Apple on Wednesday announced a cheaper new version of the iPhone 16 called the iPhone 16e that features the company's latest A18 chip and Apple Intelligence.
Why it matters: The strategically priced iPhone 16e could capture a broader market, and having Apple Intelligence on a more affordable iPhone brings AI tools to consumers who are not willing to pay a higher price.
Instagram is adding a handful of new features to direct messages, including scheduling messages, translating and pinning them and sharing your favorite songs.
The big picture: The new features make the app more like Apple messages and makes it easier to manage conversations without switching apps.
Frigid conditions are sappingthe U.S. Army's batteries. Leadership wants better options.
Why it matters: Freezing fog and sopping rain stymied drones and other tech used by 10th Mountain Division soldiers during a recent exercise in Germany.
They were part of the "transforming in contact" initiative, meant to distribute and test readily available gear the service thinks will define future warfare.
So you want to build an Iron Dome. But much bigger, more complex and pricier than the one protecting Israel, right?
Why it matters: President Trump's fiat for a hemispheric shield raised more questions than it initially answered, spurring debate among lawmakers, military officials, defense contractors, analysts and hobbyists.
Much like Trump riffed on Ronald Reagan with MAGA, here, too, does he invoke the former president and his Star Wars ideals.
Elon Musk says xAI's new Grok 3 chatbot is not only more capable than its predecessor but also more "based" (slang for letting your truth show without regard for others' opinions).
Yes, but: In early testing, Grok 3 responded to controversial questions and provocative prompts without greatly differing from its predecessors and rival chatbots — though in some cases, it is more willing to entertain "both sides," where other AI systems offer definitive answers.
AI hardware startup Humane said Tuesday it is shutting down, selling assets — including its technology, patents and some talent — to HP Inc. for $116 million.
The big picture: Humane had raised significant funding and won lots of buzz, but its $699 AI Pin was poorly received by reviewers.
The lawsuits filed against Elon Musk's government tech team hinge on two privacy laws written decades before the modern internet took shape.
Why it matters: How judges interpret those laws will dictate not only the success of these lawsuits in curbing the Department of Government Efficiency's power, but also what data government agencies can collect in the future.
More people on social media are gracing their followers with "lore drops": stories with juicy, dramatic or even traumatic information.
The big picture: The Old English word "lore"was on the shortlist for Oxford University Press' 2024 word of the year. But it fell short to "brain rot,"a condition that ails the perpetually online.
Former OpenAI exec Mira Murati on Tuesday unveiled her new startup's name, Thinking Machines Lab, and its goal: developing AI systems focused on the interaction between humans and AI.
Why it matters: Other startups founded by former OpenAI executives — from more mature AI firms like Anthropic to other just-out-of-the-gate startups like Ilya Sutskever's Safe Superintelligence — have more single-mindedly dedicated themselves to creating AI that's more powerful than humans.
🤫 X is blocking links to Signal, the encrypted messaging tool that federal workers have been using to blow the whistle on Elon Musk's DOGE. (Disruptionist)
📄 The acting head of the Social Security Administration left her position over the weekend after a disagreement over DOGE's access to sensitive documents. (Washington Post)
@ Industry
💰 Israeli AI cyber company Dream raised $100 million at a $1.1 billion valuation, led by Bain Capital. (Bloomberg)
🐳 South Korea has banned DeepSeek until it can confirm that the Chinese AI app conforms to the country's data protection laws. (New York Times)
This is Sam's very Gen X editor subbing in for her this week on the 1 fun thing — which is that my heart is still full from watching Post Malone sub in for Kurt Cobain on the "SNL50" concert performance of "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
With its All-Star Game taking place in the San Francisco Bay Area for the first time in 25 years, the NBA was keen to show off its techie side.
Why it matters: The NBA has a broad global fan base, but it wants reach the next generation, many of whom spend more time on YouTube and TikTok than watching traditional television broadcasts.
A rush to use artificial intelligence to root out government waste, as apparently planned by Elon Musk's DOGE operation, is likely to trigger chaotic outcomes and surprise disasters, AI experts tell Axios.
Why it matters: AI can help cut costs — but careless deployment risks harming people who need the government's help, amplifying inefficiencies, opening security holes and automating flawed decision-making.
Elon Musk on Monday announced Grok 3, the next version of xAI's chatbot, touting it as "an order of magnitude more capable than Grok 2."
Why it matters: The move comes as Musk has been engaged in a bitter rivalry with OpenAI that has included lawsuits, a war of words and — most recently — an unsolicited $97.4 billion takeover bid.
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