A study examined how assigning different weights to training sequences affects loss reduction in language models of varying sizes, using both proprietary and open-weight models. It found that the relationship between sequence weight and learning is not linear across scale: small models learn general patterns regardless of weighting, medium-scale models learn patterns roughly proportional to their assigned weights, and large models again learn broadly regardless of weighting.
blog.janestreet.com
· 2026-09-21
Apple's newest Watch models introduce Live Rewind and Siri Recap, two audio-intelligence tools that use the device's microphone to transcribe missed dialogue and summarize conversations. Because they capture speech from everyone nearby, not just the wearer, the features could run afoul of two-party consent laws in several US states, even though Apple says no audio is stored or made replayable to other people.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-15
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday filed a civil lawsuit against TikTok in Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas on August 11, 2026. The suit alleges the platform's design features are addictive and that TikTok has violated state consumer protection laws in ways that harm young users.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-11
A research team reports developing a pretraining method that matches DeepSeek V4 Pro Base's performance using roughly 50 times less compute, at an estimated cost of about $0.5 million on GB200 chips. Scaling the same recipe up 10x further, to roughly $4 million, reportedly surpassed all publicly available open base models on perplexity benchmarks.
magic.dev
· 2026-09-08
A WIRED science feature uses the classic double-slit experiment—first demonstrated with light by Thomas Young in 1801 and later with subatomic particles by Claus Jönsson in 1961—to explain why quantum mechanics defies human intuition. The piece argues that while physicists can mathematically predict quantum outcomes with great precision, the underlying behavior, such as particles acting simultaneously like waves and discrete objects, cannot be visualized in everyday terms.
wired.com
· 2026-09-03
Following antitrust cases against RealPage, Yardi and major landlords over algorithmic rent-setting software, cities including San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Philadelphia and Providence have passed laws restricting such pricing tools. Tenants and local governments are now filing follow-on lawsuits, including a July 2026 case against Greystar Management Services in San Francisco, using these new statutes rather than traditional antitrust claims.
morganlewis.com
· 2026-08-30
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a Nevada case that betting on sporting outcomes does not qualify as a federally regulated 'swap' under the Commodity Exchange Act, rejecting the broad interpretation that prediction-market firm Kalshi has relied on to argue states can't block its sports contracts. The decision undermines the reasoning Arizona federal judge Michael Liburdi used earlier this year to block Arizona's attorney general from prosecuting Kalshi under state gambling laws.
azmirror.com
· 2026-08-28
A federal appeals court ruled that states retain authority to regulate prediction markets under their gambling laws, rejecting arguments that federal oversight preempts state action. The decision addresses ongoing legal disputes over platforms like Kalshi that offer event-based betting contracts.
yro.slashdot.org
· 2026-08-28
Proton VPN is promoting its free plan as offering unlimited data and speeds with no ads, no activity logging, and protection under Swiss privacy law. The free tier is limited to one device and lacks streaming-optimized servers and the Stealth protocol, which remain reserved for paid subscribers.
techspot.com
· 2026-08-26
An investigative essay traces how the US supplement market ballooned from roughly 4,000 products worth $4 billion in 1994 to as many as 100,000 products generating nearly $73 billion annually today, all under the same regulatory framework. Under that 1994 law, manufacturers never had to prove to the FDA that their products contain what labels claim or that health claims are accurate before selling them, and the government itself bears the burden of proving a product is adulterated. FDA official Cara Welch admits the agency has no systematic way of tracking what supplements exist or what they contain.
worseonpurpose.com
· 2026-08-26
Meta has settled litigation brought by attorneys general across 52 US states, territories and Washington DC over allegations that Facebook and Instagram harmed young users' mental health. The company will pay up to roughly $16.68bn in annual installments over a decade, funding youth online safety programs, while denying any wrongdoing. As part of the deal, Meta must add teen safety features like night-time blocks, school-hours access limits, stronger parental controls and age verification.
bbc.co.uk
· 2026-08-26
New Zealand's government has proposed legislation that would prohibit children under 16 from using social media platforms and AI companion apps. The move mirrors similar restrictions enacted or debated elsewhere, aiming to shield minors from harms tied to online engagement and AI-driven interactions.
tech.slashdot.org
· 2026-08-25
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