Jay Peters / The Verge:
Discord launches a Social SDK to let developers offer friends lists, cross-platform messaging, voice, and more, with console and mobile support “coming soon” — An easier way to connect with Discord friends. … Discord is launching a way for developers to directly integrate …
New York Times:
HR service Rippling sues rival Deel, accusing it of hiring a mole in its Dublin office to comb through trade secrets, discovered via a “honeypot” Slack channel — A lawsuit by Rippling accuses a top competitor, Deel, of placing a mole in its ranks — which it uncovered via a “honeypot” trap on Slack.
Firat Kozok / Bloomberg:
Sources: Turkey plans new EU-style rules to rein in major US tech companies, in a bill created by the ruling party and antitrust authority, risking a US clash — Turkey is planning new rules to rein in the dominance of major tech firms, imitating the European Union’s regulatory approach at the risk of provoking US retaliation.
Austin Carr / Bloomberg:
An interview with Snap CEO Evan Spiegel on Snap’s fifth-generation smart glasses, unveiled in September 2024, competing with Apple and Meta, Snap OS, and more — The new Spectacles can project augmented-reality imagery onto the lenses. — Evan Spiegel sees something others don’t …
Michael Levenson / New York Times:
Carl Lundstrom, who financed file sharing service the Pirate Bay, died in a plane crash in Slovenia; at its peak, the Pirate Bay had an estimated 20M+ users — Mr. Lundstrom was a supporter of far-right causes and, at one point, an unsuccessful candidate for office.
Sidhartha Shukla / Bloomberg:
Crypto exchange OKX says it has “temporarily” suspended its DEX aggregator services, used to launder the $1.5B Bybit hack, after reported EU scrutiny under MiCA — Digital-asset exchange OKX has suspended a service used by hackers to launder proceeds from a $1.5 billion heist …
Financial Times:
Sources detail Alibaba’s AI pivot, quietly led by Jack Ma after ChatGPT’s 2022 launch, but question if it can establish a lead in China’s competitive AI race — The Chinese tech giant is establishing a lead in a fiercely competitive sector, and its billionaire founder is back in favour
Stephen Morris / Financial Times:
Alphabet spins off laser-based internet company Taara from its X “moonshot” incubator; Taara, which raised new funding, has its origins in Loon, closed in 2021 — Taara start-up aims to compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink to connect remote areas to the internet using light beams
Emma Jacobs / Financial Times:
A look at “coachbots”, AI-powered virtual coaches like CoachHub’s Aimy and Valence’s Nadia that advise on salary talks, work habits, and role-play conversations — AI-powered mentors offer cheaper — but more limited — advice on work issues — Conversing with one “difficult …
Nick Robins-Early / The Guardian:
How Elon Musk targeted 18F, as ex-employees say the GSA’s group focused on increasing bureaucratic efficiency through tech, similar to what DOGE claims to do — Rightwing campaign propelled by tech billionaire accuses General Services Administration’s 18F of being a far-left cell
