Category: Uncategorized

Yann LeCun departs Meta to launch AMI startup focused on physical‑world AI Yann LeCun, Meta’s Chief AI Scientist and head of the Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) lab, is leaving the company after 12 years to start his own AI venture. He says the new startup will continue the Advanced Machine Intelligence (AMI) program he has pursued at FAIR, NYU and beyond, and will partner with Meta on some initiatives. LeCun described the startup’s goal as building systems that better understand the physical world, have persistent memory, can reason and plan complex action sequences — capabilities he believes won’t come from simply scaling large language models. He will remain at Meta through the end of the year while the new company ramps up. Context and why this matters Research direction: LeCun…

Daily AI roundup: U.S.–Saudi partnership, Google Gemini, OpenAI/Anthropic moves, hardware updates and healthcare wins Here are the top AI headlines right now, summarized from recent reporting and industry announcements. This quick digest focuses on OpenAI, Anthropic/Claude, Google Gemini, Microsoft, notable hardware moves and a few regulatory/industry developments. Top AI items (one‑line summaries) U.S.–Saudi AI partnership: A strategic agreement aims to scale AI infrastructure and collaboration between the United States and Saudi Arabia, accelerating capacity for large‑scale model training and deployment. (source) Google Gemini prominence: Google’s Gemini continues to be positioned as a major agentic AI system atop large GPU supercomputing infrastructures, competing with OpenAI and Anthropic in the agentic AI space. (analysis) OpenAI & Anthropic: Both firms remain central to agentic AI development, with ongoing R&D and partnerships shaping the…

Netflix lands MLB live events: Opening Night, Home Run Derby and select specials Netflix has struck a three-year deal to stream live Major League Baseball content — its first time showing live MLB games. The agreement covers a new Opening Night game the evening before Opening Day, the T‑Mobile Home Run Derby, and select special events during the season, including the 2026 MLB at Field of Dreams Game and the World Baseball Classic in Japan. While this marks Netflix’s entry into live baseball, the package is limited compared with traditional broadcasters. Apple TV will continue to hold rights to Friday night games, and ESPN and NBCUniversal properties will also host other matchups under a reorganized broadcast plan. That fragmentation means viewers may need to check multiple services to follow different…

Best VPN Black Friday deals: save up to 88% on top providers Black Friday and the holiday season are prime time for steep VPN discounts. If you want privacy, geo-unblocking or safer Wi‑Fi browsing, now’s a good moment to lock in a long-term plan — most major providers offer the deepest discounts for 1–2 year commitments. Below are standout deals currently available and what makes each provider worth considering. Remember to check renewal pricing and the fine print: introductory lows often rise significantly at renewal. Notable deals right now ExpressVPN Basic — $97.72 for 28 months (two-year + 4 months free, ~73% off). Reliable speeds, easy apps and strong unblocking performance. ExpressVPN ExpressVPN Advanced — $125.72 for 28 months (adds extra connections, Keys password manager, advanced blocking). NordVPN Basic —…

MacBook Air M4 deal: 13.6" (16GB/256GB) drops to $749 — lowest price since launch The MacBook Air M4 has hit a new all-time low on Amazon: the 13.6‑inch model with 16GB of RAM and 256GB storage is down to $749 across all four colors. Earlier this model commonly sold around $799 on Amazon — about $200 less than Apple’s direct pricing — so this represents the best discount we've seen since the M4 launched in March. If you want more storage, the 512GB variant is now $949, another all‑time low compared with higher Apple Store pricing. These price drops make the M4 Air an especially tempting option for students, professionals and anyone prioritizing portability with solid performance. What you get with the MacBook Air M4 M4 chip with up to…

OpenAI launches ChatGPT for Teachers — FERPA‑compliant, free until June 2027 OpenAI has announced ChatGPT for Teachers, a new edition of ChatGPT tailored for K‑12 educators. The offering is designed to meet school privacy requirements (including FERPA considerations) and will be available free of charge until June 2027. The company positions this product to help teachers create lesson plans, worksheets, assessments and other classroom materials while getting accustomed to AI tools. ChatGPT for Teachers includes many features from the consumer product — unlimited messages with GPT‑5.1 Auto, file uploads, image generation, memory, and connectors to other apps — with additional controls and compliance measures for school use. Key features FERPA‑focused privacy: Built to align with education data protections so schools can use AI without exposing student records improperly. Free through…

Tim Cook attends controversial Trump reception — questions for Apple’s leadership Apple CEO Tim Cook attended a reception for former President Donald Trump that has drawn public attention and raised questions about the tech leader’s public role. Some observers say the appearance highlights Cook’s role as a corporate negotiator and relationship manager, not just the "product guy" he was once portrayed as. The report suggests Cook’s presence at politically charged events is prompting debate about how Apple balances business interests, public perception and leadership values. Critics worry such moves could affect Apple’s image among employees and customers; supporters argue that engagement at the political level is a routine part of corporate stewardship. Key points Event: Tim Cook attended a reception tied to Donald Trump (reported by German outlet ifun.de). Perception…

Aqara Smart Hub M200 arrives: compact Matter, Thread and Zigbee support Aqara today expanded its smart‑home lineup with the new Smart Hub M200 and a freshly announced radiator thermostat. The M200 is described as the smaller sibling of the existing Hub M3 and adds native support for Matter, Thread and Zigbee — making it a versatile bridge for a wide range of smart devices. The company positions the M200 as a compact, all‑purpose hub suitable for users who want a smaller footprint while retaining cross‑platform compatibility. Built‑in support for Matter and Thread means the hub can integrate more easily with modern smart‑home ecosystems and future devices. Key points New hub: Aqara Smart Hub M200 — a smaller alternative to the Hub M3. Protocol support: Matter, Thread and Zigbee for broad…

Black Friday TV deals: top picks across budgets and premium options Black Friday is an ideal time to upgrade your living room — retailers are already offering strong discounts on TVs from Samsung, LG, TCL and Hisense. We filtered current deals into three price tiers to help you choose the best value for your needs and room conditions. Below are standout early offers across under $500, $500–$1,000 and $1,000+ categories, plus streaming device picks. Prices change quickly during the sales period, so use this as a starting point and check retailer pages for real‑time stock and final discounts. Best deals under $500 Hisense U65QF (55-inch) — $428: Strong peak brightness for bright rooms; runs Amazon Fire TV. Good budget pick for well‑lit spaces. (Also available in 65/75/85" sizes at larger…

AMD to preview FSR “Redstone” upscaling tech on December 10 AMD has announced it will reveal FSR “Redstone” on December 10 — its next‑generation upscaling suite aimed at closing the gap with NVIDIA’s DLSS. The company says Redstone brings not just improved machine‑learning upscaling but also enhanced AI frame generation, ray regeneration and radiance caching. While AMD hasn’t published full technical details yet, early notes suggest Redstone is more than a pure upscaler. Key components advertised include: ML-powered upscaling: Improved image reconstruction and quality at higher upscaling ratios. AI frame generation: Frames generated via AI to smooth motion and increase perceived framerate. Ray regeneration: Techniques to reconstruct or refine ray‑traced effects — reportedly already integrated in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 for the ray regeneration piece. Radiance caching: Faster…