Tech News

1. AI and Algorithm Development:

   • Google DeepMind has unveiled AlphaEvolve, a Gemini-powered AI coding agent that designs and optimizes advanced algorithms, leading to potential cost savings in computing. 👉 deepmind.google 👉 arstechnica.com
   • OpenAI has released GPT-4.1 for Plus, Pro, and Team users in ChatGPT, replacing GPT-4o mini with GPT-4.1 mini for all ChatGPT users. This model excels at coding tasks and instruction following. 👉 techcrunch.com 👉 openai.com

2. Streaming Services Rebranding:

   • Warner Bros. Discovery will revert its streaming service name from Max back to HBO Max this summer, reversing a decision made in May 2023, acknowledging the value of the HBO brand. 👉 variety.com 👉 cnbc.com

3. Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities and Attacks:

   • Microsoft's May 2025 Patch Tuesday addresses 72 flaws, including five exploited zero-day vulnerabilities. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • Ivanti has released patches for EPMM software to address two chained security vulnerabilities that have been exploited to gain remote code execution in a limited number of attacks. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com 👉 thehackernews.com
   • Fortinet has issued a patch for a critical zero-day vulnerability, CVE-2025-32756, which is being exploited in FortiVoice systems for remote code execution. 👉 thehackernews.com 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • Nucor Corporation, a steel giant, is facing disruptions after a cyberattack forced them to take parts of their networks offline and implement containment measures. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) experienced a data breach, leading to the leakage of private documents online, which were subsequently indexed by search engines. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • Fashion giant Dior has disclosed a cyberattack and warned of a potential data breach that exposed customer information. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • US warns that using Huawei Ascend chips anywhere in the world violates US export controls. 👉 ft.com^$

4. Data Breaches and Privacy:

   • Marks & Spencer (M&S) confirmed that customer data was stolen during a cyberattack, prompting password resets and potentially leading to insurance claims for losses. 👉 techcrunch.com 👉 ft.com^$ 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
   • A judge sanctioned law firms $31,000 for using AI in legal briefs that resulted in false and misleading citations. 👉 theverge.com
   • The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has withdrawn its proposal for new regulations on data brokers, potentially leaving Americans' sensitive personal data vulnerable. 👉 wired.com 👉 techcrunch.com

5. Transportation and Mobility:

   • Uber is launching Route Share, a fixed-route shuttle service in major U.S. cities, offering commuters up to 50% off UberX fares during peak hours. The service will drive between pre-set stops every 20 minutes. 👉 techcrunch.com 👉 bloomberg.com^$

6. AI Ethics and Safety:

   • X's AI model Grok was found to be generating responses with information about South Africa's "white genocide" when asked to fact-check unrelated topics. 👉 theverge.com
   • The U.S. Commerce Department issued guidance clarifying that using Huawei Ascend AI chips could trigger criminal penalties due to violations of U.S. export controls. 👉 ft.com^$

7. AI Integration in Platforms:

   • OpenAI says OneDrive and SharePoint users can connect their files to ChatGPT's Deep Research for analysis, in beta for ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Team subscribers. 👉 windowscentral.com
   • Perplexity partners with PayPal to enable users in the U.S. to book travel, buy products, and secure concert tickets directly through Perplexity's chatbot, utilizing PayPal or Venmo for payments. 👉 cnbc.com

8. Retail and E-commerce:

   • Chinese e-commerce sites are offering discounts of up to $350 on iPhone 16 models to stimulate sales after a decline in Q1 shipments. 👉 reuters.com
   • Meta identifies surge in phishing attacks targeting Meta Business users. The cybercriminals cleverly hosted fake pages leveraging trusted cloud platforms like GitHub, Firebase, and Vercel, making it harder to spot the scams. 👉 thehackernews.com

9. Semiconductor Industry:

   • Databricks is set to acquire cloud database startup Neon for approximately $1 billion, aiming to facilitate the development of AI agents using proprietary data. 👉 wsj.com^$ 👉 techcrunch.com
   • Foxconn received approval from India's cabinet to construct a new $435 million semiconductor plant in collaboration with IT firm HCL Group, expected to commence operations in 2027. 👉 techcrunch.com
   • AMD approved a new $6 billion share buyback program, increasing its total repurchase authority to approximately $10 billion, with no specified termination date. 👉 reuters.com

10. Financial and Market News:

    • Stock trading app eToro debuted on Nasdaq, with shares closing nearly 29% higher at $67 after raising almost $310 million in its IPO, bringing its total market cap to over $5.4 billion. 👉 cnbc.com
    • Foxconn reported a 24% YoY increase in Q1 revenue, reaching approximately $54 billion, and a 91% rise in net profit to about $1.38 billion, surpassing estimates. 👉 wsj.com^$
    • Sony expects to be impacted by tariffs to the tune of $680 million and is considering increasing prices for consumers. 👉 theverge.com
    • CoreWeave's Q1 revenue increased by 420% YoY to $981.6M, but net loss reached $314.6M, up from $129.2M a year earlier. 👉 cnbc.com
    • Tencent reported Q1 revenue up 13% YoY to ~$25B, and net profit up 14% YoY to ~$6.6B. 👉 cnbc.com
    • Intel CFO stated that committed volumes of chips using Intel's 18A and 14A processes for customers are currently “not significant”. 👉 reuters.com

11. Microsoft Support for Windows 10:

    • Microsoft extends security updates for Microsoft 365 apps on Windows 10 until October 10, 2028, after previously planning to end support on October 14, 2025. 👉 theverge.com

12. Gaming News:

    • A look at the Nintendo Switch 2's final specs: a custom Nvidia T239 SoC, an Ampere-based GPU with 1,536 CUDA cores, 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM, DLSS support, and more. 👉 eurogamer.net
    • Sony says PS5 price hikes are possible as it faces $680 million hit from tariffs. 👉 theverge.com
    • Epic resubmitted Fortnite to the US App Store. 👉 macrumors.com

13. Online Safety Act Reintroduced:

    • Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal have reintroduced the Kids Online Safety Act, which failed last year, aiming to mandate platforms to mitigate harms to children online. Apple supports KOSA. 👉 theverge.com

14. Search Engine API Changes:

    • Microsoft plans to shut down Bing Search APIs, limiting access to tools that boosted its rivals. 👉 wired.com

15. Cyber Espionage:

    • Earth Ammit breached drone supply chains via ERP in VENOM, TIDRONE Campaigns. 👉 thehackernews.com

16. Cybercrime:

• Kosovo extradites BlackDB admin to face US cybercrime charges. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com
• A Chinese-language, Telegram-based marketplace called Xinbi Guarantee has facilitated no less than $8.4 billion in transactions since 2022 in Crypto Crime, Romance Scams, North Korea Laundering. 👉 thehackernews.com

15. Security Patches:

    • SAP patches second zero-day flaw exploited in recent attacks. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com

16. Malware Campaigns

    • A new phishing campaign is targeting Windows users in Latin American nations using invoice-themed emails, installing Horabot malware to steal email credentials and banking trojans. 👉 thehackernews.com
    • Ransomware gangs join ongoing SAP NetWeaver attacks and are said to have exploited a recently disclosed security flaw in SAP NetWeaver, 👉 thehackernews.com

17. Microsoft and Open Source:

    • Microsoft fixes Linux boot issues on dual-boot Windows systems. 👉 bleepingcomputer.com

18. Politics and Technology:

    • The US Commerce Department issues guidance stating that “using Huawei Ascend chips anywhere in the world violates US export controls” as they likely use US tech. 👉 t.co

19. Samsung Vulnerability Fix:

    • Samsung has released software updates to address a critical security flaw in MagicINFO 9 Server that has been actively exploited in the wild 👉 thehackernews.com

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