When a Cloudflare outage disrupted large numbers of websites and online services yesterday, the company initially thought it was hit by a “hyper-scale” DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attack. “I worry this is the big botnet flexing,” Cloudflare co-founder and CEO Matthew Prince wrote in an internal chat room yesterday, while he and others discussed whether Cloudflare...
Project
Critics scoff after Microsoft warns AI feature can infect machines and pilfer data
Microsoft’s warning on Tuesday that an experimental AI agent integrated into Windows can infect devices and pilfer sensitive user data has set off a familiar response from security-minded critics: Why is Big Tech so intent on pushing new features before their dangerous behaviors can be fully understood and contained? As reported Tuesday, Microsoft introduced Copilot...
Project
Meta Did Not Violate the Law When It Bought Instagram and WhatsApp, a Judge Rules
Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp did not illegally stifle competition in social networking, a judge found, a major win for the tech giant.
Project
Meta’s Victory Opens the Way for Silicon Valley to Go Deal Shopping
To avoid regulatory scrutiny, big tech companies had steered clear of buying start-ups outright. Meta’s antitrust win may change that thinking.
Project
Google Unveils Gemini 3, With Improved Coding and Search Abilities
The new artificial intelligence model is the second the company has released this year. OpenAI and Anthropic made similar updates a few months ago.
Project
Self-Driving Taxis Are Catching On. Are You Ready?
With the arrival of Amazon’s Zoox robot taxi in San Francisco to compete with Waymo, autonomous services are gaining momentum. But there are pros and cons.
Project
Driving an E.V. Across North Dakota? Thank the Standing Rock Tribe.
A tribally owned network of chargers will soon be complete, connecting reservations and bridging a gap in the Midwest.
Project
Tech giants pour billions into Anthropic as circular AI investments roll on
On Tuesday, Microsoft and Nvidia announced plans to invest in Anthropic under a new partnership that includes a $30 billion commitment by the Claude maker to use Microsoft’s cloud services. Nvidia will commit up to $10 billion to Anthropic and Microsoft up to $5 billion, with both companies investing in Anthropic’s next funding round. The...
Project
Bonkers Bitcoin heist: 5-star hotels, cash-filled envelopes, vanishing funds
As Kent Halliburton stood in a bathroom at the Rosewood Hotel in central Amsterdam, thousands of miles from home, running his fingers through an envelope filled with 10,000 euros in crisp banknotes, he started to wonder what he had gotten himself into. Halliburton is the cofounder and CEO of Sazmining, a company that operates bitcoin mining...
Project
Google CEO: If an AI bubble pops, no one is getting out clean
On Tuesday, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai warned of “irrationality” in the AI market, telling the BBC in an interview, “I think no company is going to be immune, including us.” His comments arrive as scrutiny over the state of the AI market has reached new heights, with Alphabet shares doubling in value over seven months...