Saturday, March 14, 2026

Amazon Raises Price for Prime Video Ultra Subscription

Amazon is increasing the price of its ad-free Prime Video subscription to $4.99/month, effective April 10, 2026. The service will be rebranded as Prime Video Ultra, which will now include features such as 4K UHD streaming, 5 concurrent stre...

• 4K streaming will only be available with the new Prime Video Ultra subscription, removing access for standard Prime subs...
• The introduction of ads to Prime Video in 2024 led to a class-action lawsuit from subscribers, which was dismissed last...

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Digg Ceases Operations Due to Bot Issues

Digg has shut down its platform just two months after its highly anticipated relaunch, primarily due to severe issues with AI bot spam. CEO Justin Mezzell acknowledged that the scale of the bot problem exceeded expectations, prompting signi...

• Digg banned tens of thousands of bot accounts during its short-lived beta.
• The company has laid off an unspecified number of employees as part of its retooling efforts.

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xAI Faces Major Restructuring Amid Co-Founder Exodus

Elon Musk's xAI is undergoing significant restructuring following the departure of multiple co-founders, leaving only two of the original eleven still involved. The company is facing competitive pressures, particularly in its coding tools,...

• Only two of the original 11 co-founders remain at xAI after recent departures.
• 11 senior engineers left xAI last month, prompting a major reorganization.

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Kalanick's Atoms Expands into Mining and Transport

Travis Kalanick has rebranded his company City Storage Systems to Atoms, which will now focus on robotics and expand into mining and transport sectors. The venture has been operating in stealth mode for eight years and employs thousands of...

• Atoms will focus on three areas: Atoms Food, Atoms Mining, and Atoms Transport.
• Kalanick's previous venture, CloudKitchens, reached a valuation of $15 billion by 2022.

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Spotify Enhances User Control with New Taste Profile Feature

Spotify is rolling out a new feature called the Taste Profile, allowing Premium users in New Zealand to customize their music and podcast preferences directly. This update enables users to specify their desired genres and vibes, addressing...

• The Taste Profile feature is currently available only to Spotify Premium users in New Zealand.
• Spotify co-CEO Gustav Söderström announced the feature at SXSW.

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Apple’s iPhone 17e Is a Worthy Alternative to the Pricier iPhone 17

Apple has introduced the iPhone 17e as a more affordable alternative to the pricier iPhone 17, which recently received substantial upgrades. While there are notable differences between the two models, the iPhone 17e offers enough enhancemen...

• The iPhone 17e is priced at $200 less than the iPhone 17.
• The iPhone 17e includes meaningful upgrades compared to its predecessor.

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Apple @ Work: IT leaders fear vendor lock-in as the ‘Cloud Only’ dream fades

As organizations settle into 2026, many IT departments are reevaluating their cloud-only strategies due to rising concerns about vendor lock-in. A recent survey indicates that 94% of IT leaders are worried about the implications of relying...

• 94% of organizations express concern about vendor lock-in in cloud services.
• 85% of organizations spend 1 to 10 hours weekly managing their VDI environments.

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Staff complain that xAI is flailing because of constant upheaval

Elon Musk's xAI is facing significant turmoil as he implements job cuts and leadership changes in response to the startup's underwhelming performance in the AI coding market. Following a $1.25 billion merger with SpaceX, Musk has brought in...

• Elon Musk has cut jobs at xAI while merging it with SpaceX in a $1.25 billion deal.
• The company has lost multiple cofounders, leaving only two of the original eleven.

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Nvidia's GTC Highlights CPU's Rising Importance

At its GTC conference, Nvidia announced a strategic pivot towards CPUs to meet the growing demands of AI workflows, with its CPU revenue surging 75% year-over-year to over $62 billion. The company is set to deploy its new Vera CPU in 2027,...

• AMD is experiencing unprecedented demand for CPUs, with lead times for deliveries extending up to six months.
• Nvidia's CPUs are specifically designed to enhance GPU performance, focusing on single-threaded tasks rather than genera...

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Elon Musk’s Ketamine Use Can’t be Probed in OpenAI Fraud Trial

In a significant ruling, US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has determined that Elon Musk's use of ketamine cannot be introduced as evidence in the upcoming fraud trial against OpenAI Inc. The case alleges that OpenAI, led by CEO Sam...

• The trial will feature testimony from major figures in Silicon Valley's AI sector.
• Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled on evidence admissibility at a recent hearing.

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Google Meet fully replaces legacy Duo calling

Google has officially completed the transition from Google Duo to Google Meet, making Meet its only video calling service. While the Duo brand was phased out in 2022, its legacy features lingered in Meet until their recent removal. This mig...

• All legacy Duo features have been removed from Google Meet.
• New features in Google Meet include live captions and screen sharing.

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Microsoft’s Copilot AI assistant is coming to current-gen Xbox consoles this year

Microsoft is set to introduce its Gaming Copilot AI assistant to current-generation Xbox consoles this year, following its rollout on the Xbox mobile app and Windows 11. Announced by Xbox's product manager Sonali Yadav at the Game Developer...

• The Gaming Copilot AI will assist players with game strategies and recommendations.
• Xbox's current lineup includes the Xbox Series X | S consoles.

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Anthropic Pushes Back on Supply Chain Risk Label

Anthropic is pushing back against a supply chain risk label as it navigates an ongoing lawsuit. The company is taking steps to alleviate concerns regarding its supply chain practices and its strategic positioning within the technology secto...

• Anthropic is currently involved in a lawsuit regarding its supply chain practices.
• The company is actively working to mitigate concerns over its strategic positioning in the tech sector.

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Meta Cable Expansion Stalled by Iran Conflict | Bloomberg Tech 3/13/2026

Meta has halted its significant internet expansion initiatives in Africa as the conflict with Iran escalates, affecting AI investments in the Middle East. This pause comes amid broader concerns in the tech industry, including the resignatio...

• Meta's internet expansion efforts in Africa are currently on hold due to the Iran conflict.
• Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen will resign amid doubts about the company's AI strategy.

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Google Fiber will be sold to private equity firm and merge with cable company

Google Fiber, rebranded as GFiber, is set to be sold to private equity firm Stonepeak, which will merge it with Astound Broadband to form a larger internet service provider. Alphabet will maintain a minority stake in the new entity, which a...

• Google Fiber will be majority owned by private equity firm Stonepeak.
• The merger will combine services across 7.1 million locations in 26 states.

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Meta is killing end-to-end encryption for Instagram DMs soon

Meta has announced that it will eliminate end-to-end encryption for Instagram direct messages, effective May 8, 2026. This decision, communicated through an in-app notification, raises privacy concerns as users will no longer have the optio...

• Users will be able to download their media and messages before the change.
• The removal of encryption is confirmed via an in-app notification.

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