YouTube's subscription business is booming, reaching 325 million paying users across Google One and YouTube Premium, contributing to a total revenue of $60 billion for the year, a 17% increase. While ad revenue grew to $11.38 billion in Q4, it fell short of analyst expectations, prompting Alphabet to focus on expanding subscription offerings, including new YouTube TV plans, and leveraging AI tools to enhance content creation and user engagement.

YouTube's subscription business is booming, reaching 325 million paying users across Google One and YouTube Premium, contributing to a total revenue of $60 billion for the year, a 17% increase. While ad revenue grew to $11.38 billion in Q4, it fell short of analyst expectations, prompting Alphabet to focus on expanding subscription offerings, including new YouTube TV plans, and leveraging AI tools to enhance content creation and user engagement.

A cargo ship captain was sentenced to six years in jail for gross negligence manslaughter after a collision in the North Sea led to a crew member's death, highlighting the critical role of human oversight in maritime safety. The incident underscores the potential for devastating consequences when standard safety protocols, such as maintaining a proper lookout and utilizing available technology to assess collision risks, are neglected.

A cargo ship captain was sentenced to six years in jail for gross negligence manslaughter after a collision in the North Sea led to a crew member's death, highlighting the critical role of human oversight in maritime safety. The incident underscores the potential for devastating consequences when standard safety protocols, such as maintaining a proper lookout and utilizing available technology to assess collision risks, are neglected.

Drawing from multiple news sources, recent developments include the discovery of skin regeneration mechanisms, a complex political situation in Venezuela, potential food poisoning cases in the UK linked to baby formula recalls, and a K-shaped economic recovery in the U.S. alongside efforts to counter China's mineral dominance and potential overhauls to school meal programs based on new USDA dietary guidelines emphasizing protein and full-fat dairy.

Drawing from multiple news sources, recent developments include the discovery of skin regeneration mechanisms, a complex political situation in Venezuela, potential food poisoning cases in the UK linked to baby formula recalls, and a K-shaped economic recovery in the U.S. alongside efforts to counter China's mineral dominance and potential overhauls to school meal programs based on new USDA dietary guidelines emphasizing protein and full-fat dairy.

Prediction markets, which allow users to bet on various world events, including political outcomes and potential conflicts, have experienced a surge in popularity, particularly since the Trump administration. These platforms, explored by Saahil Desai, function similarly to stock markets, enabling individuals to profit from accurate predictions, but raise concerns about potential manipulation of media coverage and regulatory oversight, especially with media organizations increasingly incorporating them into their reporting.

Prediction markets, which allow users to bet on various world events, including political outcomes and potential conflicts, have experienced a surge in popularity, particularly since the Trump administration. These platforms, explored by Saahil Desai, function similarly to stock markets, enabling individuals to profit from accurate predictions, but raise concerns about potential manipulation of media coverage and regulatory oversight, especially with media organizations increasingly incorporating them into their reporting.

Multiple sources highlight Kilo, an AI coding startup, launching model-agnostic tools like Kilo CLI 1.0 and a Slackbot to integrate AI across diverse developer workflows, reflecting a move beyond IDE-centric approaches. While advancements in AI, including new language models, are rapidly progressing, as indicated by some reports, challenges remain regarding accuracy, quality control, and the interpretation of data used to measure AI capabilities.

Multiple sources highlight Kilo, an AI coding startup, launching model-agnostic tools like Kilo CLI 1.0 and a Slackbot to integrate AI across diverse developer workflows, reflecting a move beyond IDE-centric approaches. While advancements in AI, including new language models, are rapidly progressing, as indicated by some reports, challenges remain regarding accuracy, quality control, and the interpretation of data used to measure AI capabilities.

Multiple news sources report that Spotify, despite raising prices for users, is expanding its audiobook business by allowing U.S. and UK users to purchase physical books through the app via a partnership with Bookshop.org, supporting independent bookstores, and introducing features like Page Match and Audiobook Recaps to enhance the user experience. This move positions Spotify as a competitor to major booksellers by offering both digital and physical formats and aiming to become a comprehensive platform for book lovers.

Multiple news sources report that Spotify, despite raising prices for users, is expanding its audiobook business by allowing U.S. and UK users to purchase physical books through the app via a partnership with Bookshop.org, supporting independent bookstores, and introducing features like Page Match and Audiobook Recaps to enhance the user experience. This move positions Spotify as a competitor to major booksellers by offering both digital and physical formats and aiming to become a comprehensive platform for book lovers.

Drawing from multiple sources, para snowboarder Brenna Huckaby, a highly decorated athlete with multiple Paralympic medals and World Championships, is preparing for the Milano Cortina 2026 Games with a relaxed attitude, focusing on enjoying the experience and maintaining her skincare routine with La Roche-Posay products and ensuring quality sleep with Saatva silk eye masks. Huckaby also has superstitions such as wearing the same socks if she has a good day of training.

Drawing from multiple sources, para snowboarder Brenna Huckaby, a highly decorated athlete with multiple Paralympic medals and World Championships, is preparing for the Milano Cortina 2026 Games with a relaxed attitude, focusing on enjoying the experience and maintaining her skincare routine with La Roche-Posay products and ensuring quality sleep with Saatva silk eye masks. Huckaby also has superstitions such as wearing the same socks if she has a good day of training.

Multiple news sources cover a wide range of current events, including privacy concerns at Pinterest, Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, debates on transgender athletes, and the potential for AI to cause skill obsolescence, as well as investigations into figures like Savannah Guthrie's mother and a Pentagon leak. Additionally, advancements in smart home technology like the Thread protocol, designed for low-power, low-latency mesh networks, are being explored alongside concerns about CPU firmware and Intel's misspelled CPUIDs.

Multiple news sources cover a wide range of current events, including privacy concerns at Pinterest, Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, debates on transgender athletes, and the potential for AI to cause skill obsolescence, as well as investigations into figures like Savannah Guthrie's mother and a Pentagon leak. Additionally, advancements in smart home technology like the Thread protocol, designed for low-power, low-latency mesh networks, are being explored alongside concerns about CPU firmware and Intel's misspelled CPUIDs.

Multiple sources report that Substack is notifying users about a data breach from October 2025, discovered on February 3rd, 2026, which exposed email addresses and phone numbers. While passwords and financial information remain secure, Substack is investigating the incident, bolstering security, and advising users to be cautious of suspicious communications.

Multiple sources report that Substack is notifying users about a data breach from October 2025, discovered on February 3rd, 2026, which exposed email addresses and phone numbers. While passwords and financial information remain secure, Substack is investigating the incident, bolstering security, and advising users to be cautious of suspicious communications.

Multiple news sources report that Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, plans to transform the notorious El Helicoide prison, once intended as a futuristic drive-through shopping center but later used for political torture under Chávez and Maduro, into a cultural center for police families and the community. Critics view this move, part of a larger effort to demonstrate change since Maduro's capture, as an attempt to erase the regime's history of repression and rehabilitate a symbol of Venezuela's decline.

Multiple news sources report that Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, plans to transform the notorious El Helicoide prison, once intended as a futuristic drive-through shopping center but later used for political torture under Chávez and Maduro, into a cultural center for police families and the community. Critics view this move, part of a larger effort to demonstrate change since Maduro's capture, as an attempt to erase the regime's history of repression and rehabilitate a symbol of Venezuela's decline.

Multiple news sources report that Valve has delayed the launch of its Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and Steam Controller, initially slated for early 2026, due to ongoing memory and storage shortages impacting the entire industry. As a result, Valve is reassessing its shipping schedule and pricing for these products, particularly the Steam Machine and Steam Frame, while still aiming for a release in the first half of the year.

Multiple news sources report that Valve has delayed the launch of its Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and Steam Controller, initially slated for early 2026, due to ongoing memory and storage shortages impacting the entire industry. As a result, Valve is reassessing its shipping schedule and pricing for these products, particularly the Steam Machine and Steam Frame, while still aiming for a release in the first half of the year.

Kilo, an AI coding startup backed by GitLab's co-founder, has launched Kilo CLI 1.0, a model-agnostic command-line tool supporting over 500 AI models, and a Slackbot powered by MiniMax, signaling a shift away from IDE-centric AI development towards embedding AI capabilities across various developer workflows. According to VentureBeat, this strategic pivot aims to provide developers with a more fluid experience, allowing them to access AI tools from IDEs, terminals, remote servers, and team chat threads without having to jump between different interfaces.

Kilo, an AI coding startup backed by GitLab's co-founder, has launched Kilo CLI 1.0, a model-agnostic command-line tool supporting over 500 AI models, and a Slackbot powered by MiniMax, signaling a shift away from IDE-centric AI development towards embedding AI capabilities across various developer workflows. According to VentureBeat, this strategic pivot aims to provide developers with a more fluid experience, allowing them to access AI tools from IDEs, terminals, remote servers, and team chat threads without having to jump between different interfaces.