Apple’s new affordable MacBook should have the Windows world rethinking things.
MS NOW reports that content creators were offered $1,500 to make videos attacking Kat Abughazaleh, a former journalist now running for office in Illinois’s 9th Congressional District. The offer came from a group called Democracy Unmuted, which has since updated its website to attack the MS NOW reporter who broke the story.
Uber’s founder and ousted CEO Travis Kalanick, last seen operating a ghost kitchen startup, is forming a new company called Atoms, TechCrunch reports, that will include food delivery, mining, and transportation. He’s also, according to The Information, considering acquiring Anthony Levandowski’s (yes, that guy) autonomous mining company and using it as a launchpad for a new self-driving car company — with backing from his former company. Dude also gave a live interview on TPBN where he described the mining business as — in extreme Kalanick style — “my jam.”
Search-and-rescue operations lacked access to pinpoint data on where tornadoes touched down, because Kristi Noem’s DHS spending policies are holding up approval of a $200k contract, reports CNN:
As the storms spread, officials from several states started contacting FEMA, asking why they couldn’t access the tornado tracking data… As of earlier this week, the tornado mapping contract still had not been renewed, the two sources said.
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Following Tech Re-Nu’s dissection, iFixit has shared its teardown of the MacBook Neo. While they still score it just a 6 out of 10 on their repairability scale because of soldered RAM and storage plus Apple’s use of pentalobe screws, iFixit was pleased to find they could swap modular components with another Neo without triggering macOS warnings.
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Creators can now upload video thumbnails up to 50MB instead of just 2MB, according to YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. Bring on the hi-res YouTube Face.
Lego’s tiny toy computer can fly higher than these first Star Wars sets.
If you need a Bluetooth tracker to keep tabs on your stuff during spring break, we’ve updated our buying guide and crowned Apple’s new AirTag 2 as the best for iPhone owners. We’ve also got Android owners covered with recommendations like the latest Tile Pro, Pebblebee Clip 5, and more.
Gift links dropped a couple months ago. Have you shared one, opened one, ignored them or are wondering what the heck we’re even talking about? Answer a few Qs and tell us how they’re working for you.
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Minnesotans who are active in anti-ICE organizing say they’ve spotted drones in their neighborhoods — and in at least one instance, hovering right outside their houses — in recent weeks. The Department of Homeland Security won’t confirm whether the drones are theirs, but ICE has reportedly used license-plate readers and facial recognition technology to surveil activists in Minneapolis.
Samsung’s latest Galaxy S phones are going through the motions.
The Xreal Neo video dock-meets-charger has been canceled. The company shared the news on Reddit, stating its decision was based on concerns about its “3rd party dock reliability” and “battery longevity.” Xreal owners hoping to play the Switch 2 through their glasses now have to rely on third-party products, like a battery dock from Viture, a company that Xreal recently sued for patent infringement.
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Professionals will love the accurate and plentiful reference modes, but far better options exist for the rest of us.
This spring, Peacock is bringing a new Jeopardy! game to its mobile app. It will feature daily trivia rounds straight from the Jeopardy! team, along with shareable scores and streak challenges.
The decision reverses a 2024 order for TikTok to shut down its operations in the country, and comes after an agreement that TikTok will implement “enhanced protection” for Canadians’ personal information.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service, which previously warned against using TikTok, said Canadians should “proceed cautiously” when joining new platforms and “conduct their own research on the type of data being collected,” CTV News reports.
Uber out here collecting robotaxi companies like they’re Pokémon! The majority Hyundai-owned Motional is operating a fleet of autonomous Ioniq 5s in Las Vegas. The arrangement is similar to Uber’s other AV partners: riders who indicate they’re interested in robotaxis may get matched with one of Motional’s vehicles.
The cars will have safety drivers behind the wheel, though perhaps not for long: Motional says it’ll remove them by the end of the year.
Amazon has expanded its Alexa Plus personality styles with a new “Sassy” option. The chili pepper icon hints at this Alexa’s “unfiltered personality,” but don’t worry, Amazon is keeping the spice mild, with only “occasional censored profanity.”
Chris K.:
Programming your robot to swear then programming it to censor its own swearing is something
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Two lost episodes from the third series of Doctor Who have been discovered in a private collection by film preservation trust Film is Fabulous! The six-decade-old episodes — titled “Nightmare Begins” and “Devil’s Planet” — have been restored from their original 16mm telerecordings by the BBC, and will be available on iPlayer.
The company postponed its next AI model, codenamed Avocado, from this month until at least May, the NYT reports. Performance apparently falls short of rivals like Google.
Meta’s spent billions trying to catch up, and Avocado will be its first major release since hiring Scale’s Alexandr Wang to revamp its efforts.
The GFiber unit is combining with Astound Broadband to form a new independent fiber provider. Google will hold a minority stake, with the majority owned by investment firm Stonepeak. GFiber CEO Dinni Jain said the partnership “is the next step in our decade-long mission to redefine what customers can expect from their internet provider.”
“Newgrounds used to get 3,000 flash animations a year, most are forgotten,” Newgrounds Roulette creator Mike Wing said on X. “So I made a site that shuffles through them.”
It’s a fun and nostalgic way to waste a few minutes, but just remember — these randomized animations came from Newgrounds in the 2000s and may not be safe for work.
Parrots have legendary intelligence, but perhaps none like this exemplary Halo legend: a Congo African Grey rescue at the Alveus Sanctuary who can mimic Xbox noises. They can also dance to the classic Halo theme song. The sanctuary doesn’t know the bird’s name or gender yet, but may I suggest… “Master Cheep?”
Amazon will hold its annual Prime Day event in June instead of July this year, according to a recent report from Bloomberg. Sources told the outlet the sale will take place in “late June,” though Amazon has yet to confirm the exact timing of its multi-day shopping event.
Narayen told investors today that AI-first products “should be our next billion-dollar business,” and that he will leave the role he’s held since 2007 once the board names a successor. He’s overseen its Creative Cloud rollout, big bets on the future of AI, and its abandoned $20 billion attempt to acquire Figma.
Narayen:
The next era of creativity is being written right now — shaped by AI, by new workflows and by entirely new forms of expression. Adobe has never waited for the future to arrive. We’ve anticipated it. We’ve built it. And we’ve led it.
