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Showing articles 196 - 210 of 642 total (matching filters).

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  tech 5

  Florida Might Make Its Own Spy Squad. Muslims Think They Have a Pretty Good Idea Who’ll Be Targeted.

  (The Intercept / 2026-02-26 10:56)

  A bill advancing in Florida's legislature proposes creating a state-level counterintelligence unit within the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Its stated purpose is to detect and neutralize threats from foreign adversaries and terrorist actors, with the sponsor citing national security failures as justification.

  Critics, including some legislators, warn the bill's broad language could lead to civil liberties abuses by allowing investigations based on a person's views or opinions, drawing comparisons to historical programs like COINTELPRO. The bill's sponsor promises amendments to address these concerns, but skepticism remains.

  The legislation has progressed through several committees, attracting interest from the surveillance industry. The current text defines targets broadly and lacks specific protections for U.S. citizens from being investigated.

  Main Topics: Proposed Florida state intelligence unit, national security rationale, civil liberties and targeting concerns, legislative progress and criticism, industry interest.

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  tech 4

  Why Sierra the Supercomputer Had to Die

  (Backchannel Latest / 2026-02-26 11:00)

  The U.S. government decommissioned the Sierra supercomputer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in late 2024 after seven years of service. Once the world's second-fastest, it was built with a unique IBM-Nvidia architecture to run high-security nuclear simulations.

  The primary reasons for its retirement were its natural hardware lifespan, increasing failure rates, and technological obsolescence, as replacement parts and software support became unavailable. Its successor, the more powerful El Capitan supercomputer, ultimately made continuing to operate the costly Sierra system unnecessary.

  Main topics: Supercomputer decommissioning, technological lifecycle and obsolescence, high-performance computing infrastructure.

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  tech 6

  JD.com renews on-demand delivery fight with US$2.9 billion in grocery subsidies

  (Tech - South China Morning Post / 2026-02-26 12:30)

  JD.com is launching a 20 billion yuan (US$2.9 billion) subsidy program over three years to bolster its online supermarket and on-demand grocery business. The subsidies will target its "Billion-Yuan Supermarket" channel with the goal of generating an additional 200 billion yuan in sales for vendors.

  Analysts view this as a defensive strategy against rivals like Meituan, Pinduoduo, and Alibaba, who are encroaching on each other's core markets. The move signifies an intensifying battle for market share in China's competitive e-commerce and instant grocery delivery sectors.

  The main topics covered are JD.com's subsidy initiative, the competitive e-commerce landscape in China, and the strategic battle in the on-demand grocery market.

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  tech 5

  Facebook owner Meta presses ahead with Manus merger despite Beijing probe

  (Tech - South China Morning Post / 2026-02-26 13:30)

  Meta is proceeding with its integration of the acquired AI start-up Manus, moving some Singapore-based Manus employees into Meta offices and granting them system access. The operational merger includes embedding Manus's technology into Meta's Ads Manager platform to provide analytics to advertisers.

  This integration continues despite an ongoing investigation by China's Ministry of Commerce into the $2 billion deal, which was launched to review compliance with export control and technology regulations.

  The main topics covered are the corporate integration of Meta and Manus, the operational changes and talent transfers involved, and the regulatory scrutiny from Chinese authorities.

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  tech 5

  Baidu touts AI chips’ potential amid sluggish fourth quarter

  (Tech - South China Morning Post / 2026-02-26 14:00)

  Baidu's AI-related business revenue grew 48% year-on-year to over 11 billion yuan in Q4, serving as a bright spot. However, the company's overall quarterly revenue of 32.74 billion yuan still declined 4% annually due to weak advertising demand.

  CEO Robin Li highlighted the strong market recognition and performance of its proprietary Kunlunxin AI chips, noting broad enterprise adoption. These chips are praised for their stable, high-performance computing and compatibility across various AI models.

  The main topics covered are Baidu's quarterly financial performance, the growth of its AI business segment, and the promotion of its Kunlunxin AI chip technology.

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  tech 5

  OpenAI Announces Major Expansion of London Office

  (Business Latest / 2026-02-26 15:56)

  OpenAI plans to significantly expand its London office into its largest research hub outside the United States, aiming to hire top talent from UK universities. This move puts it in direct competition for researchers with Google DeepMind, which is also headquartered in London and has deep academic ties.

  The expansion is seen as a positive signal for the UK's AI ecosystem, potentially creating a "flywheel effect" where early-career hires eventually start new labs in the country. The London team will focus on core model development, with an emphasis on safety, reliability, and performance evaluation for technologies like GPT.

  The announcement is viewed by the UK government as a strong endorsement of the nation's AI research landscape, even as the country works to scale its data center and power infrastructure to meet the computational demands of AI firms.

  Main topics: OpenAI's international expansion, competition for AI research talent in the UK, and the development of the UK's AI industry and infrastructure.

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  tech 3

  Hong Kong ignites next wave of global innovation as Start-up Express 2026 opens for application

  (Tech - South China Morning Post / 2026-02-26 16:00)

  The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) has opened applications for its Start-up Express 2026 programme, a development scheme for early-stage tech companies with international ambitions. The programme selects ten winners annually, providing them with training, mentoring, and investor matching to help them expand globally.

  Applicant companies must have been incorporated after January 1, 2019, and have raised less than US$10 million. The selection process involves multiple stages, narrowing down to 40 companies, then 20 finalists, before choosing the final ten winners.

  The 2025 cohort highlights a strong focus on healthtech, AI, and green innovation within Hong Kong's start-up ecosystem. Examples include companies developing AI-powered mental health tools, AI for drug development and neurological screening, a virus-free gene delivery system for cell therapy, a portable device for early retinal disease detection, and smart insoles for children's foot health.

  Main Topics: Start-up Express 2026 application launch, programme structure and benefits, and examples of innovative healthtech/AI companies from the 2025 cohort.

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  tech 5

  Huawei targets global comeback with Mate 80 Pro smartphone, new smartwatch

  (Tech - South China Morning Post / 2026-02-26 16:01)

  Huawei has launched its Mate 80 Pro smartphone and a new smartwatch in Madrid, marking a renewed push into the global market. The overseas version of the phone uses Huawei's self-designed Kirin 9030 Pro chip but runs on an Android-based system, unlike the domestic model which uses HarmonyOS.

  This launch represents Huawei's comeback with its flagship Mate series internationally, four years after its last global Mate model. The move follows the company's recovery from US sanctions and its recent reclaiming of the top market share position in China from Apple.

  The main topics covered are Huawei's global product launch, the specifications of its new devices, and its competitive resurgence in the smartphone market.

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  tech 5

  Private Prison Falsified Records in Detainee’s Death in ICE Custody

  (The Intercept / 2026-02-26 16:04)

  A federal death review found that staff at a GEO Group-run immigrant prison in Pennsylvania serially falsified safety records for Frankline Okpu, a Cameroonian man who died in solitary confinement in 2023. Despite documenting 94 missed or falsified visual checks and other violations of medical standards, ICE declined to penalize GEO Group and instead awarded the company an additional $4 million in funding.

  The review detailed that GEO staff failed to conduct required 15-minute checks on Okpu, with surveillance footage showing many logged checks never occurred or were performed improperly. ICE investigators also found GEO violated standards by falsifying a medical refusal form and failing to conduct a documented face-to-face medical encounter before Okpu was found unresponsive.

  The main topics covered are the death of an immigrant detainee, systemic falsification of safety and medical records by prison staff, and the lack of accountability or consequences for the private prison operator despite these findings.

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  tech 5

  Zohran Mamdani Kept Columbia Student in New York — Then Phoned With Trump to Secure Her Release

  (The Intercept / 2026-02-26 16:22)

  Elmina Aghayeva, a Columbia University neuroscience student from Azerbaijan detained by ICE for an alleged visa violation, has been released from federal custody. Her release followed interventions by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who raised the issue directly with President Donald Trump.

  The arrest has sparked controversy due to the tactics used by federal agents, who allegedly gained entry to university housing by misrepresenting themselves as NYPD officers searching for a missing person. Students and public officials, including a city council member, have condemned these actions as a violation of the student's Fourth Amendment rights.

  The Department of Homeland Security stated the arrest was due to a lack of proper student visa, with no pending appeals. The incident has prompted protests and accusations of deceptive, potentially criminal conduct by federal authorities.

  Main Topics: The arrest and release of the student; the alleged deceptive tactics used by federal agents during the arrest; the political and public response to the incident.

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  tech 5

  Company Helps Men Scrub Negative Posts About Them from Tea App

  (404 Media / 2026-02-26 17:02)

  A new service called Tea App Green Flags offers to remove negative posts about men from private women's dating safety apps and groups, like the Tea app and "Are We Dating the Same Guy" Facebook groups, for a fee. The anonymous founder, "Jay," claims the service ethically targets defamatory posts (e.g., about appearance) but refuses clients accused of serious offenses like sexual assault by multiple credible sources.

  The operation highlights the ongoing conflict in online dating, where women use private groups for safety and men seek to counter or infiltrate these spaces. It also underscores vulnerabilities within these platforms, as the Tea app itself was founded by a man and suffered a major data breach.

  Key topics covered include the service's business model and claims, the ethical boundaries stated by its operator, and the broader tensions between anonymity for safety and the potential for defamation in digital dating communities.

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  tech 6

  Are You ‘Agentic’ Enough for the AI Era?

  (Business Latest / 2026-02-26 19:00)

  Silicon Valley is intensifying its focus on hiring "high-agency" individuals—people who can think independently and direct action—as AI coding tools automate technical tasks. The value of a software engineer is increasingly tied to managing and directing AI agents, rather than writing code manually, a shift that is unsettling for some but seen as an opportunity by others.

  The article highlights Notion as a case study, where AI agents are used to boost productivity, allowing a smaller number of highly agentic employees to oversee AI and ship products faster. This is leading to a change in hiring philosophy, prioritizing strategic oversight over traditional technical execution.

  While currently concentrated in software engineering, industry leaders believe this "new way of working" will eventually spread to fields like finance, law, and creative industries, raising the broader question of how professionals can remain valuable and "agentic" in an AI-augmented workplace.

  Main Topics: The rise of AI coding agents, the shifting value of human "agency" in the tech industry, changes in hiring and work processes, and the potential future impact on other professional sectors.

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  tech 5

  Pro-Palestine International Students Have Won in Court. Why Hasn’t Mahmoud Khalil Won His Freedom?

  (The Intercept / 2026-02-26 19:47)

  Most student activists targeted for deportation by the Trump administration for pro-Palestine speech have successfully fought their cases. However, Mahmoud Khalil remains an exception, still facing potential deportation to Algeria following a recent unfavorable court ruling.

  Khalil's legal team is now appealing his deportation order and seeking to move his case from Louisiana back to New York. They plan to submit new evidence, including a recently unsealed DHS memo, to argue the government retaliated against him for his free speech.

  The article contrasts Khalil's ongoing struggle with the successful cases of other activists, where courts ruled the government unconstitutionally targeted them. Critics allege his rapid transfer to Louisiana was a punitive tactic to isolate him from his support network and seek a favorable judicial outcome.

  Main Topics: Deportation cases of pro-Palestine student activists; Legal appeals and evidentiary challenges; Government retaliation for free speech; Transfer of immigration cases to conservative jurisdictions.

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  tech -

  How Chinese AI Chatbots Censor Themselves

  (Business Latest / 2026-02-26 20:08)
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  tech 5

  Democrats Finally Get Around to Forcing Iran War Powers Vote

  (The Intercept / 2026-02-26 21:16)

  House Democratic leaders have endorsed a bipartisan war powers resolution to force a vote requiring President Trump to seek congressional approval before engaging in war with Iran. However, the resolution is expected to fail due to opposition from a few pro-Israel Democratic representatives and unified Republican opposition.

  The main topics covered are the Democratic leadership's push for the war powers vote, the internal Democratic opposition from representatives like Josh Gottheimer and Jared Moskowitz, and the political and procedural challenges facing the resolution's passage.