Thursday, March 19, 2026

OpenAI to Acquire Astral for Codex Expansion

OpenAI has announced its acquisition of Astral, a startup specializing in developer tools, to enhance its AI coding assistant, Codex. This move comes as Codex has seen a significant surge in popularity, now boasting over 2 million weekly ac...

• Astral's tools, including Ruff and ty, are widely utilized in Python development.

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NHTSA Intensifies Tesla Full Self-Driving Probe

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is escalating its investigation into Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system due to safety concerns related to reduced visibility conditions. This probe, which now encompasses 3.2 mi...

• The investigation was elevated to an 'engineering analysis' after reports of four crashes in low-visibility situations.
• Tesla's degradation detection system has reportedly failed to alert drivers before crashes in poor visibility conditions...

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CISA Issues Urgent Security Advisory After Stryker Cyberattack

Pro-Iran hackers from the Handala group have claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on Stryker Corp., resulting in the mass-wiping of data from tens of thousands of employee devices. In response, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Secur...

• CISA advises implementing dual approval for sensitive changes in Microsoft Intune systems.
• The attack exploited vulnerabilities in Stryker's Windows-based network, disrupting global operations.

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FBI Resumes Purchase of Citizens' Location Data

The FBI and Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) have resumed purchasing location data of U.S. citizens from data brokers without obtaining warrants. This practice, which the FBI had previously claimed to have halted in 2023, has drawn critici...

• Kash Patel, the FBI director, confirmed the agency's renewed purchases during a Senate hearing.

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Apple Watch's Blood Oxygen Feature Passes Legal Test

An ITC judge has ruled that the redesigned blood oxygen feature on the Apple Watch does not infringe on patents held by Masimo. However, the original blood oxygen feature remains banned in the U.S. due to a previous ruling, prompting Apple...

• The Federal Circuit upheld a prior ruling that bans the original blood oxygen feature in the U.S.
• Apple continues to sell the redesigned blood oxygen feature but cannot restore the original version.

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Nobel Winner Urges Europe to Innovate

Philippe Aghion, a 2025 Nobel Prize winner in economics, has called for a revitalization of Europe's technology sector, describing it as a 'Sleeping Beauty' that has stagnated for the past 30-40 years. He warns that Europe has become overly...

• Aghion highlights that Europe has relied on global tech advancements for decades, hindering its own growth.

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Meta to cut back on third-party vendors in favor of AI for content enforcement

Meta is initiating a yearslong transition to advanced AI systems for content enforcement, moving away from third-party vendors that have traditionally managed content moderation. The company plans to leverage its AI investments to more effe...

• Meta's new AI systems aim to improve content enforcement over several years.
• The company will still involve human reviewers for complex decisions.

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AI Coding Startup Cursor Plans New Model to Rival Anthropic, OpenAI

Cursor, a prominent AI coding startup, is preparing to launch Composer 2, a new AI model aimed at improving software development efficiency. This release comes as larger competitors like Anthropic and OpenAI introduce their own advanced mod...

• Cursor has over 1 million daily users, including 50,000 businesses.
• The new model, Composer 2, is designed to handle lengthy coding tasks.

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Apple Unveils iOS 26.4 with New Features and Enhancements

Apple has released the first release candidate for iOS 26.4, introducing a host of new features including 8 new emoji characters and a redesigned Apple Music interface. The update also enhances accessibility and includes an AI-powered 'Play...

• 13 enhancements are included in the update, with features like improved subtitle settings and Family Sharing payment opt...
• iOS 26.4 introduces per-device Personal Hotspot data usage reports and better CarPlay video support.

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Meta decides not to shut down Horizon Worlds on VR after all

Meta has decided to continue supporting Horizon Worlds on its VR headsets, a reversal from earlier plans to shut down the app. This decision, confirmed by CTO Andrew Bosworth, comes amid significant financial losses in Meta's Reality Labs d...

• Meta's Reality Labs division has lost $73 billion since 2021.
• Horizon Worlds mobile app downloads reached 45 million globally.

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Italian court scraps 15-million-euro privacy watchdog fine on ChatGPT-maker OpenAI

A Rome court has canceled a €15 million ($17 million) fine levied against OpenAI by Italy's data protection authority, Garante, for alleged violations of privacy laws. OpenAI welcomed the decision, reiterating its commitment to user privacy...

• The fine was originally issued in December 2024 for alleged unlawful data use.
• OpenAI welcomed the ruling, emphasizing its commitment to user privacy.

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Google Pixel found enough of a foldable phone niche to maybe stay relevant following ‘iPhone Fold’

As Apple prepares to launch its first foldable smartphone, Google Pixel has successfully carved out a niche in the foldable market, achieving a 2% share. Despite being the smallest player, Google is expected to retain its audience in 2026,...

• Google Pixel currently holds a 2% share of the foldable smartphone market.
• Apple is projected to capture 28% of the foldable market upon its entry.

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Tubi and TikTok are partnering to produce long form series

Tubi and TikTok have announced a partnership to launch the Creatorverse Incubator, aimed at helping TikTok stars develop original long-form series for Tubi's streaming platform. This initiative will allow selected creators to work with Tubi...

• The Creatorverse Incubator will focus on long-form content from TikTok creators.
• Tubi plans to announce its first cohort of participants later this summer.

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Amazon brings Alexa+ to the UK

Amazon has launched its AI-powered assistant, Alexa+, in the UK, making it the first country outside North America to receive the service. Users can participate in a free early access program by purchasing the new Amazon Echo, with plans to...

• Users in the UK can access Alexa+ for free through an early access program.
• After the program, Prime subscribers will use Alexa+ for free, while non-Prime users will pay £19.99 per month.

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The Fed decision, Micron earnings, Amazon's USPS contract and more in Morning Squawk

The Federal Reserve decided to keep interest rates unchanged during its recent meeting, but Chair Jerome Powell expressed concerns that inflation has not decreased as anticipated. This news, combined with a significant rise in oil prices fo...

• The Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged but warned about rising inflation expectations.
• Micron's quarterly revenue nearly tripled year-over-year, but shares fell over 5% after a significant run-up.

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Alibaba Revenue Disappoints as AI Profit Push Grows Urgent

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. reported a significant 67% drop in net income, reflecting the urgent need to monetize its costly AI initiatives. Despite a 2% increase in revenue to 284.8 billion yuan ($41.3 billion) for the last quarter, the res...

• Alibaba's net income fell 67%, marking its worst performance since early 2024.
• The company's revenue increased by only 2%, totaling 284.8 billion yuan ($41.3 billion).

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Samsung Aims to Invest Record $73 Billion on AI Chip Thrust

Samsung Electronics plans to invest over $73 billion in 2026 to expand its chip capacity and explore AI technology. This significant investment comes as demand surges for high-end memory chips essential for AI development, particularly thos...

• Samsung plans to allocate 110 trillion won ($73.3 billion) for capital expenditure and research in 2026.
• The investment aims to enhance Samsung's leadership in AI technology amid rising demand for high-end memory chips.

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Alibaba revenue misses estimates in December quarter as net income drops 66%

Alibaba's latest earnings report reveals a significant decline, with revenue of 284.8 billion yuan ($41.4 billion) falling short of analyst expectations of 290.7 billion yuan. The company's net income plummeted by 66% year-over-year as it p...

• Alibaba's revenue for the December quarter was 284.8 billion yuan ($41.4 billion), below the 290.7 billion yuan expected...
• The company's net income dropped 66% year-over-year as it invests heavily in AI and cloud infrastructure.

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NVIDIA wants enterprise AI agents safer to deploy

NVIDIA has launched the Agent Toolkit, an open-source software stack designed to help enterprises deploy autonomous AI agents while maintaining control over data and liability. Central to this toolkit is OpenShell, which establishes securit...

• NVIDIA's toolkit includes OpenShell, which enforces security and privacy for AI agents.
• The toolkit is already integrated with major partners like Salesforce and Siemens.

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Nvidia is quietly building a multibillion-dollar behemoth to rival its chips business

Nvidia's networking division, which connects data centers, has emerged as a powerhouse, generating $11 billion in revenue last quarter alone, a staggering 267% increase from the previous year. This growth follows CEO Jensen Huang's strategi...

• Nvidia's networking division reported $11 billion in revenue last quarter, a 267% increase year-over-year.
• The division has become Nvidia's second-largest revenue source, surpassing Cisco's networking business in quarterly reve...

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