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Benchmark Welcomes Altman; Meta Buys Millions of AI Chips

Jack Altman, founder of the VC firm Alt Capital, is joining Benchmark as a general partner, according to TechCrunch. This move marks a significant shift for Altman, who has been running Alt Capital since at least 2024. The news comes as Meta struck a multiyear deal with Nvidia to expand its data centers with millions of AI chips, as reported by The Verge.

Altman's Alt Capital raised a $150 million Fund I in early 2024 and followed up with a $274 million Fund II just last September, as stated by TechCrunch. The firm invested in at least 52 companies, including Rippling, Antares Nuclear, and CompLabs, according to PitchBook. It is currently unclear what will happen to Alt Capital or whether Benchmark has acquired its portfolio. On LinkedIn, Altman described the past two years running Alt Capital as "the most rewarding of his life," adding that he loved new ideas and being part of a team with a mission, according to TechCrunch.

Meanwhile, Meta's deal with Nvidia involves the purchase of millions of Grace and Vera CPUs and Blackwell and Rubin GPUs, The Verge reported. This deal represents the first large-scale Nvidia Grace-only deployment, which Nvidia says will deliver significant performance-per-watt improvements.

In other tech news, Apple's latest MacBooks are receiving discounts, as is the Mac Mini, according to The Verge. The company currently sells MacBooks equipped with its own M-series processors in a wide range of sizes and price points, all running macOS 26.

The future of automotive software is also a topic of concern. As vehicles become platforms for software and subscriptions, their longevity is increasingly tied to the survival of the companies behind their code, according to Ars Technica. If those companies fail, the consequences could extend to the basic functionality of the car.

Finally, the 2026 Dell XPS 14 laptop, reviewed by Wired, has made a significant change by removing options for discrete graphics and instead using Intel's new Panther Lake chips. The laptop's design is remarkably thin and light, with GPU performance so good that discrete graphics are not needed.

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Synthesized from multiple sources. Reviewed for accuracy.

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URGENT: Rio Tinto Grabs Lithium Miner, Fuels EV Battery Race!

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AI Insights57m ago

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AI Insights58m ago

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Tech58m ago

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Password Managers Vulnerable; Crypto's Dark Side Emerges
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Roumie's Faith Challenge Aims to Silence Culture's Noise
Culture & Society1h ago

Roumie's Faith Challenge Aims to Silence Culture's Noise

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Psychedelics' Cancer Fight, AI Sonnet Win
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Psychedelics' Cancer Fight, AI Sonnet Win

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Climber on Trial, President Ousted, War Crimes Alleged
Politics3h ago

Climber on Trial, President Ousted, War Crimes Alleged

Drawing from multiple news sources, a man is on trial in Austria for gross negligent manslaughter after his girlfriend died of hypothermia on a mountain climbing trip to the Grossglockner. Prosecutors allege the experienced climber, identified as Thomas P, made critical errors and abandoned his girlfriend near the summit in stormy conditions, while his defense claims the death was a tragic accident, sparking debate about criminal liability in mountain sports.

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