Jets with a knee injury. The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed veteran safety Jabrill Peppers, a source confirmed to ESPN, after starting safety DeShon Elliott left Sunday's season opener against the Jets with a knee injury.
Technology
Oppo’s new foldable isn’t quite creaseless, but it’s pretty damn close
Summary
Let’s play a game of “spot the crease.“ The first thing most people seem to do when they try out a foldable phone I'm reviewing is look for the crease in the screen. In the case of Oppo's Find N6, it might take them a while. Oppo claims that the Find N6, launching in full next week on March 17th, has the world's first "zero-feel crease" foldable display. Let's get one thing out of the way early: "zero" is pushing it. You can feel the crease on this phone, but only barely, and only when you're really thinking about it. You can see it too, but only in the right light, at the right angle, and you sort of have to squint a little to spot it. This is the…
How the spiraling Iran conflict could affect data centers and electricity costs
Summary
A commercial ship is viewed anchored off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, in the Strait of Hormuz, Dubai, on March 2nd, 2026. Increased maritime traffic led to a buildup of vessels waiting near Dubai, highlighting the strategic importance of the strait, which handles 20 percent of global energy trade. | Photo: Getty Images Soon after the Trump administration launched its war on Iran, I called up Reed Blakemore, director of research and programs at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center, to talk about the consequences. While oil and gas prices were already on the rise, there was still more hope then that the impact of the conflict might be short-lived. At the end of our conversation, Blakemore said plainly: "Let's have a call again [next week] … We'll…
Listen to the Live Nation CEO’s alleged threats to a concert venue
Summary
Was it a threat or a reality check? That's a key question in the government's anti-monopoly case against Live Nation, which is currently in limbo after the Justice Department reached a settlement with the company and as dozens of states push ahead. The Verge obtained the audio of a 2021 call at the center of the case. The recording, a public exhibit that was played for jurors in the first week of trial, features then-CEO of Barclays Center John Abbamondi and Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino arguing over a ticketing deal for Brooklyn's Barclays Center arena. A transcript of the call was previously posted to the docket, but the audio gives a be … Read the full story at The Verge. Was it a threat or a reality check? That's…
Ford is giving its commercial fleet business an AI makeover
Summary
Ford announced a new AI-powered service for its commercial fleet and telematics software customers called Ford Pro AI. The generative AI system analyzes data generated by commercial vehicles - including vehicle speed, seat belt activity, and engine health - and converts it into actionable items for fleet managers. The new system manifests as - what else? - an AI chatbot within Ford's Telematics software that customers can ask questions about their fleets or delegate tasks. Managers can ask the chatbot for recommendations to lower fuel costs, insight about specific vehicles in their fleets, or even to draft emails to a supervisor summarizing … Read the full story at The Verge. Ford announced a new AI-powered service for its commercial fleet and telematics software customers called Ford Pro AI. The generative…