OTWopentechwire
Tech Intelligence, Openly Wired
OTW · Latest

Latest

The newest reporting across every beat — AI, startups, policy, developers, and products, freshest first, with a sharp eye on Asia's tech economy.

RSS feed2042 stories
FEATURED
Featured ·

Brussels Orders Meta to Dismantle Infinite Scroll and Autoplay or Face Billion-Dollar Fine

European regulators say Facebook and Instagram's engagement mechanics breach the Digital Services Act by pushing users into "autopilot mode" - and current teen safeguards are too weak.

By Mei-Lin Tan·Jul 14, 2026·6 min read
Policy

Brussels Targets Infinite Scroll as Meta Faces DSA Violation Charge

The European Commission's preliminary findings challenge the architecture of engagement-driven design, with fines potentially reaching 6% of

Daniel R. Whitfield ·   · 5m
Policy

Microsoft's Carbon Footprint Swells Amid AI Infrastructure Surge

The tech giant's emissions jumped 25 percent in fiscal 2025, testing its pledge to go carbon negative by 2030 as data center expansion outpa

Arjun S. Mehta ·   · 5m
Policy

Brussels Takes Aim at Infinite Scroll and Autoplay

A preliminary EU finding that Meta's flagship platforms breach addictive-design standards could force product teams to rethink core engageme

Marcus Halloran ·   · 5m
Policy

Europe Orders Meta to Strip Features Engineers Designed to Keep You Scrolling

Brussels says autoplay and infinite feeds didn't pass basic risk assessment; compliance deadline looms with fines up to 6% of global revenue

Daniel R. Whitfield ·   · 5m
Policy

Polestar's US Exit Leaves Thousands of Owners Without Clear Service Path

As federal connected-vehicle rules force the Swedish-Chinese EV maker out of American showrooms, a larger question emerges: who maintains an

Arjun S. Mehta ·   · 4m
AI

Instagram Won't Filter AI Content, But Mosseri Says Users Should Curate Their Own Feeds

The Meta executive's stance reflects a broader platform bet: label AI-generated posts, then let algorithmic preferences sort the rest.

Priya Nair ·   · 6m
AI

Chinese Users Stick With OpenAI Despite Premium Pricing

GPT-5.6's three-tier efficiency strategy draws praise from mainland developers accessing the service through VPNs, even as domestic models u

Wei Zhang ·   · 5m
AI

Google Embeds Calibration Into Quantum Error Correction

A new technique allows superconducting quantum processors to continuously tune themselves during computation, solving a drift problem that t

Arjun S. Mehta ·   · 5m
Startups

Film Social Network Letterboxd Draws Streaming Giants in $250 Million Sale Talks

Netflix, Sony Pictures, and Paramount are circling the movie-focused platform as its user base surges to 30 million, raising questions about

Mei-Lin Tan ·   · 4m
AI

Meta Pulls AI Tool That Let Anyone Create Deepfakes of Public Instagram Accounts

The company's Muse Image feature lasted less than a week after Hollywood agencies and labor unions raised alarms over non-consensual use of

Priya Nair ·   · 5m
AI

Beijing's Booster Recovery Narrows SpaceX's Launch Economics Lead

A state-owned Chinese aerospace firm has landed an orbital rocket on a ship, signaling the end of SpaceX's near-monopoly on cost-cutting reu

Wei Zhang ·   · 5m
Policy

FCC Approves Satellite That Beams Sunlight to Earth, Astronomers Push Back

Reflect Orbital's demo won spectrum clearance despite warnings about sky brightness and safety risks, exposing a gap in US space regulation.

Daniel R. Whitfield ·   · 5m
AI

OpenAI Consolidates Browser Into ChatGPT Desktop and Chrome Plugin

The discontinuation of Atlas marks a strategic pivot, not a retreat - browsing capabilities now live inside the company's core products

Daniel R. Whitfield ·   · 5m
Policy

US Regulators Move Against Companies Allegedly Circumventing DJI Equipment Ban

The FCC has issued fines and compliance demands to eight firms suspected of acting as intermediaries for the Chinese manufacturer's restrict

Marcus Halloran ·   · 5m
Products

Netflix Eyes 24/7 Live Channels as Engagement Slips

The streaming giant is testing linear programming and bundle deals to counter declining viewership between seasons and shrinking market shar

Mei-Lin Tan ·   · 6m
Startups

SK Hynix Pulls $26.5 Billion in Record U.S. Listing as Washington Eyes Korean Fab Capacity

The memory chipmaker's debut eclipsed Alibaba's 2014 record, while Commerce officials press Seoul's semiconductor giants to manufacture stat

Mei-Lin Tan ·   · 4m
Startups

Shopping Startup Faces Allegations Over Affiliate Commission Practices

Phia, co-founded by Phoebe Gates, is accused of using cookie stuffing techniques to claim unearned affiliate revenue, raising questions abou

Mei-Lin Tan ·   · 4m
Products

Five Gadgets That Define the Current Hardware Arms Race

From gaming consoles to smart rings, recent hardware releases reveal where the industry is winning and where it still stumbles.

Daniel R. Whitfield ·   · 5m
Startups

Shein Moves Closer to Hong Kong Listing After Regulatory Green Light

The fast-fashion giant has cleared a critical regulatory hurdle in its latest attempt to go public, years after shelving plans in New York a

Wei Zhang ·   · 4m
Policy

Uber Wants Every Robotaxi to Share Its App - and Waymo Won't Play Along

A Washington, D.C. autonomy bill has exposed the ride-hailing giant's plan to mandate hybrid human-robot networks, putting its largest AV pa

Arjun S. Mehta ·   · 6m
AI

Google Folds Gemini Into Waze as Voice Reporting Shifts to Conversational AI

The navigation app is moving beyond scripted commands, letting drivers describe hazards and search destinations naturally while moving

Arjun S. Mehta ·   · 6m
Policy

The EU Weighs Sweeping Age Restrictions on Social Platforms

A new expert report documents four to six hours of daily screen time among European children, prompting Commission president von der Leyen t

Mei-Lin Tan ·   · 5m
Products

Apple's Siri AI Upgrade Redefines What a Watch Can Do

watchOS 27 transforms a decade-old assistant into something users might actually want to engage with daily, signaling a broader shift in how

Daniel R. Whitfield ·   · 4m
Policy

Twelve States Challenge $110 Billion Paramount-WBD Deal After Federal Approval

A coalition of state attorneys general argues the entertainment merger would reduce competition in film distribution and cable licensing, se

Marcus Halloran ·   · 5m