Trump hopes to reach phase two of Gaza ceasefire 'very quickly'

The US president also warns Hamas will have "hell to pay" if it does not disarm, after talks with Netanyahu.

from BBC News https://ift.tt/C98vb2J

IDC expects shipments of PCs could shrink by up to 9% YoY in 2026 due to global memory shortages, as demand from AI data centers continues to outstrip supply (Zak Killian/Tom's Hardware)

Zak Killian / Tom's Hardware:
IDC expects shipments of PCs could shrink by up to 9% YoY in 2026 due to global memory shortages, as demand from AI data centers continues to outstrip supply  —  Memory shortages are expected to have a serious impact on the PC and smartphone market. … The International Data Corporation …

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/mQxKB1A

Sources: Nvidia is in advanced talks to acquire Tel Aviv-based AI21, which is building its own LLMs, for $2B to $3B; the deal would resemble an acquihire (CTech)

CTech:
Sources: Nvidia is in advanced talks to acquire Tel Aviv-based AI21, which is building its own LLMs, for $2B to $3B; the deal would resemble an acquihire  —  EXCLUSIVE: The move would mark Nvidia's fourth major Israeli purchase and signal the limits of Israel's LLM ambitions.

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/5MGlTKo

A look at the rift in the Democratic party over AI and data centers, as pro-business Democrats oppose the fiery, anti-AI politics of the progressive wing (Calder McHugh/Politico)

Calder McHugh / Politico:
A look at the rift in the Democratic party over AI and data centers, as pro-business Democrats oppose the fiery, anti-AI politics of the progressive wing  —  It's become a common occurrence: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer posts a light-hearted video on social media.

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/nV0k3um

'There are many challenges': Syrians in Turkey consider return after fall of Assad

Syrians in Turkey are weighing up whether it is the right time to return to their homeland.

from BBC News https://ift.tt/et74nvA

How Japan's viral horse racing game Umamusume, developed by Cygames, passed 30M downloads in Asia, spurring anime adaptations, concerts, and new racetrack fans (Katria Alampay/Bloomberg)

Katria Alampay / Bloomberg:
How Japan's viral horse racing game Umamusume, developed by Cygames, passed 30M downloads in Asia, spurring anime adaptations, concerts, and new racetrack fans  —  With more than 30 million downloads, Umamusume: Pretty Derby has generated anime adaptations, live concerts and a new legion of racetrack fans.

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/KT4aNLj

Global hotel groups are intensifying efforts to get customers to book directly, as they seek to save on online platform commissions and prepare for AI agents (Stephanie Stacey/Financial Times)

Stephanie Stacey / Financial Times:
Global hotel groups are intensifying efforts to get customers to book directly, as they seek to save on online platform commissions and prepare for AI agents  —  Companies including Marriott and Hilton push to improve perks and get more direct bookings  —  Major hotel groups are intensifying efforts …

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/dPYLtQM

Brazil's Bolsonaro undergoes medical treatment for hiccups

The 70-year-old had suffered with the spasms for nine months, his wife says, and was already in hospital for hernia surgery.

from BBC News https://ift.tt/qBcuwLJ

Lou Gerstner, a former IBM CEO and chairman credited with turning the company around, died at 83; IBM's market value rose from $29B to ~$168B during his tenure (Patrick Oster/Bloomberg)

Patrick Oster / Bloomberg:
Lou Gerstner, a former IBM CEO and chairman credited with turning the company around, died at 83; IBM's market value rose from $29B to ~$168B during his tenure  —  Louis Gerstner, who took over International Business Machines Corp. when it was on its deathbed and resuscitated it as a technology industry leader, died Saturday.

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/mZXbMIt

China's draft rules on the use of human-like AI would require companies to inform users they are dealing with AI when they log on and at two-hour intervals (Bloomberg)

Bloomberg:
China's draft rules on the use of human-like AI would require companies to inform users they are dealing with AI when they log on and at two-hour intervals  —  China plans to tighten rules around the use of human-like artificial intelligence by requiring providers to ensure their services are ethical, secure and transparent.

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/xzv5n3f

A profile of the Digital Security Helpline, run by Access Now, which gives 24/7 help to reporters and others who suspect they are victims of government spyware (Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai/TechCrunch)

Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai / TechCrunch:
A profile of the Digital Security Helpline, run by Access Now, which gives 24/7 help to reporters and others who suspect they are victims of government spyware  —  For more than a decade, dozens of journalists and human rights activists have been targeted and hacked by governments all over the world.

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/LPSdnJN

Q&A with Edison Scientific CEO Sam Rodriques about Kosmos, Edison's AI tool for scientific research, why AI probably won't cure diseases anytime soon, and more (New York Times)

New York Times:
Q&A with Edison Scientific CEO Sam Rodriques about Kosmos, Edison's AI tool for scientific research, why AI probably won't cure diseases anytime soon, and more  —  A tech C.E.O. explains why A.I. probably won't cure diseases anytime soon.  Hint: You still need humans.  —  Video

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/e1qbTSn

A look at Chinese food delivery giant Meituan's subsidy war with Alibaba and JD.com, leading Meituan to a big Q3 loss and internal debate over global expansion (Eleanor Olcott/Financial Times)

Eleanor Olcott / Financial Times:
A look at Chinese food delivery giant Meituan's subsidy war with Alibaba and JD.com, leading Meituan to a big Q3 loss and internal debate over global expansion  —  Competition from Alibaba and JD.com for fast-growing instant retail market has hit the Beijing-based group

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/sEpSNK8

NY Gov. Kathy Hochul signs a law requiring social platforms with features like autoplay and addictive feeds to show mental health warning labels for young users (Felix Day/WRGB)

Felix Day / WRGB:
NY Gov. Kathy Hochul signs a law requiring social platforms with features like autoplay and addictive feeds to show mental health warning labels for young users  —  New York (WRGB) — Governor Hochul has signed new legislation that will require social media platforms with certain addictive features …

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/vDrl3OU

Coinbase says a former customer service agent was arrested in India, following a May breach where hackers bribed contractors to access sensitive customer data (Muyao Shen/Bloomberg)

Muyao Shen / Bloomberg:
Coinbase says a former customer service agent was arrested in India, following a May breach where hackers bribed contractors to access sensitive customer data  —  Coinbase Global Inc. Chief Executive Officer Brian Armstrong said that a former customer service agent for the largest US crypto exchange …

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/u7Ddy1Q

Federal records show ICE has increased its surveillance tech spending to $300M+ under Trump, as the White House lowered privacy guardrails around citizens' data (Alfred Ng/Politico)

Alfred Ng / Politico:
Federal records show ICE has increased its surveillance tech spending to $300M+ under Trump, as the White House lowered privacy guardrails around citizens' data  —  The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is buying millions of dollars' worth of new surveillance tools at the same …

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/ahP6TBN

Refinitiv: AI infrastructure companies borrowed $100B+ in 2025; small companies face higher interest rates given investor wariness over unproven AI businesses (Joe Rennison/New York Times)

Joe Rennison / New York Times:
Refinitiv: AI infrastructure companies borrowed $100B+ in 2025; small companies face higher interest rates given investor wariness over unproven AI businesses  —  Artificial intelligence companies looking to raise funds are being made to pay lofty interest rates, as debt investors become cautious.

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/pIHtRXO

Xiaomi unveils $999+ 17 Ultra in China with three rear cameras, including a 50MP 1" sensor and a 200MP periscope lens; Leica edition gets a mechanical zoom ring (Siddharth/GSMArena.com)

Siddharth / GSMArena.com:
Xiaomi unveils $999+ 17 Ultra in China with three rear cameras, including a 50MP 1" sensor and a 200MP periscope lens; Leica edition gets a mechanical zoom ring  —  The Xiaomi 17 Ultra has finally been unveiled in China as the brand's flagship phone.  Alongside the standard model …

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/NXg5jrQ

Officials discover a million more documents potentially related to Epstein case

The US Department of Justice says reviewing the material could delay the full release of Epstein documents by a "few more weeks".

from BBC News https://ift.tt/Vg4E5fn

AI sector minted 50+ new billionaires in 2025; Crunchbase: investors poured $200B+ into AI startups in 2025, or about 50% of global funding, up from 34% in 2024 (Alicia Park/Forbes)

Alicia Park / Forbes:
AI sector minted 50+ new billionaires in 2025; Crunchbase: investors poured $200B+ into AI startups in 2025, or about 50% of global funding, up from 34% in 2024  —  Record activity in the AI sector this year has boosted dozens of founders and business executives into the billionaire ranks.

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/lIeBxAS

Trump trips, a fake video and 10 possible co-conspirators: Takeaways from new Epstein files

The largest release of Epstein-related documents yet from the justice department included some notable messages and several mentions of Trump.

from BBC News https://ift.tt/1OytKJF

Two dead after Pennsylvania nursing home explosions

Authorities are investigating whether a gas leak was to blame for the twin blasts and fire, which caused a partial collapse.

from BBC News https://ift.tt/MVg8D20

The Trump administration's travel ban on five Europeans includes researchers working to tackle online disinformation and abuse, like CCDH founder Imran Ahmed (Adam Satariano/New York Times)

Adam Satariano / New York Times:
The Trump administration's travel ban on five Europeans includes researchers working to tackle online disinformation and abuse, like CCDH founder Imran Ahmed  —  The Trump administration said five regulators and researchers who work to tackle disinformation and abuse on the internet had been barred from entering the United States.

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/IbXVudy

Israel extends order allowing closure of foreign broadcasters

A bill passed by parliament expands temporary powers introduced during the Gaza war to shutter outlets seen as a security threat.

from BBC News https://ift.tt/UPoGzDN

A federal judge grants a temporary injunction blocking a Texas law requiring mobile app stores to verify users' ages from taking effect on January 1 (Lauren Feiner/The Verge)

Lauren Feiner / The Verge:
A federal judge grants a temporary injunction blocking a Texas law requiring mobile app stores to verify users' ages from taking effect on January 1  —  The law was set to take effect next month. … A federal judge blocked a Texas law requiring mobile app stores to verify users' ages from taking effect on January 1st.

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/EWjPTci

Xbox had a terrible 2025: Microsoft canceled games and raised console and Game Pass prices, Costco stopped selling Xbox, and Valve's Steam Machine upstaged it (Devindra Hardawar/Engadget)

Devindra Hardawar / Engadget:
Xbox had a terrible 2025: Microsoft canceled games and raised console and Game Pass prices, Costco stopped selling Xbox, and Valve's Steam Machine upstaged it  —  But can it be resurrected in PC form?  —  Want to see a dead body?  I present to you the Xbox.

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/C5aRDIg

Trump's appointment of Greenland envoy sparks fresh row with Denmark

The BBC's diplomatic correspondent James Landale explains how Trump's appoinment of a special envoy to Greenland has shaken diplomatic with Denmark.

from BBC News https://ift.tt/GX8TBw0

FanDuel and CME Group launch a prediction market app called FanDuel Predicts in five US states, just days after DraftKings rolled out a similar product (Denitsa Tsekova/Bloomberg)

Denitsa Tsekova / Bloomberg:
FanDuel and CME Group launch a prediction market app called FanDuel Predicts in five US states, just days after DraftKings rolled out a similar product  —  FanDuel, the US online gambling division of Flutter Entertainment Plc, launched its own prediction-market app in five states just days …

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/27bnDht

Italy's competition watchdog fines Apple €98.6M, saying the company's ATT rules are "disproportionate" and "harmful" to app developers and advertisers (Joe Rossignol/MacRumors)

Joe Rossignol / MacRumors:
Italy's competition watchdog fines Apple €98.6M, saying the company's ATT rules are “disproportionate” and “harmful” to app developers and advertisers  —  Italy's Competition Authority (AGCM) has imposed a €98.6 million ($116 million) fine on Apple over its App Tracking Transparency feature.

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/bPNnYmD

Sources: Erebor, Palmer Luckey's digital bank, raised $350M led by Lux Capital at a $4.35B post-money valuation; it secured FDIC approval last week (Axios)

Axios:
Sources: Erebor, Palmer Luckey's digital bank, raised $350M led by Lux Capital at a $4.35B post-money valuation; it secured FDIC approval last week  —  Erebor, a new digital bank co-founded by Anduril CEO Palmer Luckey, has quietly raised $350 million at a $4.35 billion post-money valuation, Axios has learned.

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/jaV5u8X

A group of PE firms led by Permira and Warburg Pincus agrees to buy Clearwater Analytics, in a deal valuing the financial software maker at $8.4B including debt (Ryan Gould/Bloomberg)

Ryan Gould / Bloomberg:
A group of PE firms led by Permira and Warburg Pincus agrees to buy Clearwater Analytics, in a deal valuing the financial software maker at $8.4B including debt  —  A group of private equity firms led by Permira and Warburg Pincus has agreed to acquire Clearwater Analytics Holdings Inc …

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/PVcH0E4

Echo, which uses AI agents to build Docker images that eliminate vulnerabilities at the source, raised a $35M Series A, bringing its total funding to $50M (Ionut Arghire/SecurityWeek)

Ionut Arghire / SecurityWeek:
Echo, which uses AI agents to build Docker images that eliminate vulnerabilities at the source, raised a $35M Series A, bringing its total funding to $50M  —  Echo today announced raising $35 million in a Series A funding round that brings the total raised by the company to $50 million.

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/n9ZwLhM

Source: OpenAI's compute margin has jumped to about 70% in October from about 52% at the end of 2024 and roughly 35% in January 2024 (Sri Muppidi/The Information)

Sri Muppidi / The Information:
Source: OpenAI's compute margin has jumped to about 70% in October from about 52% at the end of 2024 and roughly 35% in January 2024  —  As OpenAI discusses raising an unprecedented investment round of up to $100 billion, it can crow about some key improvements to how it runs its business.

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/YdMbiZn