tech

Report: Amodei told staff that Anthropic was targeted for lack of “dictator-style praise” for Trump

More details are leaking out from Anthropic about how CEO Dario Amodei explained the company’s dramatic schism with the Pentagon over its AI terms of use.

The Information shared details from a leaked 1,600-word memo to employees that Amodei reportedly sent on Friday after the Trump administration attacked the startup.

Per the report, Amodei told his staff that the reason the company was on the outs with the Trump administration was the fact that it had not given “dictator-style praise” to President Trump, “(while Sam has),” referring to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Amodei also noted that OpenAI President Greg Brockman and his wife donated $25 million to the MAGA Inc super PAC, which likely put their competitor in the good graces of Trump and co.

Anthropic CEO Memo: Trump Disliked Company For Not Giving ‘Dictator-Style Praise’

Anthropic CEO Memo: Trump Disliked Company For Not Giving ‘Dictator-Style Praise’

Per the report, Amodei told his staff that the reason the company was on the outs with the Trump administration was the fact that it had not given “dictator-style praise” to President Trump, “(while Sam has),” referring to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Amodei also noted that OpenAI President Greg Brockman and his wife donated $25 million to the MAGA Inc super PAC, which likely put their competitor in the good graces of Trump and co.

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“Fortnite” returning to the Play Store worldwide after Google lowers fees and opens Android

After years of fighting with “Fortnite” maker Epic Games, Google is hitting reset on Android — cutting Play Store fees, loosening its grip on billing, and making it easier for rival app stores to set up shop on millions of devices.

The move could also dent one of Google’s lucrative businesses: Play Store commissions.

In a blog post Tuesday, Google said it will let developers use their own billing systems alongside Google Play’s, link out to external purchase pages, and distribute apps through third-party app stores that meet Google’s safety standards. The company is also lowering Play Store fees in key markets, with billing fees around 5% for developers that use Google’s system, service fees roughly 20% on new installs, and subscription fees around 10%. The changes will roll out on a staggered schedule, beginning mid-2026.

In a corresponding post, Epic said “Fortnite” would expand worldwide on Google Play. “These changes will evolve Android into a true open platform,” the company wrote. “Fortnite” returned to the Play Store in the US in December after the two companies reached a settlement following years of antitrust battles.

Google’s Changes Will Open Android Devices to Competition

Google’s Changes Will Open Android Devices to Competition

In a blog post Tuesday, Google said it will let developers use their own billing systems alongside Google Play’s, link out to external purchase pages, and distribute apps through third-party app stores that meet Google’s safety standards. The company is also lowering Play Store fees in key markets, with billing fees around 5% for developers that use Google’s system, service fees roughly 20% on new installs, and subscription fees around 10%. The changes will roll out on a staggered schedule, beginning mid-2026.

In a corresponding post, Epic said “Fortnite” would expand worldwide on Google Play. “These changes will evolve Android into a true open platform,” the company wrote. “Fortnite” returned to the Play Store in the US in December after the two companies reached a settlement following years of antitrust battles.

tech

Apple debuts $599 Google Chromebook competitor

Apple’s latest product announcement this week is an opening salvo against Google’s ubiquitous Chromebook. On Wednesday, the iPhone maker unveiled the MacBook Neo, which starts at $599 — or $499 for students — the lowest price ever for a MacBook. Apple typically skews to the high end of the market.

The Neo is still more expensive than typical Chromebooks, which are hugely popular in schools, but it’s less stripped down, with a sharper display, aluminum case, and a more powerful processor than many Chromebook models.

Say hello to MacBook Neo

Say hello to MacBook Neo

Musk says Tesla will be one of first companies to reach AGI

He also said we’d reach artificial general intelligence within two years... about two years ago.

Elon Musk Speaks During A town Hall Event In Green Bay, Wisconsin

tech

Bank of America upgrades Tesla, expecting it to “quickly become a leader in robotaxi services”

Tesla jumped in premarket trading after Bank of America reinstated coverage of the EV maker and upgraded it to “buy” from “hold,” with a price target of $460.

“We expect TSLA to quickly become a leader in robotaxi services, given its ability to scale more profitably than competitors,” analyst Alexander Perry wrote, noting that Tesla’s approach eschews more expensive (but more robust) technology like lidar.

BofA says Tesla’s Robotaxi service could amount to $844 billion in equity value and more than half Tesla’s valuation.

Currently, Robotaxi operates in two markets with heavy human oversight. In Austin, most of the rides involve a safety monitor sitting in the front seat, and in the Bay Area, all rides are driven by a human using supervised Full Self-Driving tech.

Alphabet subsidiary Waymo, meanwhile, is currently operating its driverless ride-hailing service in 10 US markets.

Currently, Robotaxi operates in two markets with heavy human oversight. In Austin, most of the rides involve a safety monitor sitting in the front seat, and in the Bay Area, all rides are driven by a human using supervised Full Self-Driving tech.

Alphabet subsidiary Waymo, meanwhile, is currently operating its driverless ride-hailing service in 10 US markets.

tech

Rani Molla3/3/26

Waymos reportedly continuing to pass stopped school buses after earlier recall over same issue

The National Transportation Safety Board reported Tuesday that it’s looking into two recent instances of driverless Waymo vehicles passing stopped school buses. The incidents occurred after the Alphabet subsidiary filed a voluntary recall in December over similar behavior.

In the January 12 case, the NTSB says video evidence shows the Waymo vehicle initially stopped for a school bus that had its red lights flashing and stop arms extended. Three human-driven vehicles then passed the bus illegally. While stopped, the Waymo vehicle contacted a remote assistance agent located in Michigan, asking whether the bus had active signals. After the agent responded “no,” the vehicle resumed travel and passed the bus while its stop arms were still extended. No one was hurt.

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