Author: Frank Salvato

A new study from Cornell University and the University of Chicago, highlighted at CES 2026, projects that global demand for wearable health devices — including glucose monitors, blood pressure trackers and fitness wearables — could surge to as many as 2 billion units per year by 2050, roughly 42 times today’s level, and, if manufacturing practices remain unchanged, result in more than 1 million tons of electronic waste and roughly 100 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions cumulatively by mid-century, with the bulk of emissions linked to the energy-intensive production of printed circuit boards that serve as these devices’ “brains,”…

Elon Musk, chief executive of SpaceX, now says the long-anticipated uncrewed Starship mission to Mars planned for 2026 is unlikely to happen this year because it would be a “low-probability shot and somewhat of a distraction,” reflecting a pragmatic pivot driven by technical obstacles—particularly mastering in-orbit refueling—after a series of developmental hurdles that pushed key demonstrations into mid-2026 and beyond, all while SpaceX expands its reusable launch capabilities and plans a major IPO; the move comes as NASA and industry competitors advance alternative Mars and lunar missions and highlights the gap between visionary ambition and engineering realities on the path…

A California state senator has introduced landmark legislation that would impose a four-year moratorium on the manufacture and sale of children’s toys equipped with artificial intelligence chatbot capabilities, arguing that unregulated AI interactions pose unacceptable safety, privacy, and developmental risks for minors and that regulators need time to develop robust protections before such products become widespread. According to multiple independent reports, the proposal—Senate Bill 867—targets AI-enabled “companion chatbots” in toys for anyone under 18 and is framed as a precautionary public-safety measure in the face of troubling interactions documented in early AI toy deployments and broader concerns about AI’s impact…

A widely shared Reddit post claiming to be from a “whistleblower” at a major food delivery company alleging rampant fraud and exploitation of drivers and customers was exposed as fabricated content generated with artificial intelligence rather than a genuine insider account. The original story—which included supposed internal documents and an employee badge—rapidly went viral on social media before investigative reporting revealed the user had no verifiable credentials, the purported evidence was AI-generated, and the sensational claims could not be substantiated. This episode highlights how easily AI-produced misinformation can infiltrate public discourse, mislead millions, and trigger official denials from corporate leadership…

A German hacktivist operating under the pseudonym Martha Root, clad in a Pink Power Ranger costume, remotely infiltrated and wiped three white supremacist websites — WhiteDate, WhiteChild and WhiteDeal — live onstage during the 39th Chaos Communication Congress (CCC) cybersecurity conference in Hamburg, Germany, last week, leaving the sites offline and sparking debate about vigilantism versus digital extremism enforcement. Root, presenting alongside journalists who previously investigated these sites, used AI tools to bypass verification processes and extract data before deleting the platforms’ servers, a move praised by many observers as a direct blow against neo-Nazi digital infrastructure while raising legal…

In a significant federal prosecution underscoring rising scrutiny on invasive surveillance tools, Bryan Fleming, founder of the U.S.-based spyware company pcTattletale, pleaded guilty in a San Diego federal court on January 6, 2026 to charges including computer hacking and unlawful sale and advertising of surveillance software that enabled covert monitoring of others’ devices. The operation, known as stalkerware, allowed customers to secretly spy on phones and computers—commonly marketed for illicit uses such as tracking spouses or partners without consent—relying on a multi-year investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. Fleming shuttered pcTattletale in 2024 after a major…

A growing body of research shows that companies investing early and deeply in artificial intelligence (AI) are widening the performance and economic gap with competitors who treat AI as optional. A Boston Consulting Group report highlighted in Wired finds that roughly 5 percent of firms that have fully integrated AI into core business functions are seeing significantly greater revenue increases and cost efficiencies than the majority that haven’t, turning a once modest “AI gap” into a strategic competitive chasm. Independent research echoes this divide: only a small fraction of organizations extract real value from AI at scale, while most remain…

A wave of corporate and government rollbacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives marked 2025 as a turning point in the culture wars over workplace and institutional policy, with advocates of merit-based systems and limited government influence gaining momentum while traditional DEI efforts face intense scrutiny and restructuring. Recent reporting highlights a critique from within the media industry framing DEI as increasingly untenable amid changing political winds, corporate cutbacks, and shifting public sentiment, particularly under the Trump administration’s concerted effort to remove DEI from federal operations. DEI Died This Year. Maybe It Was Supposed To explores these dynamics through…

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI has successfully closed a massive $20 billion Series E funding round, significantly exceeding its original $15 billion target and reinforcing Musk’s bid to challenge the dominant AI players in the U.S. tech sector. The oversubscribed financing attracted participation from heavyweight institutional investors including Valor Equity Partners, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Qatar Investment Authority, StepStone Group, and strategic tech partners Nvidia and Cisco Investments, who are expected to support xAI’s infrastructure build-out. According to reporting, the fresh capital is earmarked to accelerate development of advanced versions of xAI’s Grok chatbot—particularly Grok 5—expand Colossus supercomputing…

A fresh health-tech trend is pushing urine analysis out of medical labs and into everyday bathrooms with a wave of smart devices that monitor hydration, metabolic markers, and potential health issues right from your toilet, backed by multiple reports on newly available products. Wired’s coverage highlights the rise of affordable urine sensors like the Vivoo clip-on that analyzes hydration and other biomarkers via Bluetooth, as well as premium systems such as the Withings U-Scan that tracks ketones, acidity, calcium, and other indicators tied to metabolic or kidney health. Independent tech news outlets and product announcements further describe how these systems…