Tootfinder

African fintech Flutterwave acquires Nigerian open banking startup Mono, sources say in an all-stock deal valued at $25M to $40M; Mono raised $17.5M since 2020 (Tage Kene-Okafor/TechCrunch)
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/05/flutterwave-buys-nige…

Flutterwave buys Nigeria's Mono in rare African fintech exit | TechCrunch
Africa’s largest fintech company, Flutterwave, has acquired Nigerian open banking startup Mono in an all-stock deal.

Russia targets capital and Kyiv Oblast, killing at least 2, damaging medical center: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/05/russia-targets-capital-and-kyiv.html

Withings Body Scan 2: Waage erfasst Daten zu Herz, Gefäßen und Stoffwechsel
Withings zeigt auf der CES 2026 die Körperanalysewaage Body Scan 2. Das Gerät soll über 60 Gesundheitswerte erfassen und frühzeitig Risiken erkennen.

James Carville says Trump invaded Venezuela for a simple reason:
“It's All about Epstein”
The commentator said Donald Trump is throwing up desperate distractions from the Epstein Files
https://www.salon.com/2026/01/04/all-about

"All about Epstein": Carville says Trump invaded Venezuela for a simple reason - Salon.com
The commentator said Donald Trump is throwing up desperate distractions from the Epstein Files.

"However, if you scoff at the idea that one should have any ethical boundaries at all, and think that there’s no reason to care about the overall utilitarian impact of this technology, that it’s worth using no matter what else it does as long as it makes you 5% better at your job, that’s sociopath behavior."
https://<…

But sir, the Shackle Maker 2000™ by Shackle Corp® is open source. You could, theoretically, use it to make more than shackles.
#CorporateOpenSource #openSource #openAsInOpenForBusiness

A thread about my use of AI in coding through 2025. Expecting similar results in 2026.

Spready toes!

Does your local newspaper have a space news column? I wish mine did...
#news #localnews #spacenews
https://mastodon.scot/@fionaorkneynews/115835654661135458
fionaorkneynews@mastodon.scot - Space Notes January 2026
In a month when the heavyweight players in space have been relatively quiet, this is a good moment to take note of two important spacecraft which are no longer with us.
https://theorkneynews.scot/2026/01/04/space-notes-january-2026/

おはようございます。仕事始めですねー。

Oh no: "‘Foldy Bird’ uses your foldable hinge to play Flappy Bird, and it hurts my soul"
"If you don’t end up breaking your phone from a low-stakes rage quit, playing this game enough will surely do that for you."
https://9to5google.com/2026/01/03/flap

‘Foldy Bird’ uses your foldable hinge to play Flappy Bird, and it hurts my soul
You can play Flappy Bird and speedrun wearing out your foldable phone’s hinge at the same time. At this point,...

En Syrie, l’organisation Etat islamique ciblée par une opération militaire éclair
https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2026/01/05/en-syrie-l-organisation-etat-islamique-ciblee-pa…

En Syrie, l’organisation Etat islamique ciblée par une opération militaire éclair
La France et le Royaume-Uni ont frappé, samedi 3 janvier, un site soupçonné d’abriter des armes de l’EI. Des dizaines d’opérations doivent être planifiées chaque année par la coalition menée par les Etats-Unis pour contenir la menace terroriste.

Cheers to @… for finding more reporting from a more conventional source.
https://fedi.haugenh.us/@kaleb/statuses/01KE60TKNFM9RJ5SMY3WM6XEY9
https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/banks-tap-record-liquidity-new-york-feds-standing-repo-facility-2025-12-31/

Again with the pizzas!? 🍕

CES 2026: self-driving truck company Kodiak partners with Bosch to develop a hardware and software system to turn standard semi-trucks into autonomous vehicles (Kirsten Korosec/TechCrunch)
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/05/kodiak-taps-bosch-to-scale-…

Kodiak taps Bosch to scale its self-driving truck tech | TechCrunch
There is no timeline for when these systems will become available. But once they do, Kodiak could bring its tech to more trucks, faster.

Withings bringt Waage mit stark erweiterten Analysefunktionen
Die neue Körperanalysewaage kann laut Withings in nur 90 Sekunden über 60 klinisch relevante Biomarker erfassen.
https://www.

Head of SBU Resigns Amid Pressure from Zelenskyy: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/05/head-of-sbu-resigns-amid.html

‘Naked imperialism’: how Trump intervention in Venezuela is a return to form for the US
“Almost every country in the region has experienced some form of US intervention, overt or covert, in the past decades.”
https://www.theguardian…

SBResiste needs your help.
As the Trump administration launched its aggressive, often unconstitutional assault on immigrants early last year, community members formed SBResiste.
The organization aims to prevent kidnappings,
monitor ICE activities,
document violations,
notify community members of their rights,
and provide mutual aid to families devastated by detentions and disappearances.
Register here:

Trainings
Join the 805 Immigrant   Rapid Response Network and support undocumented individuals and families in Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo Counties. We are seeking dedicated volunteers for the...

I like cats :3

I wish I had enough understanding of the guts of the financial system to parse articles like this. The news seems meaningful — but what does it actually mean?
https://zeroes.ca/@datum/115835464830556913

Starlink says it is providing free broadband service to new and existing customers in Venezuela through February 3, 2026 (Dylan Butts/CNBC)
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/05/elon-musk-spacex-starlink-free-internet-venezuela-us-raid-maduro.h…

Elon Musk's Starlink offers free internet access in Venezuela following U.S. airstrikes and Maduro’s arrest
SpaceX's Starlink is offering free broadband internet service to the people of Venezuela through Feb. 3, amid the fallout of a U.S. military operation in the country.

Vaonis Hyperia: smartes Teleskop für Forschung und Astrofotografie
Das Teleskop Vaonis Hyperia wendet sich allein preislich an Institute wie Sternwarten. Es vereint große Optik mit 17 Linsen und schnellen Antrieb.

31 scientists are behind bars in Russia, seven detained in 2025: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/05/scientists-are-behind-bars-in.html

Is being a professional cat a job? If so, I picked the wrong career.

OpenAI says 40M Americans turn to ChatGPT daily for health information, per an analysis of anonymized interactions, seeing it as an "ally" for health care (Megan Morrone/Axios)
https://www.axios.com/2026/01/05/chatgpt-openai-health-insurance-aca

Exclusive: 40 million Americans turn to ChatGPT for health care
OpenAI's new report shows how chatbots can help navigate health care.

California lawmakers made major changes to the state’s car-buying rules this year,
including a  controversial rewrite of the state law that allows buyers to get their money back if they are sold a defective vehicle
and a new right to return a used vehicle within three days.

SwitchBot Smart Home 2.0: Haushaltsroboter und biometrische Schlösser
SwitchBot zeigt im Rahmen von „Smart Home 2.0“ biometrische Schlösser, eine Wohlfühl-LED-Kugel und einen KI-Roboter, der sein Verhalten an die Wohnung anpasst.

This scroll-jump-when trying to bookmark a post bug in Mona 7 is really making the app unusable. Hold off on upgrading until there’s a fix.
@…
#mona #mona7

Zelensky appoints former Canadian deputy PM as economic advisor: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/05/zelensky-appoints-former-canadian-deputy.html

Amazon unveils a Fire TV UI redesign with rounded corners, 20 app slots, and Alexa integration, and launches $899 Ember Artline TV series with colorful frames (Sarah Perez/TechCrunch)
https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/05/amazon-revamp…

Amazon revamps Fire TV, launches its own 'Artline' televisions with frames at CES | TechCrunch
Fire TV's new interface focuses on your content and offers easier, speedier navigation, Amazon says.

Städtetag: Politik muss Risiken brennender Akkus im Müll rasch angehen
Defekte Batterien in Abfallanlagen verursachen täglich Brände und gefährden die Entsorgungssicherheit. Kommunen fordern umfangreiche Nachbesserungen vom Bund.

Protests erupted nationwide as the U.S. attacks Venezuela and kidnaps President Maduro and his wife.
San Francisco was no exception.
As the recent days of rain let up for a grateful pause, activists of all ages from the Answer coalition, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, the Democratic Socialists of American, Revolutionary International Youth, Refuse Fascism, and just people with home made signs rallied at Powell and Market.
They then marched down Market Street to …

Protests Throughout as U.S. Attacks Venezuela to Grab Country's Oil : Indybay
Blatant criminality characterized by NY Times as "some in Washington are concerned."

Basically, what the US has announced, rather unambiguously, is that the only way its actions can regulated is through superior military might.
This is a very dangerous thing to announce in a world when you are one of approximately 200 countries. Regardless of whether you currently have the most lethal military of not.
Anyone know what happens to that one asshole at a game of Monopoly if the rest of the players decide to team up against him?
Not saying it will happen. But re…

US may raise tariffs on India 'very quickly' if it keeps buying Russian oil, Trump says: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/05/us-may-raise-tariffs-on.html

Satya Nadella says the industry needs to move past slop-vs-sophistication arguments and view AI as a cognitive amplifier, not a human substitute (Satya Nadella/sn scratchpad)
https://snscratchpad.com/posts/looking-ahead-2026/

Looking Ahead to 2026
As I reflect on the past year and look toward the one ahead, there’s no question 2026 will be a pivotal year for AI. Yes, another one. But this moment feels different in a few notable ways.

Internet ohne Rechnung – zumindest vorübergehend. 🌐 SpaceX reagiert auf die jüngsten Ereignisse in Venezuela und stellt den Satelliten-Internetdienst Starlink für einen Monat kostenlos zur Verfügung.
Zum Artikel: https://heise.de/-11128496?wt_mc=sm.re

Truck carrying Russian troops blown up in Krasnodar Krai, Ukraine's intelligence says: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/05/truck-carrying-russian-troops-blown.html

RE: https://mastodon.social/@onlmaps/115836203805522195
You meant kidnapping, right?
He wasn’t taking a pleasure cruise, I don’t think.

As the first guests began to trickle in, the conversation turned,
as these things do,
to the ethics of gene-editing embryos to create custom babies.
“I would actually argue that the ethical questions probably aren’t as big,
because kids already don’t choose their genes,” said
#Malcolm #Collins

Why Elon Musk and JD Vance Are Obsessed With You Having More Babies
My strange weekend with the pronatalists.

Punkt. MC03: Android-Smartphone „Made in Europe“ ohne Google mit Abo
Der Schweizer Hersteller Punkt. hat mit dem MC03 ein abonnementbasiertes Smartphone mit Fokus auf Datensicherheit angekündigt.
https://ww…

A Chinese hospital says Alibaba's PANDA AI tool has analyzed 180,000 CT scans and detected ~24 pancreatic cancer cases since its deployment in November 2024 (New York Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/02/world/a…

In China, A.I. Finds Pancreatic Cancer That Doctors May Miss
A tool for spotting pancreatic cancer in routine CT scans has had promising results, one example of how China is racing to apply A.I. to medicine’s tough problems.

DIRECT HIT ON HOSPITAL! 🏥 Russia launches 165 drones & ballistics: dead in Kyiv!: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/05/direct-hit-on-hospital-russia.html

RE: https://mstdn.social/@noelreports/115836102332680349
You meant to say kidnapping, right?
Now we know the details of the crime, I’m assuming the perpetrators will be brought to justice, right?

Trump on Sunday threatened military action against Colombia,
telling reporters that such an operation "sounds good to me."
"Colombia is very sick, too, run by a sick man, who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States,
and he's not going to be doing it very long,"
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, in an apparent reference to Colombia's President Gustavo Petro.

Photovoltaik zieht 2025 an Braunkohle und Erdgas vorbei
Stromerzeugung aus Sonne erreichte 2025 einen neuen Rekordwert. Der Anteil am Energiemix lag über dem von Braunkohle und Erdgas.
https://www.

India orders weekly reporting of Russian and U.S. crude purchases amid sanctions pressure: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/05/india-orders-weekly-reporting-of.html

This is such a dangerous document: conflating trillion-dollar centralised platforms with federated and, possibly in the future, peer-to/peer platforms or even personal web sites is one of most braindead policy suggestions I’ve ever read (and I’ve read quite a few).
#EU #DSA

Samsung co-CEO TM Roh says the company has rolled out Gemini-powered AI features to ~400M mobile devices by 2025, and aims to boost the figure to 800M in 2026 (Hyunjoo Jin/Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/samsun

The Year in Physics
Physicists spotted a “terribly exciting” new black hole,
doubled down on weakening dark energy,
and debated the meaning of quantum mechanics
https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-year-in-physics-20251217/

The Year in Physics | Quanta Magazine
Physicists spotted a “terribly exciting” new black hole, doubled down on weakening dark energy, and debated the meaning of quantum mechanics.

Steam Awards: Spieler wählen „Hollow Knight Silksong“ zum Spiel des Jahres
Bei den Steam Awards wählt das Spiel des Jahres keine Jury, sondern die Spieler selbst. Sie haben sich für „Hollow Knight Silksong“ entschieden.

RUSSIA ABANDONS ITS OWN – the Kremlin did not stand up for Maduro’s Venezuela | Wrap-Up Analytics: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/05/russia-abandons-its-own-the.html

Samsung updates its TVs to add new AI features, including a Sound Controller feature to independently adjust the volume of dialogue, music, or sound effects (Chris Welch/Bloomberg)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-0…

“US Justice Department”
(That’s it, that’s the whole joke.)

Taiwan: 2,6 Millionen Cyberangriffe aus China auf Infrastruktur – jeden Tag
Taiwans Nachrichtendienst hat im vergangenen Jahr im Schnitt 2,6 Millionen chinesische Cyberattacken auf die eigene kritische Infrastruktur gezählt – jeden Tag.

A supermassive black hole fleeing its home galaxy at 900 kilometers per second
https://skywriter.blue/pages/did:plc:yiht2spe2sqm23m3iowdlhgz/post/3mbmnulz5sk2v

'We don't believe that happened' — Trump dismisses Putin’s claim of Ukrainian attack on his residence: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/05/we-dont-believe-that-happened.html

Schachroboter SenseRobot bewegt reale Figuren
SenseRobot stellt Schach- und Go-Roboter her, die Figuren mit Roboterarmen selbstständig bewegen, Spielzüge erkennen und Training bis auf Meisterniveau bieten.
https://www.…

Russian attempt to storm Kupiansk using gas pipeline 'thwarted,' 40 soldiers 'eliminated,' Ukraine's 7th Corps says: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/05/russian-attempt-to-storm-kupiansk.html

RE: https://mas.to/@SmudgeTheInsultCat/115835239820757608
Literally Silicon Valley…

With astonishing speed, the administration has toppled the most cherished pillars of a free society.
And as you know: It’s all going to get much, much worse.

Trump’s Immigration Nightmare: It Is Happening Here
With astonishing speed, the administration has toppled the most cherished pillars of a free society. And the experts agree: It’s all going to get much, much worse.

Sources: Shanghai-based AI startup MiniMax plans to price its Hong Kong IPO at ~$21, the top of its marketed range, and will stop taking orders a day early (Dave Sebastian/Bloomberg)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/20

Nach Ergreifung von Maduro: SpaceX macht Starlink in Venezuela kostenfrei
Wegen US-Sanktionen war Starlink in Venezuela bislang nicht legal nutzbar. Nach der Ergreifung des Präsidenten durch das US-Militär ist der Dienst kostenfrei.

BREAKING: Ukraine's Security Service chief resigns under Zelensky pressure, to focus on operations against Russia: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/05/breaking-ukraines-security-service-chief.html

“Love thy neighbor*”
– USian Christians
* Unless they have natural resources. In which case, bomb the shit out of them, invade them, kidnap their presidents… anything, really, until we can steal what they have. After all, we built our whole damn country on stealing from and enslaving others (amen, etc.)

Lyte, founded by ex-Apple Face ID engineers, emerges from stealth and raised ~$107M to develop tech to help robots see better and move more safely in the world (Samantha Kelly/Bloomberg)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/20

Noch einige der zuletzt hier besonders häufig geteilten #News:
Massive Störung legt Flugverkehr in Griechenland lahm
https…

Ukraine war latest live: Russian troops attempting to expand combat zone in Sumy, Kharkiv oblasts, Border Guard Service says: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/05/ukraine-war-latest-live-russian.html

Foxconn reports Q4 revenue up 22% YoY to ~$82.7B, above ~$77B est., and record December revenue up 31.8% YoY to ~$27.5B, driven by AI and networking demand (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/foxconns-q4-revenue-surges-2207-yea…

Einige der zuletzt hier besonders häufig geteilten #News:
Quantenspalt aus einem Atom: Physiker schließen Lücke im Einstein-Bohr-Streit

ATTACK FOILED: Ukrainian Army destroys Russians near Kupiansk #shorts: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/05/attack-foiled-ukrainian-army-destroys.html

Taiwan says China's cyberattacks on its hospitals, banks, energy, and other infrastructure rose 6% YoY in 2025 to an average of 2.63M attacks a day (Yimou Lee/Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chines

Russians “DEFEATED” a hospital! Consequences of the horrific shelling of Kyiv #shorts: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/05/russians-defeated-a-hospital-consequences.html<…

Taiwanese prosecutors file additional indictments against Tokyo Electron's Taiwan unit and three other defendants over the alleged theft of TSMC trade secrets (Wen-Yee Lee/Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific

Qualcomm unveils the Dragonwing IQ10 Series, a full-stack robotics architecture integrating hardware, software, and AI for industrial and consumer humanoids (Katie Collins/CNET)
https://www.cnet.com/tech/qualcomm-announces-dragonwing-iq10-…

Qualcomm Bets Big on Robotics, Beginning With This Bendy-Backed Humanoid
A new wave of humanoids are coming. Qualcomm is ready to power them.

Festung im All: Wie Europa Satelliten gegen Cyberangriffe und Geopolitik wappnet
Von Grönland bis in den Orbit: Die EU investiert viel in neue Laser-Technologien und eigene Infrastrukturen, um sich aus der Abhängigkeit von den USA zu lösen.

TRUMP hinted to PUTIN – you will be next after MADURO! #shorts: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/04/trump-hinted-to-putin-you.html

Sources: Alibaba's Amap will soon launch an AI tool to let restaurants render 3D images by just uploading videos or photos, in a bid to compete with Meituan (Debby Wu/Bloomberg)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-…

"Vulkangruppe" bekennt sich zu Berliner Stromausfall
Eine Gruppe von Linksextremisten hat sich zu dem aktuellen Stromausfall in Berlin bekannt. Die Polizei hält das für glaubwürdig.
https://www.

Plaud launches the $179 Plaud NotePin S AI recorder, similar to the $159 NotePin but with a button, alongside a new desktop app for recording meeting audio (Dominic Preston/The Verge)
https://www.theverge.com/tech/851393/plaud-notepin-s-desktop-app-ces

Plaud updates the NotePin with a button
The new Plaud NotePin S is much like the original, but with a new button and more included accessories.

Massive Störung legt Flugverkehr in Griechenland lahm
Griechenlands Flughäfen sind lahmgelegt. Nur Flieger, die schon in der Luft sind, werden betreut. Es ist ungewiss, wann es weitergeht.
https://www.

A New Era for Venezuela: TRUMP vs MADURO. The Valdai "attack" was an AI fake: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/04/a-new-era-for-venezuela.html

Samsung upgrades its Family Hub refrigerators with AI features, such as voice control to open and close the door and Gemini-powered AI Vision to track inventory (Jennifer Pattison Tuohy/The Verge)
https://www.theverge.com/tech/853758/shut-the-fridge-door

Shut the fridge door!
Voice control opening and closing comes to Samsung’s Family Hub smart fridges.

Doppelspalt mit Einzelatom zeigt Übergang von Quanten- zu klassischer Welt
Ein einzelnes Atom als beweglicher Spalt: Forscher realisieren Einsteins Gedankenexperiment erstmals originalgetreu und beobachten den Quanten-Klassik-Übergang.

After US attack on Venezuela, Trump's Greenland ambitions spark renewed alarm: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/04/after-us-attack-on-venezuela.html

A profile of Max Tegmark, the physicist pushing to halt AGI development, who was subpoenaed by OpenAI over the Future of Life Institute's past ties to Elon Musk (Wall Street Journal)
https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/who-is-max-teg

Internet im Iran wegen landesweiter Proteste eingeschränkt
Die Unzufriedenheit vieler Iraner entlädt sich in einer neuen Welle regierungskritischer Demonstrationen. Und wieder schränkt Teheran das Internet ein.
…

Russian missile parts factory in flames after Ukrainian drone attack, media report: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/04/russian-missile-parts-factory-in.html

Google plans to integrate Nano Banana and Veo support into Gemini on Google TV, letting users generate AI videos and modify family photos, first on TCL TVs (Terrence O'Brien/The Verge)
https://www.theverge.com/tech/854112/gemini-google-tv-nano-banana-veo-ces

Gemini on Google TV is getting Nano Banana and voice-controlled settings
Gemini on Google TV is getting Nano Banana and Veo support, plus natural language control over picture and audio settings.

Massiver Stromausfall in Berlin dauert wohl bis Donnerstag
Zehntausende im Südwesten der Hauptstadt haben seit gestern keinen Strom – und das bei Schnee und Kälte und wohl noch tagelang.
https://www.

Ukraine prepared to continue fighting if diplomacy with Russia fails, Zelensky says: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/04/ukraine-prepared-to-continue-fighting.html

Etwas mehr der heute besonders häufig geteilten #News:
Internet im Iran wegen landesweiter Proteste eingeschränkt
htt…

A country that has DOOMED ITSELF – Putin's war has driven Russia into DECLINE | Explainer: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/04/a-country-that-has-doomed.html

Russian forces push to Kostiantynivka’s outskirts, with new gains reported near Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/04/russian-forces-push-to-kostiantynivkas.html

AZOV smashes RUSSIAN LIES and fake “VICTORIES”! #shorts: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/04/azov-smashes-russian-lies-and.html

🤡 PUTIN begs for a ticket to BIG POLITICS – and all in vain! #shorts: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/04/putin-begs-for-a-ticket.html

🇻🇪 Venezuelan DOMINO EFFECT: Putin's oil empire will fall FIRST #shorts: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/04/venezuelan-domino-effect-putins-oil.html

Ukraine says Russia preparing January offensive in Sumy, Luhansk and Kharkiv regions: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/03/ukraine-says-russia-preparing-january.html

Zelensky names First Deputy Foreign Minister Kyslytsya as new Presidential Office deputy head: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/03/zelensky-names-first-deputy-foreign.html

Bild: U.S. operation in Venezuela is a humiliation for Russia and a challenge to China: https://benborges.xyz/2026/01/04/bild-us-operation-in-venezuela.html