The tech world’s deepfake pornography problem is now bigger than just X. In a letter to the leaders of X, Meta, Alphabet, Snap, Reddit and TikTok, several U.S. senators are asking the companies to provide proof that they have “robust protections and policies” in place, and to explain how they plan to curb the rise … Read more
Spotify raised prices for its subscription plan in the U.S. for the third time in three years, as it hiked the monthly plan from $11.99 per month to $12.99 per month. The company sent an email to its paid users notifying them of the new price, which is applicable from the next monthly billing cycle. … Read more
However, Wednesday’s proclamation warned a second phase of the national security probe could result in “broader tariffs on imports of semiconductors and their derivative products.” Trump has threatened to hit chips with tariffs of up to 100 percent but over the past year has offered carve-outs and exemptions to companies who pledge to build more … Read more
Berlin-based Parloa has raised $350 million in Series D funding from existing investors, valuing the six-year-old customer service AI startup at $3 billion. The round comes just eight months after the company raised $120 million at a $1 billion valuation. The new round was led by General Catalyst, with participation from returning backers including EQT … Read more
India’s top court has ruled against Tiger Global in a tax case stemming from its Flipkart exit during Walmart’s 2018 takeover, a decision that strengthens New Delhi’s ability to challenge offshore treaty structures and could raise tax risk for global funds counting on predictable exits from one of the world’s fastest-growing major markets. On Thursday, … Read more
The best deal that I’ve seen on The Matrix: 4 Film Deja Vú Collection containing the four main films on 4K Blu-ray discs is $34.99. After missing out on that price around Cyber Monday, I’ve been waiting patiently for it to return. I can wait no longer to rewatch the 1999 classic, so Walmart’s $44.99 … Read more
It was an overcast January morning in 2025 the day I decided to delete my operating system. The Ubuntu installer warned me that it would remove everything on my hard drive, permanently wiping the entire Windows 10 installation I’d been running for years at that point. I hesitated for a second — maybe I should … Read more
Though House of the Dragon tells a different story than Game of Thrones, there are enough tonal similarities to make the spinoff feel more like a remix of its predecessor than a show with its own distinct voice. That’s part of what made it a little hard to get excited when HBO first announced that … Read more
X is awash with nonconsensual sexual deepfakes that blatantly violate Apple’s and Google’s policies, yet it and xAI’s Grok remain on both companies’ app stores. In open letters published Wednesday, a coalition of 28 advocacy groups, including women’s organizations and tech watchdogs, are demanding CEOs Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai grow spines and evict them. … Read more
The price of Spotify Premium is about to jump again in the US, marking its third price hike since 2023. Spotify announced that subscribers in the US, Estonia, and Latvia will be contacted about the updated pricing over the coming month. Individual Premium plans in the US will increase from $11.99 to $12.99 by the … Read more