Microsoft Copilot user growth and Google Cloud's AI-driven revenue surge highlight widespread AI adoption, while new Google Gemini features and AI-powered social apps demonstrate innovative applications, alongside ongoing legal battles involving OpenAI and significant funding for defense AI startups like Scout AI and Earth AI's critical mineral search.

• Microsoft says it has over 20M paid Copilot users, and they really are using it — TechCrunch -
• Google Cloud surpasses $20B, but says growth was capacity-constrained — TechCrunch -
• OpenAI Codex system prompt includes explicit directive to "never talk about goblins" — Ars Technica -

• Parallel Web Systems hits $2B valuation five months after its last big raise — TechCrunch -
• Google Photos uses AI to make the iconic closet from ‘Clueless’ a reality — TechCrunch -
• More Gemini features are coming to Google TV — TechCrunch -
• Uber is in the hotel business now, thanks in part to AI — TechCrunch -
• Earth AI is vertically integrating the search for critical minerals — TechCrunch -
• BMW i Ventures has a new $300M fund and AI is riding shotgun — TechCrunch -
• Meet Shapes, the app bringing humans and AI into the same group chats — TechCrunch -
• Google Translate now lets you practice pronunciation — TechCrunch -
• Sam Altman is “the face of evil” for not reporting school shooter, says lawyer — Ars Technica -
• Colby Adcock’s Scout AI raises $100M to train its models for war: We visited its bootcamp — TechCrunch -
• At his OpenAI trial, Musk relitigates an old friendship — TechCrunch -

Google's impressive gain of 25 million subscriptions, fueled by YouTube and Google One, underscores a strong financial quarter, with **Roku's $3 streaming service, Howdy, also reporting 1 million subscribers**, indicating a growing demand for cost-effective digital entertainment options.

• Google gains 25M subscriptions in Q1, driven by YouTube and Google One — TechCrunch -
• Howdy's dated $3/month ad-free streaming service said to have 1M subscribers — Ars Technica -
• Roku’s $3 streaming service, Howdy, reaches 1M subs, per recent report — TechCrunch -

Apple's loss in its bid to pause App Store fee changes signals significant regulatory pressure, while the failed attempt to repeal Colorado's right-to-repair law shows public support for consumer rights, and ongoing legal threats to broadcasters like ABC and discussions around a new Sam Bankman-Fried trial highlight persistent legal complexities in the tech and crypto sectors.

• ABC can beat Trump FCC's license threat if owner Disney is willing to fight — Ars Technica -
• New Sam Bankman-Fried trial would be huge waste of court’s time, judge says — Ars Technica -
• Apple loses bid to pause App Store fee changes as case heads to Supreme Court — TechCrunch -

• Attempt to repeal Colorado's right-to-repair law fails — Ars Technica -

**Parallel Web Systems reaching a $2 billion valuation and Firestorm Labs raising $82 million for drone factories showcase strong investment in innovative defense tech, with Pursuit securing funding to help companies sell to government and Kompas VC navigating fragmented global markets for strategic investments, alongside the public launch of the Jack Dorsey-backed Vine reboot, Divine**.

• Bill Gurley, Jack Altman back startup Pursuit, which helps companies sell to government — TechCrunch -
• Firestorm Labs raises $82M to take drone factories into the field — TechCrunch -
• Jack Dorsey-backed Vine reboot Divine launches to the public — TechCrunch -

• How one venture firm is investing in an increasingly fragmented world — TechCrunch -

Motorola's unveiling of its 2026 Razr lineup with higher prices and modest upgrades points to the evolving foldable phone market, while Nvidia's solution to the 8GB RAM problem for its GPUs addresses high-end hardware performance needs.

• Motorola reveals 2026 Razr lineup with modest upgrades and higher prices — Ars Technica -
• Nvidia fixes the 8GB RAM problem with one of its GPUs—if you can pay for it — Ars Technica -

Drone strikes halting Big Tech data center projects in the Middle East reveal significant geopolitical risks to infrastructure, while Sri Lanka's finance ministry experiencing multiple cyberattacks and security firms like Checkmarx and Bitwarden being targeted in supply-chain attacks underscore the increasing sophistication and global reach of cyber threats.

• Drone strikes on data centers spook Big Tech, halting Middle East projects — Ars Technica -
• Sri Lanka discloses another missing payment, days after hackers stole $2.5M from its finance ministry — TechCrunch -
• Why a recent supply-chain attack singled out security firms Checkmarx and Bitwarden — Ars Technica -

Zap Energy's pivot to include nuclear fission alongside fusion development signals new directions in energy research, while a Falcon 9 rocket stage is set to impact the Moon at high speed, and NASA's Artemis II mission introduces a zero-g indicator for public interest, showcasing advancements in space technology.

• Fusion power startup Zap Energy pulls a partial pivot, adding nuclear fission to the mix — TechCrunch -
• A Falcon 9 rocket will hit the Moon this summer at seven times the speed of sound — Ars Technica -
• Check your gravity with NASA's Artemis II zero-g indicator — Ars Technica -