Tootfinder

While the AI bubble feels like the internet bubble of 1999, it may actually be larger and scarier with an unstable US economy and greater exposure for Big Tech (Fred Vogelstein/Crazy Stupid Tech)
https://crazystupidtech.com/2025/11/21/boom-bubble-bust…

We remember the internet bubble. This mania looks and feels the same.
The AI revolution is three years old Nov. 30. In just 36 months AI has gone from great-new-toy, to global phenomenon, to where we are today - debating whether we are in one of the biggest technology bubbles or booms in modern times. To us there is no debate. There is too much spending, too much leverage, too many crazy deals, and too much competition from China for us not to see big bumps ahead.

Changes to CISA have left some states without support during elections; California said CISA provided little support during the Nov. 4 election on redistricting (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/election-security-…

Changes to the agency that helps secure elections lead to midterm worries
The federal agency that oversees the security of election systems was largely absent from planning before elections this month in several states. That's leading many state election officials to be concerned about how engaged the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency will be for next year’s midterms. Officials are citing the shifting priorities of the Trump administration, as well as staffing reductions and budget cut. Some officials say they've begun scrambling to fill the anticipa…

Apple's DMA compliance isn't "malicious", but an effort to balance Apple's privacy focus with the EU's mandate, as iOS 26.2 iPhone/Watch Wi-Fi sync changes show (John Gruber/Daring Fireball)
https://daringfireball.net/2025/11/apple_eu_d…

Exploring, in Detail, Apple’s Compliance With the EU’s DMA Mandate Regarding Apple Watch, Third-Party Accessories, and the Syncing of Saved Wi-Fi Networks From iPhones to Which They’re Paired
The bottom line is that users setting up new Apple Watches in the EU will now get a somewhat slightly worse experience in the name of parity with accessories made by third-party companies. It remains to be seen whether users of third-party iPhone accessories and peripherals in the EU will see any benefit at all.

The EU warns of possible action after the US imposes travel bans on five Europeans, saying it will defend its "regulatory autonomy against unjustified measures" (Lorne Cook/Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/europe-bret

EU warns of possible action after the US bars 5 Europeans accused of censorship
The European Union's executive is warning of possible action against the U.S. after travel bans were imposed on five Europeans accused of pressuring American technology firms to censor viewpoints. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the five "radical" activists. They include Thierry Breton who is the former EU commissioner responsible for supervising social media rules. The European Commission condemned on Wednesday the U.S. decision and is seeking clarification. It says the EU is within…

HP plans to build millions of computers in Saudi Arabia by 2030, primarily for export to MENA, as part of the kingdom's plans to boost manufacturing and exports (Matthew Martin/Semafor)
https://www.semafor.com/article/10/24/2025/hp-plans-to-bui…

HP plans to build millions of computers in Saudi
The computer manufacturer has made Riyadh a hub, a win for the kingdom’s strategy to boost non-oil exports.

Spotify expands its AI-powered Prompted Playlists beta to Premium subscribers in the US and Canada, following initial testing in New Zealand (Sarah Perez/TechCrunch)
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/22/spotify-brings-ai-powered-prompted-pla…

Spotify brings AI-powered Prompted Playlists to the U.S. and Canada | TechCrunch
Now available in the US and Canada, Spotify's AI-powered Prompted Playlists let users describe what they want to hear using natural language commands.

Memo: TikTok CEO Shou Chew hailed the establishment of the TikTok USDS JV as "great news", and said the app is used by 200M US users and 7.5M US businesses (Dan Whateley/Business Insider)
https://www.businessinsider.com/read-tiktok-ceo-memo-cl…

Read the memo TikTok's CEO sent staff after closing a deal to avoid a US ban
TikTok CEO Shou Chew sent a memo to staff celebrating the "good news" that the company had finalized a deal to keep its business operating in the US.

Alphabet agrees to acquire clean energy developer Intersect for $4.75B in cash, and existing debt, as part of its push to dramatically expand AI data centers (Bloomberg)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-12-22/alpha…

Alphabet to Buy Data Center Partner Intersect for $4.75 Billion
Alphabet Inc. has agreed to buy clean energy developer Intersect Power LLC for $4.75 billion in cash, plus its existing debt, marking one of the largest deals by the tech giant in its push to dramatically expand its data center footprint to power AI.

The US is imposing visa restrictions on five Europeans, including Thierry Breton, accusing them of pressuring US tech companies to censor certain US viewpoints (Fatima Hussein/Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/state-depart…

US bars five Europeans accused of censoring Americans
The State Department is barring five Europeans it accuses of leading efforts to pressure U.S. tech firms to censor or suppress American viewpoints. Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not name them, identifying them only as “radical” activists and “weaponized” nongovernmental organizations. The five Europeans were later identified by Sarah Rogers, the under secretary of state for public diplomacy, in a series of posts on social media. They include a former EU commissioner and the leaders…

Google acquires Common Sense Machines, whose AI models create 3D assets from 2D images, and was last valued at $15M after raising $10M from a16z and others (The Information)
https://www.theinformation.com/briefings/exclusive-google-acquires-3d-im…

Exclusive: Google Acquires 3D Image Generator Startup
Google has acquired Common Sense Machines, a Cambridge, Mass.,-based startup developing generative artificial intelligence models to create three-dimensional assets from two-dimensional images, a Google spokesperson confirmed. The deal closed this week, according to the spokesperson. The spokesperson declined to provide a price. The company had around a dozen employees, according to its