Reading List
The most recent articles from a list of feeds I subscribe to.
Google and Microsoft donate $1 million apiece to Trump’s inauguration
Google and Microsoft are the latest tech companies to donate to President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. Each company contributed $1 million to the fund — the same amount pledged by Meta, Amazon, Sam Altman, and Tim Cook.
In a statement to CNBC, Karan Bhatia, Google’s global head of government affairs and public policy, said the company is supporting the inauguration “with a livestream on YouTube and a direct link on our homepage,” as well as with a financial contribution. The donation may be part of Google’s larger strategy to win over Trump, who has threatened to break up the tech giant or shut it down altogether.
Microsoft, which is also giving $1 million, previously contributed $500,000 to Trump’s first inauguration and donated the same amount to President Joe Biden’s inauguration fund, a company spokesperson told CNBC. Per CNBC, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has met with Trump multiple times, and was involved in negotiations over acquiring TikTok in 2020, when Trump tried to ban the app in the US.
The Last of Us Part 2 on PC requires a PSN account, too
The Last of Us Part 2 remaster is joining the PlayStation Network club. That means you’ll need to link a PSN account if you want to play the game after buying it on Steam, Epic Games, and other PC platforms when it launches in April, as spotted earlier by Video Games Chronicle.
The requirement has proven very unpopular with other Sony titles released on PC, including Ghost of Tsushima, God of War Ragnarök, and the Horizon Zero Dawn remaster. Last year, Helldiver players review-bombed the game after it suddenly introduced PSN account linking, leading Sony to walk back on the requirement completely.
It’s still not clear why Sony requires a PSN account to play The Last of Us Part 2, as it doesn’t have any multiplayer features, and the requirement may also prevent people across dozens of countries where PSN isn’t supported from playing the game.
The Last of Us Part 2 remaster launches on PC on April 3rd for $49.99.
Elon Musk calls on California and Delaware AGs to force OpenAI to auction off a large stake in its business; source: OpenAI had no plans for such an auction (George Hammond/Financial Times)
George Hammond / Financial Times:
Elon Musk calls on California and Delaware AGs to force OpenAI to auction off a large stake in its business; source: OpenAI had no plans for such an auction — Latest salvo in legal battle over ChatGPT-maker's restructuring as a for-profit company — A lawyer for Elon Musk has called …
Spy pics appear to show Tesla’s refreshed Model Y in testing
Pictures posted on social media give us a look at a facelifted Tesla Model Y “Juniper” refresh that lets go of the original Model 3 headlight style in favor of a new front lightbar setup that reminds me of the Chevy Equinox EV. As reported by InsideEVs, Instagram car spy account Cochespias1 and X user DominicBRNKMN posted spy shots of the updated Model Y as it drove around on snowy grounds.
Although the images are a bit blurry, they also show a new rear end with a Cybertruck-ish lightbar similar to the one seen in a July leak.
After this exciting journey it’s time to unveil the secrets… Here is the 2025 Tesla Model Y Juniper pic.twitter.com/prRhQlSP7M
— Dominic BRNKMN (@DominicBRNKMN) January 9, 2025
Reuters first reported Tesla was working on a Model Y redesign in early 2023 before a purported mule was seen in the wild last year with the front and rear camouflaged. The Model Y is one of the top-selling vehicles in the world, and it’s also the last vehicle Tesla makes that still has stalks for changing gears and activating turn signals.
As it’s essentially unchanged since launching in 2020, barring a center console refresh, it’s about due for a makeover. Tesla’s most recent redesign was for the Model 3 “Highland” that made its US debut last year, which also mainly changed the front and rear, along with other tweaks to make it quieter and improve the ride quality.
It’s unknown when Tesla might plan to launch the new Model Y, but previous reports suggested the automaker is getting set to build a redesigned six-seater Model Y in China for late 2025.
Black America's Reaction to Former President Jimmy Carter's Death, Carter's Complicated Relationship With Black America, A Collection of Photos of Carter's Impact on the Black Community, The Former President is Related to What Black Music Mogul?
Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States of America and the longest-living American president, passed away at the age of 100 on Sunday. — Noah A. McGee