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The AI infrastructure boom is running into a new kind of resistance, and Wall Street is paying attention. Banks financing data center construction are now formally weighing local community opposition as a credit risk, treating public backlash the same way they'd treat permitting delays or rising costs. That's a meaningful shift in how money flows toward AI's physical backbone.
Closer to home, if you're shopping for a smartphone on a tight budget, two thousand twenty six is actually a more interesting moment than you'd expect. Engadget took a hard look at what a hundred dollars gets you today, and the answer involves some creativity — refurbished flagships, regional brands, and knowing exactly which compromises matter least to how you actually use a phone.
And on the security front, Pioneer's Rekordbox software, the platform that powers DJ setups in clubs worldwide, has disclosed a vulnerability in its Pro DJ Link network protocol. AlphaTheta, Pioneer's parent company, has published an advisory urging users to update immediately. When the software running a venue's sound system has an open door, that's worth taking seriously.
Stay curious, stay skeptical. Tech Beat out.
