Latest Tech News

Stay updated with the latest in technology, AI, cybersecurity, and more

Filtered by: _y Clear Filter

Mark Zuckerberg’s charity U-turns, ends DEI efforts

Mark Zuckerberg’s charity has eliminated its DEI programs and efforts just weeks after assuring staff it would continue supporting DEI efforts, The Guardian reports. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), co-founded by Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, will end internal DEI programs and no longer provide “social advocacy funding,” which provided grants for racial equity and immigration reforms. In a staff email obtained by The Guardian, Marc Malandro, the COO of CZI, said the organization

Mercor, an AI recruiting startup founded by 21-year-olds, raises $100M at $2B valuation

Mercor, the AI recruiting startup founded by three 21-year-old Thiel Fellows, has raised $100 million in a Series B round, the company confirmed to TechCrunch. Menlo Park-based Felicis led the round, valuing Mercor at $2 billion—eight times its previous valuation, the Wall Street Journal previously reported. Existing investors Benchmark, General Catalyst, and DST Global also participated. General Catalyst had led the company’s $3.6 million seed round in 2023, while Benchmark backed its $32 mil

UK healthcare giant HCRG confirms hack after ransomware gang claims theft of sensitive data

U.K. healthcare giant HCRG Care Group has confirmed it’s investigating a cybersecurity incident after a ransomware gang claimed to have breached the company’s systems to steal troves of sensitive data. HCRG Care Group is one of the largest independent providers of community health and care services in the United Kingdom. The organization, previously known as Virgin Care and now owned by Twenty20 Capita, partners with National Health Service trusts and local authorities around the U.K. to delive

Apple resists UK regulator demands to open up iOS browsers, citing security risks

Recap: After Apple began allowing alternate iOS browser engines in compliance with new European regulations, the United Kingdom began arranging the framework for similar action, much to the Cupertino giant's chagrin. A proposed stipulation regarding updates to Apple's WebKit engine is particularly noteworthy. Apple continues to fight the UK Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) efforts to regulate the iOS web browser market. The iPhone maker responded to the agency's proposed remedies with

Microsoft Majorana 1 chip promises real quantum computing within years, not decades

Forward-looking: Microsoft has unveiled a new quantum chip called "Majorana 1" that claims will make scaled, real-world quantum computing a reality in just years rather than decades. It's palm-sized and has a delightfully retro look yet Microsoft claims it will eventually pack more theoretical computing power than all the world's current classical computers combined. The Majorana 1 comes after nearly two decades of research. The big claims come thanks to Microsoft's unique approach to the quant

AI cracks superbug problem in two days that took scientists years

AI cracks superbug problem in two days that took scientists years Cases of tuberculosis (pictured) have increased in the UK and worldwide as the disease increases its resistance to antibiotics A complex problem that took microbiologists a decade to get to the bottom of has been solved in just two days by a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool. Professor José R Penadés and his team at Imperial College London had spent years working out and proving why some superbugs are immune to antibiotics.

Chinese smartphone firm Oppo launches slim $1,870 folding phone to rival Samsung, Huawei

Oppo's new Find N5 folding smartphone on display at a press briefing in London. Chinese smartphone firm Oppo has unveiled its new flagship folding phone Thursday, touting a slimmer body and artificial intelligence-focused features in a bid to compete with high-end foldable devices from the likes of Samsung and Huawei. The company's Find N5 phone that can fold in half, will retail at a starting price of 2,499 Singapore dollars ($1,867.70). When it's folded shut, the Find N5 looks like a normal

Topics: battery n5 new oppo phone

This company is trying to make a biodegradable alternative to spandex

“True circularity has to start with raw materials,” says Peña. “We talk about circularity across many industries, but for textiles, we must address what we’re using at the source.” Engineered from recombinant DNA, SELPs are copycat proteins inspired by silk and elastin that can be customized for qualities like tensile strength, dye affinity, and elasticity. Silk’s amino acid sequences—like glycine-alanine and glycine-serine—give fibers strength, while elastin’s molecular structure adds stretchi

What’s driving electricity demand? It isn’t just AI and data centers.

Take the US, for example. The IEA report points to other research showing that the 10 states hosting the most data center growth saw a 10% increase in electricity demand between 2019 and 2023. Demand in the other 40 states declined by about 3% over the same period. One caveat here is that nobody knows for sure what’s going to happen with data centers in the future, particularly those needed to run AI. Projections are all over the place, and small changes could drastically alter the amount of en

The Download: Microsoft’s quantum chip, and explaining rising energy demand

A new Microsoft chip could lead to more stable quantum computers Microsoft has announced that it’s made significant progress in its 20-year quest to make topological quantum bits, or qubits—a special approach to building quantum computers that could make them more stable and easier to scale up. The company says it’s developed a chip containing eight of these qubits, and has also published a Nature paper that describes a fundamental validation of the system. It’s a different approach to competi

Android Auto glitch is causing phones to reboot when connected wirelessly

Adam Birney / Android Authority TL;DR Android Auto users are experiencing phone reboots when wirelessly connecting to their car systems. Complaints indicate that the issue stems from a recent Android Auto update. Some users are also experiencing complete wireless connectivity failure. Android Auto users are facing an irritating issue. Their phones are rebooting when attempting to wirelessly connect to car systems using the platform. This problem appears to have emerged after the release of A

The Galaxy A16 5G isn’t exciting, but there’s one big reason why I think it’s the best budget phone

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G Samsung's Galaxy A16 5G doesn't revolutionize what it means to be a budget phone with new materials, an upgraded camera, or AI-powered features, but it delivers tons of value, backed by a flagship-grade update commitment that will see it supported for up to six years. It might not leap off the page, but this cheap Android phone is more than worth the money as a first phone or a long-term option for an older loved one. It’s tough to make a truly exciting budget Android phon

Oppo will let you control a MacBook with its latest foldable [Gallery]

A new feature debuting on the Oppo Find N5 will allow Mac users to control their machines from their smartphones, as well as better integrating their phone with macOS overall. Oppo has been pushing to better support users who are also in Apple’s ecosystem. Last year, the company launched O+ Connect’s ability to wirelessly transfer files between Oppo and OnePlus smartphones and iOS devices, similar to AirDrop. Now, O+ Connect is expanding to Mac. Starting with the Oppo Find N5, O+ Connect will

The best gaming keyboards of 2025

Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products . The best gaming keyboards can make you feel in total control while sweating through an online shooter and more comfortable while taking in a 100-hour RPG. They may not always feel as luxurious for typing as a custom mechanical keyboard, but they’ve become increasingly sophisticated wit

xAI's Grok 3 is available for free to everyone 'for a short time'

You can now access xAI's most advanced large language model, Grok 3, even if you don't pay for a subscription on X. Grok 3 is available for free "for a short time," according to xAI founder Elon Musk, though the company didn't say until what "short time" means exactly. When you go to Grok on X or the web, and when you launch the standalone app, you'll now see new "Think" and "DeepSearch" options that are only available with xAI's latest LLM family. Just make sure you're using Grok 3 instead of G

A password generator inspired by the Xkcd password spec

Introduction This python script implements the xkcd password spec. Install This package requires the pip Python package manager for installation. pip installation instructions. Then: pip install xkpa Usage % xkpa -h usage: xkpa.py [-h] [-n] [-d DICT_PATH] [-x] [-i] [-s SEPARATOR] [-l LENGTH] [-c COUNT] [-v] [w] Generate an xkcd style password. positional arguments: w The number of words in the password. Defaults to 4. optional arguments: -h, --help show this help message and exit -n Disab

Obscura VPN – Privacy that's more than a promise

Unlike VPNs with a “no-logs” policy, Obscura is provably private by design. Even “no-logs” VPNs see both your identity and your internet activity, meaning you have to blindly trust their pinky-promise for privacy. This is exactly why some privacy-conscious folks will tell you not to use a VPN at all. Obscura is different – we never see your decrypted internet packets. It’s simply impossible for us to log your internet activity, even if we were compelled to, or if our servers were compromised.

Magma: A foundation model for multimodal AI agents

User : Please provide a detailed description of the video, focusing on the main subject and the actions taking place as well as predict what is going to happen next. Magma : The video takes place in a convenience store, focusing on the checkout counter. It begins with a view of the counter displaying a sign that reads 'PICK 5 FOR $8.00' along with images of various snacks. The counter is filled with various items, including snacks and a payment terminal. An employee, wearing a black shirt with

After 20 Years, Math Couple Solves Major Group Theory Problem

After the conjecture was posed in the 1970s, dozens of mathematicians tried their hand at proving it. They made partial progress — and in the process they learned a great deal about groups, which are abstract objects that describe the various symmetries of a mathematical system. But a full proof seemed out of reach. Then Späth came along. Now, 20 years after she first learned about the problem and more than a decade after she met Cabanes, the two mathematicians have finally completed the proof.

Star Wars-Style Fog Collectors Could Provide Water to the World’s Driest Cities

With less than 0.04 inches of rainfall each year, cities in Chile’s barren Atacama Desert—one of the driest places in the world—collect their water from ancient underground water sources. Now, researchers have identified another simple method that could help address water scarcity. An international team of researchers in Chile has tested the viability of a water-collection method that could be straight out of Dune: fog harvesting. The technology also brings Star Wars to mind, namely the moistur

Best Internet Providers in Minneapolis, Minnesota

What is the best internet provider in Minneapolis? Xfinity is CNET's top pick for the best internet service provider for most Minneapolis households thanks to its wide selection of plans and solid coverage throughout the area. Whether you need fast speeds for gaming and streaming or an affordable connection for everyday home usage, Xfinity's wide range of plans has options for everyone. It offers competitive prices and reliable customer support as well, making Xfinity a solid overall choice. I

Now's the Time to Lock in an APY Up to 4.65%. Today's CD Rates, Feb. 20, 2025

Key takeaways You can earn up to 4.65% APY with today's best CDs. APYs haven't shifted much in recent days, but they won't stay high forever. By opening a CD now, you can protect your earnings from expected Fed rate cuts. Sometimes, no news is good news. As banks wait to see how long the Federal Reserve keeps interest rates paused, certificate of deposit rates haven't budged much over the past week. That's good news for savers who have yet to take advantage of still-elevated annual percentage

Topics: apy bank cd credit rates

Disney Plus: 20 TV Shows You Should Definitely Watch Right Now

It took five years for Disney Plus to become a formidable streaming platform. That's a commendable accomplishment. Is it really that shocking, though? Where else can you find copious entries from the catalogs of Marvel and Star Wars? Do I even need to mention Bluey? In true Disney fashion, the company's TV streaming service has something for every family member: riveting comic book adventures, magical tales for young adults, educational docuseries and engaging unscripted shows. And though we're

ProtoArc XKM01 CaseUp Combo Review: A Reliable Portable Workstation

The mouse is perfectly adequate too. It's slim but provides enough palm support that my hand doesn't feel like it's cramping up. The scroll wheel and buttons are smooth and responsive. After a short time, I noticed a strange, squeaky noise coming from the left side whenever I'd click. It's not always there, but it's slightly annoying whenever it comes back. Like the keyboard, it charges via USB-C but has a slightly longer battery life of up to 200 days (standby time). The stand is super adjusta

Volvo’s ES90 sedan will be built with a Nvidia supercomputer

is transportation editor with 10+ years of experience who covers EVs, public transportation, and aviation. His work has appeared in The New York Daily News and City & State. Volvo’s next electric vehicle, the ES90 midsized luxury sedan, sounds like its got some serious computing chops. The new EV will come with a dual Nvidia Drive AGX Orin configuration, making it the “most powerful car Volvo ever created in terms of core computing capacity,” the company claims today. The new supercomputer is

This smart thermostat compay is considering charging users for its app

In a first for a smart thermostat company, Tado is exploring charging its customers £1 / €1 a month just to control their devices from its app. Multiple users have reported that Tado, manufacturers of smart thermostats, radiator valves, and heat pump controllers for Europe and the UK, sent a message through their app alerting them to the impending charge. The Verge reached out to Tado to confirm this, but the company declined to comment. According to a post on the Tado community forum earlier t

Tether backs stablecoin liquidity provider Mansa in $10M seed round

As payment companies increasingly explore stablecoins for cross-border payments and real-time settlement, some startups are tapping into the zeitgeist by providing liquidity via a revolving line of credit in stablecoins. One of them is Dubai-based Mansa, whose offering allows payments companies, mainly in Africa to date, to settle transactions and fund customer accounts instantly. The startup has raised $10 million in seed funding including both equity and debt. Stablecoin provider Tether led t

Amazon is shutting down its app store on Android

Amazon will discontinue its app store for Android on August 20 this year. The company sent a notice to developers indicating that they will no longer be able to submit new apps to the store. The company said on a support page that it will also discontinue its Coins digital currency, which could be used to purchase games and apps on the app store. “Starting August 20, 2025, you will no longer have access to the Amazon Appstore on your Android device. We will also be discontinuing the Amazon Co

iPhone 16e camera seems to lack latest-generation Photographic Styles

With the iPhone 16 lineup, Apple has completely revamped the Photographic Styles feature – which was first introduced with the iPhone 13. However, despite the new iPhone 16e having almost the same hardware as its more expensive siblings, the device seems to lack the latest-generation Photographic Styles. iPhone 16e and Photographic Styles Based on Apple’s official webpage that compares different iPhone models, only the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro feature the latest-generation Photographic Styl

Hacked on Stripe–$41K Gone, No Real Help from Support. What Now?

I’ve always been nervous about using Stripe after reading horror stories here. Unfortunately, I took my chances due to the ease of integration, and now I’m here with my own nightmare. We’ve used Stripe for nearly 10 years as a marketplace, only allowing Standard Accounts—never had a major issue. Until yesterday. A hacker created six Express accounts, linked them to our platform, and drained our balance. Then, they started charging our users and funneling the stolen money to their Express accou