Elon Musk launched a $97.4 Billion bid for AI darling OpenAI. The Wall Street Journal reported that a group led by Musk’s xAI made an unsolicited bid to the board of directors of OpenAI on Monday. It’s an offer for the non-profit which controls OpenAI’s profit-making arm. OpenAI isn’t a traditional business, and the non profit structure that Sam Altman, others, and the company are trying to remove may actually protect it from Musks offer.
This is not the end of the drama: Musk sued OpenAI and Sam Altman last year for allegedly abandoning its non-profit mission. Around this time last yea
A spokesperson for OpenAI pointed Engadget at a X post by CEO Sam Altman who said, “No thanks but we will purchase twitter for $9.74 Billion if you wish.” Musk’s purchase was a large sum of money which didn’t yield a typical return. It did however help him attach to President Trump’s winning bid for office.
— Mat Smith.
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Volkswagen will unveil a $21,000 entry level EV in March.
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Best cameras for 2025.
It’s the first Civ to get a VR version.
In an attempt to destroy my social life, Civilization VII is getting a virtual reality port, exclusive for Meta’s latest headsets. Meta and Firaxis Games announced that the game will be available on Meta Quest 3S and 3S by spring 2025. Civilization VII for PC and consoles is now available to Advanced Access buyers, but the reviews haven’t been great. (I play Civ games in this way sometimes …) Continue reading.
Apple is reportedly planning to announce a new iPhone SE in the next week
A new entry level phone could arrive later this month. Apple could unveil a new iPhone SE
. Bloomberg reports that the company could announce its new lower-cost model this week, before it goes on sales later this month. The last iPhone SE model was released in 2022.
A user of X who goes by MajinBu posted a video last week showing a device which is allegedly Apple’s upcoming lower-cost iPhone model. Apple removed the camera notch from the top of this model in favor Dynamic Island. It’s expected to also have a USB C port. The last SE iPhone was $429 but that was over two years ago. The new model could cost a little more.
Read on.
OnePlus 13 phone review
A focused flagship without AI fat.
Instead of focusing on AI, the OnePlus 13 packs a bunch of top-of-the-line components into an attractive chassis. And we mean great specs: a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, 4,500-nit screen and 6,000mAh battery, all for $100 less than a base Galaxy S25+. Camera quality could be better, though.
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Weber Searwood grill
Second time is the charm.
If not the world, how about a pellet grill? Weber’s second pellet grill is more versatile than the original SmokeFire. With reliable cooking performance and a much-improved display, the grill is definitely more dependable than its predecessor.
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TikTok suggests Android Users in the US Sideload the App
It’s still not in the app stores.
The TikTok policy account announced in a tweet that the service had made Android Package Kits downloadable through its official website. Companies do not usually endorse sideloading because it can lead to security issues and bad actors if you choose a bad source. Apple App Store and Google Play Store must still remove the app, unless they wish to be fined $5,000 for each user who downloaded it in the US.
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