US bans WhatsApp from House of Representatives staff devices
The U.S. government has banned WhatsApp from devices used by U.S. House of Representatives staff, saying the app poses potential security risks.
The Download: Google DeepMind’s DNA AI, and heatwaves’ impact on the grid
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Google’s new AI will help researchers understand how our genes work When scientists first sequenced the human genome in 2003, they revealed the full set of DNA instructions that make a person. But…
TopTechTrends
Uber and Waymo’s commercial robotaxi service is open for business in Atlanta
Waymo and Uber are offering commercial robotaxi rides in Atlanta.
The Anthropocene illusion
Over six years and across four continents, the London-based documentary photographer Zed Nelson has examined how humans have immersed themselves in increasingly simulated environments to mask their destructive divorce from the natural world. Featuring everything from theme parks and zoos to national parks and African safaris, his images reveal not only a desperate craving for…
Namibia wants to build the world’s first hydrogen economy
On an afternoon in March in the middle of the world’s oldest desert, Johannes Michels looks out at an array of solar panels, the size of 40 football fields, that stretches toward a ridge of jagged peaks between the ochre-colored sand and a cloudless blue sky. Inside a building to Michels’s left sits a 12-megawatt…
Can we fix AI’s evaluation crisis?
As a tech reporter I often get asked questions like “Is DeepSeek actually better than ChatGPT?” or “Is the Anthropic model any good?” If I don’t feel like turning it into an hour-long seminar, I’ll usually give the diplomatic answer: “They’re both solid in different ways.” Most people asking aren’t defining “good” in any precise…
Google introduces AI mode to users in India
Google introduced its AI mode, a Q&A-style search tool, to users in India today. The company said that this tool is still in the experimental stage and users will need to opt in to it through Search Labs. Once a user has opted in, they can ask queries in English. Google didn’t specify whether it […]
Court filings reveal OpenAI and io’s early work on an AI device
Legal filings submitted earlier this month from lawyers representing OpenAI and Jony Ive’s io reveal new details about the companies’ efforts to build a mass-market AI hardware device. The filings are part of a trademark dispute lawsuit filed this month by iyO, a Google-backed hardware startup developing custom-molded earpieces that connect to other devices. Over […]
Tesla’s robotaxis have already caught the attention of federal safety regulators
Federal safety regulators have reached out to Tesla a day after the automaker began providing rides in its branded robotaxis in Austin.
At Age 23, He Started a Side Hustle While on Welfare. It Led to a 7-Figure Business and a Stay on Richard Branson’s Private Island.
Josh Turner launched a side project after he was fired — and it led to a lucrative business that gives back.
OpenAI’s Partnership With Legendary iPhone Designer Jony Ive Has Already Hit a Snag: ‘We Don’t Agree With the Complaint’
OpenAI has removed the news of its partnership with Jony Ive from its website and social media.