Alibaba has reportedly prohibited employees from using Anthropic’s Claude Code, instructing engineering teams to switch to the company’s in-house AI coding assistant, Qoder, as competition between Chinese and U.S. AI developers intensifies. According to reports citing people familiar with the matter, the internal restriction follows growing concerns surrounding Claude Code’s environment verification mechanisms and broader disputes over AI model access and intellectual property. Internal Shift to Alibaba’s AI Coding Platform Claude Code has gained popularity among software developers for its ability to assist with programming, debugging and code generation. Despite Anthropic restricting access to users and organizations in mainland China,…
Author: Jordan Robson
Anthropic is reportedly exploring a partnership with Samsung to develop its own artificial intelligence chips, as AI companies increasingly seek greater control over the hardware powering their models. According to a report by The Information, Anthropic has held discussions with Samsung about collaborating on a custom AI processor. The company has not yet finalized the chip’s intended purpose, its role within server infrastructure, or its performance specifications. Company Evaluates Custom Chip Strategy Anthropic declined to comment on the reported discussions with Samsung but said its computing strategy will continue to rely on a diversified hardware portfolio. The company said processors…
Google has introduced Nano Banana 2 Lite, the latest version of its in-house artificial intelligence model for image generation, offering significantly faster performance and lower operating costs than previous releases. The company said the new model can generate images in approximately four seconds, making it suitable for high-volume creative workflows that require rapid iteration. Faster Image Generation at Lower Cost According to Google, Nano Banana 2 Lite has lower latency than earlier versions and is priced at US$0.034 per 1,000 generated images, positioning it as a cost-effective option for developers and businesses creating large volumes of visual content. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DRkXO9nM7g The…
Waymo Ends Uber Robotaxi Partnership in Phoenix Waymo has ended its robotaxi partnership with Uber in Phoenix, Arizona, marking the conclusion of nearly three years of collaboration in the city where the companies first tested commercial autonomous ride-hailing services together. Waymo vehicles are no longer available through the Uber app in Phoenix. Passenger ride services through Uber ended in May 2026, following the conclusion of the partnership’s autonomous food delivery program in May 2025. Phoenix was unique because it was the only U.S. market where Waymo simultaneously offered autonomous rides through both its own app and Uber’s platform. It also…
Peugeot has officially launched the production version of the E-208 GTi, reintroducing its legendary GTi badge in an all-electric format as the company expands its performance EV lineup. The compact electric hot hatch arrives a year after the concept model made its debut and brings together Peugeot Sport engineering expertise with the brand’s latest battery-electric technology. Performance-Focused Electric Hatchback The E-208 GTi is powered by Stellantis’ M4+ electric motor, producing 207 kW (280 hp) and 345 Nm of torque. According to Peugeot, the vehicle accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds, improving on the performance figures initially announced…
A new update for Marathon introduces gameplay balance changes, new contracts, and stability improvements, with one of the most notable adjustments targeting thermal scopes. The patch reduces thermal highlighting distance across all weapon classes. Pistols now detect targets up to 40 meters instead of 55 meters, rifles and SMGs drop to 60 meters from 65 meters, precision rifles fall to 80 meters from 100 meters, and sniper rifles are reduced to 100 meters from 180 meters. Combat with the UESC faction has also been adjusted. Most enemies now have slightly lower health, and bosses have reduced shield durability to shorten…
Apple’s rumored second-generation MacBook Neo could introduce several hardware upgrades, including a faster processor, more memory and a touchscreen display, according to new reports from industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The MacBook Neo is currently Apple’s most affordable laptop, starting at $599. The device features an aluminum unibody design, a display with up to 500 nits of brightness and a large multi-touch trackpad, offering premium design elements typically not found in laptops at that price point. However, the current model uses the Apple A18 Pro processor, the same chip found in the iPhone 16 Pro. While efficient, the chip is generally…
Advanced Micro Devices Chief Executive Lisa Su said demand for server processors has surged beyond earlier forecasts as artificial intelligence deployments accelerate across data centers. Speaking at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, Su said many customers had underestimated the amount of CPU computing capacity required to support AI infrastructure. “If you talk to our top customers, they’re like: ‘Wow… Lisa, the demand for CPU compute sitting along AI was perhaps something that was under-forecasted.’ We are in the process of catching up,” she said. The increased demand has been linked in part to the rise of agentic…
U.S.-based digital infrastructure developer Core Scientific has secured a financing facility of up to $1 billion from Morgan Stanley to support the development of its growing data center portfolio. The facility is structured as a 364-day loan that initially closed at $500 million, with an accordion option that could increase total commitments by another $500 million. According to the company, the capital will be directed toward expanding data center infrastructure, including equipment procurement, early-stage development costs, land purchases, and securing additional energy supply for operations. “This strengthens our liquidity and enhances our financial flexibility as we execute our development and…
London-based Volt Underwriting has partnered with insurtech firm Novee to introduce an artificial intelligence-powered data intelligence layer across its power and renewables underwriting operations. The collaboration focuses on improving how complex insurance submissions are processed. Energy and renewable infrastructure risks often include large volumes of documentation such as engineering surveys, historical loss reports and extensive schedules of insured assets. Novee’s platform is designed to help structure and process this information by automatically cleansing large asset schedules, organizing exposure data and extracting insights from supporting documents. The structured information can then be fed directly into catastrophe modelling and pricing systems used…