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Tech News
One year after Turning Point USA cofounder Charlie Kirk was fatally shot, unfounded theories about his death remain widespread on social media, amplified by influencers such as Candace Owens. Claims range from an exploding-microphone theory to allegations that accused shooter Tyler Robinson was merely a scapegoat acting on behalf of others, including Israel.
Italian software company Bending Spoons is acquiring workplace collaboration platform Miro in a $1.36 billion cash deal, valuing the equity at $1.79 billion. That figure represents a roughly 92% drop from the $17.5 billion valuation Miro commanded in late 2021 during the pandemic-driven remote work boom. Despite the steep markdown, Miro reports $600 million in annual recurring revenue, over four million paying users, and profitability with $435 million in net cash.
A survey of 1,517 US adults by data removal service Incogni found that people who say they have 'nothing to hide' are more likely to spy on others' phone or laptop screens in public than those who admit to having something to hide. The survey also found generational differences, with Gen Z most likely to peek at others' screens, and revealed that many respondents who dismiss their own privacy concerns still snoop through partners' or family members' devices without permission.
A speculative forecast titled 'AI 2027' traces a fictional lab called OpenBrain through 2025 and beyond, describing how early stumbling AI 'personal assistant' agents evolve into far more capable coding and research agents that act like employees rather than tools. The scenario shows compute for training jumping from GPT-3 and GPT-4 levels to an imagined Agent-1 system built on datacenters larger than any built before.
Malone Lam, a 22-year-old Singaporean living in Miami, has pleaded guilty to racketeering charges tied to a cybercrime ring that allegedly stole and laundered hundreds of millions in cryptocurrency. Prosecutors say the 12-member group, which reportedly first connected through Minecraft before meeting in person in 2023, targeted wealthy crypto holders using social engineering, with individual thefts ranging from $800,000 to a single $245 million heist. Lam now faces up to 20 years in prison, with sentencing still pending.
The author recounts habitually dating and archiving personal projects, from essay ideas to songwriting details like key, tempo, and recording dates, citing a note found from 2022 that resurfaced this practice. The piece argues that capturing such metadata immediately, while memory is fresh, prevents future confusion about when and how creative work was made.
An investigation by YouTube channel Gamers Nexus, working with independent security researchers and Level1Techs, found that LG smart TVs scan local Wi-Fi networks to catalog connected devices and nearby network names, even while offline or in standby mode. The TVs also use automatic content recognition to track viewing habits and have microphones capable of capturing and transcribing nearby conversations, with the collected data reportedly funneled to LG's advertising arm.
A review of Coway's new Airmega Halo air purifier found the device operates quietly and effectively clears visible smoke from a room. However, the accompanying air-quality sensor readings did not consistently provide reassurance about actual air cleanliness during testing.
Maven Robotics, founded in 2024, has raised $100 million from investors including RoboStrategy, LocalGlobe, Vine Ventures, and XTX Markets Ventures to scale its warehouse automation business. The startup builds wheeled, dual-arm robots that perform 'mixed palletizing'—reassembling pallets of goods from multiple factories into custom shipments for individual retail stores. The company plans to manufacture 250 third-generation robots and begin designing a fourth-generation platform.
President Trump said Wednesday that oil prices, driven up by the ongoing Iran conflict, will likely stay elevated until after U.S. midterm elections. His remarks came as Brent crude topped $100 a barrel for the first time since July, with prices jumping over 3% amid escalating U.S.-Iran military exchanges.
Amazon has struck a deal with OpenAI allowing advertisers to buy ChatGPT ad inventory through Amazon's demand-side platform, with Delta Vacations among the first U.S. brands testing the integration. Ads will appear as sponsored text and image units below ChatGPT's free and Go-tier responses, purchased on a cost-per-click or cost-per-thousand-impressions basis and managed by Amazon's team, though OpenAI retains control over ad delivery.
A developer built and released a free tool for practicing technical interview questions, including real problems sourced from companies like Google, after finding existing paid interview prep services unaffordable. The tool lets users try problems like 'Two Sum' immediately without requiring signup.