Latest Tech News

Payment platform Lava raises $5.8M to build digital wallets for the ‘agent-native economy’

A new startup, Lava Payments, aims to take on payment giants by building a solution for the modern web where AI agents now handle transactions for their customers. The idea came to founder Mitchell Jones after he left his earlier Y Combinator-backed fintech startup, Lendtable, as he began to experiment with AI. He saw the potential to build out a system that would make using AI and agent payments simpler and more developer-friendly. While experimenting with an AI app and trying to build what he

AMD stock slumps 5% on earnings miss, China AI chip concerns

Lisa Su, president and CEO of AMD, talks about the AMD EPYC processor during a keynote address at the 2019 CES in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., January 9, 2019. Shares of Advanced Micro Devices slumped more than 5% after the chipmaker's earnings fell short of earnings expectations and raised concerns about the timing of a restart in China shipments. The Santa Clara, California-based company reported adjusted earnings of 48 cents per share, falling short of the 49 cents per share expected by analyst

Disney’s killing off the Hulu app, and that could be an expensive problem for you

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Disney is currently the sole owner of Hulu. While Disney has added Hulu content to Disney Plus, so far the apps have continued to exist separately. That’s set to change next year, as Disney shutters the Hulu app in favor of full Disney Plus integration. The streaming landscape is messy, to put things mildly. If we didn’t have enough conflict between services fighting over streaming rights, like the current acrimony between HBO Max and Paramount over

iOS 26 upgrades the App Store with these three new features

iOS 26 will bring big feature updates to apps like Wallet, Music, Messages, and more. But there are also several new features coming to the App Store, here’s what’s new in iOS 26. #1: Top Played Games chart iOS 26 adds a brand new Games app to your iPhone’s Home Screen, and to complement the new gaming features, Apple is adding a ‘Top Played Games’ chart to the App Store. When viewing the Games tab in the App Store, you’ll find a new chart showing the current top 25 played games. This data i

iPhone 17 case lineup could take design cue from AirPods Pro

When Apple unveils the iPhone 17 lineup next month, it seems like we’ll also see a new version of Apple’s first-party protective cases as well. If the latest rumors are true, the iPhone 17 case lineup will take a design cue from the AirPods Pro 2 charging case. It appears Apple is planning to add support for an optional lanyard loop to its official iPhone 17 cases. That’s according to leakers Majin Bu and DuanRui. Apple already includes a similar lanyard loop slot on the AirPods Pro 2 charging

Disney+ will unhinge its jaw and swallow Hulu in 2026

It’s almost the end of the road for Hulu as a standalone app. Now that it fully owns Hulu , Disney will entirely integrate the streaming service into Disney+. It will roll out a new, unified app next year. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the price of a Disney+ subscription is going to skyrocket in 2026. A Disney spokesperson told Variety the company will still offer standalone plans for Disney+ and Hulu. Disney CEO Bob Igor said on an earnings call that having Disney+ and Hulu on the same t

The Militarization of Silicon Valley

But some tech executives and engineers are wrestling with the potential harms of the shift. Once they build autonomous drones and A.I. weapons for the military, they will have little control over how the technology is deployed. That has led to debates over whether more people will be killed by these advanced weapons than traditional ones, three engineers at Google and Meta said. “These Silicon Valley companies are hyper competitive, and in their drive to get into these defense sectors, there is

Researchers Uncover Hurricane Sandy’s Hidden Death Toll

More than a decade after Hurricane Sandy flooded the East Coast and killed over 200 people, a new study has revealed the storm’s lasting impact on mortality risk among older adults. The researchers linked hurricane flood exposure to a 9% increase in risk of death for people over the age of 65 who continued living in the area after landfall. Experts estimate that Hurricane Sandy caused over $60 billion in damage after it made landfall in 2012. Record-breaking storm surge and catastrophic floodin

Hulu Will Go Global and Fully Merge With Disney Plus

More than a year after launching its "Hulu on Disney Plus experience" in the US, Disney announced plans Wednesday to integrate Hulu into its Disney Plus streaming service. Additionally, Hulu will become available internationally once the merger happens next year, the company shared in its third-quarter earnings report. The Hulu tile was added to Disney Plus in March 2024, allowing subscribers who have both services to watch Hulu content within the Disney Plus app. The Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Ig

16 Golden Rules That Business Travelers Swear By

Business travelers are made, not born. And almost everyone who travels frequently for work can list off at least a few things they wish they’d known when they first got into the game. It's not all obvious—like the importance of committing to a points and miles program early on; these programs literally exist because of you, dear business travelers—and some is nuanced and only learnable with time, like finding a hotel that feels like home and lets you leave a suit in the closet. To gather the ru

The Extravagant Rise of the Corporate Incentive Trip

Business travel doesn’t typically conjure up the most glamorous images: working group sessions in overlit conference rooms, awkward dinners with coworkers at unmemorable chain restaurants. But for some lucky employees, there’s a special subset of work travel that isn’t just something to look forward to but something to fight for: the corporate incentive trip. Mark, a former sales director at LinkedIn who asked to not use his real name, is a frequent flyer in the world of corporate incentive tra

A ‘unified’ Disney Plus could be the end of Hulu’s app

is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO. Disney is planning to fully integrate Hulu with Disney Plus, creating a “unified” app experience that will launch next year, the company announced as part of its earnings results on Wednesday. The new app will put all of Hulu’s content into Disney Plus, calling the future of Hulu’s standalone app into question. With Disney’s deal to purchase all of

Shopify stock soars 20% on rosy guidance as CFO says tariff hit 'did not materialize'

The logo of Shopify is seen outside its headquarters in Ottawa, Ontario, on Sept. 28, 2018. Shopify shares soared 20% Wednesday after the company topped analysts' estimates for the second quarter, and gave rosy guidance for the third quarter. Here's how the company did, compared with estimates from analysts polled by LSEG: Earnings per share: 35 cents adj. vs. 29 cents 35 cents adj. vs. 29 cents Revenue: $2.68 billion vs. $2.55 billion Second-quarter sales surged 31% year over year to $2.68

Disney’s Secret Experiments With AI Have Reportedly Been a Comical Disaster

The popular narrative is that workers in the movie and TV industries are set to be trampled by artificial intelligence. But the reality may be more complicated. Behind the scenes, Disney has reportedly been struggling to deploy AI after creating a whole new business unit dedicated to the tech — especially without enraging people they still rely on in the process. As the Wall Street Journal reports, Disney has on multiple occasions in recent years scrapped AI projects over legal concerns and wa

Syncable vs. non-syncable passkeys: Are roaming authenticators the best of both worlds?

matejmo/Getty Images Like or not, a replacement for passwords -- known as passkeys -- is coming your way, if it hasn't already. The three big ideas behind passkeys are that they cannot be guessed in the way passwords often can (and are), the same passkey cannot be re-used across different websites and apps (the way passwords can), and you cannot be tricked into divulging your passkeys to malicious actors, often through techniques such as phishing, smishing, quishing, and malvertising. Also: Ho

5 settings I changed on my TV to greatly reduced my electricity bill - and why they work

Adam Breeden/ZDNET A modern TV uses significantly less energy than one from a decade ago — which makes sense, given how much more power-efficient today's display panels have become. According to Perch Energy, the average power consumption of an old TV runs around $54 per year in energy costs. Because LED-backlit TVs and OLEDs consume less power than traditional LCD screens, newer models cost about $32 annually. Also: How to clear your TV cache (and why you shouldn't wait to do it) In large p

This midrange Lenovo tablet has no business being this good (especially for traveling)

Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus ZDNET's key takeaways The Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus is on sale right now for $549. It's a slam dunk tablet with a brilliant display, great speakers, and comes with a keyboard, case, and stylus. In laptop mode, it's better for simpler tasks. $599.99 at Best Buy $549.99 at Lenovo more buying choices Lenovo's Yoga Tab Plus is a well-rounded 13-inch tablet that comes with a keyboard, case, and stylus, offering all the primary use cases you can ask for from a tablet straight out of

Firefox Focus won me over in just 10 mins - why it's my new default mobile browser

Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET ZDNET's key takeaways Firefox Focus is a security and privacy-focused mobile browser. This browser offers a minimal UI and maximum privacy features. Firefox Focus is available for both Android and iOS. I've run the gamut of web browsers on Android, and every time I think I've found "the one," I discover a reason not to use it. That reason might be a cluttered UI, a lack of options, or not enough security. Recently, however, I came across a browser

Some thoughts on journals, refereeing, and the P vs NP problem

Computational Complexity and other fun stuff in math and computer science from Lance Fortnow and Bill Gasarch

Should Lyft and Uber Charge More if Your Battery Is Low? California May Soon Ban That

It’s late at night, and you badly need a ride. Your cellphone’s battery is dangerously low. Should a ridehailing company such as Uber or Lyft be able to charge you more because its artificial intelligence programming thinks you’re desperate since it knows your phone is about to die? Not if Hayward Democratic Sen. Aisha Wahab has her way. Her Senate Bill 259 would prevent retailers from using artificial intelligence to jack up prices using the information stored on customers’ phones. That coul

Fox One Streaming Service to Launch Before NFL Season Kicks Off

The new NFL season is just around the corner, and Fox is giving sports fans another way to see the game with Fox One, the company's new subscription streaming platform. The service will launch on Aug. 21 with a price tag of $20 per month, or $200 annually, the company announced Monday. Fox's complete TV portfolio will be available on Fox One, and sports fans will be able to stream MLB and NFL games that air on the network. Fox News Channel, Fox Nation, Fox Sports, B1G, FS1, FS2, local Fox stati

Best VPN for Chrome 2025: Keep Your Browsing Traffic Private

Based on our years of testing and using VPNs across operating systems and browsers, these are the top factors you should consider when choosing a VPN for Chrome: Chrome compatibility If you’re looking for a VPN for Chrome, your primary consideration will be whether the VPN offers a Chrome extension. Most of the top VPN providers offer plugins for Chrome and other browsers, but some do not. Check that the VPN you’re considering offers a Chrome extension before purchasing. Alternatively, you can

States take the lead in AI regulation as federal government steers clear

US state legislatures are where the action is for placing guardrails around artificial intelligence technologies, given the lack of meaningful federal regulation. The resounding defeat in Congress of a proposed moratorium on state-level AI regulation means states are free to continue filling the gap. Several states have already enacted legislation around the use of AI. All 50 states have introduced various AI-related legislation in 2025. Four aspects of AI in particular stand out from a regula

The Internet’s Biggest Travel Nerd Shares Pointers on Points

In an ever-expanding internet kingdom of travel-reward nerds, Gary Leff reigns supreme. He has penned the blog View from the Wing for 23 years while maintaining a full-time career as a chief financial officer at a university research center. But miles, points, and rewards are not merely a side hustle or a second job; they’re a lifestyle. “I couldn't tell you how long I spend on the blog, because I’m doing the things that I enjoy anyway,” says Leff. “I’m enough on the spectrum that I forget anyo

What to Know About Traveling to China for Business

Amid growing tensions and an escalating trade war between the United States and China, international business travelers may be understandably wary about traveling to the Chinese mainland. The US Department of State currently has a Level 2 travel advisory for China, instructing visitors to “exercise increased caution” because of the “arbitrary enforcement of local laws.” The reality on the ground is more complicated. While there have been instances of detention of US nationals, exit bans, and ra

Jeff Buckley died young but is immortalized in a new documentary

Jeff Buckley captivated an audience of generations with his transcendent voice and soaring guitar. After his untimely passing in 1997 at age 30, he gained posthumous, cult-like status. Never one for the charts, his album Grace has stood the test of time and is listed on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. His live performances were famous for transforming any space, regardless of size, into an intimate listening experience. And his unfinished demos are something fans have collected

Tinder explores a redesign, dating ‘modes,’ and college-specific features to boost engagement

Tinder is still struggling to generate revenue from its users, as it reported a 7% dip in paying users while its parent company, Match Group, saw a 5% dip in Q2 2025 across all dating apps, including Tinder, Hinge, Match.com, and others. To boost engagement and push more people to pay for its product, the company has undertaken multiple new initiatives. During Match’s second-quarter earnings call, Match Group CEO Spencer Raskoff said that Tinder will debut a new feature called “modes,” which wi

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Wallpaper Wednesday: More great phone wallpapers for all to share (August 6)

C. Scott Brown / Android Authority Welcome to Wallpaper Wednesday! In this weekly roundup, we’ll give you a handful of Android wallpapers you can download and use on your phone, tablet, or even your laptop/PC. The images will come from folks here at Android Authority as well as our readers. All are free to use and come without watermarks. File formats are JPG and PNG, and we’ll provide images in both landscape and portrait modes, so they’ll be optimized for various screens. For the newest wall

Disney announces plans to phase out standalone Hulu app

The Hulu app isn’t long for this world, according to Disney. While the standalone app is being phased out, however, the brand that Disney now owns in full is set for international expansion. Hulu started in 2007 as a joint venture between FOX and NBC before attracting more stakeholders including Disney (which owns ABC). As of this year, however, Hulu is entirely owned by Disney. As part of its quarterly earnings results announcement today, Disney shared plans to phase out the standalone versio