Author: IQ TIMES MEDIA

The cuts at The Washington Post are brutal.They are brutal for the paper’s readers, who lose crucial coverage like sports and international reporting. And they are brutal for hundreds of Post employees, including lots of people whose work I pay to read with my Post subscription.The Post’s cuts have also led lots of people to point out the obvious — that Post owner Jeff Bezos, who is currently the world’s fourth-richest man, worth an estimated $261 billion, could easily fund the paper’s losses … forever, without ever noticing the tab.Jeff Bezos wealth in 2024: $194 billionJeff Bezos wealth in 2025:…

Google’s AI chatbot Gemini has surpassed 750 million monthly active users (MAUs), according to the company’s fourth-quarter 2025 earnings. This figure illustrates the rapid consumer adoption of Gemini, which has quickly become a prominent player in the AI space. Last quarter, Google reported 650 million monthly active users for Gemini, indicating substantial growth in a short period. In comparison, Meta AI has reported nearly 500 million monthly users. However, while Gemini is gaining traction, it still trails behind its biggest rival, ChatGPT, which is estimated to have around 810 million MAUs in late 2025. The recently revealed number comes on…

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Pan American Health Organization, PAHO, issued a new epidemiological alert following a surge of measles cases across the Americas, with Mexico reporting the highest numbers. It also called for urgent vaccination campaigns, highlighting that 78% of recent cases involved unvaccinated people.The alert, announced on Wednesday, follows Canada’s loss of measles-free status in November — a setback the United States and Mexico could soon mirror. While both governments have requested a two-month extension to contain their respective outbreaks, the situation is complicated by the Trump administration’s January withdrawal from the World Health Organization, the parent agency…

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new kind of pill sharply reduced artery-clogging cholesterol in people who remain at high risk of heart attacks despite taking statins, researchers reported Wednesday.It’s still experimental but the pill helps rid the body of cholesterol in a way that today can be done only with injected medicines. If approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the pill, named enlicitide, could offer an easier-to-use option for millions of people.Statins block some of the liver’s production of cholesterol and are the cornerstone of treatment. But even taking the highest doses, many people need additional help lowering their LDL,…

The nation’s largest professional organization for plastic surgeons recommended that gender-affirming surgeries be delayed until patients turn 19, changing the group’s stance on the politically charged issue and diverging from several other major medical organizations’ guidance.The American Society of Plastic Surgeons said Tuesday that it found “insufficient evidence” that the benefits of chest, genital and facial surgeries on minors experiencing gender dysphoria outweigh the risks. It leaned on two recent and heavily debated publications on the topic, the Cass Review by a senior doctor in England and a 2025 report issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.“This…

Gizmo, a TikTok-like app for vibe-coded mini applications, is offering a new way to create interactive media. The relatively new mobile app from the startup Atma Sciences lets anyone create experiences using text, photos, sound, and touch, which are then displayed in a vertical feed, similar to TikTok or Reels. But unlike traditional short-form video apps, you don’t just watch and scroll in Gizmo — you play. Depending on the type of “Gizmo” you encounter, you might poke the screen, swipe, tap, draw, drag, and more to interact with the mini app. These Gizmos aren’t just games but are more…

Resolve AI, a startup automating the work of system reliability engineering (SRE), aka troubleshooting system failures, has announced a $125 million Series A at a $1 billion valuation. The round was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation of existing investors including Greylock Partners, Unusual Ventures, Artisanal Ventures, and A*. The announcement confirms TechCrunch’s December report that the startup was raising at a billion-dollar valuation led by Lightspeed. Sources told TechCrunch at the time that the round may have consisted of multiple tranches, at different prices, which could have put the company’s actual blended valuation below $1 billion. A spokesperson for…

Last summer, Amazon MGM Studios launched a dedicated AI Studio to develop proprietary AI tools to streamline TV and film production, with a focus on areas like improving character consistency across shots and supporting pre- and post-production. According to a report from Reuters, those tools are now ready to move beyond internal testing. Amazon will begin a closed beta program in March, inviting industry partners to try out its AI tools. Amazon said it anticipates sharing initial outcomes from the program by May. The company chose not to provide further details on the developments when approached by TechCrunch for a…

Puerto Rican partially deaf performer Celimar Rivera Cosme, who will lead a “multilingual signing program” during Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance on Sunday, is readying to make history and shed light on the Puerto Rican deaf community on one of music’s biggest stages.Rivera Cosme will sign the high profile performance in LSPR, or Puerto Rican Sign Language, distinct from American Sign Language in its unique grammar, rhythm and cultural identity, due to the history of Puerto Rican deaf community.”In a historic first, the signed rendition of the Apple Music Halftime Show will feature a multilingual signing program incorporating Puerto…

An award-winning coder has been quietly working for Thinking Machines Lab, the AI startup founded by former OpenAI Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati.Neal Wu is a three-time gold medal winner at an international programming Olympiad and a founding member of the AI coding startup Cognition, which is valued at $10 billion. He is the elder brother of Scott Wu, the CEO and cofounder of Cognition.The move shows that Thinking Machines Lab, valued at over $10 billion, continues to attract star talent, even as it has been the target of aggressive AI poaching campaigns from rivals like Meta.Thinking Machines Lab declined…