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February 9, 2026, 7:15 PM
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| OpenAI: |
OpenAI says it has started testing ads in ChatGPT in the US for logged-in adult users on the Free and Go tiers and that the ads do not change ChatGPT answers — Ads that support free access and don't change ChatGPT answers. — Today, we're beginning to test ads in ChatGPT in the U.S …
More: The Verge, How-To Geek, CNET, Gizmodo, NBC News, The Information, Appleosophy, TechCrunch, Decrypt, Mashable, Engadget, CBS News, MacRumors, Search Engine Journal, iPhone in Canada, Sherwood News, Blockchain.News, Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, Search Engine Land, The Adobe Blog, Crypto Briefing, Moneycontrol, Search Engine Land, ZDNET, and a16z
X: @openai, @jamesborow, @omni1896837, @benbajarin, @compliantvc, @aakashgupta, @kentcdodds, @techikansh, and @benhylak. Bluesky: @jacob.gold
Forums: Hacker News, Slashdot, and MacRumors Forums
| Stevie Bonifield / The Verge: |
Discord says it will roll out age verification globally from March to access some content; all accounts will have a “teen-appropriate experience by default” — Beginning in March, all accounts will have a “teen-appropriate experience by default.”
More: Discord, Rock, Paper, Shotgun, Ars Technica, 9to5Google, The Record, Gizmodo, The Register, CNET, Reason, Windows Central, Stevivor, The Independent, Comparitech, Daily Caller News Foundation, The Hill, PC Gamer, PCMag, Discord, Neowin, WPXI-TV, WATN, TheGamer, How-To Geek, Digital Trends, Android Headlines, Aftermath, TechCrunch, SlashGear, Polygon.com, Dexerto, Cyber Security News, GamesIndustry.biz, Mashable, GamesRadar, 9to5Mac, XDA Developers, Reclaim The Net, Android Authority, Game Developer, BBC, Engadget, and Kotaku
X: @discord_support, @royermattw, @darumiamemiya, @tiagosada, @coneofarc, @kreekcraft, @north0fnorth, @prestonjbyrne, @taylorlorenz, @gangsthannah, @wariocolosseum, @jakelandauto, @prestonjbyrne, and @autismcapital
Mastodon: @stefan@stefanbohacek.online and @EposVox@glitch.lgbt
Forums: Hacker News, r/pcgaming, r/discordapp, r/technology, r/homelab, r/LabourUK, r/kindafunny, r/PHGamers, r/MushroomPlanet, r/worldnews, r/VirtualYoutubers, r/starcitizen, r/pcmasterrace, r/TrueAnon, r/degoogle, r/TwoBestFriendsPlay, r/privacy, r/technews, r/Fighters, r/internettoday, r/LinusTechTips, r/KotakuInAction, r/Android, r/Games, r/videogames, r/PaymoneyWubby, r/xbox, r/gamedev, r/NewsOfTheStupid, r/PS5, r/france, Slashdot, and Ars OpenForum
| Bloomberg: |
Alphabet raised $20B in its biggest ever US dollar bond sale, more than the $15B initially expected, after drawing more than $100B of orders — Alphabet Inc. is borrowing far and wide to finance the unprecedented spending plan behind its artificial intelligence ambitions, and investors can't seem to get enough.| Financial Times: |
Sources: Alphabet plans to sell a rare 100-year sterling bond, as Big Tech companies borrow more to fund their capex growth; IBM sold a 100-year bond in 1996 — Deal comes as Google parent steps up AI borrowing rush with $15bn sale of dollar bonds — Alphabet has lined up banks to sell … | CNBC: |
Slack message: Sam Altman tells staff that ChatGPT is “back to exceeding 10% monthly growth”, and OpenAI plans to release “an updated Chat model” this week — As OpenAI faces intensifying pressure from rival Anthropic's improved coding tools, CEO Sam Altman …
More: The Verge, VentureBeat, Fortune, The Asia Business Daily, WinBuzzer, 9to5Google, Reuters, 9to5Mac, The Mac Observer, Sherwood News, Implicator.ai, and Moneycontrol
X: @sama, @ashleycapoot, @chatgpt21, and @kimmonismus
Bluesky: @peark.es, @edzitron.com, and @ashleycapoot.cnbc.com
Forums: r/singularity and r/technology
| Harvard Business Review: |
An eight-month study at a US tech company finds AI tools didn't reduce work but intensified it, as employees worked faster and took on a broader range of tasks — Right now, many companies are worried about how to get more employees to use AI. After all, the promise of AI reducing the burden of some work …
More: Simon Willison's Weblog and Decrypt
Bluesky: @grimalkina, @ericmbudd.com, @prietschka, @anildash.com, and @ethanmarcotte.com. Mastodon: @beep@follow.ethanmarcotte.com
Forums: Hacker News and r/ArtificialInteligence
| Jordan Novet / CNBC: |
Databricks raised $5B in equity financing and $2B in debt at a $134B valuation and says its annualized revenue crossed $5.4B for the January quarter, up 65% YoY — Databricks said Monday it has raised $5 billion in funding and $2 billion in new debt capacity at a $134 billion valuation.| Ashley Capoot / CNBC: |
Workday announces CEO Carl Eschenbach is stepping down and will be replaced by the company's co-founder, Aneel Bhusri, effective immediately; WDAY drops 6%+ — Workday on Monday announced that CEO Carl Eschenbach is stepping down from his role and will be replaced by the company's co-founder, Aneel Bhusri, effective immediately.
More: Workday Newsroom, SiliconANGLE, Reuters, CRN, The Information, San Francisco Business Times, diginomica, Dow Jones Newswires, Proactive, Barron's Online, Business Insider, Constellation Research, The Register, Reuters, Investor's Business Daily, Bloomberg, and TechCrunch. LinkedIn: Richard Matthews
| Bloomberg: |
The European Commission sends a statement of objections to Meta over WhatsApp blocking rival AI chatbots, warning it will take measures to avoid “serious” harm — Meta Platforms Inc. was given a European Union warning over policies that block the use of rival Artificial Intelligence assistants …
More: Reuters, European Commission, CNBC, Agence France-Presse, BBC, Reuters, Politico, Social Media Today, The Indian Express, DeviceSecurity.io, Courthouse News Service, Global Competition Review, Blockonomi, Techstrong IT, WinBuzzer, Moneycontrol, Help Net Security, Anadolu Ajansı …, GSMArena.com, The Guardian, The Register, NewsMax.com, Thurrott, and The Verge
Bluesky: @teresaribera.ec.europa.eu, @maxvonthun, and @maxvonthun
Forums: r/worldnews, r/europe, and r/technology
| Juro Osawa / The Information: |
ByteDance debuts Seedance 2.0, a new version of its AI video generation model that can produce multi-shot scenes, available to select Jimeng and Jianying users — ByteDance's new AI video generation model Seedance 2.0, unveiled over the weekend, is generating a lot of buzz on social media, with some calling it a game changer.
More: South China Morning Post, PetaPixel, The Decoder, Silicon Republic, TechEBlog, Tech in Asia, and Bloomberg
X: @tphuang, @altryne, @apples_jimmy, @gr_immi, @htihle, @ranting_trans, @lordupe, @kimmonismus, @themg3d, @lepadphone, @kindasortamaebe, @minchoi, @venturetwins, @okeeeeletsgo, @javilopen, @daveshapi, @pjaccetturo, @davidpattersonx, @skooookum, @dork_sense, @linusekenstam, @minchoi, @deryatr_, @hradzka, @boom_tentpeg, @lilithlovett, @awesome_visuals, @deathink, @i0ki_lol, @properprompter, @levelsio, @long4ai, @ehuanglu, @sino_market, @ehuanglu, and @angrytomtweets
| Lucinda Shen / Axios: |
Sources: Stripe is in talks to launch a tender offer that could value the company at $140B+, up from $107B last fall, when it bought back shares from investors — Stripe is in talks to launch a tender offer that could value the payments company at more than $140 billion, Axios Pro has learned from multiple sources.| Chris Metinko / Axios: |
Oxide Computer, which lets companies build their own cloud, raised $200M led by USIT, taking its total funding to nearly $390M since its 2019 founding — Oxide Computer Company, which lets companies build their own cloud, has raised a fresh $200 million round led by USIT …
More: SiliconANGLE
| Samantha Subin / CNBC: |
Lyft launches teen accounts in the US more than two years after Uber, with safety features such as PIN verification, real-time tracking, and audio recordings — Lyft on Monday officially launched teen accounts nationwide in a bid to match competitor Uber. — CEO David Risher addressed … | Valida Pau / The Information: |
Beast Industries, the entertainment conglomerate founded by MrBeast and last valued at $5.2B, acquires Step Mobile, a teen-focused banking app — Beast Industries, the entertainment conglomerate founded by Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson, has agreed to buy Step Mobile, a teen-focused banking app, the companies plan to announce Monday.
More: Business Insider, Beast Industries, Forbes, The Verge, TechCrunch, Tubefilter, Inc.com, and Dexerto
X: @alexisohanian, @fundstrat, @mrbeast, @joinyellowbrick, @chamath, @trace_cohen, @pitdesi, and @theoneandomsy. LinkedIn: Dan Whateley
Forums: r/Anticonsumption, r/LateStageCapitalism, and r/ABoringDystopia
| Bloomberg: |
Uber agrees to acquire Getir's delivery operations from Mubadala for $335M in cash and says it will take a 15% stake in the remaining portfolio for $100M — Uber Technologies Inc. has agreed to buy Turkish company Getir's delivery operations from its controlling shareholder Mubadala Investment Co …
More: Reuters, Uber, The Information, Reuters, TechCrunch, Türkiye Today, Sifted, and Benzinga
X: @jason, @andrewgordonmac, and @harrystebbings
| Ryan Lawler / Axios: |
Sources: crypto exchange Backpack, built by ex-FTX and Alameda leaders, is in talks to raise $50M at a $1B pre-money valuation, reports $100M+ in annual revenue — Backpack Exchange, a centralized crypto trading firm built by former FTX and Alameda leaders, is negotiating terms for new financing …
More: The Block
| Brayden Lindrea / Cointelegraph: |
Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek launches ai.com in beta during the Super Bowl and opens username registration to let users get a private, personalized AI agent — Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek's goal with ai.com is to build “a decentralized network of autonomous, self-improving AI agents …
More: PCMag, The Register, CNBC, Fast Company, ai.com, and Coinpedia Fintech News
X: @kris, @kris, @kris, @therealslimeggy, @steipete, @trajektoriepl, @catgirlprostate, @petergyang, @jappleby, @thdxr, @carlosmarcialt, @melothemyth777, @greg16676935420, @aidotcom, @nik_algo, @prestonholland6, @aidotcom, @aquariusacquah, @nick_eubanks, @ilavanyajain, @wyckoffweb, and @aidotcom. Bluesky: @davelee.me
| Kyle Baird / The Block: |
Farcaster co-founders Dan Romero and Varun Srinivasan, along with the team at Merkle, join stablecoin startup Tempo after Merkle's sale of Farcaster to Neynar — Quick Take — Romero and Srinivasan's move follows Farcaster's sale to Neynar and the founders' exit from day-to-day leadership of the protocol.
More: CoinDesk, Tempo, and DL News
X: @dwr, @varunsrin, @jchaskin, @liamihorne, @azflin, @gakonst, @hhorsley, @jpegmogul, @evgenygaevoy, @timhaldorsson, @0xtanishk, @matthuang, @tempo, @mert, and @mert
| Aime Williams / Financial Times: |
Sources: the Trump administration plans to spare US hyperscalers from upcoming tariffs on chips; exemptions would be based on TSMC's US investment commitments — Exemptions would be based on chipmaker TSMC's US investment commitments, officials say — Donald Trump's administration intends …
More: Reuters
| Abner Li / 9to5Google: |
YouTube launches a Premium paywall for song lyrics on YouTube Music, after testing it in recent months; users get five free lyrics before they have to subscribe — After testing in recent months, YouTube Music looks to be widely rolling out a Premium paywall for lyrics.
More: CNET, Ars Technica, iPhone in Canada, Pocket-lint, Android Authority, Android Headlines, HotHardware, Droid Life, Thurrott, Tom's Guide, Mashable, Cord Cutters News, PCWorld, and Phandroid
Forums: r/youtube and MacRumors Forums
| Politico: |
Sources: the White House is drafting a voluntary pact seeking commitments from tech companies to ensure data centers don't raise electricity prices and more — The initiative, which the administration wants to roll out with a splashy White House event, has yet to be formally announced …
More: Reuters and Rough Draft Atlanta
| Josh Eidelson / Bloomberg: |
The US NLRB abandons its 2024 case accusing SpaceX of illegally firing eight engineers and signals it will steer clear of future cases against the company — Agency drops yearslong case over firing of Musk critics. — The US labor board is abandoning a yearslong legal battle … | Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg: |
Q&A with YouTube VP of Subscription Products Christian Oestlien on YouTube TV's future, the NFL and Oscars deals, its friendly rivalry with Netflix, and more — YouTube is going to start selling cheaper TV bundles for sports fans, news junkies — Happy Super Bowl Sunday … | Katherine Hamilton / Wall Street Journal: |
Onsemi reports Q4 revenue down 11% YoY to $1.53B, vs. $1.54B est., as its two biggest business units continue to post sales declines; ON drops 4%+ after hours — The semiconductor company posted a profit of $181.8 million — On Semiconductor's revenue fell in the fourth quarter …
More: Reuters, Onsemi, and Associated Press
| Iain Martin / Forbes: |
Sources: AI legal software startup Harvey seeks to raise $200M led by Sequoia and GIC at an $11B valuation, up from $8B after raising $160M in December 2025 — The startup, which develops AI software for lawyers and big law firms, is raising additional capital, increasing its valuation from $8 billion just two months ago.| Jonathan Stempel / Reuters: |
Autodesk sues Google for allegedly infringing its Flow trademark as the name of Google's AI filmmaking tool — Google (GOOGL.O) has been sued by Autodesk (ADSK.O) for allegedly infringing its “Flow” trademark to market competing AI-enabled software used to make movies, TV shows and video games.Sponsor Posts
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Equals:
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