Tech News — Mar 21, 2026

Tech News — Mar 21, 2026 | Trace

The day in brief

What connected the day

13 topics

01
6 sources · 6 updates
Jury Finds Musk Liable for Misleading Twitter Investors
A California jury has ruled that Elon Musk misled investors during his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter in 2022. The misleading tweets regarding bot accounts led to a significant drop in Twitter's stock price, resulting in potential damages of up to $2.6 billion for affected investors.
- Twitter shares dropped nearly 10% in a single day following Musk's tweets about bots and spam.
- The lawsuit, Pampena v. Musk, was initiated in October 2022 after Musk completed the acquisition.
02
4 sources · 4 updates
Microsoft Scales Back AI Features in Windows 11
Microsoft has announced a rollback of its Copilot AI features in Windows 11, aiming to enhance user experience by addressing feedback and privacy concerns. The changes will include reducing integrations in applications such as Photos, Widgets, and Notepad, while also introducing improvements to user control over system updates and File Explorer functionality.
- A recent Pew Research study found that 50% of U.S. adults are more concerned than excited about AI.
- Users will now have the option to reposition the taskbar and pause updates indefinitely.
03
2 sources · 3 updates
Super Micro Co-Founder Resigns Amid Smuggling Charges
Yih-Shyan 'Wally' Liaw, co-founder of Super Micro, has resigned from the company's board following his indictment on charges of smuggling $2.5 billion worth of Nvidia AI chips into China. The indictment alleges that Liaw and associates created fake paperwork to bypass compliance checks, leading to significant sales to a Southeast Asian company.
- 33% drop in Super Micro shares occurred after Liaw's indictment.
- The indictment claims $510 million in sales were made to a Southeast Asian company using the smuggled chips.
04
1 sources · 3 updates
Apple Enhances iPhone 18 Pro Camera with Professional Features
Apple is reportedly working on advanced camera software for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro, aiming to elevate its capabilities to match those of professional-grade cameras. The company held acquisition talks for Lux Optics, the developer of the Halide app, last summer, indicating a strong focus on enhancing photography features. Notably, Sebastiaan de With, cofounder of Halide, recently joined Apple's design team, further bolstering its camera development efforts.
- Lux Optics was considered for acquisition to improve Apple's camera app capabilities.
05
1 sources · 2 updates
Microsoft Validates Nvidia's Vera Rubin NVL72 for AI Workloads
Microsoft Corporation has become the first cloud provider to validate Nvidia's Vera Rubin NVL72 AI supercomputer, a significant advancement in AI infrastructure. This validation is the result of a multiyear redesign focused on enhancing power and cooling systems to support the NVL72's high watt density, which is essential for training trillion-parameter models.
- The Vera Rubin NVL72 system requires advanced power and cooling solutions to operate effectively.
06
1 sources · 1 updates
The gen AI Kool-Aid tastes like eugenics
In her documentary Ghost in the Machine, director Valerie Veatch explores the troubling connections between generative AI and the historical roots of eugenics, revealing how racist ideologies have influenced the technology's development. Veatch's initial curiosity about AI turned to disillusionment as she encountered its pervasive biases, prompting her to investigate the industry's historical context and the implications of its outputs.
- Veatch's film, Ghost in the Machine, will stream from March 26-28, 2026.
- The term 'artificial intelligence' was coined in 1956 by John McCarthy for funding.
07
1 sources · 1 updates
OpenAI Plans to Almost Double Its Headcount This Year, FT Says
OpenAI is set to nearly double its workforce by the end of 2026, increasing from approximately 4,500 to around 8,000 employees. This significant expansion is aimed at bolstering its competitive edge against rivals like Anthropic PBC and Google, with new hires focusing on product development, engineering, research, and sales.
- OpenAI aims to increase its workforce from 4,500 to 8,000 employees.
- New hires will focus on product development, engineering, research, and sales.
08
1 sources · 1 updates
Apple @ Work: From rogue Dropbox folders to the File Provider framework
The rise of Dropbox in the late 2000s marked a significant shift in file management for Macs in corporate environments, moving away from clunky SMB shares and VPN dependencies. This transition paved the way for Apple's File Provider framework, which now allows cloud storage solutions to integrate directly into Finder, offering a smoother experience for users while providing IT departments with enhanced control and compliance capabilities.
- Dropbox's integration into macOS in the late 2000s transformed file sharing for users.
- The introduction of the File Provider framework allowed secure cloud storage integration into Finder.
09
1 sources · 2 updates
SpaceX Takes Lead in NASA Moon Mission
NASA has officially shifted its lunar mission strategy, reducing Boeing's role and designating SpaceX as the primary contractor for astronaut transportation to lunar orbit. This decision underscores the growing confidence in SpaceX's Starship capabilities, marking a significant change in the agency's approach to future lunar exploration.
- SpaceX's Starship will now be responsible for transporting astronauts to the Moon, enhancing its position in NASA's plans.
- Boeing's involvement in the moon-landing plans has been significantly diminished as NASA prioritizes SpaceX's advanced technology.
10
1 sources · 1 updates
New court filing reveals Pentagon told Anthropic the two sides were nearly aligned — a week after Trump declared the relationship kaput
Anthropic has filed sworn declarations in a California federal court, contesting the Pentagon's assertion that its AI technology poses an 'unacceptable risk to national security.' The filings argue that the government's claims are based on misunderstandings and were not discussed during prior negotiations. This legal battle follows President Trump's announcement to sever ties with Anthropic after the company refused unrestricted military use of its AI, raising questions about the Pentagon's motives and the accuracy of its security concerns.
- Anthropic's lawsuit claims the Pentagon's designation is retaliation for its AI safety stance.
- Under Secretary Emil Michael previously stated the two sides were 'very close' on key issues.
11
1 sources · 1 updates
OpenAI's first crack at online shopping stumbled. It's preparing for the next wave
OpenAI has decided to discontinue its Instant Checkout feature, which allowed users to purchase products directly through ChatGPT, due to challenges with limited product selection and transaction errors. The company is now collaborating with retailers to develop dedicated apps within the chatbot, enabling a more seamless shopping experience while giving retailers greater control over customer interactions and transactions.
- OpenAI is discontinuing Instant Checkout due to limited product selection and errors.
- Only 30 Shopify merchants were available via Instant Checkout as of last month.
12
1 sources · 1 updates
Amazon is reportedly developing an AI-centric smartphone
Amazon is reportedly working on a new smartphone, codenamed Transformer, more than a decade after it discontinued the Fire Phone. The device is expected to focus on AI integration and enhance the shopping experience through Amazon services, although details on pricing and investment remain unclear. The project could be scrapped if financial or strategic issues arise, as indicated by sources familiar with the matter.
- The new smartphone is reportedly focused on integrating AI and Amazon's services.
- Amazon's last smartphone, the Fire Phone, was discontinued in 2015 after poor sales.
13
1 sources · 1 updates
Google Messages launches group RCS Mentions and Trash folder
Google Messages has officially launched two new features aimed at improving user experience in group chats: Mentions and a Trash folder. The Mentions feature allows users to tag specific participants in group conversations using the @ symbol, ensuring they receive notifications even if the chat is muted. Additionally, the new Trash folder replaces the immediate delete function, allowing users to recover conversations for up to 30 days before permanent deletion.
- The new Mentions feature allows users to notify specific participants in group chats using @.
- Conversations moved to the Trash folder are retained for 30 days before permanent deletion.

The archive

What moved

Bloomberg Technology

OpenAI Plans to Almost Double Its Headcount This Year, FT Says

OpenAI plans significant workforce expansion by end of 2026.

Read source

The Verge

The gen AI Kool-Aid tastes like eugenics

Valerie Veatch's documentary critiques generative AI's historical roots.

Read source

The tech day has moved on.

What connected the day

Jury Finds Musk Liable for Misleading Twitter Investors

Microsoft Scales Back AI Features in Windows 11

Super Micro Co-Founder Resigns Amid Smuggling Charges

Apple Enhances iPhone 18 Pro Camera with Professional Features

Microsoft Validates Nvidia's Vera Rubin NVL72 for AI Workloads

The gen AI Kool-Aid tastes like eugenics

OpenAI Plans to Almost Double Its Headcount This Year, FT Says

Apple @ Work: From rogue Dropbox folders to the File Provider framework

SpaceX Takes Lead in NASA Moon Mission

New court filing reveals Pentagon told Anthropic the two sides were nearly aligned — a week after Trump declared the relationship kaput

OpenAI's first crack at online shopping stumbled. It's preparing for the next wave

Amazon is reportedly developing an AI-centric smartphone

Google Messages launches group RCS Mentions and Trash folder

What moved

OpenAI Plans to Almost Double Its Headcount This Year, FT Says

The gen AI Kool-Aid tastes like eugenics

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Elon Musk misled Twitter investors ahead of $44 billion acquisition, jury says

Google Messages launches group RCS Mentions and Trash folder