On Thursday, OpenAI and Microsoft announced they have signed a non-binding agreement to revise their partnership, marking the latest development in a relationship that has grown increasingly complex as both companies compete for customers in the AI market and seek new partnerships for growing infrastructure needs.

“Microsoft and OpenAI have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the next phase of our partnership,” the companies wrote in a joint statement. “We are actively working to finalize contractual terms in a definitive agreement. Together, we remain focused on delivering the best AI tools for everyone, grounded in our shared commitment to safety.”

The announcement comes as OpenAI seeks to restructure from a nonprofit to a for-profit entity, a transition that requires Microsoft’s approval, as the company is OpenAI’s largest investor with more than $13 billion committed since 2019.

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Scammers are extorting small businesses worldwide by threatening to flood their Google Maps profiles with fake one-star reviews or demanding payment to remove reviews already posted, according to The New York Times. Fraudsters target service businesses dependent on online ratings — movers, roofers, contractors — demanding hundreds of dollars per incident. The Times story documents many cases, including of one Los Angeles contractor Natalia Piper, who paid $250 to multiple scammers after her rating plummeted from 5.0 to 3.6 stars.

Industry watchdog Fake Review Watch documented over 150 affected businesses globally. The scammers typically operate from Pakistan and Bangladesh using WhatsApp to contact victims. Google removes most fraudulent content but offers no direct support channel for targeted businesses.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

A child in Los Angeles has died of a measles-related brain disorder stemming from an infection in infancy, the Los Angeles County health department reported Thursday.

Specifically, the child died of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a rare, but always fatal complication that strikes years after an initial measles infection. The health department’s announcement offered few details about the child, including the child’s age, but said that the child had contracted the virus before they were old enough to be vaccinated against measles. The first of two recommended doses of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is given between 12 and 15 months.

“This case is a painful reminder of how dangerous measles can be, especially for our most vulnerable community members,” Muntu Davis, a Los Angeles County health officer, said in a statement. “Infants too young to be vaccinated rely on all of us to help protect them through community immunity. Vaccination is not just about protecting yourself—it’s about protecting your family, your neighbors, and especially children who are too young to be vaccinated.”

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Merriam-Webster and its parent company Encyclopedia Britannica are the latest to take on AI in court. The plaintiffs have sued Perplexity, claiming that AI company’s “answer engine” product unlawfully copies their copyrighted materials. They are also alleging copyright infringement for instances where Perplexity’s AI creates false or inaccurate hallucinations that it then wrongly attributes to Britannica or Merriam-Webster. The complaint, filed in New York federal court, is seeking unspecified monetary damages and an order that blocks Perplexity from misusing their content.

“Perplexity’s so-called “answer engine” eliminates users’ clicks on Plaintiffs’ and other web publishers’ websites—and, in turn, starves web publishers of revenue—by generating responses to users’ queries that substitute the content from other information websites,” the filing reads. “To build its substitute product, Perplexity engages in massive copying of Plaintiffs’ and other web publishers’ protected content without authorization or remuneration.”

This isn’t Perplexity’s first time facing allegations that it has unlawfully taken another website’s content. Last year, the AI company was accused of copyright infringement by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post. Just last month a pair of Japanese media companies, Nikkei and the Asahi Shimbun, sued it on similar claims.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/perplexitys-definition-of-copyright-gets-it-sued-by-the-dictionary-213408625.html?src=rss

NASA’s interim administrator Sean Duffy was fired up on Wednesday when he joined a teleconference to talk about new scientific findings that concerned the potential for life to have once existed on Mars.

“This is exciting news,” said Duffy about an arrow-shaped rock on Mars found by NASA’s Perseverance rover. The rock contained chemical signatures and structures that could have been formed by ancient microbial life. The findings were intriguing, but not conclusive. Further study of the rocks in an advanced lab on Earth might prove more definitive.

Duffy was ready, he said, to discuss the scientific results along with NASA experts on the call with reporters. However, the very first question—and for any space reporter, the obvious one—concerned NASA’s on-again, off-again plan to return rocks from the surface of Mars for study on Earth. This mission, called Mars Sample Return, has been on hold for nearly two years after an independent analysis found that NASA’s bloated plan would cost at least $8 billion to $11 billion. President Trump has sought to cancel it outright.

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Google Maps appears to be going through an outage. At least in some regions, the mobile version of Google Maps is unable to fully load its map or provide directions. Over 4,000 reports have been filed for the service on Downdetector, and as of 2:12PM ET, Google’s Status Dashboard noted that the company was investigating an issue with the Maps SDK for Android and iOS, along with the Navigation SDK.

On both the Android and iOS versions of Google Maps, the service was unable to fully load its map, display listings or provide directions. In at least one case, the app showed an error message saying that Google Maps “Cannot reach server.”

Ian Carlos Campbell for Engadget

Google’s last major outage occurred in June, though it was primarily concentrated in the company’s Google Cloud service. Given the number of clients who use Google Cloud, the outage impacted everything from Spotify to Snapchat for multiple hours.

Developing…

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/google-maps-isnt-loading-in-some-regions-due-to-an-apparent-outage-204458737.html?src=rss

Perplexity AI is the latest AI startup to be hit with a lawsuit by copyright holders, accused by Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster of misusing their content in its “answer engine” for internet searches. From a report: The reference companies alleged in New York federal court on Wednesday that Perplexity unlawfully copied their material and diminished their revenue by redirecting their web traffic to its AI-generated summaries.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Sega allegedly orchestrated a police raid to recover Nintendo development kits it had accidentally disposed of during an office relocation from Brentford to Chiswick Business Park. An anonymous UK reseller purchased the items — including Game Boy Advance, DSi, 3DS, Wii, and Wii U development consoles plus prototype games like Sonic Chronicles and Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games — for roughly $13,575 from a removals worker handling Sega’s office clearance.

City of London Police arrested the seller July 14, 2025, on money laundering charges, deploying approximately ten officers to seize the hardware. The seller claims the search warrant was defective and authorized Sega representatives to participate in the raid. Nintendo development kits remain the hardware manufacturer’s property regardless of possession, outlet Time Extension writes. Police requested the seller relinquish ownership two days after releasing him from eight hours in custody, which he refused. Sega has not responded to multiple legal letters or six separate pre-action protocol claims from the seller.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The US Department of Justice sued Uber on Thursday over disability discrimination… again. The lawsuit claims the company and its drivers “routinely refuse to serve individuals with disabilities.” It specifically calls out its handling of passengers with service animals or stowable wheelchairs. The suit was filed in federal court in Northern California.

“Despite the importance of its services to people with disabilities, Uber denies people with disabilities full and equal enjoyment of its services in several critical ways,” the lawsuit reads. It also accuses Uber’s drivers of insulting and demeaning people with disabilities and asking them inappropriate questions. 

In a statement sent to Engadget, Uber contested the government’s claims. “Riders who use guide dogs or other assistive devices deserve a safe, respectful, and welcoming experience on Uber — full stop,” the company wrote. “We have a clear zero-tolerance policy for confirmed service denials, and we fundamentally disagree with the DOJ’s allegations.”

Uber said all drivers must acknowledge and agree to its service animal policy before they can begin driving. “When we confirm a violation, we take decisive action, including permanent account deactivation,” the company wrote. Uber noted that its community guidelines prohibit discrimination. It also added that it sent a service animal education video to all US drivers last year, explaining their vital role.

Uber

Earlier this year, Uber added a feature that lets passengers alert drivers that they’ll be traveling with service animals. The DOJ’s complaint says the company introduced the feature only after being notified of the investigation. “But Uber has continued to discriminate against riders who use service animals notwithstanding the feature,” the filing reads.

The DOJ is seeking a jury trial, injunctive relief and monetary damages. It also wants to charge Uber a civil fine for violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

If this all sounds familiar, there’s a good reason. The DOJ sued Uber in 2021 over similar claims. That suit focused on “wait time” fees sent to passengers who, due to their disabilities, needed more time. The two sides settled the lawsuit in 2022. Uber agreed to pay at least $2.2 million to passengers with disabilities who were charged waiting fees. The company has also faced a string of lawsuits from passengers over serving riders with disabilities.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/the-doj-sues-uber-again-for-allegedly-discriminating-against-people-with-disabilities-195442362.html?src=rss

Paramount Skydance, apparently now in a state of permanent merger, plans to make a bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, The Wall Street Journal reports. The company was recently formed following Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount for $8 billion. Newly anointed Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison was able to afford the acquisition thanks to the backing of his billionaire father, Larry Ellison.

Despite Warner Bros. Discovery’s public plans to split back into Warner Bros. and Discovery Global, “the bid will be for the entire company, including its cable networks and movie studio,” the report says. A successful acquisition of the company will likely be very pricey. According to The Wall Street Journal, “Warner Bros.’s nearly $33 billion market cap is more than double that of Paramount Skydance.”

Further consolidation in the entertainment industry will likely lead to less varied and interesting film and television, but a merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery could also concentrate even more power in the hands of the federal government. 

Prior to the deal going through, CBS paid $16 billion to settle a lawsuit with Trump, which may have affected the President’s stance towards the acquisition. Skydance’s commitment to abandon DEI programs at CBS and make the television network “embody a diversity of viewpoints across the political and ideological spectrum” was also cited as justification for the FCC approving the acquisition. Following the deal, Paramount appointed Kenneth Weinstein as an Ombudsman to “review editorial questions and concerns from outside entities and employees.” Weinstein previously served as an advisor to the Trump administration, Variety reports.

Fusing two giant Hollywood studios obviously impacts competition. The question now is how the FCC will respond to this possible acquisition, with even more money and power on the line.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/paramount-reportedly-wants-to-acquire-warner-bros-discovery-antitrust-law-be-damned-193306141.html?src=rss

The iPhone 17 is the most affordable of the four iPhones Apple launched at its September 2025 “Awe Dropping” event, and that automatically makes the most interesting to me. It may appear to be the most “boring” at first glance, but as I pointed out when I compared it with the iPhone Air, the iPhone 17 is probably the best new iPhone for most people. It’s priced well, is packed with nice new features including a 120Hz ProMotion display, and it gets most of the features usually reserved for more expensive iPhones. Here’s everything you need to know about the iPhone 17, and why you might want to upgrade to it.

iPhone 17 body, display, and weight

Credit: Apple

The iPhone 17 is the most colorful option among the four iPhones being launched in September 2025. You can choose from five different finishes, including Lavender, Sage (a green hue), Mist Blue, White and Black.

You get the 120Hz ProMotion display on this phone, which will make navigation and animations look smoother and was reserved for the Pro models until now. You’ll also be able to use it when you’re playing games or watching videos, and the phone can still drop the refresh rate to 1Hz when you’re not using it to conserve battery.

The iPhone 17 also has a slightly larger, 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR display with Ceramic Shield 2 for improved scratch protection. Thanks to that 1Hz support, the phone also works with Apple’s Always-On Display, which means that you can quickly check the time on it without switching on the screen.

Apple says the iPhone 17 is water resistant up to a depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes, too. This means that if you drop your phone in water, it should be safe as long as it’s within those limits.

Apple has still managed to keep this phone fairly light, at 6.24 ounces (177 grams). That makes it heavier than the iPhone Air (5.82 ounces or 165 grams), but it should still be reasonably easy to handle. 

iPhone 17 processor

Credit: Apple

The iPhone 17 ships with Apple’s new A19 chip, and it’s the only one of the four new iPhones to use that. All other phones launched in Apple’s September 2025 event use the A19 Pro chip. The A19 has a 6-core CPU and a 5-core GPU with Neural Accelerators. At the time of writing, early Geekbench scores give us a fair idea of the A19’s performance. It appears to score around 7 to 8 percent more than the iPhone 16’s A18 chip. According to the same report, the iPhone 17 has 8GB of RAM. Apple doesn’t make RAM specs public, but benchmarking tools are a reliable indicator for this metric.

This phone supports 2 eSIMs and doesn’t have any physical SIM slots in the US. In some regions, such as India, the iPhone 17 has one physical SIM slot and one eSIM. In China, the iPhone 17 doesn’t support eSIMs at all and ships with two physical SIM slots instead.

iPhone 17 cameras

Credit: Apple

Apple has included two rear cameras on the iPhone 17, alongside the Center Stage front camera. The big news is that you don’t have to rotate your iPhone for landscape selfies any more. The Center Stage camera, which has an 18-megapixel sensor, uses AI to automatically adjust your frame to include more people in the shot if needed. It can take portrait and landscape selfies.

The rear camera setup has a 48-megapixel main sensor, and a 48-megapixel ultrawide lens. This means that you can take photos in 0.5x, 1x, and 2x shooting modes. The iPhone 17 supports Dual Capture, too, which allows you to record videos with the front and rear cameras at the same time. The rear cameras support macro photography and they can record videos in Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60fps.

iPhone 17 battery life

Credit: Apple

You can expect your iPhone 17 to easily last a full day on a single charge with moderate use. Apple says the device lasts for up to 30 hours with continuous video playback, which is higher than the iPhone Air (27 hours) or even the iPhone 16 Plus (also 27 hours). The iPhone 17 supports Apple’s MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging. You can charge it from 0 to 50 percent in 30 minutes using a 30W or higher adapter paired with a MagSafe charger. If you buy Apple’s 40W charging adapter, your iPhone 17 will go from 0 to 50 percent within 20 minutes.

The smartphone has a USB-C port, but it only supports USB 2, which means that transfer speeds aren’t going to be as fast as that on the iPhone 17 Pro (which supports USB 3 with speeds up to 10Gb/s). 

A good upgrade and a great price

Credit: Apple

The iPhone 17 overall looks like a solid upgrade with a better display, better battery life, and better cameras. It’s not a revolutionary product, but it won’t disappoint anyone who’s upgrading from an older phone. If your iPhone 16 series device is working fine, then you can probably continue using it for another year at least, but if you have an iPhone 12 Pro Max like I do, or an iPhone 15 or older device, then the 17 could be a great upgrade. 

As someone looking to upgrade, at $799 for the 256GB variant, the iPhone 17’s price is particularly appealing to me considering all the features it has. The 512GB iPhone 17 is priced at $999 if you need more space, and that should be enough storage to handle everything you can throw at it.

An anonymous reader shares a report: Everyone’s favorite CEO, Warner Bros. Discovery head David Zaslav, thinks HBO Max is ripe for a price hike. Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia and Technology Conference (doesn’t that sound like a fun time?) Zaslav argued that his company’s premium output can command a premium price.

“The fact that this is quality — and that’s true across our company, motion picture, TV production and and streaming quality — we all we think that gives us a chance to raise price,” he said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “We think we’re way underpriced.” The recently re-re-branded HBO Max currently starts at $9.99 per month, including ads, peaking at $20.99 per month for its premium plan, roughly in line with its rivals.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

We’re one month away from the theatrical release of TRON: Ares, and Disney is seeking to stoke interest with a new trailer that shows the titular program going back to the original 1984 grid—and encountering an unexpected figure: the one and only Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges).

(Some spoilers for Tron and Tron: Legacy below.)

As previously reported, TRON: Legacy ended with Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), son of Kevin Flynn, preventing the digital world from bleeding into the real world, as planned by the Grid’s malevolent ruling program, Clu. He brought with him Quorra (Olivia Wilde), a naturally occurring isomorphic algorithm targeted for extinction by Clu.

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