Tech

If you’ve ever wondered if TikTok would ever offer a more secure messaging experience, you now have an answer. TikTok has told the BBC that it will not protect direct messages sent in the app with end-to-end encryption, because it believes it will make users less safe. In a briefing about security at its London office, TikTok said that implementing …

The power crunch for AI data centers has gotten so severe that people — not just Elon Musk — are talking about launching servers into space so they can access solar power 24/7. One startup thinks the ocean is a better place for them. Offshore wind developer Aikido is planning to submerge a 100-kilowatt demonstration data center off the coast of Norway …

Sleep tech company Eight Sleep today said that it has raised $50 million in a strategic round led by Tether Investments at a valuation of $1.5 billion. This new round comes after the startup closed a $100 million round last August from investors such as HSG, Valor Equity Partners, Founders Fund, and Y Combinator. The startup, which sells smart mattress accessories …

Rhythm games never really went away after the decline of Guitar Hero and Rock Band, but it feels like they’re having a bit of a moment again. From projects like Clone Hero and YARG, to Fortnite Festival and Stage Tour (an upcoming title from Guitar Hero veterans at RedOctane), to indies with rhythm elements like Ratatan and People of Note, …

If you’re looking to pre-order Apple’s new Studio Display XDR monitor today but have an older Mac, beware of some potential issues. According to the compatibility list spotted by Apple Insider, the new display will only work at 60Hz and not at its full 120Hz refresh rate on some older and less powerful Silicon models. Moreover, support for older Intel …

As competition among AI startups heats up, founders and VCs are turning to novel valuation mechanisms to manufacture a perception of market dominance. Until recently, the most sought-after companies raised multiple rounds of funding in quick succession at escalating valuations. However, because constant fundraising distracts founders from building their products, lead VCs have devised a new pricing structure that effectively …

Meta has signed an AI licensing deal with News Corp that will allow the Meta AI maker to use content from The Wall Street Journal and other brands in its chatbot responses and for training of its AI models. News Corp confirmed to Engadget that it had struck a deal with Meta, but didn’t provide specifics on the terms of …

Security researchers have identified a suite of powerful hacking tools capable of compromising Apple iPhones running older software that they say has passed from a government customer into the hands of cybercriminals. Google said Tuesday that it first identified the exploit kit, dubbed Coruna, in February 2025 during a surveillance vendor’s attempt to hack into someone’s phone with spyware on …

Alibaba’s Qwen AI project has lost one of its most visible technical leaders just a day after the Chinese tech giant unveiled its new Qwen 3.5 open-weight small models. Junyang Lin, a central technical leader on Alibaba’s Qwen team, said in a post on X on Tuesday that he was “stepping down” from the project, without elaborating. He joined Alibaba …

Highguard, the live-service multiplayer shooter that was announced at the Game Awards 2025, is shutting down on March 12. Developer Wildlight Studios shared that the game would be winding down alongside details of its final update, which include a new character, weapon and skill trees. “Today we’re sharing difficult news. We have made the decision to permanently shut down Highguard …