Techmeme
February 14, 2025, 2:50 PM

Top News

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Sources: Meta plans major investment in AI-powered humanoid robots, with an initial focus on household chores, and has formed a new team within Reality Labs  —  - Company is aiming to be the engine powering humanoid market  — Ex-Cruise CEO Marc Whitten to run new group in Reality Labs
Jason Koebler / 404 Media:
The doge.gov website tracking Elon Musk's cuts to the federal government pulls from a database that anyone can edit, say two sources who found the vulnerability  —  The doge.gov website that was spun up to track Elon Musk's cuts to the federal government is insecure and pulls from a database …
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Mastodon is working on a quote posts feature, which it says is a “source of concern” for some and “highly requested” by others  —  Mastodon, the decentralized alternative to X, is going to adopt a controversial feature from the platform formerly known as Twitter: quote posts.
Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Apple and Google restore TikTok to their US app stores after its January 18 removal, following Trump admin assurances that a ban won't immediately be enforced  —  - Companies had removed the app to abide by US legislation  — Trump signed executive order to delay a potential ban
More: TikTok, NPR, TechCrunch, Breitbart, How-To Geek, HotHardware, New York Times, PYMNTS.com, 9to5Google, Forbes, Reuters, Android Police, The Standard, MLive.com, Associated Press, Android Central, Fast Company, Wired, Washington Post, San Diego Reader, PCMag, The Verge, The Wrap, Wall Street Journal, Hollywood Life, iPhone in Canada Blog, Android Headlines, Daring Fireball, 9to5Mac, Politico, AzerNews, NBC News, Entrepreneur, MacDailyNews, Axios, BGR, Ghacks, Social Media Today, MarketWatch, en.ain.ua, Silicon Republic, TechSpot, TechNode, Livemint, Mashable, MEDIANAMA, TipRanks Financial, BSS, Proactive, Al Jazeera, MakeUseOf, RTTNews, Silicon UK, indy100, Fortune, CMU, WinBuzzer, Retail TouchPoints, Pocket-lint, Tech.co, UPI, MSPoweruser, KEYE, Gizchina.com, Sherwood News, Tom's Guide, PocketGamer.biz, Techreport, Newser, International Business Times, Fox Business, Drapers, MediaPost, Neowin, CNBC, LBC, The National, Sky News, Just The News, The News International, Nairametrics, Gulf Times, Cult of Mac, Times of India, Digital Music News, Hypebot, Comic Book, The Independent, CBS News, USA Today, Phone Scoop, Sharecafe, Reclaim The Net, Dexerto, The Boston Globe, China.org.cn, BBC, Adweek, Financial Times, KTVU-TV, Mobile World Live, The Desk, Digital Trends, Variety, Engadget, Appleosophy, 9News, AppleInsider, The Wrap, Business Insider, The Information, ABC7, Anadolu Ajansı …, and MacRumors
Bluesky: @aricohn.com and @martinsfpMastodon: @fraying@xoxo.zone
Scharon Harding / Ars Technica:
In an AMA, Steve Huffman says Reddit is planning to roll out paid subreddits in 2025 and is “laying the foundation” to monetize commerce within subreddits  —  Huffman previously showed interest in potentially introducing a new type of subreddit with “exclusive content or private areas” that Reddit users would pay to access.
Ivan Mehta / TechCrunch:
Instagram is testing a dislike button for comments; Instagram will not show a dislike count and dislikes may eventually count toward ranking comments  —  After users noticed a new button on Instagram to downvote or dislike comments, the company confirmed that it is testing a way for users …
Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple plans to launch its AI features in China as early as May 2025, using its own on-device models and Alibaba software to censor or filter the output  —  - Company to use own models, with help from Alibaba and Baidu  — Work includes system to censor or block content for government
Lauren Feiner / The Verge:
Sources: around 20 technologists at CFPB were fired on Thursday, gutting a team that specialized in understanding Big Tech's entrance into financial products  —  The terminations leave a gaping hole in the oversight of financial institutions and tech firms venturing into financial technology.
Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:
Bloomberg:
Source: TSMC is considering taking a controlling stake in Intel's factories at the request of Trump's team; it is unclear whether Intel is open to a transaction  —  - TSMC would take controlling stake in potential partnership  — Administration aims to boost manufacturing of advanced chips
Reuters:
Sources: the White House plans to renegotiate some Chips Act awards after changing current requirements, and has signaled delays to some upcoming disbursements  —  The White House is seeking to renegotiate U.S. CHIPS and Science Act awards and has signaled delays to some upcoming semiconductor disbursements …
Sophie McEvoy / GamesIndustry.biz:
Ubisoft reports revenue for the nine months ending December 31, 2024, down 31.4% YoY to €990M, net booking down 34.8% to €944M, but remains optimistic about Q4  —  Firm also experienced a 51.8% drop in net bookings during its third quarter  —  Ubisoft has released its financial results …
Madeline Renbarger / Newcomer:
The AI Action Summit in Paris was all about investment and competition as the Trump administration made even a token acknowledgment of AI safety unacceptable  —  Plus, Elon Musk's $97.4 billion challenge to Sam Altman  —  Europe Falls In Line With a US AI Vision
Abner Li / 9to5Google:
Google's Gemini can now recall and “reference past chats for more tailored help”, rolling out in English for Advanced subscribers on the web and in the app  —  Google today is rolling out a new Gemini app feature for Advanced subscribers that can recall and “reference past chats for more tailored help.”

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Earlier Picks

Reuters:
Kyle Wiggers / TechCrunch:
Tanaya Macheel / CNBC:
Emma Roth / The Verge:
Amanda Silberling / TechCrunch: