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As of Friday, May 09, 2025, 23:32, Timezone: America/Chicago

Rippling Soars to $16.8 Billion Valuation Amid Financing Round

Friday, May 9, 2025, 1:22 pm more...

HR tech startup Rippling has astonished investors by reaching a $16.8 billion valuation following a $450 million Series G financing round. This meteoric rise, buoyed by savvy venture capital interest (YC reportedly being one of the backers), adds another chapter to today’s ever-expanding unicorn saga.

siliconangle.com / Workforce management startup Rippling raises $450M at $16.8B valuation

cnbc.com / Rippling valued at $16.8 billion as HR software startup raises $450 million, says IPO not imminent

theinformation.com / Rippling Valued at $16.8 billion in New Financing - The Information

techcrunch.com / Rippling raises $450M at a $16.8B valuation, reveals YC is a customer

permalink / 4 stories from sources in 10 hours ago #startups #fintech #investment #finance +

Apple Shifts iPhone Production to Brazil to Dodge U.S. Tariffs

Friday, May 9, 2025, 1:22 pm more...

Facing escalating U.S. tariffs, Apple appears to be quietly shifting iPhone production to Brazil through its Foxconn partnership. Despite Apple’s denials, industry insiders suggest this strategic relocation aims to stabilize prices and secure the supply chain, proving that when it comes to international trade, geography often trumps rhetoric.

appleinsider.com / Apple said to use Brazil for lower-tariff iPhones, despite denials

winbuzzer.com / Apple Taps Brazil for iPhone Production to Bypass New US Tariffs

permalink / 2 stories from sources in 10 hours ago #apple #tariffs #brazil #manufacturing +

Google Gemini API introduces caching to slash developer costs

Friday, May 9, 2025, 12:20 pm more...

Google is shaking up the developer playground by adding an implicit caching feature to its Gemini 2.5 API, promising to cut costs by up to 75%. By reusing common data prefixes, this move transforms repetitive prompt handling, making high-powered AI more efficient—and a bit more wallet‐friendly—for tech innovators.

winbuzzer.com / Google Gemini API Adds Implicit Caching, Promises Usage Cost Reduction up to 75%

the-decoder.com / Google's new caching feature for Gemini 2.5 aims to reduce costs by up to 75 percent

permalink / 2 stories from sources in 11 hours ago #ai #google #aiethics #alphabet +

Google to Pay Billion-Dollar Settlement Over Texas Privacy Claims

Friday, May 9, 2025, 8:20 pm more...

Google has agreed to a settlement of roughly $1.375 billion to settle allegations of invasive data tracking practices in Texas. Both reports detail the breach of users’ sensitive geolocation and privacy rights, marking another hefty reminder that digital privacy demands serious oversight—even if enforcement sometimes seems as elusive as a mirage.

theverge.com / Google will pay a $1.375 billion settlement to Texas over privacy violations

cnbc.com / Google agrees to pay Texas $1.4 billion data privacy settlement

permalink / 2 stories from sources in 3 hours ago #dataprivacy #google #privacy #law +

Trump Targets Digital Equity Act in Baffling Move

Friday, May 9, 2025, 1:22 pm more...

In a twist that’s both eyebrow-raising and head-scratching, President Trump has scrapped a broadband grants program—deeming the digital equity act “racist” and “unconstitutional.” The cancellation not only roils political pundits but also leaves vulnerable groups in an unexpected lurch.

arstechnica.com / Trump kills broadband grants, calls digital equity program “racist and illegal”

gizmodo.com / ‘The President Has No Idea What He’s Talking About’: Trump Slams The Digital Equity Act as ‘Racist’ and ‘Unconstitutional’

permalink / 2 stories from sources in 10 hours ago #digitaltransformation #techpolicy #trump #broadband +

NASA Axes VIPER Rover Partnership, Moon Mission in Limbo

Friday, May 9, 2025, 1:22 pm more...

NASA abruptly scrapped plans to secure a commercial partner for its VIPER rover mission, leaving its lunar ambitions in a sort of orbiting limbo. The cancellation of the solicitation has caused a stir among space enthusiasts, as the high-profile project now faces an uncertain future—and a delayed lunar trip.

gizmodo.com / NASA Has a Badass Moon Rover but No Way to Get It to the Moon

theregister.com / VIPER rover banished to storage as moonshot plan sputters

permalink / 2 stories from sources in 10 hours ago #space #nasa #aerospace +

Court Uses AI Deepfake for Deceased Victim's Impact Statement

Friday, May 9, 2025, 1:22 pm more...

In a landmark and slightly surreal courtroom drama, an AI-generated deepfake of a deceased road rage victim was employed to deliver an impact statement during sentencing. This pioneering use of technology has sparked ethical debates while leaving legal experts marveling at the bizarre fusion of tech and testimony.

siliconangle.com / Family uses AI video in court to allow deceased victim to give impact statement

engadget.com / Deepfake of deceased man gives his own impact statement in court

permalink / 2 stories from sources in 10 hours ago #ai #aiethics #judiciary #law +

Chrome battles online scams with on-device AI

Friday, May 9, 2025, 12:20 pm more...

In a high-tech twist on digital security, Google is deploying on-device AI in Chrome to sniff out and block online scams in real time. This stealth upgrade is set to intercept nasty cyber schemes before they even reach your browser, proving that even your computer can have a watchdog with a wicked streak.

mobilesyrup.com / Google is using AI to fight against scams

bleepingcomputer.com / Google Chrome to use on-device AI to detect tech support scams

techspot.com / Google adds on-device AI to Chrome to catch scams in real time

the-decoder.com / Google deploys AI in Chrome to detect and block online scams

permalink / 4 stories from sources in 11 hours ago #ai #browsers #alphabet #scam +

US border agents to photograph car exiters with facial recognition

Friday, May 9, 2025, 3:20 pm more...

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is set to capture every face of drivers leaving the country with high-tech facial recognition that matches travelers against their passports. The agency’s ambitious plan has security officials applauding while privacy advocates raise an eyebrow at this unprecedented surveillance move.

engadget.com / The Trump administration wants to photograph everyone leaving the US by car

theverge.com / Border agents are going to photograph everyone leaving the US by car

wired.com / US Customs and Border Protection Plans to Photograph Everyone Exiting the US by Car

permalink / 3 stories from sources in 8 hours ago #government #DHS #privacy +

LegoGPT AI Brings Realistic, Stable Lego Creations to Life

Friday, May 9, 2025, 5:20 pm more...

Carnegie Mellon researchers have introduced LegoGPT, a novel AI system that converts text inputs into functional Lego models. The innovative technology incorporates physics checks to ensure that designs stand up in real life, blending digital creativity with tangible construction.

arstechnica.com / New Lego-building AI creates models that actually stand up in real life

cnet.com / You Can Now Use LegoGPT to Turn Your Text Inputs Into Lego Designs

permalink / 2 stories from sources in 6 hours ago #ai #genai #creativity #diy +

Blizzard Overwatch developers unionize to safeguard creative autonomy

Friday, May 9, 2025, 3:20 pm more...

Nearly 200 members of Blizzard’s Overwatch team—from artists and QA testers to engineers—have joined forces in a new union. Frustration over studio policies and a desire for improved working conditions have pushed the creative staff to stand up, proving that even in gaming, unionization is making headlines.

gamespot.com / Blizzard's Overwatch Team Has Unionized: "We're Not Just A Number On An Excel Sheet"

kotaku.com / Blizzard's Overwatch Team Just Unionized: 'What I Want To Protect Most Here Is The People'

permalink / 2 stories from sources in 8 hours ago #gaming #jobs #unions #creativity +

San Francisco BART Crippled by Widespread Computer Glitch

Friday, May 9, 2025, 2:20 pm more...

San Francisco’s transit system was brought to a standstill when a computer networking issue halted subway operations, leaving passengers scrambling and facing major delays. Crews worked to restore service amid significant disruption, exposing vulnerabilities in the outdated technology powering the BART system.

gizmodo.com / San Francisco’s BART Grinds to a Halt Due to ‘Computer Networking Problem’

theverge.com / SF’s BART expects ‘major delays’ after a computer problem ground subways to a halt

permalink / 2 stories from sources in 9 hours ago #infosec #technology #compsci +

Newark Airport turbulence continues as radar screens go dark

Friday, May 9, 2025, 12:20 pm more...

Newark Liberty International Airport has once again become the stage for technical drama, with radar screens flickering out and prompting fresh ground stops. The recurrent infrastructure glitches are creating yet another headache for travelers and officials alike, raising eyebrows at the ‘again’ in the saga.

theverge.com / Newark Airport radar outage strikes again, delaying more flights

gizmodo.com / Radar Screens Go Dark at Newark Airport (Again)

zerohedge.com / Ground Stop Issued At Newark Airport 

permalink / 3 stories from sources in 11 hours ago #technology #aviation #aerospace #us +

ESPN Streamlining Its Brand With a Simple Streaming Name

Friday, May 9, 2025, 1:22 pm more...

In a bid to cut through today’s streaming clutter, ESPN is reportedly counterintuitive enough to simply name its standalone service “ESPN.” This no-nonsense branding decision has garnered amused commentary, proving that sometimes the simplest solution is the cleverest amid the digital chaos of media offerings.

cnet.com / ESPN Reportedly Settles on a Super Simple Name for its New Streaming App

cnet.com / ESPN's Flagship Streaming App Reportedly Has a Super Simple Name

theverge.com / ESPN’s standalone streaming service might just be called ESPN

permalink / 3 stories from sources in 10 hours ago #streaming #sports #business +