Author: alex

Anthropic disrupts large‑scale AI‑orchestrated cyber espionage — daily AI headlines Today’s top AI stories center on Anthropic’s claims that it disrupted a major AI‑orchestrated cyber espionage campaign and other big moves across the industry. Below are the most important headlines and what they mean for AI safety, regulation and the broader tech ecosystem. Top headlines (quick take) Anthropic disrupts AI‑orchestrated cyber espionage: Anthropic says it disrupted a large‑scale campaign that weaponized its Claude model (or tooling built on it) to automate hacking and espionage efforts. If validated, this is the first documented large‑scale AI‑powered cyberattack, raising urgent security and governance questions. Anthropic newsroom. Anthropic raises $13B in Series F: The company reportedly secured $13 billion at a ~$183B valuation to expand enterprise offerings, safety research and global expansion — signaling…

Black Friday subscription deals 2025: steep discounts on streaming, learning, VPNs and productivity apps Black Friday brings some of the best opportunities to lock in discounted subscriptions for services you already use or have been meaning to try. From audiobooks and language learning to VPNs, productivity tools and streaming services, this year’s deals include both brief trials and deep multi-year discounts that can save you hundreds. Below are the standout offers we’re tracking now across categories. Prices and availability can change fast during the sales period, so check terms (length of access, auto‑renewal) before you commit. Top subscription deals right now Audible — 3 months for $3 (intro deal). Great for audiobook fans who can cancel before auto‑renewal if they don’t want the full price afterward. Rosetta Stone — Lifetime…

Microsoft won’t publish a 2025 diversity & inclusion report — what it means for transparency Microsoft has confirmed it will not publish a traditional annual diversity and inclusion (D&I) report for 2025. Instead, the company says it is shifting toward "more dynamic and accessible" formats such as stories, videos and other insights. The company’s communications chief framed the move as an evolution of how it shares information about inclusion in action. Microsoft published public D&I reports annually since 2019, which provided metrics on workforce composition, pay equity and hiring progress. The change this year means the company will not provide a single, consolidated report with the same set of data, making it harder for observers to compare year‑to‑year metrics in one place. Context and reaction Observers noted the shift amid…

Waymo cleared to expand robotaxi testing across much of California The California Department of Motor Vehicles has approved Waymo's request to expand driverless testing and deployment across large swaths of the state. The new approval lets Waymo operate throughout the Bay Area, in Sacramento and across most of Southern California up to the Mexico border — a big increase over its previous operating area. Waymo confirmed the authorization on its platform and said the next major market will be San Diego, where the company plans to start offering rides sometime in mid‑2026. The expansion follows other announced city rollouts: Waymo has plans for Las Vegas (including the Strip and airport), Detroit, Miami, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Orlando in 2026. What’s included in the expansion Expanded coverage: Bay Area, Sacramento…

Roku Black Friday deals: Streaming Stick Plus $20, Streaming Stick $15, 4K $25 Roku’s Black Friday sale puts several of its streaming devices at steep discounts. The Streaming Stick Plus — our top pick for a compact 4K HDR streamer — is down 50% to about $20. The base Streaming Stick and the Streaming Stick 4K are also on sale for roughly $15 and $25 respectively, while the more powerful Roku Ultra box is marked down to $69. These sticks are a simple, low‑cost way to add smart TV features to older sets. The Streaming Stick Plus supports 4K HDR content, offers Roku’s easy interface and accurate universal search, and draws power from the TV in most setups so you don’t need an extra outlet. Which model should you pick?…

“About this account”: X adds profile transparency with country, username history and source info X is rolling out a new "About this account" feature that gives users more context about profiles. The panel can show an account’s country or region, the country where the account was created, how many times the username has changed and whether the account posts from the web or a specific app store. The company says this is part of an effort to improve transparency and verify authenticity. The feature has been in tests and screenshots have recently surfaced as the rollout picks up. Some notable details and options include: Location info: Profiles may display the account’s country by default, with an option to show a broader region or continent. Users can toggle what they show…

Sonos Black Friday: Era 300 (spatial audio) now $379 — plus other Sonos discounts Sonos’s Era 300 — the company’s only standalone speaker with spatial audio — is discounted to $379 for Black Friday, a $100 savings off its regular price. The Era 300 delivers immersive Dolby Atmos‑style playback without needing extra speakers, making it a compelling upgrade for home audio lovers. Beyond spatial audio, the Era 300 is praised for balanced, detailed sound and smart features aimed at convenience and room optimization. Key features Standalone spatial audio: Plays Dolby Atmos‑compatible tracks without additional speakers (works with supported streaming services). Trueplay tuning: Built‑in microphones scan your room and automatically tune sound — no phone required, which is handy for Android users. Voice control: Supports Alexa and Sonos Voice Control for…

AirPods 4 hit a Black Friday record low — non‑ANC model down to $80 Apple’s AirPods 4 (the non‑ANC model) have dropped to a record low price of $80 for Black Friday. If you don’t need active noise cancellation, this model offers many of the improvements Apple introduced in 2025 — a redesigned fit, the H2 chip, and advanced audio features — at a much lower cost than usual. The non‑ANC AirPods 4 deliver clear, punchy sound thanks to the H2 chip and support Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking. They include Voice Isolation and a force sensor on the stem for playback and call controls. Expect about five hours of listening per charge and roughly 30 hours total with the USB‑C charging case. What you get (and what…

MacBook Air M4 drops to a record low: $749 for 16GB/256GB Black Friday brings the lowest price we've seen for the Apple MacBook Air M4: the 13.6-inch model with 16GB RAM and 256GB storage is down to $749 (previously $799 or higher). The 512GB configuration is also at an all-time low around $949. These discounts apply across colorways and represent notable savings compared with Apple Store pricing. The MacBook Air M4 runs Apple’s M4 chip with a 10-core GPU, offering a tangible step up in performance and efficiency over the M3 model. It keeps the signature thin, fanless design, weighs under three pounds and delivers a long battery life — Apple rates it for up to 18 hours on a single charge. What you get 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display (P3…

DJI Neo Black Friday deal: budget 4K drone down to $159 for Prime members Black Friday brings a tempting price on the DJI Neo: Prime members can pick the compact 128g‑class drone up for about $159 (roughly 20% off its usual $200). It’s a strong value for first‑time flyers or anyone who wants an easy, affordable way into aerial photography. The Neo was recently supplanted on some roundups by the Neo 2, but it still earned praise as a fast, maneuverable and beginner‑friendly quadcopter. Key perks include a 4K camera, four propeller guards, multiple control options (app, gestures, voice or a standard RC controller) and a featherlight weight (~135 g) that keeps it below many registration thresholds. Quick specs 4K camera for basic aerial footage Approx. 135 g — often…