• Google aims to take the sting out of scheduling meetings with a new Gemini feature

    Google is rolling out a Gemini feature that could turn out to be pretty useful for many folks. It’s a Google Calendar tool that can help figure out the best time to schedule a meeting, taking into account attendees’ schedules. When creating a meeting, you can click the “Suggested times” option and Gemini will look at the availability that people have marked on their calendar and potential conflicts. You’ll then be able to choose from a list of suggested time slots. But the time you pick may not work for everyone. So if multiple people decline the meeting invite, you…

  • Social network UpScrolled sees surge in downloads following TikTok’s US takeover

    In the wake of TikTok’s U.S. ownership change last week, some users are seeking out alternative platforms. One app gaining traction is UpScrolled, a social network that pledges to remain impartial to political agendas. The app currently ranks 12th overall in Apple’s App Store and second in the social networking category. Upscrolled blends familiar features from Instagram and X, letting users share photos, videos, and text posts, discover new content, and send direct messages. The app was founded last year by Issam Hijazi, a Palestinian-Jordanian-Australian technologist, with the aim of giving users a place to “freely express thoughts, share moments,…

  • The next thing that could hurt global vehicle production

    We’ve lived through the semiconductor shortage that stifled car production after the COVID-19 pandemic, and we might be about to go through something similar in the not-too-distant future. Artificial intelligence (AI) companies are driving a spike in the price of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips as they build out data centres for their power- and processing-hungry applications. According to The Register consumer prices for the most common memory capacities jumped up 63 per cent in Europe during the final quarter of 2025. Analysts from S&P Global and UBS say this will have a knock-on effect to the automotive sector…

  • Ubisoft proposes even more layoffs after last week’s studio closures and game cancellations

    It looks like Ubisoft is planning even more layoffs to accompany last week’s studio closures and game cancellations, . The company is planning a massive reduction of the workforce in its Paris headquarters. It has proposed the loss of up to 200 jobs, which is nearly 20 percent of the current staff. This will be organized under France’s , in which staff can agree to form a collective, voluntary mutual termination agreement. It’s not a done deal just yet, with a company spokesperson saying “at this stage, this remains a proposal and no decision will be final until a collective…

  • AI startup CVector raises $5M for its industrial ‘nervous system’

    Industrial AI startup CVector built a brain and nervous system for big industry. Now, founders Richard Zhang and Tyler Ruggles are tasked with a bigger challenge: showing customers and investors how this AI-powered software layer translates to real savings on an industrial scale.  The New York-based startup has had some success following its pre-seed funding round last July. Its system is now running with real customers, including public utilities, advanced manufacturing facilities, and chemical producers. It’s given the duo more concrete examples of what problems they can solve — and money they can save — for their big industry clients…

  • How to generate AI images using ChatGPT

    Since March 2025, ChatGPT has been capable of generating images. Following a period where it briefly wasn’t available to free users, you now don’t even pay for one of OpenAI’s subscriptions to use this feature. And while making images inside of ChatGPT is easy, there are some nuances worth explaining. For example, did you know you can ask ChatGPT to edit photos you’ve taken? It’s more powerful than you might think. Here’s everything you need to know about generating AI images with ChatGPT. How to create images with ChatGPT using text prompts To begin making an image in ChatGPT, you…

  • TikTok alternative Skylight soars to 380K+ users after TikTok U.S. deal finalized

    Skylight, a TikTok alternative built on open source technology, is benefiting from concerns that arose over TikTok U.S.’s change in ownership last week. The startup, a maker of a short-form, vertical video app similar to TikTok, says it has now topped over 380,000 users and is continuing to grow after a busy weekend. Launched last year and backed by Mark Cuban and other investors, Skylight’s mobile app is built on the AT Protocol, the technology that also powers the decentralized X rival, Bluesky, which now has north of 42 million users. Skylight, co-founded by CEO Tori White and CTO Reed…

  • How to watch, schedule of events, and everything else you need to know about the 2026 Milano Cortina games

    The 2026 Winter Olympics are taking place in Italy this year, with all the action taking place in Milan and the Alpine city of Cortina. This year marks the fourth time Italy has hosted the Winter Games; most recently, Turin hosted in 2006. Of the 16 sports that will be featured at the Winter Olympics, there will be 15 returning favorites, including figure skating, Alpine skiing, curling, ice hockey, speedskating, snowboarding, freestyle skiing and ski jumping, and one entirely new sport, snow mountaineering. (Will it be as big a hit as the 2024 Summer Games’ new addition, breaking? It remains…

  • Tech workers call for CEOs to speak up against ICE after the killing of Alex Pretti

    More than 450 tech workers from companies like Google, Meta, OpenAI, Amazon, and Salesforce have signed a letter urging their CEOs to call the White House and demand that United States Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) leave U.S. cities.  “For months now, Trump has sent federal agents to our cities to criminalize us, our neighbors, friends, colleagues, and family members,” reads the open letter from IceOut.Tech. “From Minneapolis to Los Angeles to Chicago, we’ve seen armed and masked thugs bring reckless violence, kidnapping, terror and cruelty with no end in sight.” Minneapolis has become the focal point of a large-scale…

  • Blizzard lines up WoW, Overwatch, Hearthstone and Diablo showcases

    While we got a peek at a few Xbox Game Studios projects during last week’s Developer Direct event, neither Bethesda nor Activision Blizzard made appearances. Fans of several Blizzard franchises won’t need to wait too long to find out what’s next for their favorite games, though, as the publisher has lined up several showcases to help mark its 35th anniversary. The developer-led streams will include “major game announcements,” according to Blizzard. They’ll all air over the next few weeks. Here’s where and when you can watch each stream: January 29. 12PM ET — World of Warcraft State of Azeroth (YouTube and Twitch) February 4,…