Techmeme
January 29, 2026, 5:15 PM

Top News

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
Kif Leswing / CNBC:
Apple reports Q1 revenue up 16% YoY to $143.76B, vs. $138.48B est., net income up 16% to $42.1B, and China net sales up 38% to $25.53B  —  Apple reported fiscal first-quarter earnings on Thursday that surpassed expectations, with revenue soaring 16% on an annual basis.
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.
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 …
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 …
Sri Muppidi / The Information:
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.
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 …
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
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 …
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.
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.
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.
New York Times:
Amazon's $35M marketing campaign for Melania is ~10x the budget for similar documentaries like CNN's RBG; some suggest Amazon is currying favor with Trump  —  The tech giant is spending $35 million to promote its film about the first lady, far more than is typical for documentaries.
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.
Zoe Kleinman / BBC:
Waymo says it hopes to launch its London robotaxi service as soon as September, after an April pilot; the UK government plans to change regulations in H2 2026  —  Waymo, the US driverless car firm, said it hopes to be operating a robotaxi service in London as soon as September this year.
Robert McMillan / Wall Street Journal:
Google says it took legal action to take down dozens of domains and disrupt the residential proxy network of Chinese company Ipidea, widely used by bad actors  —  Company targets global network employed by hackers that often use devices running in homes of everyday Americans
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.
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 …
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

Okara:
Meet Okara, the AI platform that doesn't train on your data  —  Chat with 30+ open-source models (Llama, Kimi, Qwen, DeepSeek) through encrypted infrastructure.  Used by teams handling proprietary code and strategy.
Soxton:
AI-powered law for startups  —  Soxton automates startup legal so founders can move faster and sleep better.  We handle incorporation, advisor, employment and commercial contracts.  Join the waitlist for early access!
Zoho:
Pro tips: 5 ways to simplify invoicing and payments in Zoho Books  —  Many businesses still rely on manual processes to collect payments and reconcile invoices.  This often results in delayed payments …
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

Invest Like the Best:
Gokul Rajaram - Lessons from Investing in 700 Companies
The leading destination to learn about business and investing. We do this by showcasing exceptional talent and ideas.
Subscribe to Invest Like the Best.
Lenny's Podcast:
Marc Andreessen: The real AI boom hasn't even started yet
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.
The Nick, Dick and Paul Show:
The Wellness Industry Pt. 1
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:
Is AI Killing Software? — With Bret Taylor
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.
Channels with Peter Kafka:
Running a Newsroom in Minneapolis + How to Make a Game of Thrones For Less
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:
Special Edition: Key findings from the Microsoft AI Diffusion Report
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 5:15 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.

More News

Earlier Picks

Julie Bort / TechCrunch: