Alvaro Lopez Ortega / 2026-04-28 Briefing

Created Tue, 28 Apr 2026 20:00:37 +0000 Modified Thu, 21 May 2026 01:16:58 +0000
6359 Words

Security researchers warn the Vect ransomware is actually a wiper that permanently destroys files. NASA faces a proposed $5.6 billion budget cut that threatens its science missions. In AI developments, IBM’s Bob coding assistant and Tenstorrent’s Galaxy Blackhole servers are now available, while Amazon rolls out new enterprise tools. Meanwhile, the EU is ordering Google to open Android’s AI sandbox to foster competition.

🤖 AI & Machine Learning

IBM’s AI coding ‘partner’ Bob hits general availability

IBM has announced the general availability of Bob, an AI coding assistant that reportedly delivered a 45% productivity boost during internal testing. The launch includes a premium package for mainframe applications, utilizing various language models to automate the entire software development lifecycle.

Amazon Launches New AI-Powered Tools

Amazon has launched new AI-driven services, including the Amazon Quick desktop application and specialized Amazon Connect components, to automate enterprise workflows. These tools, which include targeted solutions for logistics and recruitment, are part of a broader strategy to compete with Microsoft Copilot and expand Amazon’s footprint in the business software market.

Waymo in Portland

Waymo is expanding its autonomous vehicle service to Portland, beginning with manual driving to familiarize its technology with the city’s streets. The company is collaborating with local officials and community partners to establish a regulatory path for deployment, aiming to enhance road safety and support Portland’s Vision Zero goals.

Claude.ai is unavailable

Anthropic experienced service disruptions affecting Claude.ai, the Claude API, and Claude Code between 17:34 and 18:52 UTC on April 28, 2026. The incident caused authentication errors and access issues across multiple platforms, but success rates have since returned to normal.

AI’s biggest critic has lost the plot

The author critiques tech columnist Ed Zitron, arguing that his claims of an AI bubble have lost credibility as his arguments have shifted from questioning economic utility to alleging widespread fraud. This transition is presented as evidence that his original economic critiques are no longer sustainable against the evolving technological landscape.

The Social Edge of Intelligence: Individual Gain, Collective Loss

While AI can boost individual creativity and productivity, research indicates it may lead to a “tragedy of the commons” by causing collective outputs to become increasingly uniform. The author argues that the most successful future organizations will be those that use AI to augment human interaction rather than using it to replace human roles.

Vibe Coding Will Break Your Company

“Vibe coding” utilizes AI-driven natural language prompting to rapidly transform ideas into functional software, significantly shortening development cycles. However, this acceleration can bypass essential organizational safeguards like security and legal reviews, creating substantial risks for businesses that lack proper oversight.

Why Spotify has no button to filter out AI music

Spotify currently lacks a native feature to filter out AI-generated music, prompting some users to develop third-party tools to block suspected tracks. The company avoids implementing its own filter to avoid making value judgments on music creation, focusing instead on addressing issues like spam and impersonation.

Waiting for LLMs Suck – Give your user a game

To mitigate the frustration of waiting for Large Language Model (LLM) responses, developers are encouraged to provide users with a game. This strategy helps maintain engagement during the time it takes for the model to return a result.

The Moat or the Commons

Large-scale U.S. AI investments were predicated on the assumption that frontier models would create high-margin monopolies to justify massive capital expenditures. However, the rise of efficient open-weight models is commoditizing these capabilities, creating a structural tension that is expected to shape the future of U.S. AI policy.

AgentSwift – Open-source iOS builder agent

AgentSwift is an open-source coding agent designed for building iOS applications. The tool is built using openspec and xcodebuildmcp and is available for free.

Anthropic’s definition of safety is too narrow

Anthropic is facing criticism for a narrow definition of safety that prioritizes model behavior over product reliability and transparent communication. Recent issues with Claude Code quality and pricing changes have eroded user trust, highlighting a need for more rigorous management of production processes and customer updates.

49Agents – Infinite canvas IDE for AI agents

49Agents is an open-source, 2D agentic IDE featuring an infinite zoomable canvas that unifies terminals, agents, and multiple machines within a single workspace. The platform enables seamless multi-device access and multi-machine management without the need for SSH, integrating tools such as the Monaco editor and Git graphs.

Generative AI Vegetarianism

“Generative AI vegetarianism” is the intentional practice of avoiding generative AI tools and content in favor of human-led processes. This approach involves disabling AI features in software and refusing to consume AI-generated media to prioritize authentic human interaction and creation.

LLM Self-Improvement Limits: Singularity Needs Symbolic Model Synthesis

New research demonstrates that recursive self-training in Large Language Models leads to “model collapse” through entropy decay and distributional drift when external grounding is absent. To achieve the AI Singularity, the authors argue that models must move beyond statistical density matching toward neurosymbolic integration and program synthesis.

Apple plans iOS 27 AI photo overhaul to extend, enhance, and reframe photos using on-device AI

Apple is developing a suite of AI-powered photo-editing tools for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 to better compete with Android devices. Powered by Apple Intelligence, these features will use on-device models to extend, enhance, and reframe photos. The update is slated for release this fall.

Lovable launches AI coding app on iOS and Android with voice/text prompts and cross-device sync

Lovable has launched a mobile app on iOS and Android that enables users to build web applications through voice or text AI prompts. The app allows for seamless project transitions between mobile and desktop while complying with Apple’s security guidelines by focusing on generating web-based applications.

Anthropic launches Claude connectors for Adobe, Autodesk, Blender, and other creative tools

Anthropic has launched new connectors that integrate Claude directly into professional creative software, including applications from Adobe, Autodesk, and Blender. These tools allow users to automate repetitive tasks, write custom scripts, and interact with complex creative workflows through natural language.

Snap launches AI Sponsored Snaps: conversational ads with brand agents for recommendations.

Snap is rolling out “AI Sponsored Snaps,” a new conversational advertising format integrated into the app’s Chat tab. This feature allows users to interact directly with brand-specific AI agents to ask questions and receive personalized product recommendations.

Google launches Ask YouTube, a conversational AI search with video summaries for US Premium users.

Google is testing “Ask YouTube,” a new conversational AI search experiment available to US-based YouTube Premium subscribers aged 18 and older. The feature generates information-rich pages that combine text summaries and bulleted lists with curated video content, including YouTube Shorts, in response to user prompts.

Bloomberg overhauling Terminal with new ASKB chatbot interface, in beta for 125K users

Bloomberg is introducing ASKB, a new chatbot-style interface designed to overhaul the Bloomberg Terminal and help users efficiently navigate its massive datasets. Currently in beta for approximately 125,000 users, the tool utilizes language models to allow finance professionals to synthesize complex information through natural language prompts.

~35% of new websites since ChatGPT launch are AI-generated or AI-assisted, per Internet Archive

Research involving the Internet Archive has found that approximately 35% of websites published since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022 are AI-generated or AI-assisted. The study suggests that this influx of AI-generated text is making the internet less verbose and more “cheery.”

Musk v. Altman jurors express bias against Musk and AI but promise impartiality (Wired)

During jury selection for the Musk v. Altman trial, several jurors expressed negative views regarding Elon Musk and AI technology but pledged to remain impartial. The jury will now evaluate whether OpenAI’s leadership improperly diverted the organization from its original nonprofit mission.

🛡️ Security & Privacy

Don’t pay Vect a ransom - your data’s likely already wiped out

Check Point Research has discovered that the Vect group’s ransomware is actually a wiper that permanently destroys any file larger than 128KB due to a coding error. This flaw makes data recovery impossible for both victims and attackers, who are currently targeting organizations via supply-chain compromises.

UK govt dept sent a document ‘in error.’ Now it’s being used in a £370M contract lawsuit

Sopra Steria is suing the UK’s Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) over a £370 million contract awarded to competitor Capita. The legal dispute centers on a confidential “Comparison Document” that the DWP inadvertently shared with a Sopra Steria subsidiary, which the department claims led to a breach of an ethical wall agreement.

GitHub RCE Vulnerability: CVE-2026-3854 Breakdown

Wiz Research has identified a critical injection vulnerability (CVE-2026-3854) in GitHub’s infrastructure that allows authenticated users to execute arbitrary commands via a standard git push. The flaw could lead to remote code execution on GitHub.com and full server compromise on GitHub Enterprise Server. Although GitHub.com is already patched, administrators of GitHub Enterprise Server must upgrade to version 3.19.3 or later to mitigate the risk.

Your phone is about to stop being yours

Starting September 2026, Google plans to require all Android app developers to register with the company, pay a fee, and provide government identification to prevent their software from being blocked on Android devices. This policy extends Google’s oversight beyond the Play Store to all installed applications, significantly altering the platform’s traditionally open ecosystem.

OpenAI CEO’s Identity Verification Company Announced Fake Bruno Mars Partnership

Tools For Humanity falsely announced a partnership with Bruno Mars to promote its Concert Kit tool, a claim subsequently denied by the artist’s management and Live Nation. The error likely resulted from a confusion with the company’s actual partner, Thirty Seconds to Mars.

Period tracking app has been yapping about your flow to Meta

The period tracking app Flo has been found liable in a class action lawsuit for unlawfully sharing sensitive user health data, including menstrual and pregnancy information, with Meta and other third parties. The case highlights significant privacy gaps in non-medical health tracking software and the risks of personal biological data being used for commercial gain.

GTFOBins Security Tool Overview

GTFOBins provides an alphabetical compilation of various command-line utilities, programming languages, and system tools. This resource encompasses a wide range of software used for tasks such as system administration, software development, automation, and data processing.

Bypassing DPI with eBPF, no VPN or proxy needed

The gecit tool allows users to bypass Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) and DNS poisoning without relying on a VPN or proxy. By utilizing eBPF on Linux to intercept connections and implementing a local DNS-over-HTTPS server, the tool deceives middleboxes using fake TLS ClientHello packets and prevents DNS tampering.

FIDO Alliance launches groups to secure AI agent transactions; Google adds Agent Payments Protocol

The FIDO Alliance, supported by Google and Mastercard, is launching two working groups to establish industry standards for securing transactions conducted by AI agents. The initiative aims to develop cryptographic and privacy-preserving frameworks to prevent agent hijacking and ensure all agent-initiated actions are legitimately authorized by users.

U.S. states issued a record $3.45 billion in privacy-related fines in 2025, a total surpassing the combined amount of the previous five years. This surge is driven by intensified enforcement of state privacy laws, new interstate regulatory partnerships, and increased scrutiny regarding the privacy implications of AI and automation.

🛠️ Software & Development

UK.gov’s DCMS to new CDIO: migrate from Google to Microsoft, overhaul ERP, build a team

The UK’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is recruiting a new Chief Digital and Information Officer to lead several major technological transitions. Key responsibilities include migrating departmental services from Google to Microsoft, transitioning to a new shared HR and finance platform, and building a team of approximately 60 technology professionals.

Microsoft Outlook for iOS still down and out for many after ‘service change’

Microsoft Outlook for iOS users continue to experience sign-in failures and unexpected sign-outs following a recent service configuration change. Despite Microsoft’s rollback of the update and claims of recovery, many users are still reporting disruptions and official status pages indicate ongoing service degradation.

Fedora Linux 44

Fedora Linux 44 has been released, featuring major updates to the Workstation and KDE Plasma Desktop editions with GNOME 50 and Plasma 6.6. The release also introduces a simplified network configuration process within the Anaconda installer.

I Forgot to Code

A developer recounts how heavy reliance on AI coding tools led to the atrophy of their fundamental programming skills. This loss of ability, including the inability to write a simple for loop, became apparent during a period of sudden instability at their previous employer.

GTK2-NG: A community effort to revive and modernize GTK2

Anubis is a Proof-of-Work scheme designed to prevent website downtime by making large-scale AI scraping more expensive and difficult. This serves as a temporary solution while more advanced methods for identifying headless browsers are being developed.

Live Sun and Moon Dashboard with NASA Footage

Lumara is a new, privacy-focused mobile app that provides real-time tracking of solar activity and lunar phases using data from NASA and ESA. The app offers features such as offline moon calculations and live updates on solar flares and geomagnetic storms, all without ads or user data collection.

Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop

LocalSend is a free, open-source, cross-platform application designed to securely share files and messages between nearby devices over a local network. It operates without the need for an internet connection or third-party servers, utilizing HTTPS encryption to ensure secure communication.

LavinMQ, an open-source message broker written in Crystal

LavinMQ is an open-source message broker written in the Crystal programming language that supports AMQP 0-9-1, MQTT, and HTTP protocols. Developed by the team behind CloudAMQP, the broker is designed for high performance and minimal resource usage, offering a lightweight alternative to RabbitMQ.

GitHub Availability Update

GitHub is increasing its capacity scaling targets from 10X to 30X to address recent availability incidents and the rapid growth of agentic development and large-scale repositories. To enhance reliability, the company is prioritizing service isolation, improved caching, and the migration of critical workloads to more resilient, multi-cloud architectures.

GitHub Copilot code review will start consuming GitHub Actions minutes

Starting June 1, 2026, GitHub Copilot code reviews for private repositories will begin consuming GitHub Actions minutes and be billed as AI Credits under a new usage-based model. This change affects Copilot Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans, though code reviews for public repositories will remain free.

Scraping 241 UK council planning portals – 2.6M decisions so far

A developer has successfully scraped 2.6 million planning decisions from 241 UK council portals across England, Scotland, and Wales. The collected data reveals a national approval rate of approximately 88% and highlights an increasing trend of planning applications missing statutory eight-week deadlines.

TiddlyWiki v5.4.0

TiddlyWiki v5.4.0 is an open-source, interactive tool designed to manage complex data by organizing information into small, interconnected pieces called “tiddlers.” It utilizes WikiText notation, tags, and links to facilitate flexible data management without the need for server infrastructure.

Git Performance Optimization

“High Performance Git” examines the functional and architectural layers of Git, from internal objects to transport protocols, and their associated performance costs. The book is designed for engineers responsible for maintaining speed and stability while managing large-scale repositories and diagnosing complex Git behavior.

7 reasons I switched back to PHP after 2 years on Rails (2007)

After a failed two-year attempt to rewrite a large codebase in Ruby on Rails, a developer successfully completed the project in just two months using PHP. The author achieved this by applying Rails-inspired architectural principles, such as MVC and DRY, to create a more efficient and maintainable system.

Illegal vs Unwanted States

The article distinguishes between illegal states, which must never occur, and unwanted states, which may be entered temporarily but should eventually be resolved. It argues that systems must be capable of representing unwanted states to accommodate external uncertainties and provide functional flexibility without allowing them to escalate into illegal states.

The Best (Query) Plans of Mice and Men

An investigation into PostgreSQL reveals that the database may fail to utilize partial indexes under certain conditions. This occurs because PostgreSQL can reuse query plans without considering specific parameters, potentially bypassing intended optimized indexes.

Babylon and the Square Root of 2 (2011)

The Babylonian clay tablet YBC7289, dating to approximately 1700 BC, features a remarkably accurate approximation of the square root of two. While there is no evidence that the Babylonians understood the irrationality of this value, the high level of precision suggests they may have utilized a recursive averaging algorithm to calculate it.

tasty-cache: Nix-style test caching for Haskell

tasty-cache is a Tasty ingredient for Haskell designed to optimize test execution by skipping tests whose source code has not changed since the last successful run. It utilizes GHC HIE files for fine-grained dependency tracking and features a cacheable wrapper to allow for the selective caching of pure, repeatable tests.

FOSDEM 2026 - All FOSDEM 2026 videos are online

All publishable video recordings from FOSDEM 2026 are now available via individual schedule pages and at video.fosdem.org/2026. While the videos have undergone human review, organizers encourage viewers to report any remaining issues via email or Matrix.

jjj

The jjj script provides an interactive interface for the Jujutsu (jj) version control system by utilizing fzf to search through commit logs. It allows users to easily select specific revisions and automatically pass them as revsets to various jj commands.

  • jjj — oppi.li

Building a threadiverse community platform

This tutorial demonstrates how to build a threadiverse-style community platform that federates with services like Lemmy and Mbin using the Fedify ActivityPub framework and Next.js. The guide covers implementing core features such as user authentication, community subscriptions, threaded discussions, and voting mechanics.

Donating to open source

The author has begun donating a portion of their discretionary “fun money” budget to specific open-source projects, including Magit, XMonad, and the Perl 5 Core Maintenance Fund. The selection focuses on supporting essential projects that can effectively utilize the funds and are not already receiving significant financial support.

📈 Business & Economy

SUSE’s sovereignty pitch meets an inconvenient $6 billion question

Linux vendor SUSE is promoting its commitment to European digital sovereignty at the SUSECON event, despite reports that its majority stakeholder is exploring a $6 billion sale. A potential acquisition by a US buyer could undermine this mission by subjecting the company to American legal jurisdiction.

The Risks of AI Vendor Lock-in

Enterprise AI adoption is facing significant challenges as technical dependencies and integrated workflows create substantial vendor lock-in, making it increasingly difficult for companies to switch providers. Additionally, rising prices from major AI vendors are ending the era of low-cost models, complicating the long-term economic viability of AI deployment.

‘AI deflation’ comes to India’s tech services giants and puts downward pressure on revenue

India’s leading tech services firms—Infosys, HCL, TCS, and Wipro—are experiencing “AI deflation,” as the adoption of artificial intelligence puts downward pressure on revenues and margins. However, these companies are simultaneously leveraging AI to secure new contracts and enhance operational efficiency.

Anthropic Joins the Blender Development Fund as Corporate Patron

AI research company Anthropic has joined the Blender Development Fund as a Corporate Patron. This partnership aims to support the development of Blender’s core features and Python API, helping the Blender Foundation maintain its independence and continue building open-source tools for creators.

United Arab Emirates to quit oil cartel OPEC

The United Arab Emirates will leave the OPEC and OPEC+ oil alliances next month after nearly 60 years of membership. The move is intended to provide the UAE with greater production flexibility to utilize its increased oil capacity. Analysts suggest the departure could lead to increased market volatility and potentially lower oil prices in the long term.

Lenovo buys Phoenix Technologies’ firmware business

Lenovo has completed the acquisition of Phoenix Technologies’ firmware (BIOS) technology business, including its intellectual property and related expertise. This strategic move aims to bring firmware development in-house to enhance security, accelerate innovation, and improve vertical integration across Lenovo’s device portfolio.

UAE to leave OPEC

The United Arab Emirates is set to exit OPEC. This move is expected to deal a significant blow to the oil cartel.

Tech Company Revenue and Earnings Reports

OpenAI has dismissed reports of missed revenue targets as “clickbait,” asserting its business is strong despite news that sparked concerns about an AI bubble and impacted infrastructure stocks. Similarly, Foxconn Industrial Internet reported a significant year-over-year revenue increase in Q1, though both sales and earnings fell short of analyst expectations.

I built “Middle Class Museum”, a tour of things that used to be affordable

The “Middle Class Museum” is a digital exhibition that compares the economic landscape of the 1980s and 1990s to the high cost of living today. It highlights the dramatic increase in expenses for essentials like housing, healthcare, and education, while noting the decline of historical benefits such as pensions and high-interest savings.

$1,605: average annual ad value of a U.S. Google user

A Proton analysis of 54,000 demographic profiles reveals that the average annual advertising value of a U.S. Google user is approximately $1,605. This value ranges significantly from $31 to nearly $18,000, with high-value outliers driving the national average upward.

For the average price of a car in the US, you could buy 4 new Chinese EVs

Intense competition in the Chinese automotive market has driven electric vehicle prices significantly lower than those in the United States. While the average new car in the U.S. costs over $51,000, China offers more than 200 battery-powered models for under $25,000, with some budget options starting as low as $6,560.

San Francisco, AI capital of the world, is an economic laggard

San Francisco serves as the global epicenter of the artificial intelligence boom, hosting major firms like OpenAI and Anthropic alongside numerous billion-dollar “unicorns.” However, despite this immense concentration of wealth and talent, the city continues to face significant economic struggles.

Claire’s closes all 154 stores in UK and Ireland with loss of 1,300 jobs

Claire’s is closing all 154 of its standalone stores in the UK and Ireland, resulting in more than 1,300 redundancies. The retailer’s decline follows significant financial struggles driven by intense competition from online and high street brands, alongside shifting consumer tastes.

OpenAI Misses Key Revenue, User Targets in High-Stakes Sprint Toward IPO

OpenAI has missed its targets for revenue and new user growth, raising concerns about its ability to fund massive data center expenditures. CFO Sarah Friar has expressed worry that insufficient revenue growth could jeopardize the company’s capacity to meet future computing contract obligations.

I quit drinking for a year

The author describes their experience of quitting alcohol for a year, noting that the process was unexpectedly easy to maintain. By substituting alcohol with other “things” like desserts and tea, they were able to satisfy cravings and eliminate the mental struggle of deciding whether or not to drink.

Spotify Q1 beats estimates, but weak Q2 outlook drags SPOT down 10%+ pre-market

Spotify reported Q1 revenue grew 8% year-over-year to €4.5 billion, with monthly active users rising 12% to 761 million. However, the company’s Q2 operating income forecast of €630 million missed analyst expectations, causing shares to fall more than 10% in pre-market trading.

Match Group invests $100M in Sniffies, eyeing potential acquisition of queer dating site.

Match Group Inc. is investing $100 million in Sniffies, a web-based platform for queer men, with the potential for a future acquisition. The Seattle-based company features a real-time map for finding hookups and currently serves approximately 3 million monthly active users worldwide.

Evan Spiegel: Distribution as a tech moat, investing in Specs, and Snap’s 2026 “crucible”

In this podcast episode, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel discusses the challenges of building and scaling consumer social products, highlighting distribution as a critical competitive moat. The conversation also explores Snap’s unique design process, the impact of AI on the industry, and the company’s upcoming strategic hurdles.

Kpler gains millions of users since the Iran war began.

Kpler, an analytics platform for tracking maritime traffic and energy flows, has gained millions of new users since the war in Iran began. This surge in usage reflects an increased interest in monitoring global shipping and energy movements during the conflict.

Layoffs.fyi: 45,800 tech layoffs in March 2026, the worst month in 2 years (WSJ)

March 2026 saw 45,800 tech job cuts, making it the worst month for reported industry layoffs in at least two years. Companies such as Meta, Microsoft, and Block are reducing their workforces to shift resources toward artificial intelligence investments.

Amazon to expand Amazon Now quick commerce to 100 Indian cities

Amazon India plans to expand its quick commerce service, Amazon Now, from its current three cities to 100 cities across the country. This expansion will be supported by increasing its network of micro-fulfillment centers from 300 to more than 1,000 locations.

S. Korea’s stock market surpasses UK’s, hitting $4.04T on AI tech surge

South Korea’s stock market has surpassed the UK’s to become the world’s eighth-largest, reaching a market capitalization of $4.04 trillion. This growth, representing a more than 45% increase this year, was driven by a surge in AI-linked technology stocks such as Samsung and SK Hynix.

Starboard takes stake in Dynatrace, pushing for changes to boost stock; DT jumps 7%+ after hours

Activist investor Starboard Value has taken a significant stake in Dynatrace and is pushing for changes to boost the company’s stock performance. Following the news, Dynatrace shares jumped more than 7% in after-hours trading.

🔌 Hardware & Infrastructure

Tenstorrent’s Galaxy Blackhole AI servers escape the event horizon

Tenstorrent has announced the general availability of its Galaxy Blackhole AI compute platform, featuring a 32-accelerator 6U system priced at $110,000. The platform utilizes a scalable Ethernet mesh architecture to support large-scale clusters for intensive workloads such as large language models and video generation.

After Spain’s blackout, its shift to renewables and grid evolution power on

Investigations into Spain’s major blackout a year ago have debunked claims that renewable energy caused the grid failure, instead pointing to voltage-related governance issues. Consequently, Spain has continued to accelerate its transition toward renewable energy while updating regulations to enhance grid stability.

New Gas-Powered Data Centers Could Emit More Greenhouse Gases Than Whole Nations

Eleven US data center campuses linked to major AI companies are developing natural gas projects that could emit over 129 million tons of greenhouse gases annually. These “behind-the-meter” energy sources are being implemented to bypass utility grid connection delays, raising significant concerns about the climate impact of the AI boom.

BYD Seal 08 debuts with Blade Battery 2.0: 1,000km range, 5-min charging, 684hp

BYD has unveiled its new flagship electric sedan, the Seal 08, which features a second-generation Blade Battery with a target range of over 1,000 km. The vehicle utilizes an 800-volt platform capable of megawatt-level flash charging, allowing for 400 km of range to be added in just five minutes.

Photonics chipmaker Lightelligence surges nearly 400% in HK IPO debut after $310M raise

Shanghai-based Lightelligence saw its shares surge by nearly 400% during its Hong Kong trading debut following a successful $310 million IPO. The company’s performance is driven by intense demand for photonics chips used in AI workloads and reflects China’s strategic push to develop photonics as an alternative to conventional semiconductors.

🌍 Global Tech & Policy

Despite proposed science cuts, NASA boss says ‘We haven’t canceled anything yet’

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman testified before the House Appropriations Committee regarding a proposed $5.6 billion budget cut to the agency. While Isaacman stated that no missions have been canceled yet, the proposed 46% reduction to the Science Mission Directorate threatens numerous active and planned space exploration projects.

Brussels orders Google to share Android’s AI sandbox with the other kids

The European Commission has proposed measures under the Digital Markets Act to require Google to grant competing AI services the same deep device access on Android as its Gemini assistant. While the EU aims to foster competition, Google argues that these mandates could compromise user privacy and device security.

Australia proposes news levy on tech companies

The Australian government has proposed a “News Bargaining Incentive” scheme that imposes a 2.25% levy on the local revenues of major tech companies unless they reach payment deals with news publishers. Aimed at replacing the 2021 News Media Bargaining Code to support local journalism, the proposal has drawn criticism from tech giants like Meta, which described the government’s position as “simply wrong.”

The Americans queueing up to renounce their citizenship

The number of Americans renouncing their citizenship has risen from hundreds annually in the 2000s to thousands since 2014, partly due to a reduction in government fees. Many expatriates cite growing political dissatisfaction and concerns over the stability of American democracy as their primary motivations.

FCC Funding Application Notes Paramount Will Be 49.5% Foreign-Owned Post-Merger

Paramount has filed with the FCC to approve a 49.5% foreign ownership stake following its planned merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. The arrangement includes $24 billion from three Middle Eastern investment funds to increase capital access, though Paramount maintains these stakeholders will be passive backers without voting control.

Google and Pentagon reportedly agree on deal for ‘any lawful’ use of AI

Google has signed a classified agreement allowing the U.S. Department of Defense to use its AI models for any lawful government purpose. Although the deal prohibits use for domestic mass surveillance or autonomous weapons without human oversight, Google lacks the authority to veto the government’s operational decisions.

Google exits $100M Pentagon drone swarm tech challenge after internal ethics review

Google has withdrawn from a $100 million Pentagon competition to develop technology for autonomous, voice-controlled drone swarms. While the company officially cited a lack of “resourcing” for its departure, reports indicate the decision followed an internal ethics review.

Musk v. Altman: Judge tells Musk and Altman to stop using social media to worsen dispute

US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has instructed Elon Musk and OpenAI executives to refrain from using social media to escalate their ongoing legal dispute. The warning follows a series of critical posts by Musk on X directed at the company’s leadership.

Polymarket discusses lifting US user ban with CFTC to bring exchange back to US

Polymarket is in discussions with the CFTC about lifting its ban on US-based customers to bring its main exchange back to the United States. The platform has prohibited American users since 2022 following regulatory challenges.

Russia’s internet and app restrictions face widespread criticism (NYT)

Russia’s recent efforts to throttle popular apps and restrict internet access have sparked widespread criticism from a diverse range of citizens, including politicians and social media influencers. This growing dissent, coupled with economic pressures, is contributing to a decline in President Vladimir Putin’s approval ratings.

Senate Dems seek crypto bill ethics provision to target Trump family businesses, clashing with GOP

Senate Democrats are seeking to include an ethics provision in a landmark cryptocurrency bill to address potential conflicts of interest involving the Trump family’s digital asset ventures. The proposed measure, which would restrict how executive branch officials use digital assets, is being used as leverage in negotiations for the industry-focused legislation.