Big Tech
Tracking the heavyweights of innovation. Insightful reporting on how legacy tech giants wield global influence, scale infrastructure, and compete for market dominance.
189 articles
Microsoft Paint and Photos Now Embed Invisible GUID Watermarks in AI Images
Developer Xusheng Li discovered that Microsoft Paint and Photos add invisible GUID watermarks to AI-generated images. The watermark is mandatory for Paint; failure aborts generation. This raises questions about user tracking and compliance with the EU AI Act.
Nvidia's Hugging Face Deal Raises Questions Over AI Platform Neutrality
Nvidia agrees to acquire Hugging Face for $12.9 billion, sparking fears over the platform's independence in hosting open-source AI models.
Bill Gates Exposes Tech Executives' Private Fear of AI
Bill Gates claims tech leaders privately fear AI risks despite public optimism. He proposes taxes, testing limits to curb dangers.
Meta AI Agents Disrupted Operations in Failed Project OT, Reuters Reports
Meta's plan to cut teams by 60% and replace them with AI agents collapsed when the agents made large-scale disruptions, according to Reuters.
IBM Enters Hybrid Server Era With New Dual-Architecture Chip
IBM announces a new processor merging two architectures, aiming to boost efficiency and AI performance in data centers.
Google's Motion Assist Feature Finally Rolls Out on Android
Google is rolling out Motion Assist on Android 17, an anti-motion sickness feature similar to Apple's Motion Cues, initially on Pixel phones.
LinkedIn Users Flag AI-Generated Content Over One Million Times With New Tool
LinkedIn’s experimental ‘People’ and ‘Seems’ button has been used more than a million times. The feature lets members report AI-generated low-quality posts.
Google Lets Users Directly Customize Discover Feed With New Controls
Google introduces a manual curation feature for its Discover feed. Users can now type specific interests to shape content. The move gives more control over algorithmic suggestions.
YouTube Tightens Grip on Top Creators With Exclusivity Payments
YouTube is reportedly paying top creators to keep content exclusive, blocking them from posting on Netflix and other platforms.
Google Discover Feed Now Accepts Natural Language Customization
Google introduces natural language controls for its Discover feed, letting users describe content preferences instead of picking topics. The update gives more direct control over personalized news.
Amazon Targets 500 US Locations for 30-Minute Drone Deliveries by 2026
Amazon plans to expand Prime Air drone deliveries to nearly 500 US cities and towns by end of 2026, offering 30-minute drop-offs. The plan marks a sixfold increase from its current footprint.
Google Pays $10 Million for Spirit Airlines Data to Fuel Aviation AI
Google LLC won a bankruptcy auction to purchase Spirit Airlines' operational data for $10 million. The dataset includes emails, Teams chats and flight records. Personal information is excluded.
Google Pitches AI as a Cure for Smartphone Dependency
Google is marketing its latest phones by promoting AI features that reduce screen time, a strategy that both acknowledges and exploits users' problematic relationship with devices.
Duolingo Broadens Math Curriculum With Advanced and Adaptive Options
Duolingo expands math services with more advanced topics and personalized learning paths, strengthening its position beyond language instruction.
Near-Packaged Optics Gains Ground as Interim Data Center Connection Solution
Near-packaged optics (NPO) is gaining traction as a practical interim solution for data center interconnects, offering field-serviceable modules and assembly simplicity while CPO faces production hurdles. Analysts at SemiAnalysis predict NPO volume will extend through the end of the decade.
Google Meet Extends AI Note-Taking to In-Person Meetings
Google Meet now records and transcribes in-person meetings, saving notes to Google Drive and emailing them.
Enterprise SSDs Now Consume Nearly Half of Global NAND Output
Enterprise SSDs now account for 48% of global NAND flash supply, a shift driven by generative AI inference workloads. The trend tightens supply and may raise costs for consumer SSDs.
Microsoft Unifies Copilot and Copilot 365 Into One App, Drops Three Features
Microsoft merges its two Copilot apps into one and retires three features to reduce confusion. The new unified app aims to simplify the AI assistant experience.
Zuckerberg's AI Manifesto Sparks Debate Over Technology and Human Connection
Mark Zuckerberg's AI manifesto faces criticism for missing human connection. A rock climbing anecdote highlights the cultural gap. The debate raises questions about AI's role in daily life.