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Snowflake plans to acquire Observe, an observability platform that has been built on Snowflake’s databases from day one. (Observability platforms help companies monitor their software systems and data for performance issues and bugs.) The cloud data company announced it signed a definitive agreement to acquire Observe, subject to regulatory approval, on January 8. Snowflake will integrate Observe’s product into its own to give customers a unified place to collect and store their telemetry data (logs, metrics, and traces from software systems) and better spot potential bugs and issues in their data and software. Observe was founded in 2017 by Jacob…
Nvidia is now requiring its customers in China to pay upfront in full for its H200 AI chips even as approval stateside and from Beijing remains uncertain, Reuters reported, citing anonymous sources. The chipmaker isn’t leaving any room for refunds or changes to orders, the report said. While some customers may be allowed to use commercial insurance or asset collateral, the terms are far stricter than Nvidia’s earlier policies, which sometimes permitted partial deposits, Reuters reported. Nvidia declined to comment. China is expected to allow Nvidia to sell its H200 chips in the country, per Bloomberg, though Beijing wants…
The health department for the U.S. state of Illinois has confirmed that a years-long security lapse exposed the personal information of more than 700,000 state residents. The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) said in a statement on January 2 that an internal mapping website containing residents’ personal information, which officials used for assisting with the allocation of state resources, was inadvertently publicly viewable as far back as April 2021 through September 2025, when the security lapse was discovered. Officials said the exposed data included personal information on 672,616 individuals who are Medicaid and Medicare Savings Program recipients. The data…
This new solid-state EV battery can fully charge in just 5 minutes I stopped by the exhibit for Donut Lab, a startup out of Finland that specializes in electric mobility. The company (which gets its name from its flagship donut-shaped in-wheel EV vehicle motor) announced at CES the launch of what it calls the first solid-state battery for vehicle production. Solid-state batteries differ from lithium-ion batteries (which are used by a majority of EVs) in that they use solid rather than liquid electrolytes. They are supposed to offer much greater energy density (more bang for your buck, so to speak)…
While CES 2026 is full of tech giants unveiling their latest innovations, the real excitement comes from discovering unexpected, quirky gadgets that make you ask, “Who thought of this?” We’re here to spotlight the wildest products we’ve found so far at CES 2026, from an AI-powered panda that responds to your touch, to Razer’s holographic anime assistant, and plenty more weirdness that makes you do a double-take. An AI anime companion that watches you from your desk Razer’s Project AVA, originally introduced last year as an esports AI coach, has evolved into something new: a 5.5-inch animated holographic desk companion…
Following the success of TikTok and Instagram Reels, Disney announced that it’s bringing short-form video content to Disney+ in the U.S. this year in a bid to boost daily engagement. Disney made the announcement at its Tech + Data Showcase event at CES 2026. The company said in the blog post that the experience “will evolve as it expands across news and entertainment and delivers a more personalized, dynamic experience that reinforces Disney+ as a must-visit daily destination.” Disney told Deadline that the videos could include original short-form content, repurposed social clips, scenes from TV shows or movies, or a combination.…
You might think it’s pretty weird to hear the founders of a VR company and a social media platform publicly complaining about how things used to be better back in the dial-up days. Nevertheless, that is what happened at CES on Wednesday, when Oculus creator Palmer Luckey and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian gave a joint talk about the joys of “tech nostalgia.” Luckey, who initially made his fortune in VR and now runs the defense contractor Anduril, and Ohanian both seemed to agree: Stuff was better in the old days. The catch, however, is that Luckey and Ohanian weren’t really…
OpenAI is kicking off the new year with yet another acqui-hire. The AI giant is acquiring the team behind Convogo, a business software platform that helps executive coaches, consultants, talent leaders, and HR teams automate and improve leadership assessments and feedback reporting. An OpenAI spokesperson said the company is not acquiring Convogo’s IP or technology, but rather hiring the team to work on its “AI cloud efforts.” The three co-founders — Matt Cooper, Evan Cater, and Mike Gillett — will join OpenAI as part of what a source familiar with the matter called an all-stock deal. Convogo’s product will be…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorneys general in five Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit Thursday against President Donald Trump’s administration after it said it would freeze money for several public benefit programs, citing concerns about fraud in the programs designed to help low-income families.The states — California, Colorado, Minnesota, Illinois and New York — called the move an unconstitutional abuse of power. The Trump administration announced earlier this week it was withholding their social safety net funding. The funding went toward three federal programs, two of which focus on lifting families with children out of poverty.New York Attorney General Letitia James, who…
by Donald Wood Last updated: 12:20 PM ET, Thu January 8, 2026 On Thursday, Viking and the PGA TOUR unveiled a new multi-year marketing partnership that designates Viking as the Official Cruise Line of the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions.The partnership runs through 2030 and will focus on a brand awareness campaign for Viking through media and digital placements on various PGA TOUR platforms. The marketing will highlight the cruise line’s fleet of more than 100 ships, which explore 21 rivers, five oceans, and all seven continents.“We are very pleased to be the Official Cruise Line of the PGA…