1 YouTube Premium Lite will come soon!
YouTube is going to launch a cheaper ‘Premium Lite’ plan in the US, Australia, Germany and Thailand soon. In this, users will be able to watch podcasts and how-to videos without ads, but it will not have music videos. Its price has not been disclosed yet, but it has been tested in some countries. YouTube is trying to make it reach more people.
2 Big layoffs in NHTSA before Tesla robotaxi!
Elon Musk’s government efficiency department removed half of the staff of the team monitoring NHTSA’s self-driving cars, leading to a total reduction of 10% in the agency. This decision has been taken before Tesla launches robotaxi in Austin later this year, while NHTSA is still investigating several accidents involving Tesla Autopilot and FSD. According to reports, this layoff may weaken the government’s ability to check the safety of Tesla cars.
3 OpenAI’s ‘Operator’ is now available in many countries!
OpenAI has launched its new AI tool ‘Operator’ for ChatGPT Pro users in many countries including Australia, India, UK, Japan, but it will not be available in European countries yet. This tool will help users taking the $200/month Pro plan to book tickets, do online shopping and create reports. OpenAI plans to bring it to all users soon, while companies like Google, Anthropic and Rabbit are also bringing similar AI tools.
4 Rivian’s “hands-free” driving soon!
Rivian will soon launch a hands-free driver assist system on the highway, an “eye-free” version will also come in 2026. It will compete with Ford and GM’s technology and will be a self-learning system from cameras and sensors. Volkswagen deal and company’s first profit boosted, CEO said – In the future, there will be “hands-free, eye-free” driving on every road! ЁЯЪА
5 US makes record energy investments, but challenges remain
The US spent a record $338 billion on clean energy in 2024, but carbon emissions have not been reduced as much as needed. Solar power took the lead with 49 gigawatts of new power added, and now solar and wind power together meet a quarter of the country’s electricity needs. Electricity consumption is projected to grow 15.8% by 2029 due to the growing needs of data centers. Microsoft, Google and Amazon have invested in nuclear and renewable energy, while smart grid technology could provide an additional 76 gigawatts of power. Still, the US lags behind China, which spent 4.4% of its economy on clean energy, while the US spent just 1.3%.
6 New unicorn startups in January!
Earlier this year, several new startups reached valuations in the billions. Kickoff ($1B), Netradyne ($1.35B), Hippocratic AI ($1.6B), Truveta ($1B), Mercor ($2B), and Loft Orbital ($1B) have raised their value by getting big funding. Even though the investment market is sluggish, these startups are growing rapidly!
7 Big change at Clearview AI: CEO steps down, legal troubles continue
Clearview AI CEO Hoan Ton-That has stepped down but will remain on the company’s board. Now Hal Lambert and Richard Schwartz will be the new co-CEOs. The company has been fined more than $100 million, which it has not yet paid. The company, which is facing many legal cases and money losses, has still not been able to win big government contracts.
8 Pew Research: Musk and Zuckerberg’s popularity decreased
According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, 54% of Americans do not like Elon Musk, while 67% dislike Mark Zuckerberg. Questions on both of them have increased after the Trump government. Musk increased his involvement in government work, and his influence was also seen in politics – 85% of Democrats are against Musk, while 73% of Republicans like him. Zuckerberg faced even more opposition, where 76% of Democrats and 60% of Republicans dislike him. This survey was prepared on the basis of conversations with 5,086 American people between January 27 and February 2, 2025.
9 Big data leak from stalkerware apps! ЁЯЪи
In 2025, Cocospy and Spyic leaked more than 26 lakh email addresses. 23 spy app companies have been hacked since 2017. Hackers are repeatedly targeting them, many companies have shut down, and the government banned the owner of SpyFone. Do not use spy apps! ЁЯЪл
10 Amazon Chime will be shut down!
Amazon has said that Chime will be completely shut down on February 20, 2026. New accounts will not be created after February 19, 2025, but those who are already using it will be able to hold meetings till then. There will be no impact on the Chime SDK. Amazon has called Zoom, Wickr and Slack as new options and is now going to make Zoom its official meeting app.
11 Beta Technologies’ big success in electric flying!
Beta Technologies successfully flew its Alia CX300 electric plane, which was flown by CEO Kyle Clark himself. The company raised $1.15 billion in funding without big investors (venture capital) and is now making electric planes and charging stations. Big customers like Air New Zealand, UPS and the US Air Force are buying its planes. With plans to build 150 charging stations by 2025, Beta is taking a big step in making air travel electric.
12 FTC’s tech censorship investigation begins
The FTC has launched an investigation into tech companies’ censorship policies and is seeking suggestions from those who feel their right to speak has been affected. Chairman Andrew Ferguson said that platforms should not intimidate their users. The FTC claims that closing accounts without appeal can be unfair business practices. Some legal experts say the investigation misunderstands the First Amendment (freedom of speech), as private platforms have every right to view content on their sites. Also, there is a debate about Section 230, although the Supreme Court has so far upheld it. Trump’s new order may affect this investigation.
13 Twitch’s new storage limit: 100 hours of highlights and uploads
Twitch has decided to set a storage limit of 100 hours for highlights and uploads from April 19. Content above this will be automatically deleted. However, clips and VODs will not be affected. The company says that highlights do not reach many people and the cost of storage is increasing. Streamers have expressed displeasure over this decision, especially because Twitch is part of Amazon, a big company in cloud storage. Those whose channels will be affected have been advised to download or save their videos in advance.
14 New opportunity for TikTok creators!
Amid uncertainty about the future of TikTok, Substack has launched a new earning feature to attract video creators. Now creators can upload videos directly from the Substack app and see their views, new subscribers and earnings. Creators who add videos have grown 2.5 times faster in earnings, and by February 2025, 82% of top creators have adopted this method. Substack recently launched a $20 million Creator Accelerator Fund and has also made livestreaming available to everyone.
15 Audiobooks created by AI now on Spotify!
Spotify has approved audiobooks created with AI voice technology. Authors can create and upload audiobooks with the help of AI in 29 languages тАЛтАЛтАЛтАЛthrough Findaway Voices, but it will be checked first. This big move after Google Play Books can change the audiobook world, but there is also a debate on its quality.
16 Meta launches Community Notes program
Meta started sign-up for Community Notes on Facebook, Instagram and Threads, allowing people to add correct information to posts with misinformation. This move came after the company shut down its old fact-checking service. Currently, only people over 18 years of age in the US, with a 6-month-old account and a verified phone number can participate in it. These notes of up to 500 characters will be shown only when people with different opinions find them useful. Meta says that this entire system will be run by people, the company will not interfere in it.
17 Nikola preparing for sale after bankruptcy!
Electric truck maker Nikola is planning to sell its entire business in early April, for which talks are going on with three potential buyers. If the entire business is not sold, the company will try to repay its debt of more than $1 billion by selling its assets in small parts. Buyers’ interest has increased after bankruptcy, and the auction may take place on March 31, while the hearing on the sale is expected in the second week of April. The company has very little cash left, so it wants to complete the process quickly.
