
Chatbots Are the New Influencers Brands Must Woo
Companies are realizing they can no longer simply promote themselves to potential customers. They have to win over the robots, too.
Latest updates from the world of Technology.

Companies are realizing they can no longer simply promote themselves to potential customers. They have to win over the robots, too.
Billboards that wouldn’t make sense to people outside the tech industry have become common in the Bay Area. One company took the microtargeting game to another level.
Billboards that wouldn’t make sense to people outside the tech industry have become common in the Bay Area. One company took the microtargeting game to another level.
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The residents of Potters Bar are working to protect the “green belt” of farms, forests, and meadows that surround London from the endless demand for AI infrastructure.

Valve's popular Steam Deck OLED is experiencing intermittent availability in several regions, including the US, due to ongoing memory and storage shortages. This news follows a recent delay in Valve's planned Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and Steam Controller, all attributed to the same supply chain challenges. Gamers hoping to get their hands on the device may face periods of unavailability.

Article URL: https://surfingcomplexity.blog/2026/02/16/poor-deming-never-stood-a-chance/ Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47042895 Points: 92 # Comments: 40

Think a hard day at work is a valid excuse to skip the gym? Think again. While intense cognitive effort burns surprisingly few calories, new research reveals it significantly impairs endurance by altering your brain's perception of exertion, leading to a premature end to your workout.

In a chilling case highlighting the dark side of the internet, a Department of Homeland Security investigator rescued a young girl from sexual abuse by utilizing a seemingly insignificant clue: the type of brick used in her bedroom wall. The investigator's relentless pursuit, coupled with unexpected help from a brick expert, ultimately led to the girl's freedom and her abuser's arrest.

Frustrated with a sluggish task switcher on their X11 Plasma desktop environment, one developer turned to AI for a solution. Using large language models (LLMs) like Claude, they rapidly prototyped and iterated on a custom task switcher, FastTab, highlighting the potential of AI as a coding assistant. This experience underscores how AI can empower developers to tackle niche problems and accelerate personal projects, even with limited prior experience.
My great-grandfather Reuben P. Box was a US Forest Ranger in Northern California, and I've got his daily work diary from 1927-1945, through the depression, WWII, Conservation Corps, and lots of forest fires. I've scanned the entire thing, had Claude help with transcription, indexing, and web site building, and put the whole thing here: https://forestrydiary.com/ This is one of those projects I've sat on for years, but with Claude and Mistral helping with the handwriting recognition, and even hel

Docker Sandboxes are expanding their utility beyond pre-configured AI environments with a new shell sandbox, allowing developers to deploy and isolate custom AI agents and tools with ease. This advancement provides greater flexibility and control, enabling users to run applications like the NanoClaw WhatsApp assistant in a secure, contained environment. The shell sandbox simplifies the process of integrating diverse AI solutions into existing workflows while mitigating security risks.

In the early 2000s, the arcade industry was struggling. To combat this decline, Sega partnered with Nintendo and Namco to create the Triforce arcade system, a groundbreaking platform that leveraged the power of the GameCube to deliver cutting-edge gaming experiences.

arXiv, the leading repository for pre-prints in scientific fields, is expanding its capabilities through arXivLabs, a collaborative framework for developing and sharing new features directly on the platform. This initiative invites researchers and organizations to contribute to arXiv's ecosystem while upholding its core values of openness, community, and data privacy. Learn how you can participate and shape the future of scientific communication.
Wildex, the app that gamifies real-world wildlife observation, has released a significant update, transforming nature walks into engaging augmented reality experiences. The update boasts an improved AI model for species identification, enhanced user interface elements, and the introduction of 'Wildboy,' a virtual wilderness guide, promising a richer and safer exploration experience.
Tired of paying monthly fees for AI transcription apps? A new open-source application called FreeFlow promises accurate, context-aware transcription for macOS, rivaling paid services like Wispr Flow, Superwhisper, and Monologue, all while prioritizing user privacy and keeping your wallet happy.
Turing Labs, a Y Combinator-backed (W20) startup, is on the hunt for a 'Founding Go-to-Market Sales Hacker' to spearhead the adoption of its AI platform. This platform dramatically reduces the product development cycle for consumer goods, enabling faster iteration and healthier product formulations. The company boasts impressive contract wins and high customer retention, signaling strong market demand.

The green bubble stigma may soon fade! Apple has initiated testing of end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging in the latest iOS 26.4 developer beta, signaling a significant leap towards improved cross-platform communication with Android devices. While the initial testing phase is limited to Apple devices, this move represents a crucial step in bridging the feature gap and enhancing security for mixed-platform texting.

Apple is about to shake up the podcasting landscape by introducing seamless audio-to-video switching within its Podcasts app. This upgrade, leveraging HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) technology, aims to keep listeners engaged within the Apple ecosystem, directly challenging the growing popularity of video podcasts on platforms like YouTube.

Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is actively scouting Europe for the next big thing, as evidenced by their recent lead in a $2.3 million pre-seed round for Dentio, a Swedish startup leveraging AI to streamline administrative tasks for dental practices. This investment signals a larger trend of U.S. venture capital firms looking beyond Silicon Valley for promising innovation and untapped markets. Partner Gabriel Vasquez's extensive travel to Stockholm underscores a16z's commitment to identifying and ba
Users across the globe experienced brief disruptions accessing X and other online services early Monday morning. While the issues appear to have been resolved within a couple of hours, the root cause of the outage remains unknown. Cloudflare, a major internet infrastructure provider, initially reported a minor issue but clarified that it wasn't related to a wider outage affecting its customers.

The reason why this nascent startup had VCs lining up is the founders.They are so famed in the AI world, everyone tried to hire them.

Presidents Day weekend is here, and retailers are unleashing a wave of tempting tech deals. From premium headphones and stunning OLED TVs to smart home essentials and gaming must-haves, now's the time to snag that gadget you've been eyeing. But act fast – these deals won't last forever!

Apple is hosting a "special Apple experience" in New York City on Wednesday, March 4th at 9AM ET, instead of at the Apple Park location it typically uses for events. It's also hosting press in the cities of London and Shanghai at the same time. The invitation includes the words "You're invited" and an Apple logo depicted in segmented discs of yellow, green, and blue (the rumored colors of a new low-cost MacBook). Otherwise, it provides no hints about the purpose of the so-called experience. Howe

Ring's Super Bowl commercial showcasing its 'Search Party' feature has ignited a fierce debate about the ethics of widespread surveillance and the potential for misuse of AI-powered security systems. Critics argue that the technology, while helpful for finding lost pets, could easily be adapted for mass surveillance, raising significant privacy concerns. This controversy has led to canceled partnerships and renewed scrutiny of Ring's relationship with law enforcement.

For David Duda and Hong Liang, a Connecticut couple navigating a Mandarin-English language barrier, Microsoft's Translator app isn't just a convenience, it's the cornerstone of their communication. This unlikely tool facilitates real-time translations, fostering a unique form of attentive and intentional interaction that strengthens their bond and offers a compelling example of technology enhancing human relationships.

The relentless demand for memory chips from AI data centers is reportedly squeezing console manufacturers, potentially pushing back the launch of Sony's next PlayStation and forcing Nintendo to raise the price of its highly anticipated Switch 2. Industry insiders suggest Sony might delay its next-gen console to 2028 or 2029, while Nintendo faces the difficult decision of passing increased component costs onto consumers.

OpenClaw, the platform promising to democratize AI agents, has hit a snag. While its ease of use and potential for automation fueled rapid adoption, security vulnerabilities and questions about its underlying novelty are prompting experts to pump the brakes on its widespread use. Is OpenClaw a revolutionary tool or a security nightmare waiting to happen?

Saatva, the official mattress provider for the LA 2028 Olympics, is banking on its Memory Foam Hybrid mattress to deliver gold-medal sleep. But does this medium-firm offering truly cater to a diverse range of athletes, or is it more suited for back and stomach sleepers seeking robust lumbar support?

Navigating Amazon's "best laptop" search results can feel like dodging digital landmines. A recent investigation reveals that the retail giant's algorithm often prioritizes outdated, underpowered, or outright misleading laptops, potentially costing consumers hundreds and leading to frustrating user experiences. Here's how to avoid the pitfalls and find a laptop that actually meets your needs.

Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S26 is set to introduce groundbreaking privacy features, seemingly confirmed by a recent promotional video. The ad hints at a 'Zero-peeking privacy' mode that leverages advanced OLED technology to selectively blackout sensitive content from prying eyes, potentially transforming how we use our smartphones in public.