Tech News — Mar 28, 2026

Tech News — Mar 28, 2026 | Trace

The day in brief

What connected the day

14 topics

01
2 sources · 2 updates
OpenAI Shuts Down Sora Video Generation App
OpenAI has announced the discontinuation of its video generation app, Sora, due to intense competition and financial pressures. The app's downloads plummeted from 6.1 million in November to just 1.1 million in March, prompting a shift in focus towards profitability. This decision also reverses a previously planned $1 billion deal with Disney.
- The Sora app will be discontinued on April 26, 2026, with the API following on September 24, 2026.
- Sora's downloads decreased from 4.8 million at launch to 1.1 million in March.
02
2 sources · 2 updates
Claude's Popularity Surges Amid Controversy
Anthropic's AI model, Claude, has seen a remarkable increase in paid subscriptions, more than doubling this year to an estimated total of 18 million to 30 million users. This surge coincides with a public dispute between Anthropic and the Department of Defense regarding AI usage, and the introduction of new features like Computer Use has further fueled consumer interest.
- New subscribers surged significantly between January and February 2026, with the majority opting for the $20 per month 'Pro' tier.
- The new AI model, Claude Mythos, has been leaked, achieving dramatically higher scores in coding, academic reasoning, and cybersecurity compared to previous models.
03
2 sources · 2 updates
Meta's Legal Setback: Implications for Social Media
Meta and YouTube have been ordered to pay hundreds of millions of dollars after juries found them liable for harming minors, marking a significant legal precedent. This California case represents the first jury judgment against social media companies for personal injuries, highlighting a potential shift in accountability. Additionally, new laws in New York and California are set to ban 'addictive' features on social media platforms aimed at teenagers.
- New laws in New York and California specifically target 'addictive' features on social media for teens.
04
2 sources · 2 updates
White House Launches App Highlighting Trump's Achievements
The White House has introduced a new smartphone app that showcases President Donald Trump's accomplishments during his second term. While the app claims a 0.7% year-over-year decline in prescription drug costs, it selectively omits rising prices of essential groceries. Additionally, the app features a direct link for users to report individuals to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
- The app is available on both Android and iOS platforms.
- Users can submit tips to ICE directly through the app's Get in Touch feature.
05
2 sources · 2 updates
Judge Blocks Trump's AI Model Ban
A federal judge in San Francisco has issued a preliminary injunction against former President Trump's ban on Anthropic AI models, deeming the government's security risk label as 'Orwellian' and unconstitutional. The ruling comes after the Pentagon classified Anthropic as a 'supply chain risk' following a failed $200 million contract and the company's refusal to grant unrestricted access to its models.
- US District Judge Rita Lin ruled that Trump and Hegseth lacked the authority to blacklist Anthropic.
- The judge emphasized that the government's actions were retaliatory and violated Anthropic's First Amendment rights.
06
1 sources · 2 updates
Google Enhances Gemini API with New Features
Google has launched an 'Agent Skill' for its Gemini API, significantly improving AI coding assistants by addressing knowledge gaps in SDKs. The Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview model demonstrated a remarkable success rate of 96.6% in coding tasks, a substantial increase from 28.2%. Additionally, users can now import memories from ChatGPT and Claude, facilitating a smoother transition of saved preferences.
- The Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview model achieved a 96.6% success rate in coding tasks across 117 tests.
- Users can upload chat histories from ChatGPT and Claude as a ZIP file up to 5 GB.
07
1 sources · 1 updates
Here’s What The New AI Chip Means For Arm Holdings (ARM)
Arm Holdings PLC has unveiled its new AGI CPU, aimed at fulfilling the computing requirements of agentic AI, which operates independently as a virtual assistant. This marks a significant shift for Arm, as it transitions from licensing its chip designs to manufacturing them in-house, a move that promises improved margins but necessitates substantial upfront investment. The company is collaborating with Meta and Taiwan Semiconductor to launch the chip later this year, while also working with server manufacturers like Quanta and Lenovo to provide complete systems to customers.
- Arm Holdings is shifting from licensing to manufacturing its own chips.
- The AGI CPU is designed to support agentic AI, acting autonomously for users.
08
1 sources · 1 updates
TikTok’s policy for AI ads isn’t working
Samsung's advertising on TikTok has come under fire for failing to label AI-generated content, which is required by TikTok's policies. Despite both companies being part of the Content Authenticity Initiative, Samsung's ads lack transparency, leaving users unaware of the AI tools used in their creation. This situation highlights the ongoing challenges in ensuring honesty in advertising, especially as some brands begin to comply with AI labeling requirements.
- Samsung's TikTok ads often do not disclose AI-generated content, violating TikTok's policies.
- TikTok and Samsung are part of the Content Authenticity Initiative, promoting transparency in AI content.
09
1 sources · 1 updates
Apple @ Work: Eero adds LTE failover for remote employees and Starlink could be that for enterprises
Eero has introduced a 4G LTE backup device designed to keep homes and small businesses online during internet service provider outages. This device plugs into existing Eero routers and is part of a broader trend towards ensuring reliable connectivity, especially as Starlink Business emerges as a viable satellite-based backup solution that offers resilience against local infrastructure failures. As organizations increasingly rely on uninterrupted internet access, the integration of these technologies could redefine disaster recovery strategies in various sectors, including healthcare and education.
- Eero's new 4G LTE backup device ensures connectivity during ISP outages.
- Starlink Business offers a satellite-based backup that is independent of local infrastructure.
10
1 sources · 1 updates
Meta's hyperagents improve at tasks and improve at improving
Meta's researchers, in collaboration with several universities, have introduced hyperagents—AI systems capable of not only completing tasks but also optimizing their own improvement processes. This innovative approach, known as DGM-H, allows the agents to enhance their performance across various domains, achieving significant gains in tasks such as paper review and robotics, and even transferring learned strategies to new challenges like Olympiad math evaluations.
- DGM-H achieved a performance increase from 0.0 to 0.710 in paper review tasks.
- Hyperagents can transfer improvement strategies across domains, scoring 0.630 in Olympiad math evaluations.
11
1 sources · 2 updates
Apple Offers Refurbished Mac Pro Units
Despite the discontinuation of the Mac Pro, Apple is still selling refurbished units through its Certified Refurbished store. There are over 20 units available, with prices ranging from $6,289 to $10,029 based on specifications.
- Refurbished purchases come with a one-year limited warranty and free delivery.
12
1 sources · 2 updates
Google's Pixel Launcher Introduces Automated Home Screen Design
Google is developing a new feature for its Pixel Launcher that will automatically populate users' home screens with apps and widgets based on selected categories such as Games and Productivity. This innovative tool is currently in early development and may debut alongside the upcoming Pixel 11 series later this year, following the initial rollout of Android 17.
- The automated home screen feature allows users to choose from categories like Health & Fitness and Most Used.
- A grid view for managing home screen pages is also planned, a long-awaited feature for Pixel devices.
13
1 sources · 1 updates
Why SoftBank’s new $40B loan points to a 2026 OpenAI IPO
SoftBank has taken on a significant $40 billion loan to support its $30 billion investment in OpenAI, part of the AI company's recent record-setting $110 billion fundraising. The loan, which is unsecured and due within 12 months, indicates that lenders are confident in the likelihood of OpenAI's public listing later this year. This move brings SoftBank's total investment in OpenAI to over $60 billion.
- SoftBank's total investment in OpenAI exceeds $60 billion.
- The unsecured loan has a 12-month term, indicating urgency.
14
1 sources · 1 updates
Amazon brings 4K and 2K video to its new battery-powered Ring Doorbell – when will Nest?
Amazon has unveiled a refreshed lineup of Ring Doorbell models, introducing 4K video capabilities in the battery-powered Ring Battery Doorbell Pro (2nd Gen), which is priced at $249. This upgrade puts pressure on Google’s Nest, which has not yet released a 2K video option for its battery-powered doorbell, despite the wired version receiving an update last year. The new Ring models will begin shipping in mid-late April 2026.
- The Ring Battery Doorbell Pro (2nd Gen) is priced at $249.
- Amazon's new lineup includes 2K video in multiple models, enhancing competition with Nest.

The archive

What moved

Yahoo Finance Tech

Here’s What The New AI Chip Means For Arm Holdings (ARM)

Arm Holdings introduces new AI chip for agentic AI.

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Yahoo Finance Tech

Shopify (SHOP) Adds Another AI Integration Successfully

Shopify integrates AI for direct product sales via ChatGPT.

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The tech day has moved on.

What connected the day

OpenAI Shuts Down Sora Video Generation App

Claude's Popularity Surges Amid Controversy

Meta's Legal Setback: Implications for Social Media

White House Launches App Highlighting Trump's Achievements

Judge Blocks Trump's AI Model Ban

Google Enhances Gemini API with New Features

Here’s What The New AI Chip Means For Arm Holdings (ARM)

TikTok&#8217;s policy for AI ads isn&#8217;t working

Apple @ Work: Eero adds LTE failover for remote employees and Starlink could be that for enterprises

Meta's hyperagents improve at tasks and improve at improving

Apple Offers Refurbished Mac Pro Units

Google's Pixel Launcher Introduces Automated Home Screen Design

Why SoftBank’s new $40B loan points to a 2026 OpenAI IPO

Amazon brings 4K and 2K video to its new battery-powered Ring Doorbell – when will Nest?

What moved

Here’s What The New AI Chip Means For Arm Holdings (ARM)

Shopify (SHOP) Adds Another AI Integration Successfully

You've seen the record. See the live version.

Google's new Gemini API Agent Skill patches the knowledge gap AI models have with their own SDKs

You've seen the record. See the live version.

TikTok&#8217;s policy for AI ads isn&#8217;t working

Anthropic reportedly views itself as the antidote to OpenAI's "tobacco industry" approach to AI

Crypto Wants to Be Collateral, Not Just Capital Gains

Why OpenAI killed Sora

Pricy airfare, airport chaos test travelers' willingness to fly this year

As stocks and bonds fall, and oil hits $100, a futures trade that boomed in 2022 may again be a winner

OpenAI sets two-stage Sora shutdown with app closing April 2026 and API following in September

Apple @ Work: Eero adds LTE failover for remote employees and Starlink could be that for enterprises

Explanation for why we don't see two-foot-long dragonflies anymore fails

Top stories: Mac Pro discontinued, iOS 26.4 now available, more

"Pick and Mix" Custom Regions: Cloudflare Introduces Fine-Grained Data Residency Control

Anthropic’s Claude popularity with paying consumers is skyrocketing

Meta’s legal defeat could be a victory for children, or a loss for everyone

What will power the grid in 2035? The race is wide open

Let’s take a look at the retro tech making a comeback

The Iran war is defense tech's chance to shine, but few systems and weapons are ready

Anthropic, the Pentagon, and the Future of Autonomous Weapons

Oracle Credit Risk Measure Hits Record High on AI-Debt Fears

AI Research Is Getting Harder to Separate From Geopolitics

Meta’s reportedly launching Ray-Ban smart glasses designed for prescription lenses

Causality optional? Testing the "indefinite causal order" superposition

TikTok’s policy for AI ads isn’t working

TikTok’s policy for AI ads isn’t working