IT General

Clawdbot has been on quite the ride. The free, open-source AI assistant has gone viral on platforms like X, where early adopters, AI superusers, and even minor internet celebrities have been singing its praises. The Clawdbot GitHub page was even briefly taken over by crypto scammers, its creator said on X. Now, the tool has become so successful that it's been forced to change its name to Moltbot.

That's right, henceforth, Clawdbot is now Moltbot.

We have to say, this is a change we saw coming from a mile away. Many Clawdbot Moltbot users rely on Claude, the family of large-language models developed by Anthropic, to power the AI assistant. And in a post on X and a new "lore" post on GitHub, Moltbot creator Peter Steinberger confirmed that he decided to change the name under what he described as "polite" pressure from Anthropic.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. SEE ALSO: Clawdbot users are snapping up the Mac Mini — and it’s under $500 at Amazon

Previously, Clawdbot's mascot was a "space lobster" named Clawd. Moving forward, the crustacean's name will be Molty. (Lobsters, famously, have claws. Get it?)

Molty's new bio reads:

For a while, the lobster was called Clawd, living in a Clawdbot. But in January 2026, Anthropic sent a polite email asking for a name change (trademark stuff). And so the lobster did what lobsters do best: It molted. Shedding its old shell, the creature emerged anew as Molty, living in a Moltbot. New shell, same lobster soul.

Already, Steinberger's GitHub has been renamed to reflect the name change, and the former clawd.bot website is being replaced by molt.bot.

To be honest, Moltbot isn't nearly as strong a name. Molting is not a particularly attractive verb. It would be like naming your company after shedding, itching, or picking your nose.

And speaking of legal challenges: Is it just us, or does the Moltbot mascot look a little too similar to the Android mascot?

Credit: Android / Google Credit: Moltbot / Clawdbot SEE ALSO: Clawdbot AI security risks you need to know before trying it

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ChatPlayground AI streamlines the way you work with AI. It unites different AI models — like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Llama, Perplexity, and more — in one convenient place. That means you can access their results in one spot, all without paying for multiple subscription fees.

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TL;DR: Live stream Musetti vs. Djokovic in the 2026 Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 Australian Open quarter finals have already delivered some huge moments between the best players in the world. Some players have already booked their spots in the semi finals. Some are still to play, like Musetti and Djokovic.

This battle between the fourth and fifth seeds in particularly difficult to predict. Once upon a time, fans would expect Djokovic to march towards the final. That's much less certain nowadays, and Musetti will be coming into this contest with confidence.

If you want to watch Musetti vs. Djokovic in the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Musetti vs. Djokovic for free

Musetti vs. Djokovic in the 2026 Australian Open is available to live stream for free on 9Now.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2026 Australian Open by following these simple steps:

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2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

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What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live tennis on 9Now, for a number of reasons:

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TL;DR: Live stream the 2026 Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

It feels like we're inundated with tennis tournaments over the summer months, and then nothing. After the US Open, tennis fans have a painful wait for the next Grand Slam.

But that wait is over. The 2026 Australian Open is finally here, delivering epic contests between the best players in the world. It's the first chance to see the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka, and Iga Świątek on the biggest stage. And better yet, it's possible to follow all the action from this showpiece event without spending anything.

If you want to watch the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

What is the Australian Open?

The Australian Open is a tennis tournament held annually at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. It's the first of the four Grand Slam tennis events held each year, followed by the French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open.

The current singles champions are Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys.

When is the 2026 Australian Open?

The 2026 Australian Open is the 114th edition of the tournament. This year's event takes place from Jan. 18 to Feb. 1.

How to watch the 2026 Australian Open for free

The 2026 Australian Open is available to live stream for free on 9Now.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2026 Australian Open by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Australia

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5. Watch the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the 2026 Australian Open before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on 9Now, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

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• Fast connection speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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Updated on Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 5:11 p.m. ET — Clawdbot has officially changed its name, for very predictable reasons. Creator Peter Steinberger wrote on X that he's changed the AI tool's name under pressure from Anthropic, which makes the Claude family of large-language models. Moving forward, Clawdbot will henceforth be known as Moltbot.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Interest in Clawdbot, an open-source AI personal assistant, has been building from a simmer to a roar. Over the weekend, online chatter about the tool reached viral status — at least, as viral as an open-source AI tool can be.

Clawdbot has developed a cult following in the early adopter community, and AI nerds in Silicon Valley are obsessively sharing best practices and showing off their DIY Clawdbot setups. The free, open-source AI assistant is commonly run on a dedicated Mac Mini (though other setups are possible), with users giving it access to their ChatGPT or Claude accounts, as well as email, calendars, and messaging apps.

SEE ALSO: Clawdbot users are snapping up the Mac Mini — and it’s under $500 at Amazon

Clawdbot has gone so viral on X that it's reached meme status, with developers and fans sharing tongue-in-cheek memes about their Clawdbot setups.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

So, what is Clawdbot 🦞, how can you try it, and why is it suddenly the talk of the town in Silicon Valley?

Clawdbot is an AI personal assistant

As previously mentioned, Clawdbot is an open-source AI assistant that runs locally on your device. The tool was built by developer and entrepreneur Peter Steinberger, best known for creating and selling PSPDFKit. The tool is often associated with the lobster emoji, for reasons that should be obvious.

Clawdbot is an impressive example of agentic AI, meaning it's a tool that can act autonomously and complete multi-step actions on behalf of the user. The year 2025 was supposed to be the year of AI agents; instead, many high-profile agentic AI implementations failed to deliver results, and there's a growing sense that AI agents are hitting a wall.

However, Clawdbot users say that the tool delivers where previous assistants have failed. The personal AI assistant remembers everything you've ever told it, and users can also grant it access to their email, calendar, and docs. On top of that, Clawdbot can proactively take personalized action. So, not only does Clawdbot check your email, but it can send you a message the moment a high-priority email arrives.

Based on its viral success, I'd be shocked if Steinberger isn't being courted by AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic. Mashable reached out to Steinberger to ask about Clawdbot, and we'll update this post if we receive a response.

How to try Clawdbot

Steinberger has uploaded the source code for Clawdbot to GitHub, and you can download, install, and start experimenting with Clawdbot right away. (Find Clawdbot on Github.)

That said, downloading and setting up Clawdbot isn't as simple as downloading a typical app or piece of software. You'll need some technical know-how to get Clawdbot running on your device. There are also some serious security and privacy concerns to consider. More on that in a moment.

You can run Clawdbot on Mac, Windows, and Linux devices, and the Clawdbot website has installation instructions, system requirements, and tips.

Don't try Clawdbot without understanding the risks

Part of the reason that Clawdbot succeeds where other AI agents have failed is that it has full system access to your device. That means it can read and write files, run commands, execute scripts, and control your browser.

Steinberger is clear about the fact that running Clawdbot carries certain risks.

SEE ALSO: Clawdbot AI security risks you need to know before trying it

"Running an AI agent with shell access on your machine is… spicy," an FAQ reads. "Clawdbot is both a product and an experiment: you’re wiring frontier-model behavior into real messaging surfaces and real tools. There is no 'perfectly secure' setup." (Emphasis in original.)

Users can access a security audit tool for Clawdbot on GitHub, and the Clawdbot FAQ also has a useful security section. A sub-section titled "The Threat Model" notes that bad actors could "Try to trick your AI into doing bad things" and "Social engineer access to your data."

TikTok claims it isn't deliberately censoring the name "Epstein" in direct messages, but says it's investigating a bug that stops some DMs that include the name from being sent.

"We don't have rules against sharing the name 'Epstein' in direct messages and are investigating why some users are experiencing issues," a spokesperson for TikTok's new U.S.-owned operation told NPR.

The spokesperson added that the company's internal analysis so far aligned with that of multiple outlets and users: Yes, it's happening in DMs, but only sometimes.

The company's response comes one day after multiple users shared screenshots of the problem. TikTok DMs that contained nothing but the word "Epstein" received a red exclamation mark and a stark warning: "This message may be in violation of our Community Guidelines, and has not been sent to protect our community."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

It's not the only posting problem TikTok users have experienced in the days since the U.S. handover to a group of investors led by Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle. Ellison is a prominent supporter of the Trump administration; many TikTok users fear he has essentially bought the platform to reduce or remove access to opposing points of view.

Trump initially opposed a bipartisan law requiring the Department of Justice to release its files relating to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted child sex offender and former close friend of Trump's. As of this writing, the DOJ has released just 1 percent of the material the law instructed it to release by the end of 2025.

TikTok's transfer to a new U.S.-based data center service was blamed for widespread outages the app experienced over the weekend — a weekend that just happened to be dominated by news of the ICE killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti.

SEE ALSO: 'Shameful': Tech leaders react to ICE killing of Alex Pretti

The fact that many TikTok users could not upload ICE-related posts did not allay suspicions about the company's new management. California has announced its own investigation into censorship at TikTok, based on what governor Gavin Newsom called "independently confirmed instances of suppressed content critical of President Trump."

In announcing the investigation, Newsom put the Epstein DM problem front and center.

Did someone say polar vortex? When the weather outside is like this, the only sensible thing to do is crank the heat and watch movies. Paramount+ is about to switch over into February, and there's no telling when these four titles might move on to another streamer, so best watch them while you can.

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If you’re dealing with large amounts of data or technical info that can be hard to share, Microsoft Visio 2021 Professional is ready to help. This tool comes complete with premade templates, starter diagrams, flowcharts, org charts, floor plans, stencils, and more, so you can present your ideas clearly and confidently.

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TL;DR: Live stream Pegula vs. Anisimova in the 2026 Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Coco Gauff is out of the 2026 Australian Open, meaning the hopes of U.S. tennis fans rest with Pegula and Anisimova. They meet at the quarter-final stage, so there will be at least one American representative in the final four of the women's draw.

Pegula has never made it past the quarter-final stage of this Grand Slam. Neither has Anisimova, but she is looking to reach her third consecutive Grand Slam final. She's yet to win a final, but maybe this could be her moment to finally shine on the biggest stage.

If you want to watch Pegula vs. Anisimova in the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Pegula vs. Anisimova for free

Pegula vs. Anisimova in the 2026 Australian Open is available to live stream for free on 9Now.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2026 Australian Open by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Australia

4. Visit 9Now

5. Watch the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading services do tend to offer deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these deals, you can live stream Pegula vs. Anisimova without actually spending anything. This isn't a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to watch the Australian Open before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live tennis on 9Now, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $59.88 and includes an extra three months for free — 69% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Pegula vs. Anisimova in the 2026 Australian Open for free with ExpressVPN.

A jury will decide whether or not platforms like Instagram and YouTube intentionally foster addictive behaviors in teen users, as their owners — Meta and Google, respectively — head to court over a series of social media lawsuits.

Set to begin today (Jan. 27), the lawsuit claims the companies knowingly created site features that led to addictive behavior, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts. It was brought forth by a 19-year-old user, referred to as K.G.M., and her mother. The suit seeks monetary damages for the individual and seeks to force named platforms to change the design of their sites to curb excessive use. The original claim also named Snapchat parent company, Snap, and TikTok, in addition to Meta and Google.

SEE ALSO: TikTok in the USA so far: Outages and outrage

Hours before the tech giants were set to appear before the jury, TikTok reached a settlement agreement with the plaintiff and will no longer face a deposition before the court. Matthew Bergman of the Social Media Victims Law Center, the organization representing K.G.M., told the press that the terms of the settlement remain confidential.

Last week, Snapchat also settled out of the case, saying the plaintiff's claims were resolved in an "amicable matter." The next day, Snapchat announced new parental controls for teen users, including upgrades to activity and screen time monitoring tools. TikTok and Snapchat are still named in other cases related to tech use and youth mental crises.

K.G.M.'s case, which will be heard in a Los Angeles court, is the first of what could be numerous cases related to social media's effects on user mental health — they are the culmination of years of pressure on Big Tech following a 2021 whistleblower investigation against Meta. The Los Angeles hearing is one of three chosen test cases, selected from the vast number of related suits, that will determine how to proceed with subsequent lawsuits. In addition to individual suits, social media platforms have been sued by child safety coalitions, school districts, and even state attorneys general. Many have been consolidated under state courts.

Some have called the bellwether trials a legal reckoning for platforms and, especially, their executives, many of whom have allegedly been complicit in continuing addictive features on their websites and apps despite warnings from employees. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify before the Los Angeles jury.

Signal, the privacy-focused messaging platform, is in the news — and not for pleasant reasons.

FBI Director Kash Patel said he had opened an investigation into Signal chats used by Minnesota residents to share information about ICE's movements. Signal offers end-to-end encryption and is often used by folks worried about privacy and cybersecurity. The Trump administration itself used Signal chats to discuss military strikes.

But with the news that the FBI wanted to go after Signal chats, folks joked about what could replace it. Mostly, people joked about returning to super-antiquated or random chat platforms. The jokes were especially popular on Bluesky.

Deleting Signal now that I know it's compromised. Find me on Facebook Messenger

— Joad The Wet Sprocket (@joadsprocket.bsky.social) January 26, 2026 at 6:02 PM

Deleting Signal now that it's compromised. Find me at first light on the fifth day; at dawn, look to the east.

[image or embed]

— prim ❄️ (@primordial.bsky.social) January 27, 2026 at 9:05 AM

Deleting Signal now that I know it's compromised. Find me with the Dymo label maker.

[image or embed]

— David Brauer (@dbrauer.net) January 27, 2026 at 12:16 AM

Deleting Signal now that I know it’s compromised. Find me on Netscape.

[image or embed]

— 𝚌𝚛𝚢-𝚌𝚛𝚢 𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚜𝚎 (@mandulorian.bsky.social) January 26, 2026 at 7:34 PM

Deleting Signal now that I know it's compromised. Find me on Game FAQs

[image or embed]

— Patrick Lindsey (@patricklindsey.bsky.social) January 26, 2026 at 6:22 PM

If you want to get in touch with me, forget Signal. I'm communicating only through skywriting. Look upward and find me there.

Harry Styles fans are expressing frustration over ticket prices for his newly announced Together, Together tour, after Ticketmaster presales this week revealed costs that many said were prohibitively expensive.

The backlash reflects a familiar tension in modern pop fandom, where highly online communities collide with soaring concert prices, limited tour dates, and a cost-of-living crisis that has made live music feel increasingly out of reach. As screenshots of ticket prices spread across X, Threads, and TikTok, the presale chaos quickly became less about one artist and more about a broader question: Who gets to participate in pop culture moments when "together" comes with a four-figure price tag?

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The frustration quickly spilled onto social media, where fans shared screenshots of ticket prices, queue messages, and memes critiquing the Together, Together tour's cost and accessibility.

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Compounding the frustration is the tour's residency-style rollout, which limits Styles' U.S. appearances to a single venue — 30 dates at Madison Square Garden in New York City — and just a handful of cities globally, a format fans have already criticized as inaccessible. With many forced to factor in travel, lodging, and time off work on top of ticket prices, the Together, Together tour has sparked renewed debate online over whether destination concerts prioritize spectacle and exclusivity over fan access.

The backlash comes as Styles returns to the spotlight with his new single "Aperture" and the upcoming album Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. — and it's part of a broader, ongoing tension between fans and Ticketmaster.

Last fall, Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino said that concert tickets are actually "too cheap." Speaking at CNBC and Boardroom's Game Plan conference in September, Rapino compared concert pricing to that of expensive sports events, noting that shows by top artists are now complex productions that justify higher costs. "We have a lot of runway left," he said. "So when you read about ticket prices going up, the average concert price is still $72. Try going to a Laker game for that… The concert is underpriced and has been for a long time."

Critics weren’t convinced. As Mashable's Tim Marcin noted, "On average, a ticket to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour cost $3,071 in Indianapolis, the capital of a state with a median income of $71,959. The price of a single ticket was double the average monthly rent in the city. That surely cannot be considered 'underpriced.'"

As for Styles' Together, Together tour, fans who managed to make it through the presale queue were met with a wide price range for the Madison Square Garden dates. Buyers were told that tickets "have been priced in advance by the tour from $50 – $1,182.40, including service fees. Ticket prices will not change during the presale or onsale. Price ranges do not apply to VIP packages. Tickets are subject to availability." According to the Hollywood Reporter, the most expensive VIP package currently available for the MSG shows is $1,667.

Even within those guidelines, seats were priced based on demand, and fans reported costs jumping as the venue filled — leaving many scrambling for anything they could actually afford, or sharing screenshots online to vent about just how out of reach "together" felt.

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For now, "together" may remain more of a marketing promise than a lived experience. Looks like many of us will be watching this tour through TikToks and livestreams.

2025 was gearing up to be a year full of sequels. The top three movies at the worldwide box office were Ne Zha 2 ($2.2 billion), Zootopia 2 ($1.7 billion), and Avatar: Fire and Ash ($1.4 billion). While this Blumhouse sequel was never supposed to surpass a billion, many expected it to be a box office hit.

Looking to get your action fix? This year's lineup of superhero shows, from Marvel, DC, and beyond, can help with that. From the return of some of the best comic characters to the introduction of new heroes, 2026 is a great year to be a fan of superhero television.

TL;DR: Live stream Rybakina vs. Swiatek in the 2026 Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 Australian Open is fast approaching its dramatic conclusion, with only a handful of players left in contention. Rybakina vs. Swiatek is the third quarter final on the schedule in the women's draw, and it's a particularly interesting matchup.

Swiatek leads the head-to-head between these players, but unlike Swiatek, Elena Rybakina has made the final of this Grand Slam. Swiatek has won every Grand Slam expect the Australian Open. Could this be the year that she finally gets past the semi-final stage? The winner of this game will face off against Pegula or Anisimova in the final four.

If you want to watch Rybakina vs. Swiatek in the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Rybakina vs. Swiatek for free

Rybakina vs. Swiatek in the 2026 Australian Open is available to live stream for free on 9Now.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2026 Australian Open by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Australia

4. Visit 9Now

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When Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang announced the RTX 50-series at CES 2025, he made some performance-related claims that many enthusiasts rolled their eyes at. They weren't wrong. At launch, those claims were far from true.

The social media platform Pinterest is laying off as many as 675 workers, according to a new report from CNBC.

Why? Because the company is shifting its focus to AI, at least, in part.

In a securities filing submitted earlier this month, Pinterest specifically cited AI as one of the reasons for the planned reduction in force. The filing states that Pinterest plans on "reallocating resources" to teams with an AI focus and prioritizing "AI-powered products and capabilities."

SEE ALSO: Anthropic CEO warns AI will destroy half of all white collar jobs

Pinterest's layoffs are expected to hit just under 15 percent of its workforce, adding those employees to the growing number of people who have lost their jobs because of AI.

As CNBC also reported late last year, consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas found that nearly 55,000 people lost their jobs in 2025 due to AI. Pinterest plans to have completed its cuts by Sept. 30, 2026.

The filing also says that Pinterest's sales and marketing strategies are being reconfigured, which might be a hint as to which departments will be hit by layoffs.

Pinterest received praise from AI critics last October after becoming the first major social media platform to buck the trends and offer users the ability to filter out AI content from their feeds. Being that Pinterest is so heavily dependent on visual content, AI-generated slop was starting to inundate the platform. The negative reaction from users forced the platform to address this trend and provide users with options to remove the content. 

SEE ALSO: AI slop is killing the internet

Despite this move, Pinterest has been increasingly focused on bringing more AI to the platform, like virtually all tech companies. In late October, Pinterest launched "Pinterest Assistant," an AI-powered shopping tool on the platform.

Furthermore, earlier this year, rumors and discussions spread online about the possibility of AI giant OpenAI acquiring Pinterest, although there have been no substantiated reports about such an acquisition yet.

Ever wonder what would happen if you never shut down your Windows PC? So have I, which is why I decided to take it upon myself to find out what would happen if I left my computer running for an entire week without even bothering to put it into sleep mode.

Preorder the new Lego Star Wars Smart Play compatible sets: Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Millennium Falcon $99.99 Pre-Order Here Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Mos Eisley Cantina $79.99 Pre-Order Here Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Luke's Landspeeder $39.99 Pre-Order Here Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Yoda's Hut and Jedi Training $69.99 Pre-Order Here Lego Star Wars Smart Play: AT-ST Attack on Endor $49.99 Pre-Order Here

Alert all commands: Lego unveiled five new Star Wars Smart Play compatible sets at the Nuremberg Toy Fair today (Jan. 27), including an 885-piece Millennium Falcon set with four Smart Minifigures. The sets range in price from $39.99 to $99.99 and will launch on March 1 alongside three previously announced "All-In-One" Star Wars Smart Play sets, more than doubling the lineup.

Preorders are now live through the Lego Store and third-party retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Target.

Notably, Best Buy has implemented a reservation system for its preorders due to high demand. Shoppers must create an account, confirm their location, and wait in line for account and inventory verification in order to purchase any of the sets. At the time of writing, I waited 20 minutes trying to add the Millennium Falcon set to my cart before giving up.

What is Lego Smart Play? Get even more interactive with your play. Credit: Lego

Lego first unveiled its interactive Smart Play platform at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in early January. The system revolves around a 2 x 4 "Smart Brick" filled with sensors that make Smart Minifigures and Smart Tags react to movement and positioning, producing lights and sound effects.

Shoppers should be aware that the five new sets don't include the Smart Brick or its charger, which is necessary to make them interactive. (Without the Smart Brick, these are just regular Lego builds.) Since Lego doesn't sell the Smart Brick on its own, you'll need to purchase one of the three other All-In-One sets that include it:

• Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter — $69.99

• Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Luke’s Red Five X-Wing — $89.99

• Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Throne Room Duel & A-Wing — $159.99

Read on for more details about the five just-announced sets that will launch alongside them in a matter of weeks.

Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Millennium Falcon set Credit: Lego

This is Lego's third Millennium Falcon build after its mega-popular, mega-expensive flagship set from 2017 and its $85 midi-scale counterpart from 2024. It contains 885 pieces, including four Smart Minifigures of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and C-3PO, plus four Smart Tags for various effects. According to a press release, fans will be able to "jump into light speed, shoot lasers from the stud shooters, play holochess, or practice lightsaber skills" by adding a Smart Brick. It's meant for ages 9 and up.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Millennium Falcon $99.99 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Mos Eisley Cantina set Credit: Lego

Tatooine's infamous tavern has also been represented in a Lego build before. But this new 666-piece set marks the first time it will presumably be able to play Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes' iconic ditty. (It's stuck in your head now, isn't it?) The set comes with Smart Minifigures of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the bounty hunter Greedo, a Sandtrooper, and two band members, plus three Smart Tags for a Dewback, karaoke, and drink mixing. It's geared toward ages 8 and up.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Mos Eisley Cantina $79.99 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Luke's Landspeeder set Credit: Lego

Luke's grungy X-34 Landspeeder will be able to produce refueling and repairing sound effects in this 215-piece build for ages 6 and up. It includes a Luke Minifigure and teensy Jawa and Gonk Droid models.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Luke's Landspeeder $39.99 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Yoda's Hut and Jedi Training set Credit: Lego

This 440-piece set builds into Yoda's Jedi training grounds on Dagobah, complete with Smart Minifigures of him and Luke and a little R2-D2. Two included Smart Tags will play force training and cooking sounds when paired with a Smart Brick. It's best for ages 8 and up.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Yoda's Hut and Jedi Training $69.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now Lego Star Wars Smart Play: AT-ST Attack on Endor set Credit: Lego

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi's final battle gets brickified in this 347-piece set, also for ages 8 and up. It has a Smart Minifigure of Wicket the Ewok and Smart Tags that will make the AT-ST walker and Speeder Bike builds play sounds.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Star Wars Smart Play: AT-ST Attack on Endor $49.99 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here

Samsung's next big thing has a big price tag.

The Korean tech giant finally announced a U.S. release date and price tag for the Galaxy Z TriFold, a smartphone with a new foldable form factor that includes not one but two creases in the middle of a gargantuan inner display. The phone, which we got some hands-on time with at CES 2026 a few weeks ago, will launch in the States on Jan. 30 for a price of $2,900.

Yes, you read that right. Two thousand and nine hundred dollars.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy S26: The 7 rumored features that could make me switch

For early adopters dying to get their hands on the TriFold, it's very much a good news, bad news situation. Previous rumors put the price of the TriFold at about $2,500. In addition, many mobile insiders expected to learn the TriFold's U.S. release date at the next Galaxy Unpacked event, rumored to take place on Feb. 25.

To be fair to Samsung, a high price is not a huge surprise, nor is it entirely unreasonable considering the going price for other, theoretically inferior foldable devices. Last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7, which is a similar device that only has one crease and a smaller internal display, started at $1,999. It's not completely out of this world to see a phone with a new form factor and presumably even more expensive tech inside of it start at a higher price point than that. In addition, Korean publications have reported that Samsung is actually losing money on sales of the TriFold.

Still, $2,900 is a lot of money for a smartphone, no matter how much context you throw at it. We can't say yet if the benefits of the new form factor outweigh the downside of paying that much for it, but hopefully people who do spent that amount of money on the TriFold are happy with their decision.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold hands-on: I'm excited, but it's got quirks