33 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Jacob Kastrenakes

Jacob Kastrenakes

Executive Editor

Executive Editor

    More From Jacob Kastrenakes

    Jacob Kastrenakes
    Jacob Kastrenakes
    Security contractors for Bill Gates apparently performed some wildly inappropriate background checks.

    The Wall Street Journal reports that women interviewing for jobs were asked about sexual histories, nude photos, and porn — men were spared these questions.

    The report doesn’t indicate that Gates knew about these questions, but the incident follows other indiscretions that have recently put Microsoft’s founder in the news, including his connection to Jeffrey Epstein and an affair with a Microsoft employee.

    Hope, fear, and AIHope, fear, and AI
    Jacob Kastrenakes and James Vincent
    Jacob Kastrenakes
    Jacob Kastrenakes
    They should have called it, “My Preciou$$$.”

    Magic: The Gathering fans are already offering more than $2 million to secure the one-of-a-kind “One Ring” card that’s being released as part of a Lord of the Rings set today. One hiccup: no one’s actually found it yet!

    Jacob Kastrenakes
    Jacob Kastrenakes
    I’m getting real Windows XP vibes from the new MacOS wallpaper.

    And it’s probably intentional: the XP wallpaper photo was taken in Sonoma, California. The new MacOS name? MacOS Sonoma.

    Top: Windows XP. Bottom: MacOS Sonoma.
    Top: Windows XP. Bottom: MacOS Sonoma.
    Live blog: Apple’s VR headset, iOS 17, and more at WWDC 2023

    Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference is here, and rumors suggest a brand-new virtual reality headset will get top billing.

    Jacob Kastrenakes
    Jacob Kastrenakes
    Jacob Kastrenakes
    That’s not what I’d call a denial.

    The New York Times reports that TikTok’s internal Slack-like tool, Lark, has made data on American users visible to teams in China — very much the kind of thing US regulators have been worried about.

    In response, TikTok’s spokesperson seems to say something along the lines of we’re getting better. But it’s very much not a this isn’t happening.

    Alex Haurek, a TikTok spokesman, called the documents seen by The Times “dated.” He said they did not accurately depict “how we handle protected U.S. user data, nor the progress we’ve made under Project Texas.”

    Jacob Kastrenakes
    Jacob Kastrenakes
    Hank Green shared that he’s been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

    The longtime YouTuber, science educator, and author said he’ll take a break from creating videos while being treated and asked fans to send him recommendations for movies to watch and games to play that are “really dumb things that will not make you cry.” True to form, Green still manages to go off on an educational science tangent while sharing the news.

    Jacob Kastrenakes
    Jacob Kastrenakes
    I’m gonna need one of these in every Five Guys before the end of summer.

    Heinz has taken inspiration from Coke and made a mix-and-match touchscreen dispenser for sauces. The touchscreen soda machines are already one of the greatest inventions of our time. Will this be next?

    A horrible render of a machine that will combine ranch and mango for you.
    A horrible render of a machine that will combine ranch and mango for you.
    Image: Heinz
    Jacob Kastrenakes
    Jacob Kastrenakes
    Twitter bought a job recruiting site.

    It’s the company’s first known purchase under Elon Musk, who is said to have spent “tens of millions” worth of cash and stock on the deal.

    The service, Laskie, was founded by Chris Bakke, who previously sold another recruiting startup to Indeed. There’s no word on what Twitter plans to do with Laskie (though seven employees have reportedly come on board), but there’s plenty of speculation around Musk’s desire to make Twitter into an “everything app.”

    Jacob Kastrenakes
    Jacob Kastrenakes
    Google says over 800 million people now have access to RCS.

    And exactly zero of them are my parents. But Google sure got some applause from this line: “We hope every mobile operating system gets the message and adopts RCS.” I agree! But I don’t have a ton of hope.