tech

AI

Disrupt discount, Gemini breach, and new hardware raise stakes

Ticket discounts for TechCrunch Disrupt end soon, Google’s Gemini AI breach surfaces, and new hardware from Asus and Motorola arrive, highlighting industry tension.

Hardware

Apple adds $5 monthly fee for iPhone Handoff on T‑Mobile

Apple bundles iPhone Handoff with iOS 27 but charges T‑Mobile users $5 a month, sparking debate over continuity costs and carrier lock‑in.

AI

Board ousts Automattic CEO as other firms face backlash

Automattic forces founder Matt Mullenweg into leave while Turning Point pumps money into midterms, Amazon battles a pregnancy‑accommodation lawsuit, and Meta mislabels a band’s handles.

Tech

Telluride Premiere Shows Unprecedented Holmes Access

Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s secret documentary offers rare, unfiltered footage of Elizabeth Holmes just weeks before her prison sentence.

AI

GoPro Sale, Emplifi Lead

GoPro’s $285M Starman acquisition, Emplifi’s Gartner leadership, and Blackstone’s $2.8B Allstate Life buy reshape hardware, AI social tools, and insurance.

AI

Casio Luxury G‑Shock, Gemini Photo AI

Casio unveils a luxury G‑Shock line, Google expands Gemini Spark to manage Photos, and Roland launches Melody Flip AI music plug‑in, marking a wave of consumer AI tools.

Hardware

Dell’s missed Mac OS X deal reveals Jobs’ cross‑platform gamble

Michael Dell recounts a failed 1990s pitch by Steve Jobs to ship Mac OS X on Dell PCs, exposing the strategic stakes behind the missed partnership.

Tech

Hacker News Blasts Tim Cook as Jobs’ Legacy Gets Re‑examined

A Hacker News post accusing Tim Cook of selling out Steve Jobs ignites debate, while Google Play’s policy shift forces AnkiDroid to drop its Open Collective link, highlighting funding pressures on open‑source projects.

Tech

TikTok settles for $400M as regulators tighten grip on social

TikTok pays $400 million to end a DOJ COPPA case while Meta faces a child‑safety lawsuit and other firms grapple with consumer‑protection scrutiny.

Software

VC Probe, Deepfake Ads

A DOJ probe into Andreessen Horowitz, Meta's deepfake ad scandal, and Disney's lawsuit against the FCC reveal escalating regulatory pressure on tech giants.

Tech

Bug, Outage, and a German Ruling: Tech’s Rough Week

Feedly, Petlibro, and Apple face bugs, outages, and regulator pushback, highlighting the gap between hype and reliability.

Tech

Fed Warning Spurs Market Panic as Tech Stocks Slip

Fed's "significant downside risks" cue a global sell‑off, dragging internet giants and local wage policies into a fiscal storm.

AI

AI Advances

AI code-testing startup Blacksmith's valuation jumps, AI newsrooms break big news, and tech giants explore neurotechnology.

Hardware

Yacht neglect, SteamOS update, Chinese rocket blast

A week in tech: Zuckerberg's yacht ignored a Coast Guard call, Valve broadened SteamOS to MSI hardware, a Chinese launch failed, PS5 audio hacks, and $100 smartphone options.

AI

AI jailbreaks expose fragile safeguards across frontier models

A new tool bypassed safety filters on four leading AI models, raising doubts about current defenses and prompting broader security concerns.

Hardware

Tech Shifts

Instagram and WhatsApp update, Apple Watch becomes obsolete

Gaming

TikTok doc, Netflix FIFA game, and Apple Wallet keys reshape tech

A documentary on TikTok's politicization, Netflix's FIFA Launch Edition, and Salto's Apple Wallet hotel keys illustrate shifting tech battles.

Software

Plex’s Social Leap and Enclayve’s Chat Letdown Reveal a Trend

Plex adds social tools as it hikes prices, while Enclayve’s private chat proves security isn’t enough.

Gaming

Unastella Raises $24M

Unastella raises $24M, Google opens Tokyo store, Apple's iPhone sports venture.

Tech

Tech Under $50

Great tech deals for under $50, from earbuds to power banks.

Hardware

Fake Reviews Flood Tech

Amazon struggles with fake reviews, affecting consumer trust.

AI

Google AI Search Overhaul Spurs DuckDuckGo Surge

Google's AI search revamp at I/O 2026 triggered a 30% jump in DuckDuckGo installs, highlighting user resistance and broader AI concerns.

Gaming

Bungie Cuts Staff, Silo Teases Character Shift

Bungie lays off a significant number of employees, Silo season 3 reveals a major character change, and Vagon rolls out a no-code streaming platform.

Tech

Zillow doubles down on rentals amid legal fight over hidden homes

Zillow buys HotPads for $16 million, pushes a unified rental platform while suing over hidden listings, highlighting the stubborn role of agents.

AI

AI agents and bug hunters spark US policy scramble

Mozilla's AI bug scanner, Meta's shopping AI, and a US report on China's tech push converge to reshape security, commerce, and regulation.

AI

YAML Specs and AI Psychosis: HN Debates Technical Rigor

HN community debates structured specs, privacy tools, and rapid app development in three new submissions.

Hardware

Apple Glasses rumor fuels doubts as brand loyalty wanes

A tentative hand‑gesture claim for Apple Glasses arrives while surveys show Apple slipping in consumer passion and regulators eye its news‑feed bias.

AI

Saudi Leisure Boom, DIY RF Labs, and a Grindr White House Bash

Saudi Arabia’s $5.36 B entertainment market, a hobbyist RF showcase, and Grindr’s high‑profile party illustrate shifting tech‑driven leisure.

AI

Amazon and Meta Challenge Google Pay, PhonePe UPI Dominance

Amazon and Meta lobby Indian regulators to curb Google Pay and PhonePe's 80% UPI share, while AI tools like KisanAI reshape Indian tech landscape.

Hardware

Office gear gets subtle upgrades, from chairs to Kindle

New Vari Align chair, Galaxy Buds 4 stability patch, Philips Hue SpatialAware lighting, and Kindle dark mode roll out, reshaping the office tech mix.

Tech

Deals and Discounts

Find the latest deals on tech and more, plus a new rewards app that tracks your every move

Tech

Tech Turmoil and Market Shifts

Companies in tech and automotive face turmoil and change, from designer baby startups shutting down to Porsche selling its stake in Bugatti.

Tech

Inside the Surveillance State: Tech and Domestic Spying

Big tech companies are fueling the rise of Homeland Security and domestic surveillance, raising concerns about privacy and civil liberties.

AI

The Future of Verification: From Orbs to AI-Driven Markets

Exploring the intersection of tech and verification, from Sam Altman's orbs to AI-driven prediction markets.

AI

When Tech Meets Art: The Delight and Frustration of Innovative Gadgets

Exploring the charming yet frustrating world of gadgets that blend tech and art, from AI poetry cameras to kinetic sculptures

AI

AI Drive-Thrus and Tech Refreshes

Dairy Queen introduces AI chatbots to drive-thrus, while Intel and Amazon make significant updates to their products

AI

Tech Disruptions: Bluesky Outages and Netflix Innovations

Bluesky suffers DDoS attack, Netflix unveils AI-driven features

AI

Tech Surge: Innovations Redefining Industries

Discover the latest tech innovations transforming industries

AI

The AI Revolution: Where Efficiency Meets Compromise

AI is transforming newsrooms and tech, but at what cost?