Daily Tech News Show

Amazon Echo Studio: Still Worth It? – Live With It

The 2025 second-gen refresh of Amazon Echo Studio is smaller, smarter, and more capable. It adds Alexa+, supports up to five speakers plus a sub for a full home theater setup, and upgrades to Wi-Fi 6 with a redesigned control interface. But are these tweaks enough to make it a must-buy? Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt MP3 Download Follow us on Twitter Instagram YouTube and Twitch Please SUBSCRIBE HERE. Subscribe through Apple Podcasts. A special thanks to all our supporters–without you, none of this would be possible. If you are willing to support the show or to give as little as 10 cents a day on Patreon, Thank you! Become a Patron! Big thanks to Dan Lueders for the headlines music and Martin Bell for the opening theme! Big thanks to Mustafa A. from thepolarcat.com for the logo! Thanks to our mods Jack_Shid and KAPT_Kipper on the subreddit Send to email to feedback@dailytechnewsshow.com Show Notes To read the show notes in a separate page click here!

Did Snap Blame AI for Layoffs? – DTNS 5248

Plus a shoe company becomes an AI data center service provider. Starring Tom Merritt and Sarah Lane. MP3 Download Follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, X Instgram, Threads, YouTube and Twitch Please SUBSCRIBE HERE for free or get DTNS ad-free. A special thanks to all our supporters–without you, none of this would be possible. If you enjoy what you see you can support the show on Patreon, Thank you! Become a Patron! Send to email to feedback@dailytechnewsshow.com Show Notes Snap to Cut 16% of Workforce to Pursue Profitability Snap Plans 16% Workforce Reduction Snap Cuts 1,000 Jobs in Major Layoff Snap Faces Crucial Turning Point Allbirds Pivots to AI After Selling Shoe Business FCC Router Ban Exemption Discussion Netgear Conditional Approval Discussion Netgear Gets First Exemption From FCC Router Ban Adobe Firefly AI Assistant Expands Across Creative Apps DTNS Audience Survey Spotify Adds Physical Book Purchases South Korea Becomes ASML’s Largest Market Smartphone Sales Decline 4.1% in Q1 Google App Expands to Desktop on Windows Gemini App Launches on Mac Amazon Launches Slimmer Fire TV Stick HD Trump Mobile Redesigns T1 Phone EU Unveils Age Verification App Meta Commits to Custom Chip Expansion With Broadcom Anna’s Archive Loses $322M Piracy Case ByteDance Launches Seedance 2.0 Globally Chipmakers Invest in Self-Driving Startup Support DTNS on Patreon

EU Commission Readies Open-Source Age Verification App – DTH

The European Union Commission readies a ‘zero-knowledge proof’ cryptography age verification app for deployment, Spotify will eliminate 1,000 jobs (16% of workforce), and the FCC grants Netgear conditional import approval for future routers and devices. MP3 Please SUBSCRIBE HERE for free or get DTNS Live ad-free. A special thanks to all our supporters–without you, none of this would be possible. If you enjoy what you see you can support the show on Patreon, Thank you! Send us email to feedback@dailytechnewsshow.com Show Notes On Wednesday, the European Commission declared its new open-source age verification app is technically ready for deployment. The app uses ‘zero-knowledge proof’ cryptography to demonstrate an age claim is correct, without platforms storing identity documents or facial recognition data. Platforms will be notified whether an age claim is correct following the user uploading ID, without access to the document itself. The app is built on the same architecture as the EU’s COVID digital certificate and compatible with the European Digital Identity Wallets. Full deployments expected before the end of 2026. Commission president Ursula Von der Leyen said that platforms “can easily rely on our age verification app so there are no more excuses. We will have zero tolerance for companies that do not respect our children’s rights.” Source: The Next Web Following last month’s announcement the US government was banning imports of new foreign-made routers over security concerns, the FCC granted manufacturer Netgear conditional import approval through to October 1st, 2027. Netgear has not announced any plans to bring any manufacturing to the States, despite the Conditional Approval process involves submitting a plan to “establish or expand manufacturing in the United States”. Netgear’s manufacturing takes place in Asia. Source: The Verge On Tuesday, at the “Smarter Screen, Smarter Ads:​ The New Era of Advertising” session at StreamTV Europe, head of media & entertainment at research and data firm Omdia Maria Rua Aguete forecasts online advertising will surpass $1.5 trillion by 2030. Online ads grew 13% in 2026 compared to traditional advertising’s 2%. She also shared that Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok “capture over 90 percent of social media advertising revenues”, with Meta alone grabbing 70% of the total social ad money. Omdia also predicts connected TV ad revenue will surpass linear TV ad revenue in the 2030s. Source: The Hollywood Reporter New Pew research released Wednesday reports a survey of nearly 1,500 American teens and parents from September 25th to October 9th, 2025 showed a majority of teens do not think social media harms their mental health. The survey focused on use of Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok, with only 9% of Snap and TikTok users and 11% on Instagram reporting negative effects from the platforms. When it comes to TikTok, 37% of teens said that app specifically impacted their sleep and 29% said it affected their productivity. Snapchat had the highest rate of reported bullying compared to the rest. The surveyed parents presented a more negative view of the platforms, specifying impact on teens’ mental health on top of sleep and productivity, as well as too much time spent in the apps. Source: Engadget and Pew Research Back in February 2026 Spotify announced updates to its audiobook business as well as a future expansion into physical book sales. The physical book feature is now live for users in the United States and United Kingdom. Spotify is collaborating with Bookshop.org and clicking on a purchase link within the app directs to Bookshop.org’s website, with the company handling pricing and shipping. The feature is currently enabled only on Android; iOS users will gain access next week. Source: TechCrunch Snapchat’s parent company, Snap Inc., will eliminate approximately 1,000 jobs, 16% of the global workforce, as part of a cost-cutting headcount reduction. In a regulatory filing the company says this will cost $95-130 million in severance and related costs. In the 2025 annual report Snap had 5,621 full time employees and the most recent earnings report noted the net loss in 2025 was $460 million and revenue rose to $5.9 billion. ABC report Snap previously cut 10% of the workforce in 2024, 3% in 2023, and 20% in 2022. Source: ABC News On Wednesday Adobe announced the Firefly AI Assistant, able to execute ‘multi-step workflows’ in Adobe Creative Cloud apps. This includes Firefly, Photoshop, Premiere, Lightroom, Express, and Illustrator. Users can describe in plain language what they are trying to achieve, with the AI able to handle the process, aiming to reduce friction and barrier to entry with Adobe products. The assistant can also make suggestions and learn a user’s personal style to maintain consistency in future work. A public beta will be available “in the coming weeks”. Source: Engadget Samsung is alerting Galaxy phone owners the Samsung Wallet app may stop working unless users update Google Play Services. The Samsung Wallet is a pre-installed app on Galaxy phones and alternative to the Google Wallet for storing ID, credit cards, boarding passes, and other digital keys. Updates to Play Services generally happen in the background automatically, but can be manually updated by clicking through the Samsung notification or through the Google Play Store listing for Play Services. Source: Android Central

What Amazon’s Globalstar Acquisition Means for Leo – DTNS 5247

Google is finally getting tougher on back button hijacking, and Bodie Grimm explains why BYD is charging so much for their BYD Z9 GT in Europe. Starring Jason Howell, Tom Merrit, and Bodie Grimm. MP3 Download Follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, X Instgram, Threads, YouTube and Twitch Please SUBSCRIBE HERE for free or get DTNS ad-free. A special thanks to all our supporters–without you, none of this would be possible. If you enjoy what you see you can support the show on Patreon, Thank you! Become a Patron! Send to email to feedback@dailytechnewsshow.com Show Notes Amazon Buys Satellite Company Behind Apple’s SOS Feature Amazon to Buy Globalstar for $11.57B Amazon to Acquire Starlink Rival Globalstar Google Addresses Search Back Button Hijacking Issue Samsung Raises Prices on Galaxy Devices in the US Microsoft Price Increases Discussion Microsoft Raises Surface Prices Due to Memory Costs AI Chatbots Are Entering the Comedy Scene Your AI Slop Bores Me Website Mastodon Introduces Collections Feature Discussion OpenAI Acquires AI Finance Startup Hiro GoPro Mission 1 Adds 8K Video and Interchangeable Lenses Windows 11 Setup Update Change Discussion Windows 11 No Longer Forces Updates During Setup BYD Denza Z9 GT Becomes Fastest Charging EV Why BYD Sells $40K EV for $134K in Europe Students Build Robo-Grouse to Prevent Bird Strikes

Amazon to Acquire Globalstar Satellite Network for $11.57B by 2027 – DTH

WebXray Audit Alleges Google, Meta, and Microsoft Track You Even After Opting-Out, Microsoft Sunsets Outlook Lite App on May 26, Anthropic’s Mythos AI Pitched to White House Despite Pentagon Blacklist. MP3 Please SUBSCRIBE HERE for free or get DTNS Live ad-free. A special thanks to all our supporters–without you, none of this would be possible. If you enjoy what you see you can support the show on Patreon, Thank you! Send us email to feedback@dailytechnewsshow.com Show Notes Amazon Targets Globalstar in $11.6B Satellite Push Amazon plans to acquire Globalstar’s low-Earth orbit satellite network, including spectrum licenses and assets, for $11.57 billion by 2027, pending regulatory approval. The acquisition is intended to bolster Amazon’s own Leo internet satellite constellation. The deal also preserves Globalstar’s ongoing partnership with Apple for services like Emergency SOS and future satellite service development, positioning Amazon’s expanded network as a competitor to services like Starlink by focusing on global direct-to-device and carrier connectivity. Read more Audit Claims Big Tech Ignores Privacy Opt-Out Signals A webXray audit of over 7,000 California websites alleges that Google (87%), Meta (69%), and Microsoft (50%) violate the CCPA by frequently failing to honor GPC opt-out requests, allowing ad cookies to be set. The report claims non-compliance is easily observable and that Google’s CMP Partner Program has a conflict of interest, as no certified platform was 100% effective against Google setting cookies. All three companies dispute the findings, arguing the report misunderstands their products and legal compliance. Read more Microsoft Shuts Down Outlook Lite Microsoft is discontinuing the lightweight Android app, Outlook Lite, on May 26, 2026. The app, which was designed for limited storage and slower internet regions and launched in 2022, will stop working for current users next month. Microsoft advises users to transition to the standard Outlook Mobile app for a secure, feature-rich experience, where they can access their existing email, calendar, and attachments. Read more Anthropic in Talks with White House Despite Pentagon Blacklist Despite a contract dispute leading to a Pentagon blacklisting as a supply-chain risk, Anthropic is discussing its advanced AI, Mythos, with the White House administration. Co-founder Jack Clark confirmed the talks, emphasizing the need for government understanding and national security commitment. Announced April 7th, Mythos is Anthropic’s most capable model for coding and agentic tasks, noted for its cybersecurity vulnerability identification potential—a key discussion point. The Pentagon’s blacklisting was recently upheld by a federal appeals court. Read more Nvidia Explores Major PC Manufacturer Acquisition Nvidia is reportedly in talks to acquire a major PC manufacturer as it benefits from the AI boom and develops its own Windows PC chips. This potential move, which would allow Nvidia to directly challenge Intel and AMD in the PC market, has caused Dell and HP shares to jump but is expected to face intense scrutiny from global regulators due to Nvidia’s market dominance, reminiscent of the failed Arm Holdings acquisition. Read more OpenAI Acquires Hiro Finance in Talent Grab OpenAI has acquired the personal finance startup Hiro Finance, founded by Ethan Bloch, in an apparent acquihire. Hiro is shutting down and deleting user data by May 13th. Bloch and about 10 employees are joining OpenAI. Hiro, founded in 2023, offered an AI tool for consumer financial planning, specializing in math accuracy. This acquisition is significant due to Bloch’s prior success with Digit (sold for over $200 million) and continues OpenAI’s trend of acquiring financial talent, suggesting a focus on business finance, specialized financial planning, or potentially catering to the “OpenClaw” robo-trading community. Read more Google Targets “Back Button Hijacking” Spam Google Search is introducing a new spam policy targeting “back button hijacking,” a malicious practice where websites prevent users from returning to the previous page and instead redirect them to unwanted content. This behavior, which violates Google’s “malicious practices” spam policy, disrupts the expected user experience and will result in manual spam actions or automated demotions in Search results. Site owners have until June 15, 2026, to remove or disable any scripts or configurations causing this issue. Read more AWS Launches AI Tool for Drug Discovery Amazon Web Services launched Amazon Bio Discovery, an AI application to accelerate early drug discovery. The service lets scientists run complex computational workflows and use specialized biological foundation models to generate and evaluate drug molecules without coding. It includes an AI agent for model management and result interpretation. Organizations like Bayer and the Broad Institute are already adopting the platform, which AWS claims can reduce the time to create hundreds of drug candidates from 18 months to a few weeks, augmenting researcher work. The service will offer a free trial before subscription. Read more Google Expands Gemini Personal Intelligence to India Google is expanding its Gemini Personal Intelligence feature, which connects user Google accounts (like Gmail and Google Photos) for personalized answers, to India. The rollout begins with AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers, with a plan for free users soon. This expansion, following debuts in the U.S. and Japan, is part of a larger initiative to bring advanced AI capabilities to India. Google has advised users that Gemini may occasionally misinterpret personal data and encourages them to correct any AI errors. Read more Uber Tests Premium Robotaxi Service in San Francisco Uber is testing a premium robotaxi service in San Francisco using Lucid Gravity SUVs with Nuro’s autonomous driving system, currently available to select employees with a human safety operator present. This follows Uber’s $300 million investment and agreement to purchase 20,000 Nuro-equipped Gravity SUVs. Nuro is using this testing phase, powered by Nvidia’s Drive AGX Thor, to evaluate the system’s full integration, focusing on pickups and drop-offs, ahead of a planned public launch later this year. Read more