AI firms are quietly buying and destroying millions of printed books to train their models
Demand for older print books is surging as AI firms look for human-written content free from AI-generated text
Modder rigs his Steam Deck with spikes and an automated taser to stop family members from borrowing it
Desperate times call for desperate measures
An abandoned IBM campus became a TikTok sensation, now it's a magnet for trespassers
Police have arrested 48 people at the viral site, including one with a loaded gun
This ransomware negotiator was paid to fight hackers, he was secretly working with them instead
Angelo Martino was sentenced to 70 months after leaking client data to BlackCat, helping squeeze $75 million from his own clients
LG monitors caught auto-installing Windows app that acts like adware
Silently installing bloatware that triggers McAfee ad pop-ups – Yuck!
The rise of "dopamine sites": fake food delivery and shopping apps that satisfy cravings without spending a cent
Researchers say the trend satisfies a need for instant gratification in uncertain times
Amazon's Alexa can now generate podcasts on whatever topic you want. But, will anyone listen?
Two AI "co-hosts" cover news, sports, and more, pulling from outlets like the AP, Reuters, and Washington Post
Anthropic says Claude learned to blackmail people from "evil" AI stories online
Elon Musk accepts some of the blame
Clicking "reject cookies" might not actually do anything
Google, Microsoft, and Meta largely ignore cookie opt-outs, independent audit says
Bottom line: Those annoying cookie-consent banners that have flooded the internet over the past several years are supposed to give users the option to block most tracking cookies from advertisers. However, a recent California audit claims that the largest ad tech companies usually send cookies anyway, having decided that simply paying potential billions in fines is more profitable.
Microsoft's AI in its own terms: "use Copilot at your own risk"
Despite the AI push across Windows and enterprise tools, Microsoft cautions not to rely on it for important decisions
GitHub pulls Copilot "feature" after it added advertising to more than 11,000 pull requests
Controversy highlights the risks of AI altering user content
Pokémon Go's AR data has been turned into centimeter-accurate navigation for delivery robots
Connecting the dots: Pokémon Go's global AR craze is now steering something far more prosaic than virtual Pikachu: real delivery robots trying to find the right doorway on a crowded city block. The same location data and street-level imagery that once anchored monsters to sidewalks and plazas have been repurposed by Niantic. Coco Robotics is now using that technology to guide its sidewalk bots through dense urban areas where GPS alone is too unreliable to keep them on course.
The White House used Call of Duty "nuke" killstreak footage in a video showing real US strikes on Iran
Did Microsoft sign off on it?
The Swiss suicide pod now uses AI to decide who can end their life
Because it wasn't controversial enough
Hollywood director received $11 million to finish a Netflix show - he spent it on crypto, a Ferrari, and five Rolls-Royces
Filmmaker Carl Rinsch found guilty of defrauding Netflix
Hundreds of Porsches across Russia stopped working after unexplained satellite outage
The joy of connected cars
xAI employee praised by collegues for working 36 hours without sleep
One employee mocked work-life balance
Microsoft says Windows is becoming an agentic OS, but users simply hate the idea
Sounding off: Microsoft has often talked about turning Windows into an agentic OS, despite serious reservations from many quarters. Most Windows users are unhappy with the idea of AI taking greater control of their PCs, and they are once again making it clear to Redmond that they are not on board with the company's plans.
Struggling NHL coach turns to ChatGPT as Calgary Flames search for answers
A hockey team, a losing streak, and a coach asking ChatGPT for advice
Ads are coming for your lock screen, and Nothing is leading the way
Nothing also introduced its first entry-level phone this week
Family turns to AI to audit $195,000 hospital bill, reducing it to $33,000 after uncovering errors
Why hospital billing needs more transparency
The Netherlands invokes Cold War-era law to seize control of Chinese chipmaker Nexperia
The Hague fears growing Beijing influence over the EU's chip supply chain
A hot potato: The Dutch government has invoked a post – World War II law to take control of Nexperia, a Chinese-owned chipmaker, in a move underscoring growing global tensions over semiconductor security. Officials say the intervention was necessary to protect national and European interests, reflecting a broader shift toward tighter state oversight of strategic technologies.
MSI shows off "true AI" MPG 271QR QD-OLED X50 monitor with real-time human ID
Do gamers really need so much AI baked within their hardware and peripherals?
Starbucks to South Korean customers: Please leave your desktop PCs and printers at home
Leave the home office at home
DOGE's AI tool misreads law, still tasked with deleting half of US regulations
Plan demands deletion of 100,000 regulations, projecting $1.5 trillion in savings by 2026