A survey of 730 software engineers: 75% have tried AI, 35.6% are AI optimists and 38.4% pessimists, freelance coders use AI more, 50% pay for AI tools, and more (Wired)

Wired:
A survey of 730 software engineers: 75% have tried AI, 35.6% are AI optimists and 38.4% pessimists, freelance coders use AI more, 50% pay for AI tools, and more  —  We surveyed 730 coders and developers about how (and how often) they use AI chatbots on the job.  The results amazed and disturbed us.

Google confirms a "technical issue" on Google Maps "that caused the deletion of Timeline data for some people", but says those with backups can restore the data (Hadlee Simons/Android Authority)

Hadlee Simons / Android Authority:
Google confirms a “technical issue” on Google Maps “that caused the deletion of Timeline data for some people”, but says those with backups can restore the data  —  Update: Google has confirmed the issue, and it indeed advises affected users to restore their data via a previous backup.

Browser Use, whose open-source tool converts website elements into a "text-like" format that AI agents can better understand, raised a $17M seed led by Felicis (Ivan Mehta/TechCrunch)

Ivan Mehta / TechCrunch:
Browser Use, whose open-source tool converts website elements into a “text-like” format that AI agents can better understand, raised a $17M seed led by Felicis  —  We may not have an agreed-upon definition of AI “agent” yet, but a multitude of startups want to create “agentic” tools to automate various tasks online.

Sources: Apple plans to build its own AI models for Visual Intelligence and add cameras to the Watch; the redesigned plastic Apple Watch SE faces serious issues (Mark Gurman/Bloomberg)

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple plans to build its own AI models for Visual Intelligence and add cameras to the Watch; the redesigned plastic Apple Watch SE faces serious issues  —  Apple is exploring the idea of adding cameras and visual intelligence features to its smartwatch, thrusting the company into the AI wearables market.

Elon Musk's ties to President Trump can complicate Starlink's global rollout; Morgan Stanley estimates Starlink could make $16.3B in revenue in 2025, up 74% YoY (Financial Times)

Financial Times:
Elon Musk's ties to President Trump can complicate Starlink's global rollout; Morgan Stanley estimates Starlink could make $16.3B in revenue in 2025, up 74% YoY  —  Satellite internet service is expanding fast but some politicians worry whether the SpaceX owner is a reliable partner

Filings review: Builder.ai, which raised $450M from Microsoft and others, used an auditor with links to founder Sachin Duggal; Duggal resigned as CEO last month (Financial Times)

Financial Times:
Filings review: Builder.ai, which raised $450M from Microsoft and others, used an auditor with links to founder Sachin Duggal; Duggal resigned as CEO last month  —  Findings related to one of UK's best-funded tech start-ups raises alarm with corporate governance experts

X suspends several accounts belonging to opposition figures in Turkey, amid extensive protests sparked by the arrest of President Erdogan's main political rival (Eliza Gkritsi/Politico)

Eliza Gkritsi / Politico:
X suspends several accounts belonging to opposition figures in Turkey, amid extensive protests sparked by the arrest of President Erdogan's main political rival  —  Suspensions affect accounts spreading information about the widespread demonstrations.  —  Elon Musk's social media platform X …

An interview with Affirm co-founder Max Levchin on hitting profitability, international expansion, building an "Affirm mafia", DOGE, friendship with Musk, more (Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson/Semafor)

Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson / Semafor:
An interview with Affirm co-founder Max Levchin on hitting profitability, international expansion, building an “Affirm mafia”, DOGE, friendship with Musk, more  —  This article first appeared in The CEO Signal.  Request an invitation.  —  THE SIGNAL INTERVIEW

A profile of Jed McCaleb, the billionaire who was behind Mt. Gox and XRP, as his aerospace startup Vast looks to build a private space station with SpaceX (Bloomberg)

Bloomberg:
A profile of Jed McCaleb, the billionaire who was behind Mt. Gox and XRP, as his aerospace startup Vast looks to build a private space station with SpaceX  —  Crafting and launching a space station that can keep humans alive comfortably in orbit is no easy feat.  —  Jed McCaleb made a fortune in cryptocurrency.

Report: North Korea is launching a new cybersecurity research unit called Research Center 227 focused on AI-based hacking and stealing digital assets (Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai/TechCrunch)

Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai / TechCrunch:
Report: North Korea is launching a new cybersecurity research unit called Research Center 227 focused on AI-based hacking and stealing digital assets  —  The North Korean government is reportedly establishing a new hacking group within the intelligence agency Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB).

Micron Q2: revenue up 38% YoY to $8.05B vs. $7.89B est., net income up 99% to $1.58B, says data center revenue tripled, offers better-than-expected Q3 guidance (Ashley Capoot/CNBC)

Ashley Capoot / CNBC:
Micron Q2: revenue up 38% YoY to $8.05B vs. $7.89B est., net income up 99% to $1.58B, says data center revenue tripled, offers better-than-expected Q3 guidance  —  Micron shares popped 6% in extended trading Thursday after the company reported second-quarter results that beat analysts' estimates …

A profile of Wiz CEO Assaf Rappaport, who served in Israel's elite cyber intelligence unit 8200; sources say Wiz was on track to surpass $1B of ARR in 2025 (Financial Times)

Financial Times:
A profile of Wiz CEO Assaf Rappaport, who served in Israel's elite cyber intelligence unit 8200; sources say Wiz was on track to surpass $1B of ARR in 2025  —  Cybersecurity start-up's fast-moving CEO agrees higher sale price after turning down Alphabet's $23bn offer last summer

The UK's NCSC urges large entities, including energy and transport firms, to introduce "post-quantum cryptography" by 2035 to protect against quantum hackers (Dan Milmo/The Guardian)

Dan Milmo / The Guardian:
The UK's NCSC urges large entities, including energy and transport firms, to introduce “post-quantum cryptography” by 2035 to protect against quantum hackers  —  Organisations including energy and transport firms told to guard systems against powerful new computers

How Dubai and the Middle East embraced drone shows, with the average show using 400+ drones and costing $112K+; the market was worth an estimated $339M in 2023 (Amar Diwakar/Rest of World)

Amar Diwakar / Rest of World:
How Dubai and the Middle East embraced drone shows, with the average show using 400+ drones and costing $112K+; the market was worth an estimated $339M in 2023  —  The Middle East hosts some of the world's largest and most expensive drone shows, but the work is seasonal and doesn't guarantee regular pay.

Didi reports Q4 revenue up 7.1% YoY to ~$7.32B and a ~$180M net loss, down from a ~$6.2M profit in Q4 2023, as it recovers from China's $1.2B fine in July 2022 (Reuters)

Reuters:
Didi reports Q4 revenue up 7.1% YoY to ~$7.32B and a ~$180M net loss, down from a ~$6.2M profit in Q4 2023, as it recovers from China's $1.2B fine in July 2022  —  Chinese ride-hailing company Didi Global reported on Tuesday a 7.1% rise in fourth-quarter revenue to 52.9 billion yuan …