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Bluesky Rolls Out Age Verification For Users In Ohio Bluesky rolls out age verification for users in Ohio this week, marking its latest step to comply with state-specific online safety laws. The decentralized social network, often compared to X and Threads, confirmed the rollout via its Bluesky Safety account and an update to last month’s blog post. Image Credits:NurPhoto / Contributor / Getty Images The move comes as Ohio joins other states like South Dakota and Wyoming in enforcing stricter online safety regulations. Starting September 29, users in Ohio must verify their age before accessing certain types of adult content on the platform. Why Bluesky Is Adding Age Verification In Ohio The decision is directly tied to Ohio’s new law aimed at protecting children from harmful online content, including pornography. To comply, Bluesky will require Ohio-based users to submit proof of age through Kids Web Services (KWS) , the company’s chosen verification partner. KWS provides multiple...

Trump’s Energy Department Forbids Staff From Saying ‘Climate Change’ Or ‘Green’ Trump’s Energy Department forbids staff from saying ‘climate change’ or ‘green,’ marking one of the most controversial language restrictions yet. A memo sent to the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) instructed employees to avoid specific words tied to renewable energy and environmental policy. Image Credits:HUM Images/ Getty Images According to Politico , the list was circulated by EERE special advisor Rachael Overbey. In her email, she wrote, “Please ensure that every member of your team is aware that this is the latest list of words to avoid.” The move has already sparked debate among energy experts and environmental advocates. The Words Banned By Trump’s Energy Department The prohibited terms include climate change, green, decarbonization, energy transition, sustainability, sustainable, subsidies, tax breaks, tax credits, carbon footprint, and even emissions. Critics argue tha...

Apple has officially rolled out its first major updates since the September launch of watchOS 26, visionOS 26, and tvOS 26. With Apple Releases watchOS 26.0.2, visionOS 26.0.1 and tvOS 26.0.1 , users are getting important stability and performance fixes across Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, Apple TV, and even HomePod. Image : Google What’s New In watchOS 26.0.2 The Apple Watch update arrives as watchOS 26.0.2. Apple skipped version 26.0.1 globally because that build was released exclusively in Mexico to add Messages and Find My support for the new Apple Watch Ultra 3. Now, with watchOS 26.0.2, users worldwide can expect bug fixes, smoother performance, and improvements designed to enhance everyday use. visionOS 26.0.1 For Apple Vision Pro Apple’s Vision Pro headset is also getting its first patch with visionOS 26.0.1. This update focuses on addressing early launch bugs and refining the immersive mixed-reality experience. Users should notice more stability when running apps, faster...

The UK government bails out Jaguar Land Rover with £1.5B loan after hack disrupts vehicle production for weeks , marking one of the biggest state-backed rescues of a British automaker in recent history. The bailout comes after JLR was forced to shut down its factories when hackers breached its systems, halting vehicle production and threatening its entire supply chain. Image Credits:Ben Stansall/AFP / Getty Images Why The UK Stepped In The government confirmed it will guarantee a commercial bank loan worth £1.5 billion ($2 billion) to stabilize Jaguar Land Rover. Officials said the loan will “bolster JLR’s cash reserves” and protect its suppliers, many of which are small businesses that rely heavily on the automaker. The loan will be repaid over five years, but its immediate purpose is to safeguard roughly 120,000 jobs tied to JLR’s operations and supply chain. First-Ever Bailout After A Cyberattack According to BBC News, this is believed to be the first time the UK government has...

Former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer will close her old AI startup, sell assets to her new AI startup Dazzle, signaling a major shift in her entrepreneurial journey. The move, first reported by Wired , comes after Mayer’s consumer software startup Sunshine struggled to gain traction. Image Credits:Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group / Getty Images From Sunshine To Dazzle: A Strategic Pivot Launched in 2018, Sunshine began with a subscription app called Sunshine Contacts , aimed at rethinking contact management. But concerns over privacy and low adoption kept it from scaling. Even after adding features like event management and AI-powered photo sharing in 2024, downloads barely crossed 1,000 on the Google Play Store. Now, Mayer is sunsetting Sunshine and transferring its assets to Dazzle, her new AI-driven company focused on personal assistants. This pivot suggests Mayer sees bigger potential in the rapidly growing AI productivity space. Investors And Employees On Board Almost all of Suns...

Snapchat caps free Memory storage at 5GB and launches paid storage plans, marking a major shift for the platform’s popular digital archive. For nearly a decade, Memories served as a free time capsule for Snaps, but now users with large libraries will need to pay if they want extra space. Image Credits:KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP / Getty Images Snapchat’s New Storage Limits Snapchat announced that free Memories storage will now be capped at 5GB. If users exceed this limit, they’ll need to subscribe to a paid plan. The move comes as Snapchat looks to manage infrastructure costs while offering more storage options for power users. How The Paid Storage Plans Work The company shared details of its new tiers: Introductory Plan : $1.99/month for up to 100GB Snapchat+ : $3.99/month with 250GB included Snapchat Platinum : $15.99/month for a massive 5TB These plans are designed to give users flexibility depending on how much they save. Why Snapchat Is Making The Change When Snapchat...

Anthropic launches Claude Sonnet 4.5, its best AI model for coding, pushing the boundaries of what AI can do in software development. The new model is designed to deliver production-ready applications rather than just prototypes, marking a major step forward in reliability and scalability for developers. Image Credits:Anthropic The Claude Sonnet 4.5 model is now available through the Claude API and chatbot. Pricing remains consistent with Claude Sonnet 4: $3 per million input tokens and $15 per million output tokens , keeping access affordable for both individual developers and enterprise teams. Why Claude Sonnet 4.5 Matters For Developers Over the past year, Anthropic’s Claude models have become a favorite among software engineers, enterprises, and AI-first startups . Companies like Apple and Meta reportedly use Claude internally, while platforms such as Cursor, Windsurf, and Replit rely on its API for AI-powered coding applications . Competition in the AI coding space has heate...

Despite millions spent on financial software, most finance teams still depend on Excel for closing books, reconciling numbers, and preparing audits. Now, two former Microsoft executives want to change that. They’ve launched Maximor , a startup built to replace Excel with AI-driven finance agents that automate tedious, error-prone workflows. Image Credits:Maximor Why Finance Still Relies On Excel Excel spreadsheets remain deeply entrenched in finance departments. Even with powerful ERP, CRM, and billing systems, mid-sized companies and enterprises often fall back on spreadsheets. Teams manually export transactions, reconcile entries, and rely on functions like VLOOKUP to align numbers across multiple files. This reliance slows operations and increases the risk of errors. The Launch Of Maximor With the mission to transform finance, former Microsoft execs launch AI agents to end Excel-led finance through Maximor. The startup just came out of stealth with a $9 million seed round led b...

Honda And Astrobotic Team Up To Keep The Lights On Through The Long Lunar Night Honda and Astrobotic team up to keep the lights on through the long lunar night, marking a major step toward sustainable lunar exploration. The two companies are joining forces to test how Honda’s regenerative fuel cell (RFC) system could integrate with Astrobotic’s LunaGrid to provide power during the harsh two-week lunar night. Image : Google This collaboration could help future astronauts and robotic missions survive extreme cold when solar panels can’t generate energy. It’s a crucial challenge NASA and its partners must solve before establishing a permanent presence on the Moon. Why Honda’s Fuel Cell Could Change Lunar Exploration The Moon’s south pole experiences nights lasting up to 14 Earth days, with temperatures plunging to -424°F. Standard solar panels remain idle, making survival nearly impossible without backup power. Honda’s regenerative fuel cell addresses this by storing solar energy as ...

OpenAI Rolls Out Safety Routing System, Parental Controls On ChatGPT OpenAI rolls out safety routing system, parental controls on ChatGPT in a major update aimed at making the AI safer for both adults and teens. The move comes after growing concerns about AI-induced harm, lawsuits, and pressure from parents demanding stronger safeguards for younger users. Image Credits:Silas Stein/picture alliance / Getty Images Why OpenAI Is Introducing A Safety Routing System The new safety routing system automatically detects sensitive conversations and redirects them to GPT-5, which OpenAI says is better equipped to handle high-stakes interactions. Unlike older models that leaned toward being overly agreeable, GPT-5 uses a feature called safe completions to provide supportive, responsible answers rather than simply refusing questions. This update is a response to incidents where ChatGPT allegedly validated harmful delusions instead of intervening, one of which has led to a wrongful death laws...

Instagram is testing a Reels-first UI in India and South Korea, signaling how serious Meta is about short-form video dominance. The redesign prioritizes Reels at the center of the app experience, making it the first thing users see when opening Instagram. Image Credits:Instagram This shift isn’t random. India and South Korea are among Instagram’s fastest-growing markets for Reels, and the company wants to see how users respond before rolling out the update globally. What The New Reels-First UI Looks Like The redesigned interface puts Stories at the top , as usual, but with key navigation changes. The DM button now sits at the center of the navigation bar, while the Reels tab takes the second spot . Users can swipe between tabs seamlessly. Another big update is the Following tab , now placed next to Reels. It gives users three feed options: All → Recommended posts and Reels from accounts you follow Friends → Posts and Reels from mutuals Latest → The most recent posts and...

Brave Updates Its AI-Powered Search With A Detailed Answers Feature Brave updates its AI-powered search with a detailed answers feature, making it easier for users to get in-depth, context-rich information. The new option, called Ask Brave , goes beyond quick summaries by providing detailed responses, follow-ups, and a chat-like experience. Image Credits:Brave This update builds on Brave’s growing position as a Google Search alternative. With more than 15 million AI-generated answers delivered daily, Brave is doubling down on giving users more choice in how they consume information. How The New Detailed Answers Feature Works You don’t need a special mode to access Ask Brave . The search engine automatically detects your query and delivers either a summarized AI Answer or a more comprehensive detailed answer. To start, you can: Click the “Ask” button next to the search bar. Tap the “Ask” tab on the results page. Or, if Brave is your default search engine, simply add “??” a...

These iOS 26 Apps Are Using Apple Intelligence To Power New Features Apple has officially rolled out iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26 , and one of the biggest highlights is how developers are now integrating Apple Intelligence into their apps. These iOS 26 apps are using Apple Intelligence to power new features that feel more personal, smarter, and seamlessly integrated into daily life. Image : Google At the heart of this update is the new Foundation Models framework , which allows apps to tap directly into Apple’s on-device large language model. The result? Smarter fitness routines, more intuitive journaling, AI-driven task management, and personalized coaching in apps you may already use. Fitness: SmartGym Levels Up Your Workouts SmartGym now takes workouts to the next level by letting users describe a routine in plain language. Apple Intelligence then turns it into a structured plan with sets, reps, rest times, and even equipment adjustments. It also provides insightful summarie...

X says it will fight Indian court ruling on content takedown system after the Karnataka High Court upheld the government’s Sahyog portal. The company argues the system is unconstitutional, overly secretive, and a direct threat to free expression online. Image : Google What The Court Ruled The Karnataka High Court dismissed X’s petition last week, backing the government-run Sahyog system. According to the court, X — as a foreign company — cannot claim freedom of speech rights under India’s constitution. This was a blow to the platform, which had argued the system allows police to issue arbitrary takedown orders without judicial review. What Is The Sahyog Portal? Launched in late 2024, Sahyog — meaning “assistance” in Hindi — is India’s automated content takedown platform. It allows government agencies to directly order platforms to remove content flagged as unlawful. Google, Meta, and ShareChat have already joined the system, but X has stood firm in refusing compliance. Why X Is ...

Making democracy work has never been easy, and many argue technology has only deepened divisions. But ComplexChaos thinks AI can help people find common ground , turning artificial intelligence into a tool for cooperation instead of conflict. Image Credits:alengo / Getty Images The startup, co-founded by Tomy Lorsch and Maya Ben Dror, believes AI can act as a facilitator to help groups understand each other better and reach consensus faster. Instead of replacing human dialogue, the tool is designed to guide conversations, summarize complex information, and reduce friction in negotiations. From "Explain Like I’m 5" To AI As A Mediator Lorsch said his inspiration came from noticing how often people ask AI to simplify complex ideas. “What if we use it as a facilitator to help people understand each other and find common ground?” he told TechCrunch. While tools like Slack or Google Docs are built for collaboration, ComplexChaos focuses on cooperation —a process that tradition...

If you’ve updated to iOS 26: Send Photos Faster With This Hidden Toggle , you may not know about a small but powerful feature inside the Messages app. Apple quietly added a setting that lets you send lightweight photo previews instantly, while the full-resolution image loads in the background. Image : Google This hidden toggle makes sharing photos faster and more data-friendly. Whether you’re on slow cellular, using a metered connection, or just want images to send instantly, this iOS 26 trick could be a game-changer. How The iOS 26 Photo Toggle Works When enabled, Messages will first send a compressed preview of your photo. This preview arrives almost instantly, so your recipient sees the image right away. Then, the full-quality version loads afterward. If you’re traveling or worried about data use, the toggle ensures only the low-quality preview is delivered—saving bandwidth while still keeping conversations flowing smoothly. How To Enable The Hidden Toggle Turning on this feat...

Manny Medina, the well-known founder of sales automation giant Outreach, is back with another bold bet in AI. His new venture, Paid, the AI agent ‘results-based billing’ startup from Manny Medina, raises huge $21M seed , capturing the attention of top investors eager to back a fresh approach to the AI economy. Image Credits:Paid Paid just closed an oversubscribed $21.6 million seed round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. This follows a €10 million pre-seed raised in March, bringing Paid’s total funding to $33.3 million —a massive feat before even hitting Series A. Sources familiar with the deal put the company’s valuation at over $100 million . What Makes Paid Different? While most AI startups focus on building agents, Paid takes a different route . Instead of creating the agents themselves, it powers the business model behind them. Paid helps AI developers charge customers based on the real-world value their agents deliver , a concept known as results-based billing . Medina exp...

The Startup Behind Open Source Tool Polars Raises $21M From Accel Polars, the Amsterdam-based startup, has made headlines as the startup behind open source tool Polars raises $21M from Accel . The Series A funding, led by Accel with participation from Bain Capital Partners and angel investors, marks a big step for the company as it pushes deeper into the data infrastructure market. Image Credits:Polars What began as a side project during the COVID lockdown is now one of the fastest-growing data science tools. Founder Ritchie Vink, frustrated with the performance limits of Pandas, built Polars in Rust to deliver blazing-fast query capabilities. Just five years later, Polars has become a favorite among developers and enterprises managing massive datasets. From Pet Project To Global Data Tool Vink never set out to build a VC-backed company. Polars was simply his solution to Pandas’ limitations. But the tool’s speed and efficiency quickly gained traction in the open-source community. ...

New MacBook Pro Nears Mass Production, But Four Bigger Upgrades Expected Next Year Apple fans may not have to wait long for fresh MacBook Pro models. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the new MacBook Pro nears mass production, but four bigger upgrades are expected next year , signaling a split launch strategy between late 2025 and early 2026. Image : Google MacBook Pro Timeline: What To Expect Apple typically refreshes its Mac lineup in October, but this year could be different. Gurman reports that the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models could arrive between late 2025 and the first quarter of 2026. If accurate, customers might be able to order them by March. This release schedule isn’t unprecedented. Apple launched the MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips in January 2023, showing that early-year debuts are possible. What’s Inside The Upcoming MacBook Pro The first wave of new MacBook Pro models is expected to ship with Apple’s latest M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max chips . ...

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days kicks off next week, but you don’t have to wait to save big. Amazon is already rolling out early discounts on Apple accessories and other popular tech gear. Prime members can grab these limited-time deals before the main event begins on Tuesday, October 7, and runs through Wednesday, October 8, 2025 . Image : Google What To Expect From Amazon Prime Big Deal Days 2025 Like Prime Day, this October savings event is exclusive to Prime members. The sale will officially start at 12:01 a.m. PT on October 7 , with fresh discounts dropping throughout the two-day event. From Apple chargers to iPhone cases and iPad accessories, expect steep price cuts on fan favorites. But the best part? Some of the hottest Apple and Anker accessories are already available at record-low prices. Early Apple Accessory Deals You Can Shop Now If you don’t want to wait, Amazon has kicked off a wave of early savings. Apple’s best-selling accessories are marked down, including the MagSafe...

Wiz chief technologist Ami Luttwak on how AI is transforming cyberattacks Lead: Wiz chief technologist Ami Luttwak on how AI is transforming cyberattacks — that’s the warning and explanation security teams need as organizations rush to adopt AI-driven development and automation. Luttwak, speaking with TechCrunch on Equity , explains how AI speeds delivery but also widens attackers’ opportunities. Image Credits:Jaque Silva/SOPA Images/LightRocket / Getty Images Why Wiz Chief Technologist Ami Luttwak On How AI Is Transforming Cyberattacks Matters Ami Luttwak, chief technologist at Wiz, points out that cybersecurity is a “mind game” — and the arrival of AI gives both defenders and attackers new moves. As teams use vibe coding, AI agents, and prompt-based tools, mistakes in implementation can create simple but dangerous openings. Quick context: Wiz was acquired by Google earlier in 2025 in a high-profile deal, and Luttwak’s role gives him front-row insight into how cloud and AI chang...

What’s Behind The Massive AI Data Center Headlines? Maxwell Zeff Silicon Valley has been buzzing with billion-dollar announcements, leaving many asking: What’s behind the massive AI data center headlines? Maxwell Zeff takes a closer look at the deals driving this frenzy. The short answer: tech giants are betting big on the infrastructure needed to power the future of AI. Image Credits:Justin Sullivan/ Getty Images Billions Flow Into AI Infrastructure This week alone, Nvidia pledged up to $100 billion toward OpenAI. Soon after, OpenAI revealed plans to expand with five new Stargate data centers in partnership with Oracle and SoftBank. To finance its part, Oracle issued $18 billion in bonds, signaling how critical these projects are. Individually, each announcement is staggering. Together, they highlight Silicon Valley’s race to supercharge OpenAI’s capabilities and deliver the next generation of ChatGPT. Beyond The Headlines: What’s Really Happening On this week’s Equity podcast...