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In a sunlit Denver backyard, a first-grader named Mia spins tales of becoming an astronaut, her small hands tracing imaginary orbits in the air. Earlier this week, experts urged parents to lean into such moments, sparking conversations about career dreams to guide children like Mia toward futures filled with possibility. From budding scientists to storytellers, children’s passions can light the way, but heavy-handed expectations or old-school advice might dim their spark. As schools roll out fresh courses and attitudes about college evolve, parents must tread carefully, fostering curiosity while embracing new paths. LIGHTING THE SPARK WITH OPEN QUESTIONS Mia’s father listens as she describes her astronaut dreams, asking, “What would you love to explore on Mars?” instead of nudging her toward a “practical” job. Experts stress this kind of open-ended…

OpenAI has introduced new features allowing it to search users’ files, emails, and meeting notes, aimed at enhancing productivity for business users. The updates enable the AI to connect with internal data sources and provide real-time context for queries. ChatGPT now supports connections to third-party storage services, including Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, SharePoint, and OneDrive, enabling users to query stored documents and spreadsheets. Users can ask questions like “What was my company’s revenue in Q1 last year?” or “How many times did I take the ferry on my Italy trip last year?” The AI structures and presents data from these documents, respecting existing user-level permissions, and includes citations for referenced sources. The platform also offers a “record mode” for ChatGPT Team users on macOS, allowing the AI to transcribe meetings,…

A young musician in Chicago slips on a headset, and suddenly she’s not just listening to Bono’s voice—she’s standing beside him at New York’s Beacon Theatre, feeling the pulse of the crowd as he sings “Vertigo.” Earlier this week, Apple’s Vision Pro headset made such moments possible, launching immersive experiences like Bono’s “Stories of Surrender” film and Metallica’s Mexico City concert, redefining how Americans connect with music and cinema. This leap in spatial computing promises to blur the line between audience and performer, reshaping entertainment in a vibrant industry. From U2’s memoir-inspired film to Metallica’s thunderous stage show, the Vision Pro is turning performances into visceral, shared spectacles, with venues like the Sphere and Cosm amplifying this trend. Yet, the headset’s premium positioning raises doubts: can it democratize these experiences,…

Meta has been covertly tracking Android users’ web browsing activity through its Facebook and Instagram apps without their consent, according to researchers at Radboud University and IMDEA Networks. The tracking involves apps collecting data from websites visited on Android devices. RESEARCH FINDINGS Assistant professor Gunes Acar at Radboud University reported that Meta’s Facebook and Instagram apps operated in the background of Android devices, loading a script that sent browsing data back to the apps. The tracking occurred on approximately 16,000 websites when visited from the European Union, using the Meta Pixel tracker embedded on these sites. The method enabled Meta to link users’ browsing history to their Facebook and Instagram profiles, bypassing Android’s security protections, including incognito mode and virtual private networks. The discovery was made by a team including…

A small business owner in Ohio scrolls through her Facebook feed, unaware that the AI shaping her ads is powered by data centers straining the nation’s energy grid. Earlier this week, U.S. regulators and lawmakers sounded alarms over the rapid expansion of these facilities, driven by companies like Meta to fuel artificial intelligence and cloud computing. For American consumers, utility companies, and policymakers, this clash highlights a growing dilemma: can tech giants sustain AI’s growth without destabilizing the power supply that millions rely on? Meta’s data centers, essential for its AI-driven algorithms, are at the heart of this tension, as the industry’s energy demands outpace available resources. With regulators pushing for accountability and communities facing resource strain, the company’s ambitions face new limits. A STRAINED GRID UNDER AI’S WEIGHT The…

A researcher in a Palo Alto lab watches a screen flicker with calculations that could unlock a new cancer drug, her quantum computer humming with possibilities that classical systems can’t touch. Breakthroughs in quantum computing hinted at such futures, as scientists and startups pushed the boundaries of a technology poised to reshape industries. From today’s experimental qubits to tomorrow’s fault-tolerant systems, quantum computing is no longer a distant dream but a field sprinting toward practical applications. By 2030, experts envision quantum machines tackling problems like drug discovery and logistics optimization, yet scaling and accessibility remain challenges. TODAY’S QUANTUM LANDSCAPE: A FOUNDATION OF PROMISE In a Chicago university lab, a quantum processor with a handful of qubits solves a small optimization puzzle faster than a supercomputer, a glimpse of the technology’s…

With WWDC25 just around the corner, Apple’s at a pivotal moment. With 2.35 billion active devices, including 1.38 billion iPhones, the firm commands an unparalleled ecosystem that integrates hardware, software, and services to capture intricate user data. But a new wave of AI-driven titans threatens to challenge its dominance. It’s time for Apple’s counterstrike. THE AI REVOLUTION The tech industry is undergoing a seismic shift, driven by generative AI and the ambitious moves of Apple’s rivals. OpenAI, now collaborating with former Apple design chief Jony Ive, is crafting a next-generation AI device that could redefine personal computing. Elon Musk’s X platform aspires to become an “everything app,” integrating messaging, banking, media, and AI-driven services with hardware like Tesla’s Full Self-Driving vehicles and Optimus robots, supported by Starlink’s global connectivity. Meanwhile,…

Picture a world where your smartphone’s search bar isn’t locked to Google, where a single tap unveils a kaleidoscope of rival engines, each competing to deliver the fastest, most relevant answers. That possibility loomed larger earlier this week when U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta heard closing arguments in a landmark antitrust case against Google, grappling with remedies that could dismantle its iron grip on online search. For U.S. consumers, small businesses, and tech innovators, this moment heralds a potential revolution in how Americans navigate the internet, promising a future of choice and competition. The Justice Department, having declared Google’s search engine an illegal monopoly in August 2024, pushed for drastic measures, from banning its lucrative default search deals to forcing a sale of its Chrome browser. Google, resisting, offered minor…

What does it take to lose a NASA nomination days before a Senate vote? For Jared Isaacman, a billionaire astronaut handpicked by President Donald Trump, the answer lies in a vague phrase: “prior associations.” Trump abruptly withdrew Isaacman’s nomination to lead NASA, citing a “thorough review” of these unspecified ties in a Truth Social post. For U.S. space enthusiasts, policymakers, and tech industry watchers, this sudden reversal—announced just before a near-certain Senate confirmation—raises questions about political loyalty, personal rivalries, and the future of America’s space ambitions in a $400 billion industry. Isaacman, a 42-year-old tech mogul and SpaceX collaborator, seemed poised to steer NASA’s 18,000 employees toward Trump’s Mars-focused agenda. Yet, his donations to Democrats may have sealed his fate. With no replacement named, NASA faces uncertainty amid a proposed…

Can a social media giant’s hunger for artificial intelligence reshape America’s energy landscape? Earlier this week, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, struck a 20-year deal with Constellation Energy to secure nuclear power for its AI-driven data centers, a move that keeps an Illinois nuclear plant running beyond its planned 2027 closure. For U.S. consumers, environmentalists, and tech industry observers, this partnership signals a seismic shift in how tech giants address the soaring energy demands of AI, but it also prompts tough questions about sustainability, cost, and nuclear reliance in a $2 trillion tech market. The agreement, expanding the output of Constellation’s Clinton Clean Energy Center, aligns Meta with a growing trend among tech firms seeking clean energy to meet AI’s computational needs. Yet, with no financial details disclosed and…

In a dimly lit lab in Austin, a patient with paralysis moves a cursor across a screen using only their thoughts, a quiet triumph for Elon Musk’s Neuralink. The brain-computer interface (BCI) startup announced it raised $650 million in a Series E funding round, a cash infusion that could accelerate its mission to merge human brains with artificial intelligence. Led by investors like ARK Invest and Sequoia Capital, the funding values Neuralink at $9 billion pre-money, nearly tripling its 2023 valuation of $3.5 billion. With five patients already controlling devices via brain implants, Neuralink’s progress is undeniable, yet its path to commercializing vision-restoring and speech-enabling technologies faces hurdles. A FINANCIAL BOOST FOR A BOLD MISSION Neuralink’s $650 million raise, announced on June 2, 2025, marks its largest funding round to…

Denver researchers announced that artificial intelligence-powered robot companions can improve the quality of life for senior citizens by addressing loneliness and supporting daily activities. The findings, part of ongoing studies at the University of Denver, highlight the potential of these robots to provide social interaction and assistance in assisted living facilities. The research demonstrates that robot companions engage seniors through conversation and activities, reducing social isolation. The robots, designed to interact with elderly individuals, suggest games, assist with daily tasks, and respond to voice commands, aiming to enhance emotional well-being. The study found that seniors using the robots experienced improved mood and cognitive engagement, particularly those with dementia or depression. ROBOT CAPABILITIES The robot companions are equipped with artificial intelligence to facilitate lifelike interactions. They can initiate conversations, propose activities…

In a bustling Manhattan ad agency, a creative director uploads a sneaker image and a $10,000 budget to Meta’s platform, then leans back as artificial intelligence spins it into a vibrant Instagram campaign tailored to millions in seconds. This isn’t a distant dream—it’s Meta’s plan for 2026, unveiled earlier this week in a Wall Street Journal report. With 3.43 billion unique active users across its apps, Meta Platforms aims to fully automate advertising with AI, letting brands generate and target ads without human intervention by year’s end, a bold leap in the $135 billion digital advertising market. Meta’s vision promises efficiency and precision, but it also stirs unease about jobs and creative control. As CEO Mark Zuckerberg champions an “AI one-stop shop,” the move could reshape how Americans see ads…

In a quiet observatory nestled in the Chilean desert, a telescope’s lens captures a faint speck of light moving against the starry void, revealing a hidden world at the solar system’s farthest reaches. Last week, astronomers announced the discovery of a potential dwarf planet, a distant object roughly 435 miles wide, orbiting the sun far beyond Neptune. Located approximately 90 times farther from the sun than Earth, this icy body offers a rare glimpse into the outer fringes of our cosmic neighborhood. Detected through years of meticulous observation, the object’s slow journey across the sky required powerful telescopes in Chile and Hawaii to confirm its existence. Its size, slightly smaller than the smallest known dwarf planet, Ceres, places it among a select group of celestial bodies, yet its formal classification…

Why would a company worth $3.17 trillion resist sharing its technological crown jewels? Earlier this week, Apple launched a legal challenge against a European Union order under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), branding it “unreasonable, costly, and stifling to innovation.” The mandate, issued by the European Commission, compels Apple to open its iOS operating system to rivals like Meta and Google, granting them access to proprietary data and features previously locked within its walled garden. For U.S. users, this transatlantic clash raises critical questions about privacy, competition, and the future of Apple’s tightly controlled ecosystem in the smartphone market. Apple’s appeal, filed on Monday, argues that the EU’s requirements threaten user security and intellectual property, potentially reshaping how 500 million iPhone users interact with their devices. But is this a…