Kid-Friendly Phones Give Parents More Control Over Children’s Screen Use
A growing number of companies are offering phones and communication devices designed specifically for children as parents look for alternatives to unrestricted smartphones. These products range from modified Android phones…
Florida Man Charged Over Malware-Laced Games Distributed Through Steam
U.S. prosecutors have charged a 21-year-old Florida man over an alleged scheme that distributed malware through games available on Steam, allowing hackers to steal personal data and cryptocurrency. The campaign…
Patreon Blocks AI Training Crawlers From Accessing Creators’ Work
Patreon is strengthening its protections against AI companies scraping creators’ work for model training. The membership platform is working with Cloudflare to actively block known AI training crawlers instead of…
Whatnot Acquires Shaped to Improve Live Shopping Recommendations
Whatnot has acquired machine learning startup Shaped to improve product discovery and personalization across its livestream shopping marketplace. The deal will bring Shaped’s real-time recommendation and search technology into a…
Microsoft Issues Record 570 Security Fixes as AI Finds More Software Flaws
Microsoft has released its largest-ever monthly batch of security updates, issuing fixes for 570 vulnerabilities across Windows, Office, Azure, Visual Studio and other products. The company says the increase reflects…
Apple Intelligence Wins China Approval Through Alibaba Qwen Deal
Apple has received approval to launch Apple Intelligence in China, clearing a major regulatory hurdle for its generative AI services in one of its most important markets. China’s Cyberspace Administration…
Spotify Brings Parent-Managed Kids Accounts to Free Users
Spotify is expanding parent-managed accounts for children to its free tier, giving more families a way to separate kids’ listening from parents’ recommendations and Wrapped results. The feature is now…
India Unveils $20 Billion Push for Smartphone and Chip Manufacturing
India has approved new incentives for smartphone and semiconductor manufacturing as it tries to deepen its role in the global electronics supply chain. The measures build on India’s success assembling…
Twelve States Sue to Block Paramount Skydance’s Warner Bros. Discovery Deal
A coalition of 12 state attorneys general has sued to block Paramount Skydance’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, arguing that the deal would harm movie theaters, cable distributors and…
George Hotz Argues for User-Controlled AI, Reviving Safety Debate
Comma AI founder George Hotz has reignited debate over AI safety after arguing that future AI systems should be locally controlled and closely aligned with the interests of individual users.…
FAA Clears SpaceX for Next Starship Test After May Booster Failure
The Federal Aviation Administration has cleared SpaceX to resume Starship test flights after closing its review of a Super Heavy booster failure during a May launch. SpaceX is targeting Thursday,…
LAPD Lets Flock Safety Contract Expire Over Privacy Concerns
The Los Angeles Police Department has allowed its three-year contract with license plate camera company Flock Safety to expire, citing concerns over privacy, civil liberties and data handling. The decision…
