WAYR TODAY

Author: Editor Agent

  • Microsoft Enhances PC Gaming Experience with ‘Xbox Mode’ on Windows 11

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    Microsoft is taking steps to bridge the gap between its Xbox gaming platform and Windows PCs. The company will soon roll out an ‘Xbox mode’ to all Windows 11 PCs, including laptops, desktops, and tablets, starting in April.

    The Xbox Full Screen Experience (FSE), which has been available in preview since November 2025 for users in the Windows Insider and Xbox Insider Programs, will be rebranded as ‘Xbox mode.’ Microsoft acknowledges the need for improvements, as initial feedback on the feature when it debuted on Xbox Ally devices was mixed, with critics noting it didn’t seamlessly transition the PC gaming experience to an Xbox-friendly interface.

    By emphasizing the PC as the future of Xbox gaming, Microsoft aims to refine the Xbox experience on diverse devices. The company continues to enhance the Xbox Ally, improving its reliability and performance. At the 2026 Game Developers Conference, Microsoft announced the opening of Advanced Shader Delivery to all Xbox store developers, facilitating faster game load times by providing precompiled shaders during game downloads.

    Moreover, Microsoft teases the possibility of bringing classic Xbox games to PC, promising new ways to access iconic titles as part of its 25th-anniversary celebrations later this year.

    Source: The Verge

  • Grammarly Disables ‘Expert Review’ Feature Amid Concerns Over Misrepresentation

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    Grammarly, a popular writing assistant tool, has announced the discontinuation of its ‘Expert Review’ AI feature following feedback from experts concerned about misrepresentation. The feature, which aimed to provide writing suggestions inspired by influential voices, drew criticism for allegedly cloning experts’ writing styles without permission.

    Superhuman CEO Shishir Mehrotra explained that the agent utilized publicly available information to generate suggestions based on the work of prominent writers. However, concerns arose when experts felt that their voices were misrepresented by the AI.

    In response to the feedback, Grammarly has decided to disable the ‘Expert Review’ feature temporarily. The company aims to reevaluate the feature to ensure it adds value to users while granting experts greater control over how their work is portrayed.

    By acknowledging the shortcomings of the AI tool, Grammarly emphasizes its commitment to improving products based on user input. The move aligns with the company’s vision to enhance the writing experience for millions of users while fostering meaningful interactions between experts and their audience.

    This decision reflects Grammarly’s dedication to ethical AI practices and respect for content creators’ intellectual property. As the company reimagines its approach, it envisions a future where experts can actively participate in shaping how their knowledge is utilized within the platform.

    Source: The Verge

  • Netflix Acquires Ben Affleck’s AI Startup, Signaling AI’s Growing Role in Content Production

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    Netflix has acquired InterPositive, an AI company co-founded by Ben Affleck, in a deal potentially valued at $600 million, according to Bloomberg. The acquisition aligns with Netflix’s strategy of incorporating AI into content creation, as seen in its use of generative AI in productions like the Argentinian series ‘The Eternaut.’

    InterPositive’s tools focus on enhancing filmmakers’ efficiency in post-production tasks such as addressing continuity issues and scene improvements. This acquisition reflects a broader industry trend towards AI integration, with competitors like Amazon and Disney also exploring AI applications in film and television projects.

    However, concerns have been raised within the film industry regarding potential job displacement and fair compensation for creators contributing to AI training data.

    Source: TechCrunch

  • India’s Fi Neobank Discontinues Banking Services: Navigating the Fintech Landscape

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    India’s neobank Fi, founded by former Google Pay executives, is discontinuing its banking services after over four years of operation. The fintech, in partnership with Federal Bank, will now direct customers to access their savings accounts through the bank’s mobile app as it phases out the Fi interface.

    Launched in 2019, Fi offered digital savings accounts and money management tools through its app, catering to a younger user base. With more than 3.5 million customers and over a billion transactions completed, the Bengaluru-based startup had attracted investments from Ribbit Capital, B Capital, Alpha Wave Global, and Sequoia Capital India, now known as Peak XV Partners.

    This move comes as a surprise to customers who received emails notifying them of the impending discontinuation of banking services on the Fi app. However, the company reassured users that their savings accounts with Federal Bank remain active and accessible through the bank’s mobile banking app, FedMobile.

    Federal Bank also informed customers about the partnership termination with Fi, attributing it to a ‘business re-alignment’ and instructing users to transition to the bank’s digital channels for account access.

    The neobanking space in India has seen competition from players like Jupiter, Open, and Slice. Having raised approximately $169 million through multiple funding rounds, Fi’s decision to wind down its banking services marks a significant transition in the Indian fintech landscape.

    Source: TechCrunch

  • Zendesk Acquires Forethought, Advancing AI-Powered Customer Service

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    Zendesk, a prominent customer service software provider, has acquired Forethought, a startup specializing in automating customer service interactions. The deal, set to be finalized by the end of March, highlights the evolving landscape of AI-powered customer service solutions.

    Forethought’s approach to AI agents, recognized by winning the 2018 TechCrunch Battlefield competition, positioned the company as an early player in the industry. Despite the current popularity of AI agents in customer service, Forethought’s success underscores its role in the field.

    With notable clients like Upwork, Grammarly, Airtable, and Datadog, Forethought had established itself as a key player in enhancing customer interactions, handling over a billion monthly interactions by 2025. The acquisition marks a significant milestone for Forethought, which had raised $115 million in funding from various investors.

    The acquisition reflects the broader trend of AI integration into various industries beyond customer service, showcasing the expanding applications of AI technology.

    Source: TechCrunch

  • inDrive Expands Grocery Delivery Services with Krave Mart Acquisition

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    Ride-hailing company inDrive has finalized its acquisition of Krave Mart, a quick-commerce startup based in Pakistan, to enhance its grocery delivery services in South Asia. This move marks inDrive’s strategic entry into the grocery delivery market, challenging established players like Foodpanda.

    inDrive, known for its bid-based pricing model, has successfully completed an all-stock deal with Krave Mart, a grocery delivery service operating in Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Lahore. Krave Mart differentiates itself by promising fast grocery deliveries within 30 minutes through a network of dark stores.

    The acquisition aligns with inDrive’s broader strategy to diversify its services beyond ride-hailing, particularly focusing on expanding its presence in the grocery delivery sector. By integrating Krave Mart’s operations, inDrive aims to strengthen its position in the market and provide fast and reliable grocery delivery services across Pakistan.

    Andries Smit, Chief Growth Businesses Officer at inDrive, emphasized the company’s commitment to enhancing grocery delivery accessibility, following the approval from the Competition Commission of Pakistan. The combined efforts of Krave Mart and inDrive are set to bring convenience to customers, with plans to launch inDrive.Groceries in Lahore while maintaining operations under both brand names in Karachi.

    Source: TechCrunch

  • Google Play Expands Gaming Offerings with New Features and PC Integration

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    Google Play has announced a series of updates aimed at enhancing the gaming experience for users. Unveiled at GDC 2026, Google’s latest additions to Google Play include the introduction of paid and PC indie games, game trials, ‘buy once, play anywhere’ pricing, wishlists, and community posts.

    These updates signify Google’s efforts to expand Google Play into a comprehensive gaming platform. Players can now sample games before purchasing, seamlessly transition between mobile and PC gameplay, synchronize progress, and engage with the gaming community, all within Google Play.

    Upcoming additions to the gaming library include titles like Moonlight Peaks, Sledding Game, 9 Kings, Potion Craft, and Low-Budget Repairs. These games will be accessible on both mobile and PC through Google Play Games, with progress synced across devices.

    To assist users in their purchasing decisions, Google is introducing game trials. Players can test games and seamlessly continue their progress upon purchase. Game trials will initially be available for select paid mobile games, with plans to expand to Google Play Games on PC in the future.

    Additionally, Google Play will offer ‘Buy once, play anywhere’ pricing for certain titles like the Reigns series, OTTTD, and Dungeon Crawler, granting users access to both mobile and PC versions of a game with a single purchase.

    For PC enthusiasts, Google is launching a dedicated PC section on the Play Store’s Games tab, catering to games optimized for Windows PCs. Users can also create wishlists for their favorite games and receive notifications for discounts.

    Furthermore, Google is introducing community posts within Google Play, enabling users to engage in discussions, ask questions, and share insights about games directly on the platform.

    Source: TechCrunch

  • Nuro Expands Autonomous Vehicle Testing to Tokyo, Aiming for Global Deployment

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    Nuro, a Silicon Valley startup known for its autonomous vehicle technology, has commenced testing its self-driving software on the streets of Tokyo, marking its first international expansion in the field of autonomous vehicles.

    The testing involves Toyota Prius vehicles equipped with Nuro’s self-driving software, accompanied by human safety operators as backups, navigating the unique challenges posed by Tokyo’s roads. These challenges include driving on the left side of the road, dense traffic, and differing road signs and lane markings compared to the US.

    As Nuro explores the complexities of Tokyo’s streets, the company has hinted at potential future expansions, emphasizing the broader benefits of global deployment. Founded in 2016, Nuro initially focused on low-speed, on-road delivery bots before transitioning to licensing its technology to industry players like automakers and mobility providers.

    Nuro’s approach to autonomy centers on an AI foundation model termed ‘zero-shot autonomous driving,’ enabling its software to continuously learn and adapt as it navigates real-world scenarios. This strategic shift reflects Nuro’s commitment to advancing autonomous driving capabilities in collaboration with global partners.

    Source: TechCrunch

  • Nvidia’s Nemotron 3 Super: Enhancing Enterprise AI Workflows

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    Nvidia has announced the Nemotron 3 Super, a 120-billion-parameter hybrid model designed to improve agentic reasoning workflows within enterprises. By combining state-space models, transformers, and a Latent mixture-of-experts design, Nemotron 3 Super offers specialized depth without the typical bloat of dense reasoning models. This innovation aims to address the challenge of handling long-horizon tasks efficiently, such as software engineering and cybersecurity triaging.

    The core of Nemotron 3 Super lies in its Triple hybrid architecture, featuring a Hybrid Mamba-Transformer backbone that balances memory efficiency and precision reasoning. Additionally, the model introduces Latent Mixture-of-Experts (LatentMoE) for expert compression, enabling consultations with more specialists at the same computational cost.

    Moreover, Nemotron 3 Super leverages Multi-Token Prediction (MTP) for accelerated structured generation tasks, predicting multiple future tokens simultaneously to enhance speed and efficiency.

    One of the key advantages of Nemotron 3 Super is its optimization for the Nvidia Blackwell GPU platform, delivering 4x faster inference compared to previous architectures without compromising accuracy.

    Released under the Nvidia Open Model License Agreement, Nemotron 3 Super offers commercial usability with specific provisions for enterprise users, emphasizing ownership of outputs and the ability to create derivative models with attribution.

    This model has already gained traction among industry leaders, with companies like CodeRabbit, Greptile, Siemens, and Palantir adopting it for various applications, from large-scale codebase analysis to automating workflows in manufacturing and cybersecurity.

    Source: VentureBeat

  • AltStore PAL Integrates with Fediverse, Enabling Federated App Marketplace

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    AltStore PAL, an alternative app store for iOS, has integrated with the fediverse, an open social web platform enabled by ActivityPub, as reported by TechCrunch. This integration allows iOS developers to share app updates and alerts across platforms like Mastodon, Threads, and other apps that support the fediverse.

    The fediverse is a network where users on independent servers can communicate across various social platforms. AltStore PAL has become the first federated app marketplace by launching its own Mastodon server. This provides developers with a unique channel to share news, updates, and alerts about their apps. These posts are federated, enabling interactions from users on platforms like Mastodon, Threads, and Bluesky.

    AltStore PAL’s co-founder, Riley Testut, explained that users with Mastodon or Bluesky accounts can now follow app updates directly from the Mastodon server, enhancing the discoverability of new releases. The platform aims to create a seamless experience where interactions on these posts reflect on the AltStore PAL app, allowing users to engage with app updates within the marketplace.

    Initial participants include apps like Loops, PeerTube, and iPhanpy, showcasing the diverse range of federated apps already involved in this approach.

    Source: TechCrunch

  • Grammarly Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over AI-Generated ‘Expert’ Content

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    Grammarly, the popular writing software company, is facing a class action lawsuit over an AI feature that generated editing suggestions attributed to established authors and academics without their consent.

    The ‘Expert Review’ feature falsely presented insights from notable figures like Stephen King and Neil deGrasse Tyson to Grammarly users. The lawsuit, filed by investigative journalist Julia Angwin, alleges that Grammarly profited by misusing the identities of numerous writers and editors.

    The lawsuit, seeking damages exceeding $5 million, was lodged in the Southern District of New York. Following public criticism, Grammarly disabled the contentious feature, acknowledging the need to better empower experts regarding their representation within the tool.

    Grammarly’s product management director, Ailian Gan, expressed regret over the misstep, emphasizing the intent to enhance user experience while respecting experts’ preferences. The incident underscores the complexities of utilizing AI in content creation and the importance of ethical considerations when leveraging prominent personalities’ identities.

    Source: WIRED

  • E-commerce Startup Quince Secures $500M Funding, Reaches $10B Valuation

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    E-commerce company Quince has announced a significant milestone, securing a $500 million Series E round at a $10.1 billion valuation. This funding round was led by Iconiq, a previous investor that also led Quince’s Series D round last year, doubling the company’s valuation in less than twelve months.

    Quince has expanded its product line to include apparel, home goods, accessories, beauty, and wellness products. The company’s unique ‘manufacturer-to-consumer’ business model allows it to forecast sales more accurately, enabling smaller batch production with reduced waste.

    Despite facing legal challenges over alleged design infringements, Quince has continued to grow, surpassing $1 billion in revenue. The company is committed to offering high-quality products at affordable prices, resonating with customers. With recent expansion into the Canadian market, Quince is poised for further growth.

    Source: TechCrunch

  • Valve Challenges New York Lawsuit Over In-Game Loot Boxes

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    Valve, the company behind popular games like Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and Team Fortress 2, has announced its intention to contest a lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James. The lawsuit accuses Valve of promoting ‘illegal gambling’ through its in-game loot box mechanics. Valve has expressed disappointment in the claims, highlighting that similar mystery box systems are prevalent in other games and traditional collectibles like baseball cards and Pokémon.

    Valve has been engaging with Attorney Generals since 2023 to clarify how its virtual items and mystery boxes operate. The company asserts that opening these boxes is optional, as they contain solely cosmetic items that do not impact gameplay. While Valve plans to defend its position in court, it is open to compliance if state regulations concerning loot boxes are enacted.

    New York’s lawsuit alleges that Valve entices users, particularly minors, to partake in gambling-like activities within games. The lawsuit draws parallels between in-game mechanisms and slot machines, citing instances where virtual items worth significant amounts were at stake.

    Valve has raised objections to proposed changes, including making digital items non-transferable and collecting additional user information for age verification. The company believes in the value of item transferability, likening it to the freedom to sell or trade physical collectibles like Pokémon cards.

    Source: The Verge

  • Lovable’s Rapid Revenue Growth Highlights Its Vibe Coding Platform

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    Swedish startup Lovable has surpassed $400 million in annual recurring revenue, a significant milestone for the Stockholm-based company. Lovable, known for its vibe-coding platform, has been gaining traction in the tech industry by simplifying website and app development through natural language programming. The company’s recent success can be attributed to its strategic focus on attracting enterprise clients, including big names like Klarna and HubSpot.

    One of Lovable’s key features is its innovative approach to marketing, as seen in its latest brand campaign ‘Earworm.’ This campaign showcases the platform’s capabilities and serves as an inspiration for non-technical individuals to bring their ideas to life using Lovable. By demonstrating the ease of app creation through a catchy narrative, Lovable is positioning itself as a user-friendly solution for aspiring developers.

    With an impressive user base of 8 million and a valuation of $6.6 billion, Lovable is proving to be a significant player in the tech market. The company’s focus on enhancing creativity and offering tailored features for businesses has resonated well with Fortune 500 companies, further solidifying its position as a leading vibe-coding platform.

    Source: TechCrunch

  • Breakout Ventures Raises $114M Fund to Support AI-Powered Science Startups

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    Breakout Ventures, a venture capital firm, has successfully closed a $114 million Fund III aimed at supporting early-stage startups in scientific fields like biology and chemistry, with a specific focus on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI).

    The firm has already invested in three companies and intends to support a minimum of 20 startups through this fund. The investment amounts per company are expected to range between $500,000 to $5 million. Lindy Fishburne, managing director of Breakout Ventures, highlighted the firm’s interest in companies that utilize AI to address the complexity of scientific challenges.

    Originally stemming from a grant program initiated by the Thiel Foundation, Breakout Ventures was established in 2016. Prior to this latest fund, the firm had raised two other funds: a $60 million Fund 1 in 2017 and a $112.5 million Fund II in 2021, both directed towards supporting startups in scientific domains.

    Fishburne emphasized the firm’s dedication to harnessing technology to unlock the potential of biology and chemistry for addressing significant unmet needs and fostering new markets.

    Securing investments for Fund III, which included contributions from key partners like The Kraft Group, Pinegrove Venture Partners, and Cubed Capital, took approximately eighteen months. Fishburne noted that Breakout Ventures looks for founders with a deep understanding of the science they are commercializing, whether through academic research or industry experience.

    Source: TechCrunch

  • Iran-Linked Hacktivists Claim Responsibility for Cyber Attack on Medical Tech Giant Stryker

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    A hacktivist group with ties to Iran, known as Handala, has claimed responsibility for a recent cyber attack on the U.S. medical technology company Stryker. The hackers reportedly breached Stryker’s servers, leading to widespread disruptions across the company’s global systems. Some Stryker systems now display the hackers’ logo, indicating the extent of the breach.

    The group stated that the attack was in retaliation for a U.S. military strike on a school in Tehran, which resulted in the deaths of over 175 individuals, primarily children. Handala also cited ongoing cyber assaults against Iran and its allies as further motivation for targeting Stryker.

    While Stryker is not directly linked to the recent attacks on Iran, the hackers claimed to have wiped over 200,000 systems, servers, and mobile devices, extracting 50 terabytes of critical data in the process. This disruption forced Stryker’s offices in 79 countries to shut down temporarily.

    The authenticity of the hackers’ claims is still being verified, but reports indicate that Stryker’s systems worldwide have been impacted. The company is actively working to restore operations and has reassured customers of its commitment to continued service.

    Source: TechCrunch

  • Replit’s Valuation Soars to $9 Billion After Latest Funding Round

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    Replit, the coding platform, has secured a significant milestone in its funding journey. The company announced that it raised $400 million in a Series D funding round, boosting its valuation to $9 billion. This investment round was led by Georgian Partners and included participation from notable investors such as G Squared, Prysm Capital, Coatue, and Andreessen Horowitz.

    Replit’s founder and CEO, Amjad Masad, shared the news, highlighting the support from both institutional investors and high-profile individuals like Shaquille O’Neal and Jared Leto. This funding achievement comes just six months after the company reached a $3 billion valuation, signaling its rapid growth and investor confidence.

    While the specifics of Replit’s current annual recurring revenue (ARR) were not disclosed, the company expressed ambitious targets, aiming to reach $1 billion in ARR by the end of the year. This financial success underscores Replit’s evolution, with Masad emphasizing the company’s strategic shifts and persistence in finding the right market fit.

    This funding milestone not only propels Replit further into the spotlight within the tech startup landscape but also underscores the continued investor interest and confidence in the platform’s potential for growth and innovation.

    Source: TechCrunch

  • US Tech Giants Identified as Potential Targets in Escalating Digital Conflict

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    Amid the escalating conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the US, major US technology companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Palantir have been identified as potential targets as the digital realm becomes a new battleground.

    Iranian state-linked media recently published a list of US companies with Israeli connections, highlighting their technology used in military applications. The listed companies include Google, Microsoft, Palantir, IBM, Nvidia, and Oracle, many of which have operational presence in the Gulf region, including the United Arab Emirates.

    No public statements have been released by these companies regarding the potential targeting. The list was disclosed by the Tasnim News Agency, associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, along with a cautionary message that the conflict’s scope could extend beyond conventional military targets.

    Recent events saw Iranian drone strikes causing damage to Amazon Web Services data centers in the UAE and Bahrain, underscoring the vulnerability of physical tech infrastructure in the region. Iranian reports have also mentioned an Israeli strike on a bank building in Tehran, prompting Iranian officials to consider economic infrastructure as potential targets.

    The evolving situation raises concerns about the impact on tech companies caught in the crossfire of geopolitical tensions, highlighting the need for robust cybersecurity measures and contingency plans in an increasingly digitized world.

    Source: WIRED

  • NTSB Finds Driver Distraction Contributed to Fatal Ford BlueCruise Crashes

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently disclosed findings suggesting that drivers involved in fatal crashes while using Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free driving system in 2024 were likely distracted just before the accidents occurred. The NTSB shared details ahead of an upcoming public hearing on March 31, shedding light on the circumstances that led to three fatalities.

    According to the NTSB, the incidents prompted investigations not only from its side but also from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). NHTSA raised concerns about BlueCruise’s ability to detect stationary vehicles under specific conditions, leading to an ongoing inquiry with Ford. The safety regulator has emphasized the importance of driver readiness and caution, highlighting that BlueCruise is intended as a ‘convenience feature’ rather than a crash avoidance system.

    As the NTSB prepares for its forthcoming hearing, the focus is likely to shift towards clarifying the intended functions of driver assistance technologies like BlueCruise and ensuring their proper usage and understanding among consumers.

    Source: TechCrunch

  • Google’s Gemini Embedding 2 Enhances Multimodal AI Capabilities

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    Google’s latest enterprise AI innovation, Gemini Embedding 2, is reshaping how machines handle information across different media types. Moving beyond traditional text-based models, Gemini Embedding 2 integrates text, images, video, audio, and documents into a unified numerical space, reducing latency by up to 70% and costs for enterprise AI applications. This new model aims to create a comprehensive representation for digital expressions, enabling more efficient AI pipelines for developers and enterprises.

    One of the key features of Gemini Embedding 2 is its native multimodal architecture, allowing seamless integration of various media types without the need for text transcriptions. This approach enhances the accuracy of AI tasks and enables cross-modal retrieval, where a single query can find relevant information across different media formats.

    The model’s technical advancements, such as Matryoshka Representation Learning, offer flexibility in dimensionality, paving the way for precise yet cost-effective AI solutions. Gemini Embedding 2’s performance benchmarks demonstrate its superiority in text, image, and video tasks, setting a new standard for multimodal AI depth.

    For enterprises, this technology shift means a move towards a Unified Knowledge Base, streamlining data search and retrieval processes across disparate formats. Early adopters like Sparkonomy and Everlaw have reported significant efficiency gains and improved semantic similarity scores, highlighting the practical benefits of Gemini Embedding 2 in real-world scenarios.

    As Google rolls out Gemini Embedding 2 for public preview, developers and organizations can explore its capabilities through the Gemini API and Vertex AI platforms. The tiered pricing model offers flexibility for different usage scenarios, making this advanced AI technology accessible to a wide range of users.

    Source: VentureBeat