Technology

xAI sues South Carolina man for allegedly using Grok to generate CSAM

Elon Musk's AI company xAI has filed a lawsuit against Terry Wayne Harwood, a South Carolina man accused of exploiting the Grok chatbot to create child sexual abuse material. The company alleges Harwood deliberately bypassed Grok's safety safeguards to generate and distribute CSAM, violating its terms of service. Harwood was arrested in February and currently faces eight felony charges related to possession and distribution of such material. xAI claims that at least some of the images tied to his criminal case were produced or manipulated using Grok.

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TechnologyThe Verge ·

FCC to vote on lifting national TV broadcast ownership cap in August

The Federal Communications Commission is set to vote on August 6th on whether to eliminate the national broadcast ownership cap, which currently limits a single company to owning stations reaching no more than 39 percent of US TV households. Republican FCC Chair Brendan Carr announced the vote in a Breitbart op-ed published on Wednesday. Carr contends the rule is outdated given that streaming services and social media platforms can already reach the entire country without using public airwaves. The existing cap was originally designed to prevent media monopolization and encourage broadcasters to serve local communities. Removing it would potentially open the door to significant consolidation in the US broadcast television industry.

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TechnologyArs Technica ·

Court blocks Trump administration from deporting content moderation researchers

A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration cannot deport or deny visas to researchers working in the field of content moderation. The ruling came in response to actions taken by the administration that targeted individuals involved in disinformation research. The decision was welcomed by disinformation researchers, who praised the court's intervention as a protection of academic and professional work. The ruling effectively places a legal barrier against using immigration enforcement as a tool against this category of researchers.

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TechnologyArs Technica ·

Engineer breaks down every real 1990s computer featured in Jurassic Park

An engineer has analyzed the 1993 film Jurassic Park to identify and explain every period-accurate computer system shown on screen. The study highlights the production's attention to detail in featuring real technology of the era, including the now-famous Unix system scene. Various workstations, terminals, and hardware visible throughout the film were catalogued and contextualized against what was commercially available in the early 1990s. The breakdown offers both a nostalgic look at vintage computing and an appreciation for the film's technical authenticity.

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TechnologyTechCrunch ·

NTSB confirms Tesla driver floored accelerator in fatal Texas crash

The National Transportation Safety Board has confirmed that the driver in a fatal Tesla crash in Texas had the accelerator pressed to 100% at the time of the incident. The finding aligns with Tesla's own account of the crash, which the company publicly disclosed shortly after the accident occurred last month. The confirmation lends official weight to Tesla's earlier version of events surrounding the collision. The crash had drawn significant attention given ongoing scrutiny of Tesla's driver-assistance technologies and vehicle safety records.

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TechnologyNYT Technology ·

SpaceX Shares Dip Below IPO Price of $135 After Volatile Market Debut

SpaceX, the rocket and artificial intelligence company owned by Elon Musk, saw its stock briefly fall below its initial public offering price of $135 per share. The decline came after the company had experienced a strong debut on the stock market. The share price movement reflects ongoing volatility in the stock's performance since it began trading. Such post-IPO turbulence is not uncommon for high-profile technology and aerospace companies entering public markets.

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TechnologyThe Verge ·

Roblox shuts down avatar-based video chat service Connect two years after launch

Roblox is discontinuing its video calling feature, Roblox Connect, which was launched in 2023. The service allowed users to video chat through their Roblox avatars, which could mirror real-life movements, while exploring a shared virtual environment. The company stated that users aged 13 and older have been predominantly using the platform's party voice chat feature for calls instead. Both the developer-facing APIs and the Roblox Connect feature itself have been shut down effective immediately.

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TechnologyThe Verge ·

AI-generated Odyssey film targets Nolan buzz as studios chase cheap productions

Film studio Fountain 0 announced on Tuesday an AI-generated reimagining of Homer's epic titled 'Odysseus: The Fall', timed to ride the wave of excitement surrounding Christopher Nolan's upcoming Odyssey adaptation. Nolan's film is projected to earn $80–$100 million in its opening weekend, drawing significant audience interest in the classic story. The move reflects a growing trend of AI-produced films being used as low-cost alternatives to big-budget productions, drawing comparisons to the direct-to-video industry. Critics and observers see such releases as opportunistic cash grabs that leverage mainstream hype without matching the production quality of major studio films.

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TechnologyArs Technica ·

Microsoft Patches Record Vulnerabilities as New Windows Zero-Day Emerges

Microsoft released an unusually large batch of security patches, marking a record number of fixes in a single update cycle. Simultaneously, a new Windows zero-day vulnerability was disclosed on the same day, compounding security concerns. The zero-day, linked to a component described as 'HiveLegacy,' is characterized as a powerful primitive with the potential for multiple malicious exploits. The timing of the disclosure alongside the patch release puts pressure on users and administrators to update systems promptly. Security researchers warn that the HiveLegacy flaw may enable further nefarious actions beyond those currently identified.

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TechnologyTechCrunch ·

Neko Health raises $700M for body-scanning technology developed by Daniel Ek

Neko Health, a health-tech startup co-founded by Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, has secured $700 million in fresh funding. The company has developed proprietary body-scanning technology designed to provide comprehensive health assessments. Its approach combines advanced body scans with bloodwork analysis to evaluate a person's overall health status. The latest fundraising round marks another significant capital injection for the growing startup.

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TechnologyTechCrunch ·

OpenAI launches $230 light-up keyboard designed for its Codex coding app

OpenAI has released a $230 illuminated keyboard built to pair with its agentic coding application, Codex. The hardware accessory marks the company's entry into physical computing peripherals. The launch comes as OpenAI is currently engaged in a legal dispute with Apple over allegations of hardware trade secret theft. Despite the ongoing litigation, OpenAI proceeded with the product release without delay. The keyboard is intended to enhance the experience of users working within the Codex coding environment.

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TechnologyNYT Technology ·

Federal Judge Throws Out Lawsuit Accusing Apple of Hosting Child Abuse Material

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that accused Apple of failing to prevent child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from being stored and shared on its iCloud platform. The case raised concerns that Apple's strong privacy protections inadvertently made it easier for illegal content to circulate on the service. Plaintiffs argued the tech giant had not done enough to detect and remove such material from its cloud storage system. The dismissal ends this particular legal challenge, though broader debates around tech platform responsibility and user privacy in combating CSAM remain ongoing.

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TechnologyArs Technica ·

FCC Chair Moves to Repeal 39% National TV Ownership Cap

The Federal Communications Commission chairman is seeking to eliminate the 39% national television ownership cap currently in place. The cap, which limits how large a share of the national TV audience a single company can reach, was established by Congress. The FCC chair is asserting the authority to repeal this congressionally set limit. The move is seen as potentially benefiting news organizations with ties to the Trump administration. Critics may argue the action oversteps the FCC's jurisdiction given the cap's legislative origins.

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TechnologyTechCrunch ·

Microsoft fixes Age of Empires II flaw that let hackers hijack PCs via game invites

Microsoft has patched a security vulnerability discovered in its classic strategy game Age of Empires II. The flaw posed a serious risk, as attackers could exploit it to gain control of a victim's computer. The attack vector was a malicious game invite, meaning unsuspecting players could be targeted simply by accepting an invitation. Despite the game being decades old, it remains actively maintained, prompting Microsoft to issue a fix.

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TechnologyThe Verge ·

Cyclospora Parasite Outbreak Spreads Across US, Causing Severe Gastrointestinal Illness

A cyclosporiasis outbreak is affecting people across the United States, caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis. The illness spreads through human fecal contamination and triggers severe symptoms including frequent diarrhea, nausea, and fatigue. Bryan, a food broker from Michigan, reported needing to use the bathroom every 15 to 30 minutes after falling ill. Affected individuals have been sharing their experiences on Reddit forums dedicated to the outbreak. The illness has prompted some patients to seek urgent medical care due to the severity of their symptoms.

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TechnologyArs Technica ·

Sam Neill, Jurassic Park Star, Dies at 78 in Sydney

Veteran actor Sam Neill passed away on Monday in Sydney, Australia, at the age of 78. He was widely celebrated for his role in the 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park, which remains one of his most iconic performances. Neill built a distinguished career spanning decades across film and television. His death marks the loss of one of cinema's most recognizable and respected character actors.

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TechnologyThe Verge ·

Google Pixel 11 teaser hints at glowing orb feature on camera bar

Google has released a teaser video on its store page for the upcoming Pixel 11 lineup, revealing a color-shifting glowing orb on the camera bar. The feature has not been officially explained, but it may be linked to a 'Pixel Glow' light function spotted in Android 17 beta builds. Speculation suggests the orb could be tied to Google's Gemini AI assistant. Google has scheduled an event for August 12, where full details about the Pixel 11 series are expected to be announced.

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TechnologyTechCrunch ·

Apple bans home services ads on Maps, setting stricter rules than Google

Apple has released the official policies for its upcoming Maps advertising platform, outlining key restrictions on who can advertise. The guidelines explicitly bar home services businesses such as plumbers, electricians, locksmiths, and roofers from purchasing ads. Several other sensitive business categories are also excluded under the new rules. The move signals that Apple is pursuing a more selective and curated advertising approach compared to rival Google Maps.

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TechnologyTechCrunch ·

SpaceX shares fall below $135 IPO price as market enthusiasm cools

SpaceX's stock has dropped below its IPO price of $135, marking a significant retreat from the highs seen shortly after the company went public. The decline reflects a broader reassessment by investors of the ambitious promises made by CEO Elon Musk. The slide comes ahead of an anticipated Starship launch, an event that had previously fueled optimism around the company. Markets appear to be tempering earlier excitement as scrutiny of SpaceX's long-term delivery on its goals increases.

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TechnologyTechCrunch ·

Thinking Machines Launches Inkling, Its First Open AI Model

Thinking Machines has released Inkling, its first publicly available AI model, marking a significant milestone for the company. The release represents the firm's first concrete public proof point after roughly 18 months of building AI infrastructure largely away from public scrutiny. The company positions Inkling as a challenge to the prevailing one-size-fits-all approach that dominates the AI industry. This open model signals Thinking Machines' intent to compete in the AI space with a more tailored, flexible philosophy.

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