Technology

Many recently laid-off U.S. tech workers say they are unsure whether AI investments or other corporate priorities drove their job cuts; companies often cited efficiency or restructuring while some workers are learning AI skills to adapt.

A senior Cabinet Office official pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children and was given a 12‑month community order.

Philip Intallura, HSBC's global head of quantum technologies, said quantum computing could be highly transformative and could threaten current cryptography; he estimated many organizations may need about 18 months to two years to build the capabilities to begin implementation.

AT&T unveiled the amiGO Jr. Phone and amiGO Jr. Watch 2 and says the devices pair with a parent-facing app that includes location tracking, pre-approved contacts, safe zones and schedules to limit distractions.

Andrew Adetitun used WordPress.com's AI website builder and managed hosting to launch a site for The King's Monologue, and the site helped drive traffic to a successfully funded Kickstarter for his book.

Google released a new Doodle featuring curling, ice hockey, snowboarding and skiing to mark the start of the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, which run through Feb. 22.

A father says his 16-year-old daughter died by suicide after alleged grooming that began on Roblox; dozens of related lawsuits have been consolidated in federal court and the first hearing took place January 31.

James Park and Eric Friedman launched Luffu on Feb. 4 as an AI-powered platform to store and share family health records; pricing, full integrations and wider availability have not been announced.

Spotify introduced Page Match, a premium feature that scans printed pages or e-readers to jump to the matching spot in an audiobook; it begins rolling out in 22 countries and covers English-language titles from a catalog of more than 500,000 books.

Spotify announced a partnership with Bookshop.org to enable in‑app purchases of physical books in the U.S. and U.K., and introduced Page Match, a feature that syncs reading position between printed/e-book and audiobook versions; Page Match is rolling out to most English-language titles by the end of February.

IBM has launched a global RFP for the next IBM Impact Accelerator cohort to back AI projects in education and workforce development, with proposals due March 25, 2026.

President Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro held a private, roughly two-hour White House meeting on Feb. 3 and described it as cordial; neither announced detailed agreements, though they said they would work on counternarcotics measures.

Itron and Toumetis announced a project with San Diego Gas & Electric under the EPIC program to deploy real-time analytics across more than 800 distribution circuits, combining smart meter and other grid sensor data to help prevent outages and shorten outage duration.

Amazon says it delivered more than 13 billion items worldwide same or next day last year and expanded free same- and next-day delivery to over 4,000 smaller US cities and towns, with grocery and everyday essentials making up a large share of those orders.

Police say two sisters, ages 12 and 14, were found safe after communicating with a 19-year-old man on Roblox and Snapchat; the suspect is jailed in Georgia on kidnapping and interference with child custody charges while authorities seek extradition to Florida.

Platforms and AI firms are tightening content quality controls to limit AI-generated “slop,” which the article reports can degrade model performance; reported responses include takedowns, algorithm updates, and new hires focused on content expertise.

U.S. operations moved under an American-led joint venture and TikTok says U.S. user data and the recommendation algorithm are managed domestically; the article emphasizes that privacy outcomes still depend largely on how accounts are configured.

A Resume.org study reports 57% of companies use AI in hiring, and experts describe growing use of AI for resume screening, chatbot interviews, and a renewed emphasis on live interviews and AI collaboration.

Bad Bunny's all-Spanish album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, the first time an all‑Spanish-language record has received that honor; he also won Best Música Urbana Album and Best Global Music Performance.

Bad Bunny's album "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS" won album of the year at the Grammy Awards, the first time an all‑Spanish‑language album has won that category. The artist began his acceptance speech in Spanish and collected three wins that night.

Hundreds gathered at the Utah State Capitol for the 5th annual Rally to Save Our Great Salt Lake as officials warn the lake dropped to its third-lowest level and public health experts cite risks from toxic dust and worsening air quality. State leaders and advocates note a pending $30 million acquisition of U.S. Magnesium to route more water to the lake as part of broader restoration efforts.

Mercedes has given the S‑Class a broad mid-cycle refresh that replaces or upgrades roughly 2,700 parts and introduces a revised 4.0‑liter V8 with mild‑hybrid support. The update also adds expanded rear-seat amenities and an updated MBUX voice assistant with short‑term memory.

Amazon says it found hundreds of thousands of suspected child sexual abuse images in AI training data during 2025 and reported them to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, while providing limited information about where the material originated.

At Davos 2026, leaders framed artificial intelligence as a large, capital‑intensive infrastructure driving economic and geopolitical shifts; discussions focused on governance, control and limits in compute, energy and data center capacity.

South Florida is expecting unusually cold weather, and many residents are testing heaters or using space heaters and other heat sources. Local technicians and fire officials emphasized routine heater maintenance and noted the risks of space heaters placed too close to flammable items.

Sergey Brin donated $20 million to Building a Better California, a new nonprofit focused on housing affordability; the group disclosed other contributions and has funded two ballot initiative drives. It has not taken a position on a proposed 5% billionaire asset tax that could seek the November ballot.

OpenAI board chair Bret Taylor said vibe coding will become commonplace, but he argues the bigger disruption will be AI agents that change how software is structured and operated.

Families of the Challenger crew created the Challenger Center in 1986 to continue the mission of space education, and the nonprofit now operates 32 centers and estimates it has reached more than 7 million students worldwide.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued Executive Directive No. 2026-1 to prepare state agencies to explore and possibly commercialize geologic hydrogen, with multiple reports due by April 1. The order directs reviews of legal, technical, infrastructure, workforce and environmental issues tied to exploration, production, transportation and storage.

Archaeologists in Oaxaca uncovered a well-preserved 1,400-year-old Zapotec tomb that contains carved figures, a large owl at its entrance and ritual murals; teams from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History are stabilizing and studying the site while surveys probe possible connected underground chambers.