Technology
- How to learn Claude Code for free with Anthropic's AI courses – one took me just 20 minutes May 13, 2026With Anthropic's free course library, you can train online and learn about Claude, Claude Code, AI agents, and MCP.
- Sony just gave me a compelling reason to put my AirPods and Bose headphones away May 13, 2026I like headphones that understand exactly what I want them to do – that's why I consider Adaptive Sound Control to be one of Sony's best feats.
- Fedora Kinoite vs. Silverblue: My verdict after testing both immutable Linux distros May 13, 2026Fedora offers two different takes on an immutable option, each of which might be similar on the inside, but on the outside, they couldn't be more different.
- Buying a robot mower? You can safely ignore these specs (and which ones actually matter) May 13, 2026Robot mowers aren't one-size-fits-all devices – many have overhyped specs you don't even need. Here's what I recommend skipping.
- Chromebook vs. Googlebook: How I'm deciding which laptop to upgrade to next May 13, 2026Google is going all-in on its new product line while assuring users Chromebooks aren't being phased out.
- Elementary OS vs. Linux Mint: I compared my once favorite distro to the Windows alternative May 13, 2026If you're looking for a user-friendly Linux distribution, your destination could depend on your starting point. Here's how two of your best options compare.
- I switched to a Wi-Fi 7 mesh router at home, and the faster download speed is so worth it May 13, 2026The Tenda BE5100 mesh Wi-Fi system is an accessibly priced, high-speed, easy-to-use package that kills wireless dead spots.
- How I made my Windows 11 widgets truly useful: 8 simple tweaks to try before you hide them May 13, 2026The Widgets feature can be annoying but it's also able to provide useful news and info. Here's how I tweak it to be less intrusive and more helpful.
- I kept losing my Roku TV remotes – until I discovered 3 easy and cost-effective fixes May 12, 2026From simply asking to using the app to secret buttons, there are several ways to find a lost remote.
- Your Android phone is getting agentic powers with Gemini Intelligence – here's how and when May 12, 2026Gemini got a major agentic upgrade on Android, handling multi-step tasks across apps – and powering new features.
- Google will let you watch YouTube videos on Android Auto now – is your car supported? May 12, 2026Android Auto will officially support full HD videos, including watching YouTube. But there are a couple of limits.
- I'm a devoted iPhone user but Android 17 is tempting me with its new video and social features May 12, 2026Android 17 just made it easier to switch from an iPhone or exist alongside a group of iOS users with new features and capabilities.
- Android will hang up on banking scammers for you – how its new anti-spoofing feature works May 12, 2026Rolling out to Android devices in the coming weeks, a new security feature will automatically end a phone call from a spoofed bank number.
- First look at Googlebook: A premium Chromebook alternative for Android users May 12, 2026Googlebooks use an all-new OS that merges Android and ChromeOS with more premium hardware.
- How to get Amazon Prime for 50% off: The two ways to qualify in 2026 May 12, 2026There are a couple of lesser-known ways to get Amazon Prime for less right now. We break down the details.
- Your iPhone RCS chats with Android are encrypted in iOS 26.5: How to verify E2E is enabled May 12, 2026With the latest 26.5 updates, RCS messages are also encrypted with the iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and even the Vision Pro.
- I've tested dozens of power stations – here's how I'm preparing for summer blackouts May 12, 2026Summer blackouts are on the horizon, but don't wait for your lights to go out. Prep a backup plan ASAP. Here's how I'm doing it.
- Why business architects are poised to lead the corporate AI revolution May 12, 2026Business architects and other like-minded roles elevate human skills by developing deep domain knowledge.
- Best Buy is selling this 4TB WD Black SSD for 65% off right now – and I'm seriously tempted May 12, 2026The cost of SSDs, RAM, and other PC components has skyrocketed, but Best Buy is offering an impressive 65% discount on the 4TB WD Black SN850X.
- Windows 11's new Low Latency Profile may give your PC the speed boost it deserves May 12, 2026Currently in early testing mode, Low Latency Profile is expected to boost the speed of Windows 11 apps, menus, flyouts, and more.
Technology
- Poland says it plans to proceed with a digital services tax of up to 3% on large digital platforms, despite threats of retaliation like tariffs from the US (Agnieszka Barteczko/Bloomberg) May 13, 2026Agnieszka Barteczko / Bloomberg: Poland says it plans to proceed with a digital services tax of up to 3% on large digital platforms, despite threats of retaliation like tariffs from the US — Poland will continue working on legislation to tax digital platforms, Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski said, despite threats …
- Trump Mobile CEO Pat O'Brien says T1 Phone pre-orders will begin shipping to customers this week, and the device is assembled in the US, after months of delays (Michelle Del Rey/USA Today) May 13, 2026Michelle Del Rey / USA Today: Trump Mobile CEO Pat O'Brien says T1 Phone pre-orders will begin shipping to customers this week, and the device is assembled in the US, after months of delays — Trump Mobile phones are being shipped this week, the company exclusively confirmed to USA TODAY in an email May 11.
- Ofcom fines an unnamed suicide forum £950K, the largest OSA fine so far, for hosting illegal content accessible in the UK; the forum is linked to 130+ deaths (Sam Tabahriti/Reuters) May 13, 2026Sam Tabahriti / Reuters: Ofcom fines an unnamed suicide forum £950K, the largest OSA fine so far, for hosting illegal content accessible in the UK; the forum is linked to 130+ deaths — Britain's communications regulator has fined the provider of an online suicide forum 950,000 pounds ($1.28 million) …
- Analysis: a16z is the largest known donor in the current US midterm election cycle, spending $115M+ so far on pro-crypto, pro-AI, or Republican Super PACs (New York Times) May 13, 2026New York Times: Analysis: a16z is the largest known donor in the current US midterm election cycle, spending $115M+ so far on pro-crypto, pro-AI, or Republican Super PACs — The biggest donor in the midterm elections is not Elon Musk, or George Soros, or any of the other billionaires who are often thought to wield […]
- Analysts: China's AI hardware suppliers face capacity constraints and component shortages, including optical and electronic chips, that may limit 2026 growth (Bloomberg) May 13, 2026Bloomberg: Analysts: China's AI hardware suppliers face capacity constraints and component shortages, including optical and electronic chips, that may limit 2026 growth — China's artificial intelligence hardware suppliers have a problem: keeping up with insatiable demand for their products.
- Google says Chromebooks will get support through their "existing date commitment", and "many" models are "eligible to transition" to the Googlebook experience (Ben Schoon/9to5Google) May 13, 2026Ben Schoon / 9to5Google: Google says Chromebooks will get support through their “existing date commitment”, and “many” models are “eligible to transition” to the Googlebook experience — During The Android Show earlier today, Google revealed its “Googlebook” …
- How eBay CEO Jamie Iannone transformed the company, refocusing on power buyers in categories with especially high resale demand like trading cards and sneakers (Kim Bhasin/New York Times) May 13, 2026Kim Bhasin / New York Times: How eBay CEO Jamie Iannone transformed the company, refocusing on power buyers in categories with especially high resale demand like trading cards and sneakers — The online marketplace has remade itself by focusing on collectibles and other high-end goods — and attracted an unwelcome takeover bid from GameStop.
- Alibaba reports Q4 revenue up 3% YoY to ~$35.8B, below ~$36.3B est., and net income up ~100% to ~$3.7B, in part due to investments, as it seeks to monetize AI (Luz Ding/Bloomberg) May 13, 2026Luz Ding / Bloomberg: Alibaba reports Q4 revenue up 3% YoY to ~$35.8B, below ~$36.3B est., and net income up ~100% to ~$3.7B, in part due to investments, as it seeks to monetize AI — Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. posted its first operating loss since the depths of the Covid pandemic, underscoring the extent …
- The Lucy Faithfull Foundation's Project Intercept, a partnership with Google, TikTok, and Meta, sent 70M+ warning messages to users seeking CSAM in two years (Shiona McCallum/BBC) May 13, 2026Shiona McCallum / BBC: The Lucy Faithfull Foundation's Project Intercept, a partnership with Google, TikTok, and Meta, sent 70M+ warning messages to users seeking CSAM in two years — More than 70 million warning messages have been sent to people attempting to access child sexual abuse material (CSAM) …
- Tencent reports Q1 revenue up 9% YoY to ~$28.9B, below ~$29.4B est., and net income of ~$8.5B, meeting est., amid a costly AI pivot; its stock is down 23% YTD (Bloomberg) May 13, 2026Bloomberg: Tencent reports Q1 revenue up 9% YoY to ~$28.9B, below ~$29.4B est., and net income of ~$8.5B, meeting est., amid a costly AI pivot; its stock is down 23% YTD — Tencent Holdings Ltd. reported its slowest revenue growth in six quarters, underscoring the urgency around its costly AI pivot …
- SoftBank reports Q4 net income up 3x to ~$11.6B, above ~$1.5B est., driven by a $25B gain in its OpenAI stake; by October, its OpenAI investment will hit $64.6B (David Keohane/Financial Times) May 13, 2026David Keohane / Financial Times: SoftBank reports Q4 net income up 3x to ~$11.6B, above ~$1.5B est., driven by a $25B gain in its OpenAI stake; by October, its OpenAI investment will hit $64.6B — Japanese group books net income of $11.6bn in fourth quarter, vastly ahead of analyst expectations
- Richard Socher's Recursive Superintelligence raised $650M+ from GV, Greycroft, Nvidia, AMD, and others at a $4B valuation to pursue "recursive self-improvement" (Cade Metz/New York Times) May 13, 2026Cade Metz / New York Times: Richard Socher's Recursive Superintelligence raised $650M+ from GV, Greycroft, Nvidia, AMD, and others at a $4B valuation to pursue “recursive self-improvement” — Recursive Superintelligence, founded by former Google, Meta and OpenAI researchers, is part of a growing effort …
- Anduril raised a $5B Series H led by Thrive and a16z at a $61B valuation, up from $30.5B in June 2025, taking its total funding to $6.82B, and may IPO in 2027 (Sheera Frenkel/New York Times) May 13, 2026Sheera Frenkel / New York Times: Anduril raised a $5B Series H led by Thrive and a16z at a $61B valuation, up from $30.5B in June 2025, taking its total funding to $6.82B, and may IPO in 2027 — The start-up, which makes A.I.-backed weapons, was valued at $61 billion in the financing round, double […]
- Q&A with Amazon SVP of Devices and Alexa Panos Panay on Alexa+, the company's focus on devices for the home, its Leo satellite broadband business, and more (Rafe Rosner-Uddin/Financial Times) May 13, 2026Rafe Rosner-Uddin / Financial Times: Q&A with Amazon SVP of Devices and Alexa Panos Panay on Alexa+, the company's focus on devices for the home, its Leo satellite broadband business, and more — Executive tasked with driving ‘beauty’ and profitability at group's device unit on hardware push that follows Alexa+
- How the Strait of Hormuz blockade is disrupting global chip supply chains, affecting supplies of helium, bromine, sulfur, and thinners essential to chipmaking (Bloomberg) May 13, 2026Bloomberg: How the Strait of Hormuz blockade is disrupting global chip supply chains, affecting supplies of helium, bromine, sulfur, and thinners essential to chipmaking — Asian chipmakers, including giants Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and Samsung Electronics Co., are facing disruptions …
