Google Faces Mass Arbitration By Advertisers Seeking Billions
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Bloomberg: Alphabet’s Google is facing billions of dollars in potential damage claims as part of mass arbitration tied to the company’s online search and advertising technology businesses, which courts have ruled were illegal monopolies. Advertisers are banding together to seek payouts through mass arbitration pro … ⌘ Read more

Stanford Report Highlights Growing Disconnect Between AI Insiders and Everyone Else
An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: AI experts and the public’s opinion on the technology are increasingly diverging, according to Stanford University’s annual report on the AI industry, which was released Monday. In particular, the report noted a growing trend of anxiety around AI and, in the U.S … ⌘ Read more

Roblox reveals sweeping changes amid Australian crackdown
Facing a $49.5 million fine threat and an eSafety investigation, the gaming giant has announced its biggest child safety overhaul – splitting the platform by age. ⌘ Read more

Hisense’s New Backlit RGB LED TV ‘a Shot Against OLED’s Bow’, and Includes a DP Port
“RGB LED TVs have been the talk of the TV world this year,” argues The Verge, with models coming from all the manufacturers.”
And the first one of 2026 is here — the UR9 from China’s Hisense — “the first look at the viability of the new backlight technology outside of demo rooms.” They call it “a step above … ⌘ Read more

France’s Government Is Ditching Windows For Linux
France says it plans to move some government computers from Windows to Linux as part of a broader push for digital sovereignty and reduced dependence on U.S. technology. TechCrunch reports: In a statement, French minister David Amiel said (translated) that the effort was to “regain control of our digital destiny” by relying less on U.S. tech companies. Amiel said that the Fre … ⌘ Read more

This superintelligent AI is so powerful, even its creators are afraid of what it’s capable of
If Anthropic’s new AI tool falls into the hands of bad actors, they could hack pretty much every major software system in the world. And so could your kids. ⌘ Read more

Major Australian crypto company CEO out, jobs cut as bitcoin rout bites
Swyftx, which has sponsored the Brisbane Lions, NRL and Big Bash League, is facing a major slump in Bitcoin prices despite the Trump family’s enthusiasm for crypto. ⌘ Read more

AI slop: The next evolution of wartime propaganda
Alongside the conflict over the strait of Hormuz, the US and Israel’s war with Iran is also being fought on a new front. The world of AI-generated propaganda. ⌘ Read more

Meta has found its footing on AI. Its rival found something much scarier
Meta spent billions rebuilding its AI program and finally has something to show for it. Anthropic, meanwhile, has something it’s not sure anyone should see. ⌘ Read more

Canva embarks on buying spree as AI wave batters rivals
With rivals cratering and Google encroaching, Canva is betting a string of AI acquisitions can cement its place before the IPO window opens. ⌘ Read more

CIA Reportedly Used Secret Quantum Tool To Find Downed Airman in Iran
alternative_right quotes a report from the New York Post: The CIA used a futuristic new tool called “Ghost Murmur” to find and rescue the second American airman who was shot down in southern Iran, The Post has learned. The secret technology uses long-range quantum magnetometry to find the electromagnetic fingerprint of a human heartbea … ⌘ Read more

Memos and confidants allege pattern of dishonesty from OpenAI boss
Secret memos compiled by OpenAI’s former chief scientist allege CEO Sam Altman engaged in a sustained pattern of lying to board members and bypassing safety reviews. ⌘ Read more

AI slop: The next evolution of wartime propaganda
Alongside the conflict over the strait of Hormuz, the US and Israel’s war with Iran is also being fought on a new front. The world of AI-generated propaganda. ⌘ Read more

For every $100 in data centres, $80 leaves Australia almost immediately
Data centres are the infrastructure boom of the decade. But how much of the investment actually stays in the country? ⌘ Read more

How I vibe-coded a web tool in three days with no programming experience
AI chatbots make it possible for people who can’t code to build apps, sites and tools. But it’s decidedly problematic. ⌘ Read more

Tech Companies Are Trying To Neuter Colorado’s Landmark Right-to-Repair Law
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Wired: Today at a hearing of the Colorado Senate Business, Labor, and Technology committee, lawmakers voted unanimously to move Colorado state bill SB26-090 – titled Exempt Critical Infrastructure from Right to Repair – out of committee and into the state senate and house for a vote. … ⌘ Read more

Why billionaire tech bros are buying up media companies
It’s not unusual for ChatGPT maker OpenAI to go on spending sprees. But its latest acquisition is raising some eyebrows ⌘ Read more

14 years and $1.3 billion later, video game Star Citizen is nearing a major milestone
After 14 years, Star Citizen is nearing a major milestone. Creator Chris Roberts speaks with 9news.com.au about the ambition, community, and the billion dollars in funding behind the project — as well as the upcoming single-player campaign, Squadron 42.

The long-awaited game features a cast inc … ⌘ Read more

Why the prices of laptops, phones and game consoles keep rising
The AI tax is making memory more expensive, and it doesn’t show any signs of letting up. ⌘ Read more

Trump’s attempt to protect big tech and remake World Trade Organisation fails
The Trump administration sent its most senior trade official to the WTO’s annual meeting to protect its big tech companies from digital taxes – to no avail. ⌘ Read more

CEO of America’s Largest Public Hospital System Says He’s Ready To Replace Radiologists With AI
Mitchell H. Katz, MD, president and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals, said hospitals could already replace many radiologists with AI for some imaging tasks – if regulators allowed it. He argued the technology presents an opportunity to simultaneously cut costs and expand access. Radiology Busin … ⌘ Read more

Startup Pitches ‘Brainless Clones’ To Serve the Role of Backup Human Bodies
MIT Technology Review discovered that startup R3 Bio has pitched an ethically and scientifically explosive long-term vision beyond its public work on non-sentient monkey “organ sacks”: creating human “brainless clones” or replacement bodies for organs as part of an extreme life-extension agenda. From the report: Imagine it … ⌘ Read more

Albanese government reaches deal with $550b AI giant in legal battle with Trump
AI giant Anthropic has signed an agreement with the Albanese government while being locked in a legal war with the Trump administration. ⌘ Read more

Oracle Cuts Thousands of Jobs Across Sales, Engineering, Security
bobthesungeek76036 shares a report from the Register: Oracle laid off thousands of employees on Tuesday as it ramps spending on AI infrastructure projects internally and with major technology partners. The layoffs were carried out via email, according to copies of the message viewed by Business Insider. The email told affected workers they … ⌘ Read more

New rules force Telstra to shrink coverage maps by 1 million square km
The telco giant must delete about a third of its claimed coverage under new standards backed by rivals, the ACCC and emergency groups. ⌘ Read more

Five social media giants face crackdown over under-16 ban
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube are under investigation and facing fines of up to $49.5 million for potential non-compliance with Australia’s world-first social media ban. ⌘ Read more

Five social media giants face crackdown over under-16 ban
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube are under investigation and facing fines of up to $49.5 million. for potential non-compliance with Australia’s world-first social media ban. ⌘ Read more

Roblox, YouTube caught in major children’s privacy overhaul
A new draft code would give children the right to demand deletion of their data and ban “dark patterns” designed to trick them into sharing more. ⌘ Read more

New Company Hopes to Build Age-Verification Tech into Vape Cartridges
Their goal is to use biometric data and blockchain to build age-verification measures directly into disposable vape cartridges.

Wired reports on a partnership between vape/cartridge manufacturer Ispire Technology and regulatory consulting company Chemular (which specializes in the nicotine market) — which they’ve named “Ike Tech”:

[U … ⌘ Read more

Parents like me are cheering these Facebook verdicts. But it’s not all good news
If these landmark court decisions against Meta and YouTube result in a dilution of free speech, the so-called victory will be hollow indeed. ⌘ Read more

Video shows destruction after Israeli airstrike hit Iran University of Science and Technology campus
Video shows destruction after Israeli airstrike hit Iran University of Science and Technology campus ⌘ Read more

Apple almost went broke – now it’s celebrating 50 years
Apple is now one of the most valuable companies in the world - a market capitalisation of over $3.5 trillion, but a core part of Apple’s history is the time it almost went broke. ⌘ Read more

The best noise-cancelling earbuds for your commute and quiet time
If you’re looking for high-end sound and the ability to drown out (or let in) the background, these are our top picks. ⌘ Read more

Five ways to beat your phone addiction (that actually work)
A jury just ruled social media is designed to addict you. We road-tested five ways to fight back. ⌘ Read more

I confess, I’ve become a lurker. It’s part of a dark trend away from friends
When I was compulsively sharing and being shared with, I was expressing the person I wanted to be. Now, I just silently observe the lives of others. ⌘ Read more

AV1’s Open, Royalty-Free Promise In Question As Dolby Sues Snapchat Over Codec
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: AOMedia Video 1 (AV1) was invented by a group of technology companies to be an open, royalty-free alternative to other video codecs, like HEVC/H.265. But a lawsuit that Dolby Laboratories Inc. filed this week against Snap Inc. calls all that into question with claims … ⌘ Read more

With OpenAI’s Sora gone, who will take up the AI video mantle?
Sora created whole cottage industries and let millions of people create videos at will, but now there’s a void to be filled. ⌘ Read more

Instagram falsely accused me of vile behaviour. Now I’m locked out of my life
Meta banned me over mistaken “child sexual exploitation, abuse and nudity” alerts. This is the same tech giant that’s just been fined more than $500 million for enabling child sexual exploitation. ⌘ Read more

The walls are closing in on Mark Zuckerberg
Juries in two US states this week found Meta liable for harming children. With 2000 more cases pending, Zuckerberg’s nightmare is just starting. ⌘ Read more

This one comes from this years (now scrapped) April 1st DLSS 5 gag, that was originally supposed to use Microsofts AI - in ways similar to the Nvidia technology, which produced interesting, overly detailed results. I wanted to see if I could beat the AI thing at drawing something like that myself and many redraws later, this is my best result.

AI Economy Is a ‘Ponzi Scheme,’ Says AI Doc Director
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Vanity Fair: Focus Features is releasing The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist in theaters on March 27. If you’re even slightly interested in what’s going on with AI, it’s required viewing: The film touches on all aspects of the technology, from how it’s currently being used to how it will be used in the near future … ⌘ Read more

Near-death experience shapes actor’s role in new video game
Hannah Telle and Rhianna DeVries, the actors behind one of gaming’s most iconic relationships, are returning — and bringing deeply personal experiences with them.

Speaking with 9news.com.au, DeVries revealed how surviving a near-death experience shaped their performance in the upcoming game Life is Strange: Reunion. ⌘ Read more

Doctors are relying more on AI, but some tools may be open to manipulation
Cybersecurity researchers say they deceived an Australian company’s medical assistant in three steps, while the company says it had already fixed the problem. ⌘ Read more

Amazon Plans to Test Four-Legged Robots on Wheels for Deliveries
CNBC reports:

Amazon has acquired Rivr, a Swiss robotics company developing machines for “doorstep delivery,” the company confirmed Thursday… It announced the deal in a notice sent to third-party delivery contractors… “We believe this technology, when working alongside your [delivery associates], has the potential to further improve sa … ⌘ Read more

A smackdown for the ages at the Oscars after-party, and AI was the spark
A successful playwright chose the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party to accuse OpenAI chief Sam Altman of wilfully allowing his technology to be an agent in global violences. ⌘ Read more

The best 2026 phones we’ve tested under $1000
From Apple’s new iPhone 17e to Nothing’s stunning 4a Pro, these phones can get you a major upgrade without breaking the bank. ⌘ Read more

Jeff Bezos Seeking $100 Billion to Buy Manufacturing Companies, ‘Transform’ Them With AI
Jeff Bezos “is in early talks to raise $100 billion,” reports the Wall Street Journal, “for a new fund that would buy up manufacturing companies and seek to use AI technology to accelerate their path to automation.”

“The Amazon.com founder is meeting with some of the world’s largest asset managers to raise … ⌘ Read more

White House Unveils National AI Policy Framework To Limit State Power
An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNBC: The Trump administration on Friday issued (PDF) a legislative framework for a single national policy on artificial intelligence, aiming to create uniform safety and security guardrails around the nascent technology while preempting states from enacting their own AI rules.
The six-pronged out … ⌘ Read more

China Is Helping Drive Cuba’s Solar Boom
AleRunner writes: “China is helping Cuba race to capture renewable solar energy as the United States imposes an effective oil blockade on the Caribbean island, creating its worst energy crisis in decades,” reports The Washington Post. Later in the article, it states that “China’s decades-long push into clean energy technology is now helping to protect it from the soaring oil and gas crisis … ⌘ Read more

UK Plans To Require Labels On AI-Generated Content
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: Britain plans to consider requiring labels on AI-generated content to protect consumers from disinformation and deepfakes, the government said on Wednesday, as it outlined other areas of focus to tackle the evolving global challenge. Technology minister Liz Kendall stressed the need to strike the right balance between protec … ⌘ Read more