Techmeme
February 26, 2025, 11:40 AM

Top News

Wes Davis / The Verge:
Amazon unveils Alexa+, a generative AI update with vision capabilities and more, in preview in March 2025 for $20 per month or free to Prime subscribers  —  Arriving more than a year after it was first announced, Alexa is finally catching up to Google's Gemini.
Bloomberg:
Amazon's Panos Panay demoed Alexa+ in a flowing ongoing conversation and says it can book concert tickets, make restaurant reservations, and text a babysitter  —  Amazon.com Inc. has rebooted Alexa with artificial intelligence.  —  The rollout is the biggest overhaul of the voice-activated …
The Verge:
A live blog of Amazon's Alexa event  —  Amazon's set to announce a big update to Alexa. … Amazon is set to announce new Alexa features beginning at 10AM ET this morning — and we hope a few devices accompany them.  There isn't a way to watch the event remotely, but our team is here in person …
Hadriana Lowenkron / Bloomberg:
Trump says “Apple should get rid of DEI rules, not just make adjustments to them” in a Truth Social post, after Apple investors rejected a proposal to end DEI  —  - Investors turned down outside proposal to scrap DEI efforts  — Trump escalates campaign against diversity hiring practices
Anissa Gardizy / The Information:
Sources: Meta is in talks to build a new data center campus for AI that could cost over $200B, based on the number of chips and the amount of power for the site  —  Meta Platforms is in talks to build a new data center campus for its artificial intelligence endeavors that would dwarf anything …
Dan Goodin / Ars Technica:
How the hackers behind the $1.5B Bybit crypto heist used UI manipulation of employee devices and social engineering to gain control of ETH multisig cold wallets  —  The cryptocurrency industry and those responsible for securing it are still in shock following Friday's heist, likely by North Korea …
Andrew E. Freedman / Tom's Hardware:
New York Times:
Jonathan Randles / Bloomberg:
Court records: FTX paid nearly $948M to 12+ firms working on its bankruptcy, one of the costliest Chapter 11 cases in US history; users are set to get back 118%  —  - Lack of records, corporate controls sent adviser fees higher  — Most creditors poised to get back 118% of what they were owed
More: CoinGape
Todd Spangler / Variety:
YouTube says it now has 1B+ monthly viewers for podcast content worldwide; users watched 400M+ hours of podcasts monthly on living room devices in 2024  —  Podcasts started as an audio-only phenomenon. … According to the Google-owned video giant, YouTube now has more than 1 billion monthly viewers for podcast content worldwide.
Jason Schreier / Bloomberg:
WBD closes three game studios and cancels a highly anticipated Wonder Woman title in a bid to boost the profitability of its interactive entertainment business  —  - Company halts work on highly anticipated Wonder Woman title  — Closures follow several disappointing releases last year
Sean Hollister / The Verge:
Valve's Steam Deck, launched in 2022, has been dominating the handheld PC gaming market, with about 50% market share in 2024, according to IDC  —  Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, MSI Claw: The Steam Deck is bigger than them combined. … Today is the third anniversary of Valve's Steam Deck …
Charles Rollet / TechCrunch:
After backlash, YC deletes a demo video from X and LinkedIn of Optifye.AI, a startup it backs that is building AI performance monitoring for factory workers  —  A demo from Optifye.AI, a member of Y Combinator's current cohort, sparked a social media backlash that ended up with YC deleting it off its socials.

Sponsor Posts

ElevenLabs:
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Niantic Spatial:
World models need real-world data  —  Scaniverse is the gateway to spatial services — self-serve and built for AI and robotics.  Large-area 3D reconstruction from 360° cameras and precise localization, anywhere machines operate.
Zoho:
Common mistakes to avoid when implementing an intranet  —  Implementing an intranet can improve communication and make information easier to access across your organization.  But without the right approach …
IDrive:
Protecting your Cloud Applications Data  —  Backing up Office 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox & Salesforce data is critical to preventing data loss or corruption, complying with laws and avoiding critical downtime in case of a disaster.

Featured Podcasts

Cheeky Pint:
The world of voice AI, with Mati Staniszewski of ElevenLabs
Stripe cofounder John Collison interviews founders, builders, and leaders over a pint.
Subscribe to Cheeky Pint.
Invest Like the Best:
Scott Nolan - SpaceX, Founders Fund, and Rebuilding American Uranium Enrichment
The leading destination to learn about business and investing. We do this by showcasing exceptional talent and ideas.
Subscribe to Invest Like the Best.
Channels with Peter Kafka:
Ronan Farrow and Andrew Marantz on Sam Altman's Trust Problem
Media and tech aren't just intersecting - they're fully intertwined. To understand how those worlds work, Peter Kafka talks to industry leaders, upstarts and observers.
Subscribe to Channels with Peter Kafka.
Acquired:
Ferrari
Learn the playbooks that built the world's greatest companies - and how you can apply them as a founder, operator, or investor.
Subscribe to Acquired.
Lenny's Podcast:
Hard truths about building in the AI era | Keith Rabois (Khosla Ventures)
Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover actionable advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.
Subscribe to Lenny's Podcast.
Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith:
Ryan Roslansky: Turning AI Anxiety into Skills for the Future of Work
Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith speaks with leaders in government, business, and culture to explore the most critical challenges at the intersection of technology and society.
Subscribe to Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith.
 

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More News

Noah Shachtman / Wired:
Wall Street Journal:
Ina Fried / Axios:

Earlier Picks

Rick Whiting / CRN:
Cheyenne Ligon / CoinDesk:
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget:
Tom Warren / The Verge: