Microsoft bets on Anthropic as it loosens ties with OpenAI
Microsoft is building its new Copilot Cowork agent tool on Claude technology as it diversifies beyond OpenAI.
Science/Tech
Testing the waters: can pumping chemicals into the ocean help stop global heating?
To some it was a reckless experiment but scientists hope the dispersal of 65,000 litres of sodium hydroxide into the Gulf of Maine could ease the climate crisis
For four days last August, a thick slick of maroon bruised the waters of the Gulf of Maine. The scene, not unlike a toxic red tide, was the result of 65,000 litres of an alkaline chemical, tagged with a red dye, that had been...
Former Meta A.I. Chief’s Start-Up Is Valued at $3.5 Billion
Advanced Machine Intelligence Labs, founded by Yann LeCun and other ex-Meta researchers, has raised more than $1 billion from investors.
Yann LeCun Raises $1 Billion to Build AI That Understands the Physical World
Meta’s former chief AI scientist has long argued that human-level AI will come from mastering the physical world, not language. His new startup, AMI, plans to prove it.
Was Iran really building a nuclear weapon? – podcast
Among the many justifications Donald Trump has presented for the US and Israel attacking Iran has been the supposedly imminent threat posed by its nuclear weapons programme. But how close was the country really to developing an atomic weapon? Ian Sample hears from Kelsey Davenport, the director of non-proliferation policy at the Arms Control Association. She sets out why many experts don’t...
Short films made from brain activity of mice aim to show how they see world
Scientists hope results analysed after the mice watched video footage will help them understand their perceptions
Scientists have reconstructed short movies from the brain activity of mice that watched videos for a project that aspires to lift the veil on how animals perceive the world.
The brief movie clips are grainy and pixellated, but provide a glimpse of how mice processed footage that...
U.S. Solar Installations Fell in 2025 as Trump Attacked Clean Energy
More solar energy was added to U.S. grids than any other technology, but the amount installed fell by 14 percent, according to a new report.
European Consortium Wants Open-Source Alternative To Google Play Integrity
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Heise: Pay securely with an Android smartphone, completely without Google services: This is the plan being developed by the newly founded industry consortium led by the German Volla Systeme GmbH. It is an open-source alternative to Google Play Integrity. This proprietary interface decides on Android smartphones with Google Play services whether banking,...
Samsung Wants To Let You Vibe Code Your Galaxy Phone Experience
Samsung says it’s thinking about bringing “vibe coding” to future Galaxy phones, allowing users to describe apps or interface changes in plain language and have AI generate the code. TechRadar interviewed Won-Joon Choi, Samsung’s head of mobile experience, to learn more about the plans. Here’s an excerpt from their report: As noted by Won-Joon Choi, the usefulness of vibe coding on smartphones...
Ig Nobels to move awards to Europe due to concern over US travel visas
Scientific awards – which honor research that makes people laugh and then think – to move away from ‘unsafe’ US
The annual Ig Nobels, a satirical award for scientific achievement, are shifting for the first time from the US to Europe due to concerns about attendees getting visas, organizers announced on Monday.
Organized by the Annals of Improbable Research, a digital magazine that highlights...
Nvidia Is Planning to Launch an Open-Source AI Agent Platform
Ahead of its annual developer conference, Nvidia is readying a new approach to software that embraces AI agents similar to OpenClaw.
EA Lays Off Staff Across All Battlefield Studios Following Record-Breaking Battlefield 6 Launch
Electronic Arts has laid off staff across multiple Battlefield studios despite Battlefield 6 being the best-selling game in the U.S. in 2025 and the “biggest launch in franchise history.” According to IGN, the layoffs include workers at Criterion, Dice, Ripple Effect, and Motive Studios. From the report: Individuals are being informed that the layoffs are taking place as part of a “realignment”...
‘Flying Cars’ Will Take Off in American Skies This Summer
The federal government announced a new pilot program designed to get new kinds of ultralight vehicles and “eVTOLs” up and running around the country—even if they’re not fully FAA-certified.
Live Nation Avoids Ticketmaster Breakup By ‘Open Sourcing’ Their Ticketing Model
Live Nation reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice that avoids breaking up its dominant live events empire with Ticketmaster. Instead, the deal requires changes like “open sourcing” their ticketing model and divesting some venues. NBC News reports: The company and the Justice Department reached a settlement on Monday, following a week of testimony during an antitrust trial...
How AI Assistants Are Moving the Security Goalposts
An anonymous reader quotes a report from KrebsOnSecurity: AI-based assistants or “agents” — autonomous programs that have access to the user’s computer, files, online services and can automate virtually any task — are growing in popularity with developers and IT workers. But as so many eyebrow-raising headlines over the past few weeks have shown, these powerful and assertive new tools are...
Anthropic Claims Pentagon Feud Could Cost It Billions
Executives at the AI startup say companies paused deal talks after the Trump administration labeled it a supply-chain risk, warning the fallout could cause a major revenue hit.
OpenAI and Google Workers File Amicus Brief in Support of Anthropic Against the US Government
Google DeepMind chief scientist Jeff Dean is among the AI researchers and engineers rushing to Anthropic’s defense.
Qualcomm’s New Arduino Ventuno Q Is an AI-Focused Computer Designed For Robotics
Qualcomm and Arduino have unveiled the Arduino Ventuno Q, a new AI-focused single-board computer built for robotics and edge systems. Engadget reports: Called the Arduino Ventuno Q, it uses Qualcomm’s Dragonwing IQ8 processor along with a dedicated STM32H5 low-latency microcontroller (MCU). “Ventuno Q is engineered specifically for systems that move, manipulate and respond to the physical world...
Bluesky CEO Jay Graber Is Stepping Down
Venture capitalist Toni Schneider will take over as interim CEO as Bluesky’s board of directors hunts for a permanent replacement.
Anthropic Sues the Pentagon After Being Labeled a Threat To National Security
Anthropic is suing the Department of Defense after the Trump administration labeled the company a “supply chain risk” and canceled its government contracts when Anthropic refused to allow its AI model Claude to be used for domestic surveillance or autonomous weapons. Fortune reports: The lawsuit, filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, calls the...
Your Espresso Machine Doesn’t Have to Be Fancy to Make Good Coffee
A former barista explains why your espresso machine doesn’t have to be fancy to make quality coffee.