The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 The Pentagon wanted Anthropic to analyze bulk data collected from Americans
It proved the sticking point in talks as OpenAI swooped in to ink a new deal. (The Atlantic $)+ Anthropic has vowed to legally challenge its “security risk” label. (FT $)
+ Here’s a blow-by-blow look at how negotiations fell apart. (NYT $)
+ Downloads of Claude are on the up. (TechCrunch)
2 Iranian apps and websites were hacked in the wake of the US-Israeli strikes
News sites and a religious app were co-opted to display anti-military messages. (Reuters)
+ They urged personnel to abandon the regime and to liberate the country. (WSJ $)
+ Unsurprisingly, X is rife with disinformation about the attacks. (Wired $)
+ The campaign has disrupted online delivery orders across the Middle East. (Bloomberg $)
3 DeepSeek is poised to release a new AI model this week
The multimodal V4 is being released ahead of China’s annual parliamentary meetings. (FT $)
4 The UK is trialing a social media ban for under-16s
Hundreds of teens will test overnight digital curfews and screen time limits. (The Guardian)
+ What it’s like to attend a phone addiction meeting. (Boston Globe $)
5 Celebrities are winning huge sums playing on this major crypto casino’s slots
In fact, their lucky wins appear to spike while they’re livestreaming. (Bloomberg $)
6 America is desperate to steal China’s critical mineral lead
The victor essentially controls global computing, aerospace and defense. (Economist $)
+ This rare earth metal shows us the future of our planet’s resources. (MIT Technology Review)
7 How lasers became the military’s weapon of choice
From Ukraine to the US, soldiers are deploying laser guns. But why? (The Atlantic $)
+ They’re a key part of America’s arsenal in manning the southern border. (New Yorker $)
+ This giant microwave may change the future of war. (MIT Technology Review)
8 How quantum entanglement became big business
It promises unhackable communication—but is it too good to be true? (New Scientist $)
+ Useful quantum computing is inevitable—and increasingly imminent. (MIT Technology Review)
9 The iPod is proving a hit among Gen Z
Even though Apple discontinued the music player four years ago. (NYT $)
10 Chinese parents are joining matchmaking apps in their droves
In a bid to marry off their adult children as soon as humanly possible. (Nikkei Asia)