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Claude Code users hitting usage limits 'way faster than expected'

BBC Tech News - Wed, 04/01/2026 - 7:59am
Anthropic, the company behind the AI coding assistant, said it was fixing a problem blocking users.

The Best E-Readers (2026): Kobo, Kindle

Wired Top Stories - Wed, 04/01/2026 - 7:35am
These WIRED-tested ebook readers let you take your library anywhere.

Mass robotaxi malfunction halts traffic in Chinese city

BBC Tech News - Wed, 04/01/2026 - 7:34am
Baidu has not responded to a request for comment about the outage, which affected at least 100 cars.

Mass robotaxi malfunction halts traffic in Chinese city

BBC Tech News - Wed, 04/01/2026 - 7:34am
Baidu has not responded to a request for comment about the outage, which affected at least 100 cars.

What You Need to Know About Building an Outdoor Sauna (2026)

Wired Top Stories - Wed, 04/01/2026 - 7:30am
Putting together a relaxing backyard retreat is not always as simple as you might think.

Startup Pitches 'Brainless Clones' To Serve the Role of Backup Human Bodies

Slashdot - Wed, 04/01/2026 - 7:00am
MIT Technology Review discovered that startup R3 Bio has pitched an ethically and scientifically explosive long-term vision beyond its public work on non-sentient monkey "organ sacks": creating human "brainless clones" or replacement bodies for organs as part of an extreme life-extension agenda. From the report: Imagine it like this: a baby version of yourself with only enough of a brain structure to be alive in case you ever need a new kidney or liver. Or, alternatively, he has speculated, you might one day get your brain placed into a younger clone. That could be a way to gain a second lifespan through a still hypothetical procedure known as a body transplant. The fuller context of R3's proposals, as well as activities of another stealth startup with related goals, have not previously been reported. They've been kept secret by a circle of extreme life-extension proponents who fear that their plans for immortality could be derailed by clickbait headlines and public backlash. And that's because the idea can sound like something straight from a creepy science fiction film. One person who heard R3's clone presentation, and spoke on the condition of anonymity, was left reeling by its implications and shaken by [R3 founder John Schloendorn's] enthusiastic delivery. The briefing, this person said, was like a "close encounter of the third kind" with "Dr. Strangelove." [...] MIT Technology Review found no evidence that R3 has cloned anyone, or even any animal bigger than a rodent. What we did find were documents, additional meeting agendas, and other sources outlining a technical road map for what R3 called "body replacement cloning" in a 2023 letter to supporters. That road map involved improvements to the cloning process and genetic wiring diagrams for how to create animals without complete brains. A main purpose of the fundraising, investors say, was to support efforts to try these techniques in monkeys from a base in the Caribbean. That offered a path to a nearer-term business plan for more ethical medical experiments and toxicology testing -- if the company could develop what it now calls monkey "organ sacks." However, this work would clearly inform any possible human version.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Best WiiM Streamers (2026): Simplify Your Sound With WiiM Streaming Gear

Wired Top Stories - Wed, 04/01/2026 - 7:00am
Lookout, Sonos. WiiM is the new star in whole-home audio, and these are the best WiiM devices you can buy.

Retrospec Judd Rev 2 Electric Folding Bike Review: Affordable, Simple, Easy to Store

Wired Top Stories - Wed, 04/01/2026 - 6:30am
Retrospec's affordable folding electric bike is refreshingly free of unnecessary bells and whistles.

I Asked ChatGPT What WIRED’s Reviewers Recommend. Its Answers Were All Wrong

Wired Top Stories - Wed, 04/01/2026 - 5:30am
Want to know what our reviewers have actually tested and picked as the best TVs, headphones, and laptops? Ask ChatGPT, and it'll give you the wrong answers.

The Best Mushroom Coffee, WIRED Tested and Reviewed (2026)

Wired Top Stories - Wed, 04/01/2026 - 5:08am
“Coffee” made with functional mushrooms like lion’s mane and chaga is all the rage. We tried the most popular brands to find which were the most palatable.

Thousands lose their jobs in deep cuts at tech giant Oracle

BBC Tech News - Wed, 04/01/2026 - 3:09am
It is thought that thousands of people may have lost their jobs at Oracle, one of the world's largest tech companies.

SpaceX Starlink Satellite Suffers Mysterious 'Anomaly' In Orbit

Slashdot - Wed, 04/01/2026 - 3:00am
A Starlink satellite broke apart in orbit after suffering an unexplained "anomaly," apparently due to an "internal energetic source" rather than a collision. "The incident appears to have created some debris, with fragments likely to fall to Earth over the next few weeks," reports Scientific American. From the report: The satellite lost communication at about 560 kilometers above Earth, Starlink said. While the statement from Starlink, which is a subsidiary of Musk's rocket company SpaceX, merely noted that investigations are ongoing, LeoLabs said its radar observations of the event indicated an "internal energetic source" as the likely cause rather than a collision. The incident underscores the potential hazards of the increasingly large numbers of satellites and other spacecraft in low-Earth orbit -- some 10,000 Starlinks are currently in orbit and counting. Starlink's statement said that "the event poses no new risk" to the International Space Station or to the upcoming launch of NASA's Artemis II mission, targeted for April 1.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Babbel Promo Code: Up to 65% Off in April 2026

Wired Top Stories - Wed, 04/01/2026 - 1:00am
Master a new language with expert-led courses. Use our verified Babbel coupon codes to save up to 65% on student plans and 60% on 6-month subscriptions.

Boston VC funding hits $1 billion in March as one startup reaches 'decacorn' status

Mass High Tech News - Wed, 04/01/2026 - 12:01am
The local venture capital market surpassed $1 billion in monthly funding for the second time this year, bolstered by a decacorn valuation.

Russia Goes After VPNs As 'Great Crackdown' Gathers Pace

Slashdot - Tue, 03/31/2026 - 11:30pm
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: Russia is going to further clamp down Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), which are used by millions of Russians to get around internet controls and censorship, Russia's digital minister said. In what has been cast by diplomats as Russia's "great crackdown," the authorities have repeatedly blocked mobile internet and jammed major messenger services while giving sweeping powers to cut off mass communications. "The task is reduce VPN usage," Digital Minister Maksut Shadayev said on state-backed messenger MAX late on Monday, adding that his ministry was trying to impose the limits with minimal impact on users. He said decisions had been taken to restrict access to a number of unidentified foreign platforms without giving details.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Volvo Shifts Polestar 3 Production Entirely To the US

Slashdot - Tue, 03/31/2026 - 7:00pm
Polestar and Volvo are ending Polestar 3 production in Chengdu, China, and consolidating all output of the electric SUV at Volvo's plant in South Carolina. "The move to consolidate global Polestar 3 production in Charleston help[s] generate efficiencies for both companies, whilst also underscoring our confidence in the plant and the role it plays in our manufacturing footprint," said Hakan Samuelsson, chief executive of Volvo Cars. "The U.S. is a very important market for Volvo Cars, both to support our growth ambitions as well as a strategic production site to meet regional and export demands." Ars Technica reports: Volvo had a challenging 2025, with sales falling by 7 percent. Meanwhile, Polestar, which was spun out from the Swedish OEM's performance arm into a standalone startup in 2017, had a rather good 2025, seeing a 34 percent increase in sales. So increasing the proportion of Polestar 3s to come out of South Carolina seems sensible. And as we learned last September, the midsize electric Volvo EX60 will also go into production at the South Carolina site later this year, and then we'll see a still-unnamed hybrid Volvo in 2030. The two companies also announced today that Volvo agreed to extend part of a shareholder loan it made to Polestar and will convert the rest into Polestar shares. Polestar will still owe Volvo $661 million, due at the end of 2031, and another $274 million will become Polestar stock now, with a further $65 million in the second quarter of the year. Since December, Polestar has also raised $1 billion through three equity financing investments.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Bentley launches $85 million renovation of largest campus academic building

Mass High Tech News - Tue, 03/31/2026 - 6:06pm
Bentley University has begun construction on an $85 million project to overhaul the largest academic buildings on campus.

Oracle Cuts Thousands of Jobs Across Sales, Engineering, Security

Slashdot - Tue, 03/31/2026 - 6:00pm
bobthesungeek76036 shares a report from the Register: Oracle laid off thousands of employees on Tuesday as it ramps spending on AI infrastructure projects internally and with major technology partners. The layoffs were carried out via email, according to copies of the message viewed by Business Insider. The email told affected workers they would be terminated immediately and to provide a personal email for follow-up. The cuts echo a TD Cowen forecast earlier this year, when the investment bank questioned how Oracle would finance its expanding AI datacenter buildout and suggested headcount reductions could reach 20,000 to 30,000. It is not clear how many employees were notified on Tuesday, but one screenshot that purports to show the number of internal Slack users showed a drop of 10,000 overnight. [...] Oracle employs about 162,000 people, with 58,000 of those in the US and approximately 104,000 internationally. If the rumored cuts of 30,000 are correct, it would amount to 18 percent of the company's workforce. According to posts from Oracle workers on LinkedIn, the cuts were spread through multiple departments around the country, with employees in Kansas, Tennessee, and Texas taking to social media to say they were among those chopped. "This news didn't seem to affect stock price," adds bobthesungeek76036. "ORCL is up 6% for the day."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Tech giant Oracle makes 'significant' job cuts

BBC Tech News - Tue, 03/31/2026 - 5:50pm
It is thought that thousands of people may have lost their jobs at Oracle, one of the world's largest tech companies.

Maine businesses ramp up opposition to data privacy bill

Portland Press Herald Business - Tue, 03/31/2026 - 5:07pm
Company owners and advocates say the legislation will hinder their ability to reach customers and grow their businesses.

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