Papua New Guinea says Google will build three subsea cables for the country, a $120M effort funded by Australia, amid China's rising influence in the region (Kirsty Needham/Reuters) https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/google-build-subsea-cables-papua-new-guinea-under-australia-defence-treaty-2025-12-12/
Techmeme
Papua New Guinea says Google will build three subsea cables for the country, a $120M effort funded by Australia, amid China boosting its influence in the region
By Kirsty Needham / Reuters. View the full context on Techmeme.
Taiwan opens its largest AI supercomputing data center using Nvidia's Blackwell chips, a major effort in its push for sovereign AI and chip industry innovation (Nikkei Asia)
Nikkei Asia
Taiwan opens sovereign AI data center with Nvidia-powered supercomputer
Plans to expand capacity of Tainan hub sixfold by 2028 in partnership with Japan's NTT
Techmeme
Taiwan opens its largest AI supercomputing data center, with Nvidia
From Nikkei Asia. View the full context on Techmeme.
Sources: Intel tested chipmaking tools this year from CA-based ACM Research, which has deep China ties; ACM's two overseas units were targeted by US sanctions (Reuters) https://www.reuters.com/world/china/intel-has-tested-chipmaking-tools-firm-with-sanctioned-china-unit-sources-say-2025-12-12/
Techmeme
Sources: Intel has tested chipmaking tools in 2025 from California-based ACM Research, which has deep China ties; US sanctions targeted two ACM overseas units
From Reuters. View the full context on Techmeme.
GPT-5.2 models match GPT-5 and 5.1 with a 400K context window and 128K max output tokens, but have a newer knowledge cutoff of Aug. 31, 2025 vs. Sept. 30, 2024 (Simon Willison/Simon Willison's Newsletter)
GPT 5.2 and useful patterns for building HTML tools
Plus a YouTube video, a podcast appearance and more
Techmeme
GPT-5.2 models have a 400K context window and 128K max output tokens, like GPT-5 and 5.1, but have an August 31, 2025, knowledge cutoff, vs. September 30, 2024
By Simon Willison / Simon Willison
An interview with Nikita Bier, who wants to lure journalists back to X with a rebuilt recommendation algorithm with no keyword suppression or manual downranking (Alex Heath/Sources)
X wants its haters back
Product chief Nikita Bier's message to journalists who left: “We have to earn their trust.”
Techmeme
An interview with Nikita Bier, who wants to lure journalists back to X with a rebuilt recommendation algorithm with no keyword suppression or manual downranking
By Alex Heath / Sources. View the full context on Techmeme.
Tim Sweeney: the Ninth Circuit's decision on Epic v. Apple contempt ruling appeal "completely shuts down" App Store rules allowing Apple to collect "junk fees" (Jay Peters/The Verge)
The Verge
Tim Sweeney on the future of Fortnite after another win over Apple
Epic Games’s CEO talked to The Verge after appeals court judges ruled against Apple.
Techmeme
Tim Sweeney: the Ninth Circuit
By Jay Peters / The Verge. View the full context on Techmeme.
Reddit files a lawsuit against Australia over its social media ban for under-16s, saying the ban "infringes the implied freedom of political communication" (Reuters) https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/reddit-files-lawsuit-against-australias-social-media-ban-2025-12-11/
Techmeme
Reddit files a lawsuit against Australia to overturn its social media ban for under-16s, saying it “infringes the implied freedom of political communication”
From Reuters. View the full context on Techmeme.
In his EO, Trump orders US AG Pam Bondi to create an "AI Litigation Task Force" that meets regularly with David Sacks to challenge "inconsistent" state AI laws (Igor Bonifacic/Engadget)
Engadget
Trump orders creation of litigation task force to challenge state AI laws
On Thursday evening, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for a single regulatory framework governing artificial intelligence i...
Techmeme
In his EO, Trump orders US AG Pam Bondi to create an “AI Litigation Task Force” that meets regularly with David Sacks to challenge “inconsistent” state AI laws
By Igor Bonifacic / Engadget. View the full context on Techmeme.
A look at French indie game studio Sandfall Interactive, whose critically-acclaimed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 sold 5M+ copies with a budget of less than $10M (Zachary Small/New York Times)
A Gaming Tour de Force That Is Very, Very French
Without a blockbuster budget or much experience, the creators of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 astounded the industry with an emotional narrative and...
Techmeme
A look at France-based indie game studio Sandfall Interactive, whose critically acclaimed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 had a sub-$10M budget and sold 5M+ copies
By Zachary Small / New York Times. View the full context on Techmeme.
xAI partners with El Salvador to deploy Grok across 5,000+ public schools, reaching 1M+ students in an "AI-powered education program" over the next two years (Dara Kerr/The Guardian)
the Guardian
Elon Musk teams with El Salvador to bring Grok chatbot to public schools
President Nayib Bukele entrusting chatbot known for calling itself ‘MechaHitler’ to create ‘AI-powered’ curricula
Techmeme
xAI partners with El Salvador to deploy Grok across 5,000+ public schools, reaching 1M+ students in an “AI-powered education program” over the next two years
By Dara Kerr / The Guardian. View the full context on Techmeme.