Author: Frank Salvato

Roku is gearing up to launch new streaming service bundles in 2026 as part of a broader strategy to improve profitability and growth after reporting a strong fourth-quarter performance in 2025, with net income of $80.5 million on $1.4 billion in revenue; the company is expanding its low-cost Howdy subscription to more platforms and adding premium partners like HBO Max to its offerings while forecasting total net revenue of $5.5 billion and continued double-digit platform growth alongside its efforts to attract budget-conscious viewers amid rising subscription costs and a shift toward ad-supported streaming. Source reporting indicates Roku is close to…

Figure Technology, a blockchain-based lending fintech firm listed on the Nasdaq, confirmed that it suffered a significant data breach after attackers successfully used a social engineering tactic to compromise an employee’s account, allowing unauthorized access to internal files. The breach, for which the cybercriminal group ShinyHunters claimed responsibility, resulted in roughly 2.5 gigabytes of data being exfiltrated and published on the dark web following a refused ransom demand. Stolen information reportedly includes sensitive customer details such as full names, home addresses, dates of birth, and phone numbers, prompting the company to notify affected individuals and offer free credit monitoring services.…

Meta is reportedly preparing to add real-time facial recognition technology to its AI-powered smart glasses this year with a feature dubbed “Name Tag,” allowing wearers to identify people and receive information about them via Meta’s AI assistant, sparking a fresh wave of debate over privacy, surveillance, and civil liberties as the company weighs how and when to roll out the controversial upgrade. According to reporting based on an internal memo and unnamed sources, Meta considered timing the launch to coincide with a period of political distraction to minimize backlash and has acknowledged safety and privacy risks associated with the capability;…

Airbnb has announced that its proprietary artificial intelligence system now handles roughly one-third of all customer support interactions in the United States and Canada through both chat and voice interfaces, a major expansion of automation in its operations that the company plans to scale globally over the next year as part of a broader AI strategy including enhanced search and planning features. Sources https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/13/airbnb-says-a-third-of-its-customer-support-is-now-handled-by-ai-in-the-u-s-and-canada/https://news.airbnb.com/airbnb-q4-2025-financial-results/https://www.findarticles.com/airbnb-shifts-33-of-support-to-ai-in-us-and-canada/ Key Takeaways • Airbnb says its in-house AI now resolves about 33 percent of customer support requests in the U.S. and Canada, and this capability will expand internationally.• The company reports AI automation is part of…

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has significantly increased its use of administrative subpoenas to compel major technology platforms — including Google, Meta, Reddit, and Discord — to turn over identifying information tied to anonymous social media accounts that post content critical of Immigration and Customs Enforcement or share real-time tracking of ICE activities, a tactic that bypasses judicial oversight and has sparked free speech and privacy concerns; some companies have complied with these demands at least in part, while others have notified users of the requests and allowed legal challenges, and civil liberties advocates warn that this represents a…

Spotify’s co-CEO Gustav Söderström revealed during the company’s fourth-quarter 2025 earnings call that the company’s top engineers have not written a single line of code since December, underscoring a dramatic shift toward artificial intelligence-driven software development where internal systems like “Honk” and generative models such as Claude Code produce and deploy features with minimal human typing required. Instead of traditional coding, engineers at Spotify are using AI commands—sometimes issued via Slack on a mobile device—to generate, fix, and merge app code in real time, a model the company credits with helping it ship more than 50 new features in 2025,…

The Australian government has formally put the hugely popular online gaming platform Roblox on notice, demanding urgent action and accountability after reports emerged that children on the service have been approached by predators and exposed to sexually explicit and self-harm content, prompting calls for meetings with platform executives, possible reclassification of its PG rating, and scrutiny of safety measures under Australia’s Online Safety Act. Sources https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/australia-puts-roblox-on-notice-amid-child-grooming-claims-5983238https://www.abc.net.au/news/commonwealth-roblox-reports-of-child-grooming/106323242https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-asks-meeting-with-roblox-after-grooming-content-complaints-2026-02-10/ Key Takeaways • Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells has sought an urgent meeting with Roblox after receiving reports that children using the platform are being groomed by predators and exposed to explicit and harmful…

A new survey released in February shows that children in the United Kingdom are increasingly relying on artificial intelligence chatbots not just for homework help, but for real-world guidance, with roughly 86 percent of those who use these AI systems reporting that they’ve acted on the advice given by them, a trend that raises fresh concerns about digital literacy, critical thinking and social development as nearly a third of young users describe these tools as friend-like and many disclose personal issues they wouldn’t share with parents or teachers. Sources https://www.vodafone.co.uk/newscentre/press-release/ai-chatbots-safer-internet-day-2026/https://www.itv.com/news/2026-02-09/ai-homework-and-friendship-why-more-children-are-opening-up-to-chatbotshttps://saferinternet.org.uk/blog/almost-all-young-brits-use-ai-more-than-half-say-it-makes-life-better Key Takeaways • A large majority of UK children aged…

A bipartisan group of eight U.S. lawmakers led by House committee leaders has formally pressed the Trump administration to expand and tighten export controls on advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China, warning that current entity-specific restrictions leave “critical gaps” that Beijing is exploiting to advance its chipmaking capabilities. They argue that restricting China’s access to so-called chokepoint tools — including advanced lithography systems China cannot produce domestically — is vital for U.S. national security and technological competitiveness, and called for broader countrywide controls and allied cooperation to prevent the transfer of key chipmaking gear and subcomponents into Chinese hands, as…

Waymo, the self-driving vehicle division of Alphabet Inc., has initiated fully autonomous operations in Nashville, Tennessee, marking a new phase in its expansion of driverless robotaxi services across the United States. The deployment in Music City comes after months of preparation and is tied to a strategic partnership with ride-hailing company Lyft, which is set to integrate Waymo’s autonomous fleet into its platform for public use later this year. Nashville joins several major metropolitan areas where Waymo has already developed autonomous driving capabilities, with ride-hail services previously established in cities like Phoenix and San Francisco. As Waymo ramps up its…