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New York lawmakers have passed a bill that could reshape where and how datacenters get built. The legislation imposes new labor, energy, and environmental requirements, and includes a one-year moratorium on permits for facilities drawing twenty megawatts or more. The bill now sits on Governor Kathy Hochul's desk, and the industry is watching closely.
On a very different front, Hasbro is betting that Optimus Prime and Mister Potato Head can hold a conversation. The toymaker is pushing forward with AI-powered voices for its classic characters, framing it as a licensing opportunity. Whether children find it magical or parents find it unsettling, the deeper question is whether constant availability actually drains the wonder from figures that once felt special precisely because they were silent.
And in the research world, OpenAlex is quietly doing something ambitious — building a fully open, interconnected index of scholarly knowledge. At a time when academic publishing is increasingly locked behind paywalls and corporate platforms, a freely accessible alternative that links papers, authors, and institutions carries real weight for scientists and the public alike.
That is today's read on where technology and human decisions intersect. Keep surfing. Tech Beat out.
