California’s age verification bill for app stores and operating systems takes another step forward

A California bill that would require operating system and app store providers to verify users’ ages before they can download apps has cleared the Assembly 58-0, and will now move on to Gov. Gavin Newsom, reports. The Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043), introduced by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, does not require photo identification for verification, … Read more

xAI reportedly lays off 500 workers from data annotation team

Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI laid off 500 team members on Friday night, according to internal messages viewed by Business Insider. These emails reportedly announce an immediate “strategic pivot,” with the company deciding to  “accelerate the expansion and prioritization of our specialist AI tutors, while scaling back our focus on general AI tutor roles.” “As … Read more

It’s weird that esports is segregated by gender

Welcome to Video Games Weekly on Engadget. Expect a new story every Monday or Tuesday (Or, I dunno, Thursday), broken into two parts. The first is a space for short essays and ramblings about video game trends and related topics from me, Jess Conditt, a reporter who’s covered the industry for more than 13 years. … Read more

Gmail makes it easier to track upcoming package deliveries

Gmail is rolling out a new “Purchases” tab that gives users a quick overview of their upcoming package deliveries, Google announced on Thursday. The tab will allow them to access all their purchase-related emails in one place, even from past orders and shipments. The tech giant notes that Gmail will still show packages that are … Read more

Inadequate Sleep Hinders Key Brain Functions In Pre-Teens

Adequate sleep is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, especially in children. Several studies in the past have highlighted the important role of sleep plays in children’s development. However, inadequate sleep can also hinder brain functioning in children, particularly pre-teens, according to researchers at the Children’s Hospital in Boston, United States. In a paper … Read more