N e w s C e n t r a l
OpenAI and Softbank are starting a $500 billion AI data center company
<figure> <img alt="Donald Trump standing off to the side while OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks behind a lectern at the White House." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/avxUA3-DGj_6mzMAZxiUQO8jcYo=/14x0:1601x1058/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73859905/videoframe_1799876.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Image: The White House (<a class="ql-link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5gMiDnYEds" target="_blank">YouTube</a>)</figcaption> </figure> <p id="Tb2t6O">A plan to build a system of data centers for artificial intelligence has been revealed in a White House press conference, with Masayoshi Son, Sam Altman, and Larry Ellison joining Donald Trump to announce The Stargate Project. Their companies, Softbank, OpenAI, and Oracle (respectively), along with MGX are listed as “initial equity funders” for $500 billion in investments over the next four years, “building new AI infrastructure for OpenAI in the United States.”</p> <p id="RtEj7i">According to <a href="https://openai.com/index/announcing-the-stargate-project/">a statement from OpenAI</a>, “Arm, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Oracle, and OpenAI” are the initial tech partners, with a buildout “currently underway” starting in Texas as other sites across the country are evaluated. It also says that “Oracle, NVIDIA, and OpenAI will closely collaborate to build and operate this computing system.”</p> <p id="28G7RI">Separately, <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2025/01/21/microsoft-and-openai-evolve-partnership-to-drive-the-next-phase-of-ai/">Microsoft announced an update</a> to its <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/24/24278363/microsoft-openai-next-model-orion-notepad">partnership with OpenAI</a>, saying that the key elements of their deal remain in place through 2030, covering “our access to OpenAI’s IP, our revenue sharing arrangements and our exclusivity on OpenAI’s APIs all continuing forward.” </p> <p id="Q42nrt">What is changing is that Microsoft says OpenAI has made a “new, large Azure commitment that will continue to support all OpenAI products as well as training.” However, their exclusive arrangement for new capacity is changing so that now <a href="https://www.theverge.com/e/24113047">Microsoft has a right of first refusal over OpenAI building new capacity</a>.</p> <p id="Ss0mNf">In a press conference announcing the project, which has been <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/22/24137391/microsoft-hires-meta-ai-supercomputing-jason-taylor">rumored</a> <a href="https://www.theinformation.com/articles/microsoft-and-openai-plot-100-billion-stargate-ai-supercomputer">since early last year</a>, Son and Altman spoke directly to Trump, insisting that the project only happened because of his election victory. </p> <div id="m8MRmp"><div style="width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"></div></div> <p id="CKI1do"></p>
Source: www.theverge.com
Reception: Positive
Meta’s next smart glasses may be with Oakley
<figure> <img alt="Washington Nationals v Miami Marlins" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ye7uhCHLcXd3_HohN7K6sD8LYHs=/4x0:4636x3088/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73859901/1208819003.0.jpg" /> <figcaption><em>Oakleys are considered stylish and popular with athletes — which is probably why Meta’s keen to partner.</em> | Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images</figcaption> </figure> <p id="PUH1ia">Meta may be releasing new Oakley-branded smart glasses later this year, according to a new <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-01-21/meta-hardware-plans-oakley-and-ar-like-glasses-apple-watch-and-airpods-rivals"><em>Bloomberg</em></a> report. </p> <p id="FPWp5B">The Oakley-branded glasses, internally referred to as “Supernova 2”, would be based on the brand’s <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1514734&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakley.com%2Fen-us%2Fproduct%2FW0OO9403&referrer=theverge.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theverge.com%2F2025%2F1%2F21%2F24348949%2Fmetas-next-smart-glasses-may-be-with-oakley" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Sphaera</a> glasses. Instead of housing the cameras on the side, the Supernova 2 would shift the camera to the center of the frame. The idea is to appeal to cyclists and other outdoor athletes. The report didn’t detail any other potential features, though the Oakley glasses would ostensibly have similar features to the current <a href="https://www.theverge.com/23922425/ray-ban-meta-smart-glasses-review">Ray-Ban Meta glasses</a>. </p> <div class="c-float-left c-float-hang"><aside id="G69z00"><div></div></aside></div> <p id="fUVV4M">Oakley, like Ray-Bans, are a subsidiary of eyewear giant EssilorLuxottica. The move to expand Meta’s tech to other brands under EssilorLuxottica’s umbrella is a savvy one. While the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are good for discreet, everyday wear, they’re a bit heavy for endurance sports and lack certain features like polarized lenses for better visibility. Oakleys are also considered stylish and popular among professional athletes. Conceptually, they’re similar to the now discontinued <a href="https://www.theverge.com/22351451/bose-frames-tempo-audio-sunglasses-review-features">Bose Frames Tempo</a>, which allowed athletes to have open-ear audio with polarized lenses in a relatively light form factor. That said, if the goal is to appeal to athletes, Meta and Oakley will likely have to address factors like weight, sweat resistance, and battery life. </p> <p id="KqCoNM">The report also notes that Meta plans on launching a higher-end version of its current Ray-Ban glasses that include a display capable of delivering notifications, running simple apps, and previewing photos.</p>
Source: www.theverge.com
Reception: Positive
Sonic 4 comes to theaters in March 2027
<figure> <img alt="Screenshot from Sonic The Hedgehog 3 featuring a closeup of Shadow the Hedgehog." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/dlLjwNU1EdnNL93gn4OkXeJRYD0=/317x0:1391x716/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73859865/Screenshot_2024_08_27_at_9.05.57_AM.0.png" /> <figcaption>Image: Paramount</figcaption> </figure> <p id="xlByB1">The fourth <em>Sonic</em> movie now has an official release date: March 19th, 2027, <a href="https://variety.com/2025/film/news/sonic-4-release-date-march-2027-1236280697/">according to <em>Variety</em></a>. Right around the release of the very successful <a href="https://www.theverge.com/24228966/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-trailer-keanu-reeves"><em>Sonic the Hedgehog 3</em></a><em> </em>last December, news hit that <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/19/24325163/sonic-4-confirmed-paramount-pictures-sonic-the-hedgehog"><em>Sonic the Hedgehog 4</em> was in the works</a>, but at the time, the movie only had a spring 2027 release window.</p> <p id="sg67AL"><em>Sonic</em> films have drawn all-star cast members over the years, such as Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik, who has played the role in all three of the movies, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/10/22618880/idris-elba-knuckles-voice-actor-sonic-the-hedgehog-2">Idris Elba as Knuckles</a>, and <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/15/24131385/keanu-reeves-shadow-the-hedgehog-sonic-3">Keanu Reeves as Shadow</a>. And a post-credits scene for the third movie hints that <a href="https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/family-movies/sonic-3-post-credits-scenes-explained/">other fan favorites could join the series</a> (spoilers in that link!), so there might be big casting announcements ahead for the fourth <em>Sonic</em> film.</p> <p id="6yJ6t2">The March 2027 date for <em>Sonic The Hedgehog 4</em> means it will launch well after <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/10/24096213/super-mario-bros-movie-2-sequel-2026"><em>The</em> <em>Super Mario Bros. Movie</em> sequel</a>, which is set to debut on April 3rd, 2026.</p>
Source: www.theverge.com
Reception: Positive
Netflix is raising prices again, as the standard plan goes up to $17.99
<figure> <img alt="Netflix’s logo on a black and yellow background" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/b2YTypxKXAXmWOmryje30NFXxes=/0x0:2040x1360/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73859750/acastro_STK072_05.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge</figcaption> </figure> <p id="R7PHAC">Netflix is raising prices yet again. In its <a href="https://ir.netflix.net/files/doc_financials/2024/q4/FINAL-Q4-24-Shareholder-Letter.pdf">latest earnings report</a> released Tuesday, the streaming service announced that “we are adjusting prices today across most plans” in the US, Canada, Portugal, and Argentina.</p> <p id="rNubG0">Netflix spokesperson MoMo Zhou tells <em>The Verge</em> that the ad-supported tier is increasing from $6.99 to $7.99 per month, while the standard ad-free tier will go from $15.49 to $17.99 per month. Its highest-priced premium tier is also increasing from $22.99 to $24.99 per month. The price hikes will go into effect during subscribers’ next billing cycle, according to Zhou.</p> <div class="c-wide-block"><div id="ZKs0A1">
Source: www.theverge.com
Reception: Positive
Sales knowledge automation platform 1up gets a third of its customer leads from memes
<p>When George Avetisov was the founder and CEO of cybersecurity startup HYPR, he spent a lot of time in the trenches with the company’s sales team. He quickly realized that regardless of how good his sales team was, they were consistently pulling in other departments to answer customer questions or fill out technical questionnaires. “They […]</p> <p>© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.</p>
Source: techcrunch.com
Reception: Positive
Doti gives enterprises a flexible AI-powered search experience to unlock their data silos
<p>As enterprises look at how they can best leverage AI to increase their employees’ productivity, search is an obvious use case. In most companies, after all, data lives in multiple disconnected silos and the combination of large language models, retrieval augmented generation (RAG) and enterprise-grade integration services now makes it easier than ever to not […]</p> <p>© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.</p>
Source: techcrunch.com
Reception: Positive
Lindus Health raises $55M to ‘fix the broken clinical trial industry’
<p>A four-year-old London startup backed by Peter Thiel has raised a $55 million Series B round as it sets about “fixing the broken clinical trial industry.” The announcement comes as artificial intelligence is shaping up to revolutionize drug discovery and development, in turn spurring demand for a streamlined clinical trial process to help get new […]</p> <p>© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.</p>
Source: techcrunch.com
Reception: Negative
Google hit with $12.6M fine in Indonesia for monopolistic practices in payment system
<p>Indonesia’s antitrust agency KPPU fined Google 202.5 billion Rupiahs, equivalent to $12.6 million, on Wednesday for antitrust violation related to its payment system services for the Google Play Store. The KPPU ordered the search giant to cease the mandatory use of Google Play Billing in the Google Play Store. It also asked Google to let […]</p> <p>© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.</p>
Source: techcrunch.com
Reception: Neutral
Hindustan Unilever to acquire Peak XV-backed Minimalist for over $340M
<p>Hindustan Unilever has agreed to acquire beauty startup Minimalist for about $342 million, as the consumer goods giant seeks to expand in India’s fast-growing premium skincare market. Hindustan Unilever will initially acquire a 90.5% stake in the direct-to-consumer brand through secondary buyouts and primary investment, with the remaining 9.5% to be purchased from founders in […]</p> <p>© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.</p>
Source: techcrunch.com
Reception: Positive
UK appoints ex-Amazon executive Doug Gurr as interim chair of antitrust body
<p>The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has a new interim chairman: former Amazon executive Doug Gurr (pictured above). The announcement comes as the U.K. seeks to position itself as a pro-growth, pro-tech nation by cutting red-tape and bureaucracy, with artificial intelligence (AI) taking center stage. The country is also nearing the end of a […]</p> <p>© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.</p>
Source: techcrunch.com
Reception: Negative