Author: GT

For every technology, there comes a tipping point where it switches from theory to possibility. Robin Langtry believes that Avalanche Energy has reached that point. Avalanche recently operated its desktop fusion machine for hours on end while maintaining 300,000 volts, a figure the startup predicts will allow it to build a reactor capable of generating more energy than it consumes, the holy grail for any fusion company.  Where other fusion companies need powerful magnets to generate energy, Avalanche’s design uses intense electrical currents to draw fast-moving ions into tight orbits around an electrode. As the density and speed of the…

AI is entering a new phase where access to top talent is becoming as important as, if not more important than, compute or data. The market for AI researchers is so overheated, it’s starting to look a lot like pro sports — complete with outsized contracts and unprecedented infrastructure needs. On today’s episode of Equity, Rebecca Bellan chatted with Deedy Das, principal at Menlo Ventures. Das has seen this shift from multiple angles, first as an engineer and product leader at Google, Facebook, and AI startup Glean, and now as an investor helping technical founders figure out how to build…

The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced on Wednesday a proposal that would give Apple’s and Google’s mobile platforms “strategic market status” — a designation that allows the regulator to create rules that could change how their app stores operate and how their mobile software works. The move is designed to create a more open, competitive environment for the app economy and user choice. However, Apple and Google have pushed back at the proposals, with Apple saying changes would compromise user security and privacy. A final decision on the matter will arrive in October, after the two companies present…

Elon Musk receives a golden key from U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 30, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan HowardNathan Howard | ReutersPresident Donald Trump on Thursday denied claims that he wants to wreck Elon Musk’s companies and their work with the U.S. government.”Everyone is stating that I will destroy Elon’s companies by taking away some, if not all, of the large scale subsidies he receives from the U.S. Government,” he said in a post to Truth Social. “This is not so! I want Elon, and all businesses within our Country, to…

YouTube announced on Wednesday that it’s giving Shorts creators access to new generative AI features, including an image-to-video AI tool and new AI effects. The image to video feature lets users turn a picture from their camera roll into a six-second video. Users will see a selection of suggestions that are relevant to the photo they uploaded. YouTube says the feature can be used to add movement to landscape photos, animate pictures of everyday photos, or bring group photos to life. In an example given by YouTube, the feature turns a static image of a pedestrian signal into a short…

Google Photos is getting major AI chops. On Wednesday, Google announced a handful of new features that will allow users to get more creative with their photo memories, including an option to turn photos into videos, and “remix” photos into different styles, like anime, comics, sketches, or 3D animations. The app will also centralize access to its creative tools — including both AI-powered and traditional tools — in a new “Create” tab in the Photos app. The two newly launched features will be housed in this tab, alongside other tools that let you create collages, highlight videos, and other things.…

Wall Street analysts scrambled to keep up with GE Vernova this week, dramatically hiking their stock price targets after the power company’s shares blew past expectations on a strong second quarter. Its shares rallied more than 14% on Wednesday to close at an all-time high, after raising its full-year guidance as robust power demand blunts the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Its stock nearly doubled this year to book the second-best performance in the S & P 500. “Given what we viewed as elevated expectations ahead of GEV’s 2Q25 earnings, we are somewhat surprised in the strength of GEV…

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick answers questions during a television interview at the White House on June 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. Win Mcnamee | Getty ImagesCommerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Thursday that TikTok will go dark for Americans unless China agrees to give the U.S. more control over the popular short-form video app.”We’ve made the decision. You can’t have Chinese control and have something on 100 million American phones,” Lutnick told CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” on Thursday.TikTok’s future in the U.S. has been uncertain since 2024, when Congress passed a bill that would ban the platform unless its Chinese owner,…

Meta researchers are developing a wristband that lets people control a computer using hand gestures. This includes moving a cursor, opening apps, and sending messages by writing in the air as if using a pencil.  Meta’s wristband employs a technique called surface electromyography (sEMG), which detects electrical signals generated by muscle activity to interpret user movements, as explained in a research paper published in the journal Nature. These signals can sense a person’s intended actions, even before they do them. The goal of this wristband is to provide less invasive tools to interact with computers for people with motor disabilities. …

India’s financial crime watchdog has filed a complaint against Walmart-backed fashion e-commerce giant Myntra, alleging the company violated foreign investment rules by channeling over $191 million through a related-party scheme that disguised retail operations as wholesale trade. This complaint marks the latest move in a broader crackdown by Indian authorities, which previously targeted Amazon and Flipkart. On Wednesday, the Enforcement Directorate said the Bengaluru-based fashion e-commerce firm violated the Foreign Exchange Management Act, known as FEMA, by engaging in multi-brand retail trading “under the guise of wholesale cash and carry,” utilizing a related entity, Vector E-Commerce, as an intermediary to…