According to a new Visa report, holiday retail spending rose 4.2% this season. The growth was fueled by online sales, which surged 7.8% year-over-year. The report also highlights that this was the first season where AI played a major role in consumer shopping habits.
Mozilla is adding a global “AI kill switch” to Firefox, letting users disable all AI tools. The move comes after severe backlash over a 2024 privacy feature that was turned on by default without clear consent.
Mozilla’s new CEO, Anthony Enzor-Demeo, is steering Firefox toward becoming a “modern AI browser.” The plan has sparked user concern, leading to a promise of a definitive “AI Kill Switch” coming in Q1 of 2026.
Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has lost its Indie Game Awards. The committee revoked the Game of the Year and Debut Game titles days after the December 18th ceremony due to the use of generative AI assets, violating strict rules.
Starting a business is about to get even harder. According to a new column, the “affordability crisis” is creating two major hurdles that could crush early-stage companies in 2026, forcing a brutal rethink of funding and hiring strategies.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed a strict AI safety law, requiring large companies to publish safety plans and report issues within 72 hours. This comes just days after President Trump issued an executive order aiming to block states from regulating AI, teeing up a constitutional clash.
The era of ugly Linux desktops is over. A new wave of distributions is prioritizing stunning, user-friendly design that can make the switch from Windows or macOS not just easy, but visually rewarding.
Samsung’s high-bandwidth memory business is staging a major recovery. After a rough start to 2025, the company has now surpassed Micron in quarterly market share thanks to key customer wins.
A cybersecurity story from mid-2024 is shockingly relevant as 2025 approaches. The 16 billion leaked passwords are actively being used in automated attacks, with millions of login attempts recorded in a single day. Changing your passwords and using a manager is no longer optional.
Microsoft is rolling out a new update for its Copilot AI on Windows. Insiders can now use voice commands to edit, rewrite, or simplify text directly within apps without switching windows.
