Daily Tech, AI & Tools News
Stay ahead of the curve with cutting-edge updates on technology, AI, and the tools transforming the world. This section pulls in the latest trends, innovations, and news from trusted sources in the tech industry, including TechCrunch, The Verge, Wired And MIT Technology Review. Whether you’re a developer, entrepreneur, or tech enthusiast, you’ll always be informed on what’s next.
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TechCrunch
- Iran’s internet shutdown is now one of its longest ever, as protests continue
by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai on January 15, 2026 at 6:47 pmIran’s government-imposed internet shutdown enters its second week as authorities continue their violent crackdown on protesters.
- The US imposes 25% tariff on Nvidia’s H200 AI chips headed to Chinaby Rebecca Szkutak on January 15, 2026 at 4:56 pm
The Trump administration formalized its 25% cut of H200 chip sales in China with a tariff that applies to certain semiconductors.
- OpenAI invests in Sam Altman’s brain computer interface startup Merge Labsby Rebecca Bellan on January 15, 2026 at 4:31 pm
Merge Labs is a “research lab” dedicated to “bridging biological and artificial intelligence to maximize human ability.” OpenAI wrote the largest check in Merge Labs’ $250 million seed round at an $850 million valuation.
- Wikimedia Foundation announces new AI partnerships with Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Perplexity, and othersby Sarah Perez on January 15, 2026 at 3:19 pm
The AI partnerships allow companies to access the org’s content, like Wikipedia, at scale.
- US senators demand answers from X, Meta, Alphabet, and others on sexualized deepfakesby Ram Iyer, Rebecca Bellan on January 15, 2026 at 3:00 pm
In a letter to the leaders of X, Meta, Alphabet, Snap, Reddit, and TikTok, several U.S. senators are demanding the companies provide proof that they have “robust protections and policies” in place, and how they plan to curb the rise of sexualized deepfakes on their platforms.
The Verge
Wired
- OpenAI Invests in Sam Altman’s New Brain-Tech Startup Merge Labs
by Emily Mullin on January 15, 2026 at 6:24 pmMerge Labs has emerged from stealth with $252 million in funding from OpenAI and others. It aims to use ultrasound to read from and write to the brain.
- Minnesota Is Just the Beginning. California and New York Are ‘Next’
by Makena Kelly, Leah Feiger on January 15, 2026 at 6:22 pmThe Trump administration appears to be planning to leverage the same playbook used in Minnesota to go after other blue states.
- Hands On With Anthropic’s Claude Cowork, an AI Agent That Actually Works
by Reece Rogers on January 15, 2026 at 5:40 pmCowork is a user-friendly version of Anthropic’s Claude Code AI-powered tool that’s built for file management and basic computing tasks. Here’s what it’s like to use it.
- Best Packing Cubes for Every Kind of Trip (2026), Tested and Reviewed
by Kat Merck on January 15, 2026 at 3:00 pmWhether you’re a no-frills backpacker or a bag-checking fashionista, there’s a perfect packing cube out there for you.
- 11 Best Smartwatches (2026): Apple, Wear OS, Hybrid & Kids’ Watches
by Julian Chokkattu on January 15, 2026 at 1:30 pmThese WIRED-tested wearables reduce your reliance on a phone while keeping you connected.
MIT Technology Review
- Exclusive eBook: How AGI Became a Consequential Conspiracy Theoryby MIT Technology Review on January 15, 2026 at 5:16 pm
In this exclusive subscriber-only eBook, you’ll learn about how the idea that machines will be as smart as—or smarter than—humans has hijacked an entire industry. by Will Douglas Heaven October 30, 2025 Table of Contents: Related Stories: Access all subscriber-only eBooks:
- The Download: spying on the spies, and promising climate tech
by Charlotte Jee on January 15, 2026 at 1:10 pmThis is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Meet the man hunting the spies in your smartphone In April 2025, Ronald Deibert left all electronic devices at home in Toronto and boarded a plane. When he landed in Illinois, he bought…
- Three climate technologies breaking through in 2026by Casey Crownhart on January 15, 2026 at 11:00 am
Happy New Year! I know it’s a bit late to say, but it never quite feels like the year has started until the new edition of our 10 Breakthrough Technologies list comes out. For 25 years, MIT Technology Review has put together this package, which highlights the technologies that we think are going to matter…
- The Download: next-gen nuclear, and the data center backlash
by Charlotte Jee on January 14, 2026 at 1:10 pmThis is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. How next-generation nuclear reactors break out of the 20th-century blueprint The popularity of commercial nuclear reactors has surged in recent years as worries about climate change and energy independence drowned out concerns about…
- Data centers are amazing. Everyone hates them.by Mat Honan on January 14, 2026 at 11:17 am
Behold, the hyperscale data center! Massive structures, with thousands of specialized computer chips running in parallel to perform the complex calculations required by advanced AI models. A single facility can cover millions of square feet, built with millions of pounds of steel, aluminum, and concrete; feature hundreds of miles of wiring, connecting some hundreds of…