2026's historic snow drought is bad news for the West
https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/03/2026s-historic-snow-drought-is-bad-news-for-the-west/For much of the Western US, winter 2026 was the year snow never came.
Latest Headlines
BRINC's new police drone uses Starlink, carries Narcan, chases vehicles at 60mph
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/03/brincs-new-police-drone-uses-starlink-carries-narcan-chases-vehicles-at-60mph/Company calls Guardian the "most capable 911 response drone ever."
Here is NASA's plan for nuking Gateway and sending it to Mars
https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/03/here-is-nasas-plan-for-nuking-gateway-and-sending-it-to-mars/Only one US-built nuclear reactor has ever flown in space, and that was more than 60 years ago.
Reddit will require "fishy" accounts to verify they are run by a human
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/03/reddit-will-require-fishy-accounts-to-verify-they-are-run-by-a-human/AI-generated content is still acceptable for now.
We got an audience with the "Lunar Viceroy" to talk how NASA will build a Moon base
https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/03/we-got-an-audience-with-the-lunar-viceroy-to-talk-how-nasa-will-build-a-moon-base/"It has been clear that we all need to be focused on one thing, not 10 things."
Meta, YouTube must pay $3M to woman who got hooked on apps as a child
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/meta-youtube-must-pay-3m-to-woman-who-got-hooked-on-apps-as-a-child/Meta emerges as the biggest loser as second child safety trial verdict hits.
Nintendo is raising prices of Switch 2 game cartridges starting in May
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2026/03/nintendo-will-start-charging-more-for-physical-switch-2-games-than-digital-copies/The first physical game affected will cost $10 more than a digital copy.
Supreme Court rejects Sony's attempt to kick music pirates off the Internet
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/supreme-court-rejects-sonys-attempt-to-kick-music-pirates-off-the-internet/Sony's 1984 Betamax win helps Cox beat Sony in important online piracy case.
Google's TurboQuant AI-compression algorithm can reduce LLM memory usage by 6x
https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/03/google-says-new-turboquant-compression-can-lower-ai-memory-usage-without-sacrificing-quality/TurboQuant makes AI models more efficient but doesn't reduce output quality like other methods.
Antibiotic resistance among germs swells during droughts, study suggests
https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/03/antibiotic-resistance-among-germs-swells-during-droughts-study-suggests/Study links two crises: Climate change and antibiotic-resistant infections.
Trump staffs science and technology panel with non-scientists
https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/03/trump-staffs-science-and-technology-panel-with-non-scientists/Appointee list is in keeping with the administration's hostility toward science.
Google bumps up Q Day deadline to 2029, far sooner than previously thought
https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/03/google-bumps-up-q-day-estimate-to-2029-far-sooner-than-previously-thought/Company warns entire industry to move off RSA and EC more quickly.
Meta loses trial after arguing child exploitation was "inevitable" on its apps
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/meta-loses-trial-after-arguing-child-exploitation-was-inevitable-on-its-apps/Meta plans to appeal as it faces down two other child safety trials.
Apple begins age checks in the UK with latest iOS update
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/apple-begins-age-checks-in-the-uk-with-latest-ios-update/Move follows government pressure on smartphone makers to do more to protect children online.
Disney cancels $1 billion OpenAI partnership amid Sora shutdown plans
https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/03/the-end-of-sora-also-means-the-end-of-disneys-1-billion-openai-investment/Press reports suggest Disney was blindsided and that no money changed hands.
Honda cancels the two electric vehicles it was developing with Sony
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/03/honda-cancels-the-two-electric-vehicles-it-was-developing-with-sony/Sony Honda Mobility says the Afeela 1 and Afeela 2 are no more.
So long, farewell: Saying goodbye to Audi's best car, the 2026 RS6 Avant
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/03/so-long-farewell-saying-goodbye-to-audis-best-car-the-2026-rs6-avant/With production now finished, we take one last ride in our favorite station wagon.
How chemists turned bourbon waste into supercapacitors
https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/03/how-chemists-turned-bourbon-waste-into-super-capacitors/Hydrothermal carbonization can directly convert sloppy stillage into hard or activated carbon.
"The last straw"—RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine ally angrily quits CDC panel after spat
https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/03/rfk-jr-anti-vaccine-ally-dramatically-quits-cdc-panel-complaining-of-drama/Robert Malone quit a vaccine panel, blaming an HHS spokesperson for "trashing" him.
Final analysis of 2025 Iberian blackout: Policies left Spain at risk
https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/03/final-analysis-of-2025-iberian-blackout-policies-left-spain-at-risk/Too much hardware was allowed to disconnect right at the edge of normal conditions.
ByteDance's new AI video generation model, Dreamina Seedance 2.0, comes to CapCut
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/26/bytedances-new-ai-video-generation-model-dreamina-seedance-2-0-comes-to-capcut/The new model in CapCut will have built-in protections for making video from real faces or unauthorized intellectual property.
Why hiring the weirdos works
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/26/why-hiring-the-weirdos-works/When you're building at breakneck speed, hiring a trusted team is crucial for an early-stage startup. Bland CEO and co-founder Isaiah Granet has tactical advice on how the company managed to find hidden talent in unlikely places.
A major hacking tool has leaked online, putting millions of iPhones at risk. Here's what you need to know.
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/26/a-major-hacking-tool-has-leaked-online-putting-millions-of-iphones-at-risk-heres-what-you-need-to-know/Here's what we know, and what you need to know, about Coruna and DarkSword, two advanced iPhone hacking tools discovered by security researchers. DarkSword has now leaked online.
Conntour raises $7M from General Catalyst, YC to build an AI search engine for security video systems
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/26/conntour-raises-7m-from-general-catalyst-yc-to-build-an-ai-search-engine-for-security-video-systems/Conntour uses AI models to let security teams query camera feeds using natural language to find any object, person, or situation.
Cohere launches an open-source voice model specifically for transcription
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/26/cohere-launches-an-open-source-voice-model-specifically-for-transcription/Relatively light at just 2 billion parameters, the model is meant for use with consumer-grade GPUs for those who want to self-host it. It currently supports 14 languages.
WhatsApp can now draft AI-generated responses based on your conversations
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/26/whatsapp-can-now-draft-ai-generated-responses-based-on-your-conversations/The Meta-owned messaging platform is also launching a way to free up space, the ability to touch up photos with Meta AI, and more.
A ‘pound of flesh' from data centers: one senator's answer to AI job losses
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/26/a-pound-of-flesh-from-data-centers-one-senators-answer-to-ai-job-losses/Fears of AI-driven job loss are growing fast, and they're fueling backlash against data centers. Sen. Mark Warner suggests taxing them to help workers survive the transition.
Mistral releases a new open-source model for speech generation
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/26/mistral-releases-a-new-open-source-model-for-speech-generation/Mistral's new speech model can run on a smartwatch or a smartphone.
A little-known Croatian startup is coming for the robotaxi market with help from Uber
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/26/uber-invests-verne-ponyai-robotaxi-europe/Verne, the robotaxi company launched under Rimac Group, is starting with a service in Zagreb, Croatia.
The least surprising chapter of the Manus story is what's happening right now
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/25/the-least-surprising-chapter-of-the-manus-story-is-whats-happening-right-now/Did anyone think there would not be a reckoning over this tie-up?
Mercor competitor Deccan AI raises $25M, sources experts from India
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/25/deccan-ai-raises-25m-as-ai-training-push-relies-on-india-based-workforce/Deccan AI concentrates its workforce in India to manage quality in a fast-growing but fragmented AI training market.
Delve did the security compliance on LiteLLM, an AI project hit by malware
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/25/delve-did-the-security-compliance-on-litellm-an-ai-project-hit-by-malware/LiteLLM offers an AI open source project used by millions that was infected by credential harvesting malware.
The AI skills gap is here, says AI company, and power users are pulling ahead
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/25/the-ai-skills-gap-is-here-says-ai-company-and-power-users-are-pulling-ahead/Anthropic finds AI isn't replacing jobs yet, but early data shows growing inequality as experienced users gain an edge, raising concerns about future displacement and workforce divides.
Convicted spyware chief hints that Greece's government was behind dozens of phone hacks
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/25/convicted-spyware-chief-hints-that-greeces-government-was-behind-dozens-of-phone-hacks/The spyware founder's comments are the most direct suggestion yet from anyone inside Intellexa that the Mitsotakis government authorized the hacking of dozens of phones belonging to senior Greek government ministers, opposition leaders, military officials, and journalists.
Who's driving Waymo's self-driving cars? Sometimes, the police.
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/25/waymo-robotaxi-roadside-assistance-emergency-first-responders/First responders have had to take control of Waymo vehicles and move them during emergency situations, including in at least two active crime scenes, TechCrunch found.
Google unveils TurboQuant, a new AI memory compression algorithm — and yes, the internet is calling it ‘Pied Piper'
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/25/google-turboquant-ai-memory-compression-silicon-valley-pied-piper/Google's TurboQuant has the internet joking about Pied Piper from HBO's "Silicon Valley." The compression algorithm promises to shrink AI's "working memory" by up to 6x, but it's still just a lab experiment for now.
Melania Trump wants a robot to homeschool your child
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/25/melania-trump-wants-a-robot-to-homeschool-your-child/The first lady sees AI and robotics playing a prominent role in the future of American education.
Riding the GLP-1 boom, VITL lands $7.5M to overhaul cash-pay clinic prescribing
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/25/riding-the-glp-1-boom-vitl-lands-7-5m-to-overhaul-cash-pay-clinic-prescribing/The startup provides an e-prescribing marketplace for the booming cash-pay clinic market.
Jury finds Meta and Google negligent in landmark social media addiction trial
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/25/jury-finds-meta-and-youtube-negligent-in-landmark-social-media-addiction-trial/Evidence presented at the trial swayed the jury to the plaintiff's side, demonstrating that Meta understood how addictive its platforms could be among teens in particular and that it was actively researching the issue and using its findings to increase engagement among young users.
Meta is cutting several hundred jobs
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/25/meta-is-cutting-several-hundred-jobs/Meta is laying off several hundred employees across multiple teams, including sales, recruiting, and the Reality Labs division. The cuts will impact employees in the U.S. and other international markets.
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Everyone hates Ticketmaster. Why'd Trump go easy on them?
https://www.theverge.com/podcast/900540/live-nation-ticketmaster-lawsuit-antitrust-trump-doj-settlementToday on Decoder, we're talking about the major antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation, and what it might mean for antitrust and competition law in general now that the Justice Department under Trump has decided to settle its part of the case. That's even as many states — including New York, Californ
Wikipedia bans AI-generated articles
https://www.theverge.com/tech/901461/wikipedia-ai-generated-article-banWikipedia will no longer allow editors to write or rewrite articles using AI. The update, which was added to Wikipedia's guidelines late last week, cites the tendency for AI-written articles to violate "several of Wikipedia's core content policies" as the reason for the ban. The change applies to th
The best deals we've found from Amazon's Big Spring Sale (so far)
https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/899580/best-amazon-big-spring-sale-2026-dealsAmazon loves to manufacture an event. March is historically a dry spell for deals; however, with Amazon's third annual Big Spring Sale, which starts today and runs through March 31st, the retail behemoth is hoping to lure in would-be shoppers with the promise of steep(ish) savings and discounts on m
Senators are pushing to find out how much electricity data centers actually use
https://www.theverge.com/policy/901404/senators-warren-hawley-eia-letter-data-centersOn Thursday, senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) sent a letter to the Energy Information Administration (EIA) asking it to collect "comprehensive, annual energy-use disclosures" on data centers and make that information publicly available, as first reported by Wired. They're urgi
Why a two-seater robotaxi makes more sense than you think
https://www.theverge.com/transportation/900559/robotaxi-two-seater-tesla-lucid-drag-costWhen Tesla revealed the Cybercab in 2024, many people were baffled by the automaker's decision to make it a two-seater. I had similar thoughts when I first saw it at the LA Auto Show later that year: What kind of taxi has only two seats? Once you get above a tuktuk, that's an asinine idea […]
Some of our favorite Apple tech is cheaper than ever during Amazon's Big Spring Sale
https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/900953/best-apple-deals-amazon-big-spring-sale-2026It feels like nearly everything is receiving some sort of discount as part of Amazon's Big Spring Sale — that is, except for most Apple devices. Don't worry, though; you're not completely out of luck if you're on the hunt for discounted Apple gear. We found several noteworthy Apple deals while sifti
Webtoon is adding AI localization tools to its comics platform
https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/899108/webtoon-canvas-ai-translation-localization-yongsoo-kimCanvas, Webtoon's platform for user-uploaded comics, is about to get a major overhaul that's designed to help creators make more money and share their art with a wider audience. Today, Webtoon announced its plans to roll out a number of new features for Canvas that will make it easier for artists to
The versatile Play speaker is a great way into the Sonos world
https://www.theverge.com/tech/901105/sonos-play-speaker-reviewIt's been nearly a year and a half since Sonos released a consumer product, and those last two releases - the Arc Ultra and Sub 4 - were updates to existing products. The $299 Sonos Play, however, is a brand-new portable speaker that can expand an existing system or be the gateway into the Sonos [&#
EU backs nude app ban and delays to landmark AI rules
https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/901315/eu-ai-act-delays-ban-nudify-appsEuropean lawmakers have voted to delay key parts of the EU AI Act, the bloc's flagship law for regulating artificial intelligence, while also backing proposals to ban nudify apps. The measures, approved by a large majority in the European Parliament, would push back compliance deadlines for develope
DJI's Avata 360 is a more functional, flexible 360 drone
https://www.theverge.com/tech/899735/dji-avata-360-release-date-price-specs-impressions-antigravity-a1-comparisonDJI's Avata 360 finds the company at an odd time. For one, it's been beaten to the punch - upstart Antigravity's A1 became the first 360-degree drone when it launched last December, and DJI is playing catchup (and filing lawsuits). But this is also the last DJI drone you may ever be able to legally