|
January 29, 2026, 9:00 PM
|
Mediagazer
memeorandum
WeSmirchTop News
| Reuters: |
Source: SpaceX and xAI are in talks to merge ahead of a planned IPO this year; under the proposed deal, shares of xAI would be exchanged for shares in SpaceX — Elon Musk's SpaceX and xAI are in discussions to merge ahead of a blockbuster public offering planned for later this year.
More: Business Insider, The Information, Bloomberg, DatacenterDynamics, MarketWatch, Reuters, Fast Company, Engadget, The Indian Express, Barron's Online, Investor's Business Daily, CNBC, San Francisco Business Times, Inc.com, Futurism, TechCrunch, Bitcoin Insider, Watcher Guru, Scientific American, and The Irish Times
X: @fredlambert, @chamath, @joroulette, @aaronburnett, @munster_gene, @mgsiegler, @ramplabs, @justjake, @parikpatelcfa, @sciguyspace, @signulll, @fredlambert, @thestalwart, @munster_gene, @beffjezos, @kgreifeld, @kwharrison13, @danprimack, @martymadrid, @scobleizer, @fredlambert, @wholemars, @eastdakota, @kakashiii111, and @sethabramson
Bluesky: @stephenjudkins, @niedermeyer.online, @stevekovach, @tcarmody, @prietschka, @ampallanguk, @bmcdev, @dweeze, @ariehkovler.com, @acombites, @mktsutherland, @caseynewton, @stevenjcbuckley, and @petertl. Mastodon: @Barredo@mastodon.social
Forums: Hacker News, r/spacex, r/wallstreetbets, r/SpaceXLounge, and r/StockMarket
| Bloomberg: |
Sources: SpaceX is considering a potential merger with Tesla, an idea some investors are pushing, while separately exploring a tie-up between SpaceX and xAI — SpaceX is considering a potential merger with Tesla Inc., as well as an alternative combination with artificial intelligence firm xAI …
More: TechCrunch, Reuters, Electrek, Benzinga, The American Bazaar, Barron's Online, and Proactive
Bluesky: @tomscocca, @caseynewton, @papapishu, @carlquintanilla, and @seanokane. Forums: r/wallstreetbets
| Financial Times: |
Apple acquires Q.ai, whose tech can analyze facial expressions and could enable non-verbal discussions with AI assistants; sources: the deal values Q.ai at ~$2B — iPhone-maker strikes deal for secretive group that creates technology that analyses facial expressions
More: Reuters, MacRumors, SiliconANGLE, PitchBook, Implicator.ai, Neowin, GV, TechCrunch, Gizmodo, AppleInsider, Bloomberg, Capital Brief, Digit, Constellation Research, CTech, Macworld, Yahoo Finance, Haaretz, The Verge, The Information, Stocktwits, The Mac Observer, Engadget, 9to5Mac, PYMNTS.com, iClarified, Pocket-lint, iPhone in Canada, Benzinga, Cult of Mac, and Philip Elmer‑DeWitt
X: @yuchenj_uw, @thulme, @scobleizer, @sadlyitsbradley, @signulll, @munster_gene, @stocksavvyshay, @abarliya, @nabeel, @mikeeisenberg, @aleph, @annabenezra, @tim, and @parkerortolani
LinkedIn: Yonatan Wexler, Tom Hulme, Haomiao Huang, PhD, and Avi Barliya. Bluesky: @arik.org. Mastodon: @ai6yr@m.ai6yr.org
Forums: Hacker News, r/apple, Slashdot, and MacRumors Forums
| Kif Leswing / CNBC: |
Apple reports Q1 revenue up 16% YoY to $143.76B, vs. $138.48B est., net income up 16% YoY to $42.1B, and EPS of $2.84, above $2.67 est. — Apple reported fiscal first-quarter earnings on Thursday that surpassed expectations, with revenue soaring 16% on an annual basis.
More: TechCrunch, MarketWatch, MacRumors, 9to5Mac, Engadget, Inc, Appleosophy, Wall Street Journal, Wall Street Journal, PYMNTS.com, AppleInsider, New York Times, 9to5Mac, Fox Business, Bloomberg, Cult of Mac, Financial Times, Cult of Mac, The Mac Observer, Benzinga, MarketWatch, BBC, MarketWatch, CNBC, Quartz, Bloomberg, Bloomberg, Sherwood News, Tom's Guide, and ZeroHedge News
X: @patrickmoorhead, @thetranscript_, @thetranscript_, @mweinbach, @markgurman, @benbajarin, @neilcybart, @neilcybart, @rolfewinkler, @munster_gene, @susanlitv, @tomwarren, @thetranscript_, @fjeronimo, @thetranscript_, @neilcybart, @mweinbach, @rolfewinkler, @munster_gene, @zerohedge, @firstadopter, @munster_gene, @munster_gene, @teroterotero, and @fjeronimo. LinkedIn: Emil Protalinski. Bluesky: @lorak
Forums: r/wallstreetbets, r/technology, and MacRumors Forums
| Apple: |
Apple Q1: iPhone up 23% YoY to $85.27B, vs. $78.65B est., Mac down 7% to $8.39B, iPad up 6% to $8.6B, and Wearables, Home, and Accessories down 2% to $11.49B — All-time records for total company revenue and EPS — iPhone and Services revenue reach new all-time highs
More: 9to5Mac, The Information, Thurrott, Macworld, The Verge, Yahoo Finance, and The Mac Observer
X: @munster_gene and @markgurman
| Reuters: |
More: MacRumors, 9to5Mac, CNBC, 9to5Mac, SiliconANGLE, Reuters, The Guardian, Barron's Online, Bloomberg, CNBC, EconoTimes, The Motley Fool, Benzinga, Yahoo Finance, PhoneArena, Nikkei Asia, and MarketWatch
| Wall Street Journal: |
Sources: OpenAI is laying the groundwork for an IPO in Q4 2026, and its executives have privately expressed concerns about Anthropic beating OpenAI to an IPO — Rivals are competing to be the first major generative AI startup to tap the public markets — OpenAI is laying the groundwork … | Wall Street Journal: |
Sources: Amazon is in talks to invest up to $50B in OpenAI, which is seeking up to $100B in new capital, a round that could value it at as much as $830B — CEO Andy Jassy is leading the e-commerce giant's negotiations with the startup — Amazon.com is in talks to invest up to $50 billion in OpenAI …
More: The Information, Bloomberg Law, New York Times, TechCrunch, DatacenterDynamics, Bloomberg, Research & Development World, CNBC, New York Post, Financial Times, Axios, Reuters, Blockonomi, and PYMNTS.com
LinkedIn: Kate Clark. Bluesky: @bacongawd.blacksky.app, @moreandagain.me, @eighthdayarts, and @peark.es. Forums: r/wallstreetbets
| Jay Peters / The Verge: |
Google launches Project Genie, which lets users create interactive worlds using Genie 3, Nano Banana Pro, and Gemini, for Google AI Ultra subscribers in the US — It's what I had the most fun using Google's Project Genie for, at least right now. … This week, a new generative AI tool …
More: The Keyword, SiliconANGLE, CNET, Ars Technica, The Register, Engadget, Android Police, 9to5Google, Digit, Forbes, Android Authority, The Deep View, Mashable, GoNintendo, and TechCrunch
X: @jparkerholder, @timsweeneyepic, @googledeepmind, @googledeepmind, @demishassabis, @andrewcurran_, @emollick, @tipatat, @itspaulai, @raiahadsell, @mreflow, @theomediaai, @mark_k, @diegocabezas01, @kimmonismus, @joshwoodward, @legit_api, @elonmusk, @scobleizer, and @venturetwins
Bluesky: @parismarx.com, @bottleofstars, @prietschka, and @pekka. Mastodon: @mttaggart@infosec.exchange
Forums: Hacker News, r/google, and Slashdot
| Reuters: |
Sources: the Pentagon is clashing with Anthropic over safeguards limiting the use of its tech to target weapons autonomously and conduct domestic surveillance — The Pentagon and artificial-intelligence developer Anthropic are at odds over potentially eliminating safeguards that might allow …
More: Wall Street Journal. Threads: @carnage4life. Forums: r/worldnews, r/ClaudeAI, r/technology, and r/singularity
| Ashley Capoot / CNBC: |
OpenAI plans to retire several models from ChatGPT on February 13, including GPT‑4o, GPT‑4.1, and o4-mini, saying only 0.1% of users still choose GPT-4o — OpenAI announced it will retire several models from its ChatGPT chatbot next month, including its GPT‑4o model that is beloved by some users.
More: OpenAI and PCMag
X: @xw33bttv, @seltaa_, @bokuharuyaharu, @thebigmehtaphor, @steipete, @ai_in_the_room, and @willccbb
Forums: Hacker News, r/cogsuckers, r/OpenAI, and r/OpenAI
| Sean O'Kane / TechCrunch: |
Waymo says a robotaxi struck a child at 6 mph near an elementary school in Santa Monica on January 23, resulting in minor injuries; the NHTSA opens a probe — A Waymo robotaxi struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica on January 23, according to the company.
More: Waymo, Washington Post, SFGATE, Gizmodo, Originally Reported …, UPI, KHOU-TV, Press Telegram, CBT News, Washington Times, The Autopian, PCMag, Forbes, Axios, Los Angeles Times, The Robot Report, CNET, San Francisco Chronicle, Engadget, and New York Post
Forums: Hacker News, r/SantaMonica, r/fuckcars, r/BetterOffline, r/technology, r/waymo, and Slashdot
| Financial Times: |
Tesla plans to scrap its premium S and X models and convert its California factory into an Optimus manufacturing hub, as Elon Musk refocuses on robotics and AI — Elon Musk's electric-car maker invests $2bn in the billionaire's xAI — Tesla plans to scrap two models and invest $2bn in Elon Musk's xAI …
More: Electrek, Ars Technica, The Register, Bloomberg, Financial Times, Reuters, CNBC, BBC, TheStreet, Manufacturing Dive, The Hans India, Benzinga, Daily Caller News Foundation, Business Insider, New York Times, Implicator.ai, and Bloomberg
X: @tesla, @jeffskoll, @elonmusk, @elonmusk, @elonmusk, @elonmusk, @dwallacewells, @hamids, @wr4nygov, @jasondebolt, @sawyermerritt, @tesla_optimus, @urgo, @bitcodyy, @snazzylabs, @mattlinn01, @sircalebhammer, @itskyleconner, @garyblack00, @mikekantorski, @marionawfal, @zacksjerryrig, @mkbhd, @sawyermerritt, @tashaark, @sawyermerritt, @niccruzpatane, @briandstone, and @sawyermerritt. LinkedIn: Martin Bruncko
Bluesky: @norbizness, @karlbode.com, @robertscotthorton, @pickardje, and @mzjacobson. Mastodon: @jbz@indieweb.social
Forums: r/RTLpod, r/RealTesla, r/cars, r/electricvehicles, r/teslainvestorsclub, r/teslamotors, and r/wallstreetbets
| Counterpoint Research: |
Apple's iPhone 16 was the world's best-selling smartphone in 2025, followed by the 16 Pro Max and 16 Pro; Apple took 7 of the top 10 spots and Samsung took 3 — - Apple and Samsung continued to capture the Top 10 spots. … - In terms of comparisons with predecessor models …
More: 9to5Mac, Wccftech, iClarified, SammyGuru, Cult of Mac, and The Mac Observer
Forums: Hacker News, r/apple, Slashdot, and MacRumors Forums
| Tom Warren / The Verge: |
Sources: Microsoft is focusing on fixing the core issues of Windows 11 over the coming months after persistent bugs, ads, and bloatware eroded user trust — Engineers are now focusing on performance, reliability, and the overall Windows experience. … Windows is in a weird spot.
More: Ars Technica, BGR, Neowin, Tom's Guide, and Pureinfotech
Mastodon: @erkhyan@yiff.life. Forums: r/technology, r/Windows11, r/actutech, r/pcmasterrace, Slashdot, and Slashdot
| Connor Jones / The Register: |
Security researchers warn Moltbot, previously Clawdbot, requires a specialist skillset to use safely, as data exposure risks persist even when set up correctly — The massively hyped agentic personal assistant has security experts wondering why anyone would install it
More: VentureBeat, Cloudflare, The Stack, Axios, Pivot to AI, Inc.com, ZDNET, Digit, Tech Brew, Gizmodo, BleepingComputer, Wired, and Digital Trends
X: @theonejvo, @steipete, @theonejvo, @llmjunky, @cloudflare, @aakashgupta, @yuchenj_uw, @antoine_moyroud, @osmo999, @mattyryze, @morganlinton, @osmo999, @osmo999, @mattjay, @irl_danb, @theonejvo, @thedevilops, and @theonejvo
Bluesky: @prietschka and @campuscodi.risky.biz
Mastodon: @ai6yr@m.ai6yr.org and @Viss@mastodon.social
| Bloomberg: |
Perplexity signs a deal with Microsoft; sources say the $750M, three-year commitment will let Perplexity deploy AI models through Microsoft's Foundry service — AI startup Perplexity signed a $750 million deal with Microsoft Corp. to use its Azure cloud service, spreading its business beyond longtime cloud partner Amazon.com Inc.
More: Reuters
| Dominic Preston / The Verge: |
Nothing CEO Carl Pei says the company's flagship Phone 4 won't launch in 2026: “We're not just going to churn out a new flagship every year for the sake of it” — CEO Carl Pei says there's no new flaghip on the way, but teased improvements for the 4A series instead.
More: Nothing on YouTube, CNET, Notebookcheck, PCMag, Tech Advisor, and Digital Trends
| Kevin McLaughlin / The Information: |
OpenAI has hired 7+ employees from AI coding startup Cline, including Nik Pash, who left Cline after posting “imagine the smell” on X regarding an xAI hackathon — OpenAI has recently hired more than a half dozen employees from Cline, a startup that develops an open-source … | Jake Bleiberg / Bloomberg: |
Sources: special agents with the US Commerce Department investigated claims by ex-Meta contractors that Meta staff had “unfettered” access to WhatsApp messages — US law enforcement has been investigating allegations by former Meta Platforms Inc. contractors that Meta personnel … | Jordan Novet / CNBC: |
Microsoft shares fell ~10% on Thursday following an earnings report that disappointed some investors, the stock's sharpest daily decline since March 2020 — Microsoft shares slid about 10% on Thursday following an earnings report that disappointed some investors, prompting the stock's sharpest daily decline since March 2020.
More: MarketWatch, Quartz, Semafor, and Benzinga
| Sam Reynolds / CoinDesk: |
The US SEC clarifies its tokenized stock rules, saying they are subject to securities and derivatives rules and issuer approval is required for true ownership — The agency says issuer approval is required for true tokenized ownership, warning that many stock tokens sold to retail investors provide only indirect or synthetic exposure.
More: US Securities …, CryptoPotato, Coinpedia Fintech News, BeInCrypto, CoinGape, Cointelegraph, Cryptonews, and The Block. LinkedIn: Rani Doyle
| Koh Ewe / BBC: |
Chinese media: China executed 11 members of the Ming mafia family that ran online scam centres in Myanmar; five Bai family members are also sentenced to death — China has executed 11 members of a notorious mafia family that ran scam centres in Myanmar along its north-eastern border, state media report.
More: Bloomberg, Associated Press, Decrypt, and New York Post
| Isaiah Poritz / Bloomberg Law: |
A San Francisco jury finds former Google engineer Linwei Ding guilty of stealing trade secrets related to AI chip technology to build a startup in China — A former Google engineer was convicted Thursday of economic espionage and trade secrets theft for taking hundreds of the company's confidential documents …
More: New York Times, Reuters, CBS News, and Courthouse News Service
| Ben Wilson / Windows Central: |
Nvidia launches a native GeForce NOW app for Linux, starting with Debian-based Ubuntu, after releasing a Steam Deck app in 2025; in a hands-on, it works well — GeForce NOW cloud gaming expands to desktops and other Ubuntu devices, with Bazzite tested and the Steam Deck thriving.
More: NVIDIA, Phoronix, Android Headlines, XDA Developers, Linuxiac, VideoCardz.com, Neowin, KitGuru, HotHardware, and PCMag. Forums: r/pcgaming
| Elias Schisgall / Wall Street Journal: |
Sandisk reports Q2 revenue up 61% YoY to $3.03B, vs. $2.69B est., and net income up 672% to $803M, as AI drives demand upward; SNDK jumps 11%+ after hours — Data storage technology company posts second-quarter profit of $803 million, up from $104 million a year earlier| Aisha Malik / TechCrunch: |
Google expands Gemini's hands-free conversational capabilities to walking and cycling modes in Google Maps, available on iOS and rolling out on Android — Google announced on Thursday that Google Maps users can now access Gemini hands-free while walking and cycling.
More: The Keyword, 9to5Google, Neowin, Android Police, CNET, and Tom's Guide
| Sarah Perez / TechCrunch: |
Appfigures: Sora's app downloads dropped 32% month-over-month in December and 45% in January to 1.2M; consumer spending on the app fell 32% MoM as of January — After rapidly hitting the top of the App Store in October, OpenAI's video-generation app Sora is now struggling.| Bloomberg: |
Amazon reported hundreds of thousands of pieces of potential CSAM in AI training data to NCMEC in 2025; child safety officials say Amazon didn't give the source — The tech giant reported hundreds of thousands of cases of suspected child sexual abuse material, but won't say where it came from
More: Engadget and WinBuzzer
LinkedIn: Kurt Wagner. Mastodon: @GossiTheDog@cyberplace.social. Forums: r/sadposting, r/artificial, and r/technology
| Natalie Lung / Bloomberg: |
Grubhub plans to remove delivery and service fees on restaurant orders over $50 starting Feb. 2; Grubhub's US market share fell to ~4% in 2025 from 10% in 2023 — Grubhub is removing delivery and service fees on all restaurant orders above $50, the latest move by the newly private food-delivery app … Sponsor Posts
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.
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:
Meet Zoho Books MCP: Bring AI-powered accounting to your business — Isn't change the only constant? And that holds true for accounting too. For years, accounting software has helped businesses manage their finances …
Meet Zoho Books MCP: Bring AI-powered accounting to your business — Isn't change the only constant? And that holds true for accounting too. For years, accounting software has helped businesses manage their finances …
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.
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.
Anuma:
The Private AI That Remembers — Anuma is the all-in-one AI platform with private, portable memory. Chat, text, create, build, and solve across every model.
The Private AI That Remembers — Anuma is the all-in-one AI platform with private, portable memory. Chat, text, create, build, and solve across every model.Featured Podcasts
Access:
What happens when AI runs a store
A show about the tech industry's inside conversation, hosted by tech reporter Alex Heath and founder whisperer Ellis Hamburger.
Subscribe to Access.
The Nick, Dick and Paul Show:
Why Blockbuster Failed
Nick Bilton, Dick Costolo, and Paul Kedrosky pull back the curtain on AI, startups, and the future rushing toward us, all with healthy dose of irreverence.
Subscribe to The Nick, Dick and Paul Show.
Big Technology Podcast:
Mark Cuban: AI Hype vs. Reality, OpenAI's Wasting $1 Trillion, Lebron vs. Jordan
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Uncapped with Jack Altman:
Tarek Mansour from Kalshi
Conversations with people I admire about things I'm genuinely interested in.
Subscribe to Uncapped with Jack Altman.
Channels with Peter Kafka:
AI Can Make Software Now. That Changes Everything, with Paul Ford
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.
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.
About This Page
This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 9:00 PM ET, January 29, 2026.
The most current version of the site as always is available at our home page. To view an earlier snapshot click here and then modify the date indicated.
From Mediagazer
Todd Spangler / Variety:Reporters Without Borders:
Wall Street Journal:
Upcoming Tech Events
More News
| Conor Murray / Forbes: |
More: TRT World. X: @richlightshed, @mikeisaac, @paddycosgrave, @ggreenwald, @realupscrolled, and @ggreenwald. Forums: r/Minneapolis
Earlier Picks
| New York Times: |
More: Wired, The Boston Globe, New York Post, NBC News, and New York Times
X: @travisakers, @repjackkimble, @bruce_arthur, @jayblackisfunny, @bmeiselas, @oldfriend99, @tomsteyer, @ronfilipkowski, @covie_93, @nategilbert, @bmeiselas, @sundaedivine, @glen_mcgregor, @hearinladotcom, and @jeff__benjamin. Bluesky: @bmeiselas
Forums: r/USNEWS, r/entertainment, r/StrangeAndFunny, and r/boxoffice