You're tuned in to Tech Beat, and here's what's moving in the world of technology today.
Meta's new Muse app is drawing sharp criticism for what reviewers are calling surveillance dressed up as creativity. The app quietly opts users into data collection for AI training, and it nudges people to hand over sensitive information including bank account details, email addresses, and passport data. That is a significant ask for an app billing itself as an inspirational tool.
Meanwhile, a political fault line is opening up inside the American right over artificial intelligence infrastructure. President Trump has continued pushing hard for data center expansion as a cornerstone of his AI agenda, but a growing segment of his own base is pushing back, citing land use, energy consumption, and local community concerns. The coalition that brought him to power does not appear to share his enthusiasm.
And in a story about what happens when mainstream technology leaves a niche behind, the collapse of optical drive supply chains is forcing audiophile brands like PS Audio and Naim to halt production of high-end CD players entirely. Component costs have roughly doubled, and the ecosystem that once supported physical media playback in premium audio gear has simply dried up.
Those are the stories shaping the conversation today. Keep surfing. Tech Beat out.
