Author: GT

A rough week for tech stocks might signal a loss of investor confidence in artificial intelligence. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Nasdaq Composite Index was down 3% — making this its worst week since President Donald Trump announced his sweeping tariff plan in April. Tech companies that have otherwise performed well this year were among those hardest hit, with Palantir’s stock price falling 11% this week, Oracle declining by 9%, and Nvidia losing 7%. These drops also come after earnings reports in which Meta and Microsoft indicated that they plan to continue spending heavily on AI (both companies…

A recent letter from OpenAI reveals more details about how the company is hoping the federal government can support the company’s ambitious plans for data center construction. The letter — from OpenAI’s chief global affairs officer Chris Lehane and addressed to the White House’s director of science and technology policy Michael Kratsios — argued that the government should consider expanding the Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit (AMIC) beyond semiconductor fabrication to cover electrical grid components, AI servers, and AI data centers. The AMIC is a 35% tax credit that was included in the Biden administration’s Chips Act. “Broadening coverage of the…

A battle for control of a little-known chipmaker has threatened global auto production by choking off the semiconductor supply chain, though there are signs the crisis is inching toward a resolution. The power struggle over Nexperia, a Chinese-owned Dutch semiconductor maker, highlights how technology supply chain vulnerabilities are squeezing auto makers, most notably forcing Honda to halt production at a Mexican factory making its popular HR-V crossover for North American markets. It also exposes how Europe is caught in the middle of the wider geopolitical showdown between Washington and Beijing. Here’s a look at the dispute: A surprise move The…

Startups have never been able to offer the same sizable salaries as big tech companies. Now with companies like Meta and OpenAI willing to pay million-dollar salaries amid the AI race — the compensation divide has grown even larger. Early-stage startups are not doomed though. If they develop a compensation strategy that is generous, fair, and flexible, they can offer competitive compensation packages and give themselves room to adjust their approach as they grow, according to founders and experts who were onstage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Startups shouldn’t try to compete with big tech companies anyway, Yin Wu, the co-founder…

Voter anger over the cost of living is hurtling forward into next year’s midterm elections, when pivotal contests will be decided by communities that are home to fast-rising electric bills or fights over who’s footing the bill to power Big Tech’s energy-hungry data centers.Electricity costs were a key issue in this week’s elections for governor in New Jersey and Virginia, a data center hotspot, and in Georgia, where Democrats ousted two Republican incumbents for seats on the state’s utility regulatory commission.Voters in New Jersey, Virginia, California and New York City all cited economic concerns as the top issue, as Democrats…

Security researchers have discovered an Android spyware that targeted Samsung Galaxy phones during a nearly year-long hacking campaign. Researchers at Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 said the spyware, which they call “Landfall,” was first detected in July 2024 and relied on exploiting a security flaw in the Galaxy phone software that was unknown to Samsung at the time, a type of vulnerability known as a zero-day.  Unit 42 said the flaw could be abused by sending a maliciously crafted image to a victim’s phone, likely delivered through a messaging app, and that the attacks may not have required any interaction…

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton late on Thursday said he is suing online gaming platform Roblox over child safety concerns, accusing the company of “deceiving parents about the dangers of its platform.” In a statement, Paxton alleged that Roblox chooses to prioritize “pixel pedophiles” and profit over the safety of children, and said the platform has become a “breeding ground for predators.” “We cannot allow platforms like Roblox to continue operating as digital playgrounds for predators,” Paxton said. “Roblox must do more to protect kids from sick and twisted freaks hiding behind a screen. Any corporation that enables child abuse…

Parts of San Rafael, a city just north of San Francisco, are sinking about half an inch per year. That might not sound like much, but altogether, it has meant that some neighborhoods — like the Canal District that borders the bay — have sunk three feet, placing them at greater risk of flooding from sea-level rise. San Rafael isn’t alone. Cities around the world are threatened by rising sea levels, with 300 million people at risk of routine flooding by 2050. The cost of building seawalls to hold the waters back could top $400 billion in the U.S. alone.…

On Friday, Amazon announced the debut of Amazon Bazaar, a new low-cost shopping destination for Asia, Africa, and Latin America that will be available separately from the main Amazon shopping app. On Bazaar, most products are available under $10, and some are as low as $2, the retailer says. The product selection, available now on Android and iOS, will be available in its own app that’s available in Hong Kong, the Philippines, Taiwan, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Nigeria. Amazon says more markets will gain access to the app in the months ahead.…

The U.S. Congressional Budget Office has confirmed it was hacked.  Caitlin Emma, a spokesperson for CBO, told TechCrunch on Friday that the agency is investigating the breach and “has identified the security incident, has taken immediate action to contain it, and has implemented additional monitoring and new security controls to further protect the agency’s systems going forward.”  CBO is a nonpartisan agency that provides economic analysis and cost estimates to lawmakers during the federal budget process, including after legislative bills get approved at the committee level in the House and Senate.  On Thursday, The Washington Post, which first revealed the…