Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon AI bro squad includes a former Uber executive and a private equity billionaire
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The Pentagon's private-sector A-Team
This morning, in advance of a meeting between Defense Secretary Pete Heg …
Apple’s new age verification tools block underage app downloads where required by law
Apple, like many others, has had to launch age verification features in response to new requirements for age checks in many regions, and on Tuesday, the company announced new details about its tools that developers can use to "meet their age assurance obligations under upcoming U.S. and regional laws, including in Brazil, Australia, Singapore, Utah, and Louisiana."
One of the big updates is that users in Australia, Brazil, and Singapore can't download apps rated 18-plus unless their age has been confirmed through "reasonable methods," which the App Store can confirm automatically. Apple notes that developers may still "have separate obliga …
Apple’s touchscreen MacBooks might also have a Dynamic Island
Apple's OLED touchscreen MacBook Pros set to launch this fall will get a Dynamic Island feature like what's available on iPhones, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple first debuted the Dynamic Island with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max as a pill-shaped cutout that can show information and alerts, though the MacBook Pro's Dynamic Island will be "smaller" than what's available on current iPhones.
The new MacBook Pros, which will come in 14-inch and 16-inch screen sizes, otherwise look "similar" to the current models, Gurman says, but Apple will be updating the Mac's user interface to make it "dynamic" and work better for eithe …
OpenAI defeats xAI’s trade secrets lawsuit
OpenAI won a victory Tuesday in one of its legal battles with xAI, which involved allegations of poaching and theft of trade secrets.
The former company's motion to dismiss the lawsuit was granted on Tuesday with leave to amend, meaning xAI has the option to refile with modified claims. In the ruling, US District Judge Rita F. Lin wrote that "xAI does not point to any misconduct by OpenAI" in its current claims. "Instead, it points to eight former xAI employees who left for OpenAI at around the same time," with no indication that OpenAI directed their actions while leaving xAI.
xAI alleges that two former employees "stole its source code …
Let me see some ID: age verification is spreading across the internet
Age verification is a reality on a growing number of social media platforms, requiring an ID or facial scan for full access to everything from YouTube to Roblox. The age-gating wave is coming along with calls for stronger child safety measures online, despite concerns about privacy, security, and censorship.
In the US, lawmakers are pushing forward bills like the App Store Accountability Act and Parents Over Platforms Act to have app stores themselves verify users’ ages.
Discord has delayed plans to roll out age verification globally after user backlash until later in 2026, but it hasn’t completely shelved them, even after a breach of a former vendor last year that leaked some users’ scanned IDs. Meanwhile, other platforms, like ChatGPT and Google, are applying AI models to identify and lock down accounts suspected of being underage until some form of identity verification can prove the user is an adult.
Follow along below for the latest updates on age verification for internet services and apps…
- Apple’s new age verification tools block underage app downloads where required by law
- Discord is delaying its global age verification rollout
- Discord distances itself from Persona age verification after user backlash
- America desperately needs new privacy laws
- Discord says ‘vast majority’ of users won’t see its new age verification setup
- Discord’s age verification mandate is a leap toward a gated internet
- Discord will require a face scan or ID for full access next month
- ChatGPT is using age prediction to restrict what minors see
- Will you have to show your ID at the app store?
- Roblox now requires an age check if you want to chat
- Meet the new tech laws of 2026
- Judge blocks Texas app store age verification law
- Australia boots kids under 16 off social media: how platforms are responding
- Welcome to the ‘papers, please’ internet
- Here’s how Apple is locking down iPhones to comply with Texas’ age verification law
- Bluesky brings age verification to South Dakota and Wyoming
- Mastodon can’t comply with Mississippi’s age verification laws.
- Steam users in the UK will need a credit card to access ‘mature content’ games
- Bluesky blocks Mississippi under new age verification law
- Supreme Court opens door to social media age-gating in US
- Google is using AI age checks to lock down user accounts
- Ready or not, age verification is rolling out across the internet
- Microsoft starts rolling out Xbox age verification in the UK
- Reddit and Discord’s UK age verification can be defeated by Death Stranding’s photo mode
- Roblox will require a facial scan or government ID to have unfiltered chats
- The EU is testing a prototype age verification app
- Reddit is rolling out age verification in the UK
- Bluesky is rolling out age verification in the UK
- Google has open sourced its privacy-focused age verification technology.
- The Supreme Court just upended internet law, and I have questions
- The EU age verification app will launch in July.
- Apple is hitting back in the war over internet age-gating
- Utah governor signs the first app store age verification bill into law.
- Utah becomes the first state to pass an app store age verification bill
- How Meta’s global head of safety approaches online age verification
- Child safety bills are reshaping the internet for everyone
- Online age verification is coming, and privacy is on the chopping block
- Instagram is testing an AI tool that verifies your age by scanning your face
Discord is delaying its global age verification rollout
Discord won't roll out age verification globally on its platform next month as previously announced, and says in a blog post that it's delaying the launch until the second half of 2026. "The way this landed, many of you walked away thinking we're requiring face scans and ID uploads from everyone just to use Discord. That's not what's happening, but the fact that so many people believe it tells us we failed at our most basic job: clearly explaining what we're doing and why," writes Discord CTO Stanislav Vishnevskiy.
Discord says that before it rolls out age verification globally, it will add more options for users to verify their age (includ …
1Password is going up in price
1Password is increasing its prices on March 27th, 2026. In an email sent to users, the password manager says it will raise the price of its individual plan from $3.99 / month ($35.88 / year) to $4.99 / month ($47.88 / year), and that its family plan is going from $6.95 / month ($59.88 / year) to $7.99 / month ($71.88 / year).
"While 1Password has grown substantially in value and capability, our pricing has remained largely unchanged for many years," 1Password's email states. 1Password says that the price increase will help it "continue investing in innovation and the world-class security you expect." The email lists some of the new features …
Seedance 2.0 might be gen AI video’s next big hope, but it’s still slop
When Irish filmmaker Ruairi Robinson began uploading a series of short clips created with Seedance 2.0 - TikTok developer ByteDance's newest video generation model - it was hard to deny that the footage was much more impressive than what we've seen from other gen AI outfits. The clips' star (a digital duplicate of Tom Cruise) looked a lot like the real thing as it fought Brad Pitt, humanoid robots, and zombies. And the characters moved with a complex fluidity almost passing for choreography and amplified by kinetic "camerawork."
Gen AI enthusiasts love to proclaim that the traditionally produced entertainment industry is cooked, and some of …
You can still get $30 in Samsung credit when you reserve a Galaxy S26 phone
Samsung is set to introduce its new Galaxy S26 lineup at its next Unpacked event on February 25th, potentially alongside a new pair of earbuds and other wearables. If you’re thinking about picking up any of the new devices, it’s worth claiming Samsung’s $30 promotional credit before it expires, which you can do by registering your interest on Samsung’s website before 1PM ET / 10AM PT tomorrow.
If you’re even remotely considering an upgrade, there’s not much to lose by signing up. You don’t need to pay anything or even offer your credit card details to take advantage of the offer. You just need to reserve a device by signing up with your name and email address on Samsung’s website or the Shop Samsung app ahead of the event. Once the devices are officially announced and preorders open, you’ll be able to apply the $30 credit at checkout. Sadly, you can’t use the $30 credit to reduce the cost of your phone or any other Samsung device announced during Unpacked; however, you can use it for all kinds of accessories.
Alongside the $30 credit, Samsung is offering up to $900 in credit when you trade in your phone at the time of purchase. For instance, trading in an S24 Ultra could net you up to $700 in credit. Your phone will have to meet certain eligibility requirements, though, and can’t exhibit damage beyond normal wear and tear.
We don’t know yet exactly what the Galaxy S26 lineup will bring, but early rumors point to a built-in privacy mode that can fully black out content from select apps or parts of the display. Reports also suggest we’ll see more Galaxy AI features — particularly new AI-powered camera tools — along with a brighter camera system.
PlayStation’s Wolverine game hits PS5 in September
Marvel's Wolverine, the next superhero game from Marvel's Spider-Man developer Insomniac Games, will be released on PS5 on September 15th.
Insomniac announced that it would be making a Wolverine game way back in 2021, so it's been a long wait in the leadup to an official release date. Sony gave a vague fall 2026 release window last year alongside a very bloody gameplay trailer.
"In this original story, Wolverine is on the hunt to uncover the secrets of a dark past that keeps eluding him," according to the game's PlayStation Store listing. "His search for answers will send him on perilous excursions to exotic locales, including the island n …