Daily AI Roundup — Microsoft/NVIDIA/Anthropic alliance and other top stories (Nov 18, 2025)

Daily AI Roundup — Microsoft, NVIDIA & Anthropic alliance and other top stories Here are the top AI stories circulating today, compiled from multiple industry reports and briefings. The landscape is moving fast — investments, cloud deals and new product pushes are reshaping where large models will be trained and deployed. 1. Microsoft, NVIDIA & Anthropic form a compute alliance Microsoft and NVIDIA are expanding their AI investments and infrastructure ties with Anthropic in a major strategic arrangement aimed at accelerating large‑model training and enterprise delivery. The partnership includes substantial cloud capacity commitments and co‑optimization work to run Anthropic’s models on NVIDIA hardware. 2. Dell & NVIDIA showcase AI hardware advances at SC25 At the SC25 supercomputing conference, Dell and NVIDIA highlighted new AI‑optimized systems and tighter hardware integration for…
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Google releases Google Sans Flex — variable brand typeface now on Google Fonts

Google releases Google Sans Flex — a variable brand typeface now on Google Fonts Google has made Google Sans Flex publicly available as a free download on Google Fonts. The variable sans‑serif belongs to the Material 3 visual language and is designed to "shape‑shift" across sizes by adjusting weight, width and other axes to improve legibility and visual harmony in interfaces. Unlike static fonts, variable fonts use OpenType Font Variations to let designers interpolate characteristics (for example condensed to wide, light to bold) smoothly. Google Sans Flex shows this capability in UI contexts where type needs to stay readable and balanced across different screen sizes and densities. Why designers should care Flexible scaling: The font adapts its letterforms at different scales, keeping text readable from small captions to large headlines.…
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Megabonk withdraws from The Game Awards — solo dev cites prior releases

Megabonk withdraws from The Game Awards — solo dev says it doesn’t qualify as a “debut” Indie sensation Megabonk has withdrawn its nomination for Best Debut Indie Game at The Game Awards. The game’s creator, who goes by vedinad, explained on social media that Megabonk isn’t their first game and therefore doesn’t qualify for the “debut” category. Megabonk is a low‑poly, Vampire Survivors‑inspired roguelike that reportedly sold 1 million copies in just two weeks, making it one of Steam’s recent breakout indie hits. Despite the success and the honor of being nominated, the developer chose to bow out to preserve category integrity. Quick facts Nomination: Best Debut Indie Game at The Game Awards. Withdrawal: Solo developer vedinad withdrew the game after saying it isn’t actually a debut. Sales: Megabonk sold…
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PS5 Black Friday: $100 off consoles, DualSense & Portal discounts

PS5 Black Friday deals: $100 off consoles — Digital $399, Standard $449, Pro $649 Sony is offering a $100 discount across the PS5 lineup this Black Friday, with deals going live on November 21. The PS5 Digital Edition drops to $399, the standard PS5 to $449, and the PS5 Pro to $649 — some of the best prices we've seen this year. These price cuts make now a strong time to buy whether you’re entering the PlayStation ecosystem or upgrading. All consoles support 4K output, 3D Audio and the immersive DualSense controller features like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. Notable accessory discounts DualSense Wireless Controller: $60 (about $20 off) in multiple colors. DualSense Edge: $170 — Sony’s premium, pro‑grade controller with remappable buttons and modular sticks. PlayStation Portal: $180 —…
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Snapchat launches Topic Chats — public conversations tied to Spotlight

Snapchat launches Topic Chats: join public conversations tied to Spotlight Snapchat is introducing "Topic Chats," a new way for users to join public conversations about trending topics directly inside the app. Topic Chats appear as a yellow "Join the Chat" button near Spotlight videos, Stories and search results; tapping it adds you to a live discussion and surfaces related Spotlight clips. The feature is launching first in the United States, Canada and New Zealand and will roll out in the coming weeks. Snapchat says it built Topic Chats because Spotlight revealed that many users want public spaces to comment and connect around trends — a departure from Snapchat’s longtime emphasis on private messaging. Key features Join from multiple places: Topic Chats can be accessed from Chat shortcuts, the Stories page,…
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Anker Black Friday deals: best power banks, wireless chargers, adapters and more

Top Anker Black Friday deals: power banks, wireless chargers, adapters and Soundcore audio Black Friday season has arrived early for Anker fans: many of the brand’s most reliable charging accessories and Soundcore audio products are already discounted. Anker consistently ranks highly in our accessory tests for build quality, charging performance and value — so these early deals are a good chance to stock up. Below we’ve grouped standout offers and buying tips by category to help you decide what to grab now versus waiting for deeper discounts. Best categories to watch Power banks: Anker’s laptop power banks and high‑capacity bricks are often our top picks for travel and power on the go. Look for 100W+ models if you want to charge laptops via USB‑C PD. Wireless chargers: From single‑device MagSafe‑compatible…
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re:AMP — a Winamp‑style classic music player for macOS

re:AMP brings a Winamp‑style music player experience to macOS re:AMP is a freeware music player for macOS that intentionally echoes the look and feel of classic MP3 players like Winamp. Built natively for Mac, it offers a clear layout with easy playlist management, direct playback controls and support for customizable skins — including the option to use original Winamp skins. The app emphasizes simplicity and nostalgia: lists are easy to scan, playback is controlled directly from the interface, and skins let users tweak the visual style to their liking. Because it’s designed specifically for macOS, re:AMP aims to combine retro charm with modern system integration and reliability. Key features Freeware — available to download without cost. Winamp‑inspired UI and support for classic skins. Simple playlist and playback controls for quick…
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Intuit integrates TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks & Mailchimp into ChatGPT

Intuit signs nine‑figure deal to integrate TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks and Mailchimp into ChatGPT Intuit has agreed to a nine‑figure partnership with OpenAI to integrate its consumer and business services — including TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks and Mailchimp — into ChatGPT. The deal (reported as a $100 million contract) will let users access Intuit features and get personalized finance guidance directly inside OpenAI’s chatbot. Customers will be able to research credit cards and mortgages, get spending‑tailored recommendations, estimate tax refunds by allowing the chatbot to access financial data, and even schedule appointments with AI‑assisted tax experts. Businesses can use ChatGPT to analyze performance, generate revenue‑growth suggestions, craft targeted campaigns and automate invoice reminders. What this integration includes Consumer tools: TurboTax & Credit Karma features inside ChatGPT for tailored tax and…
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Xbox Game Pass: Fortnite Crew added to Ultimate + new November/December arrivals

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate adds Fortnite Crew and drops new game arrivals for Nov–Dec Microsoft has added Fortnite Crew as a perk for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers at no extra cost. That includes access to the current Fortnite Battle Pass plus the OG pass, Lego pass, music pass and Rocket League's Rocket Pass premium — and it also grants 1,000 V‑Bucks to members each month. The perk follows an earlier change that raised Game Pass prices for some tiers; Fortnite Crew normally costs about $12/month on its own, so this is a meaningful value add for players already on Ultimate. Notable new Game Pass additions (Nov–Dec) Nov 19: Moonlighted 2: The Endless Vault (PC Game Pass preview — PC only) Nov 19: Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo (cloud,…
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Rebecca Heineman, Interplay co‑founder, dies at 62

Rebecca Heineman, Interplay co‑founder and pioneering game developer, dies at 62 Rebecca Heineman, a veteran programmer and co‑founder of Interplay Entertainment, has died at 62 after a recent diagnosis of adenocarcinoma. Friends and colleagues shared the news publicly, and her GoFundMe page detailed her illness and final updates. Heineman’s career spanned decades: she won the Atari 2600 Space Invaders championship in 1980, began programming professionally as a teenager, co‑founded Interplay (then Interplay Productions) in 1983, and later founded Contraband Entertainment. She contributed to titles such as The Bard's Tale III and led Mac OS ports of major games. Career highlights Atari 2600 Space Invaders champion (1980) and entry into professional programming as a teen. Co‑founder of Interplay in 1983, contributing to classic RPGs and early PC game development. Founder of…
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