Maine has lost a beloved legend. Virginia Oliver, known as the Lobster Lady, has died at age 105. She spent more than nine decades working on the sea at a job she loved.
Satya Nadella insists people are using Microsoft’s Copilot AI a lot
Microsoft delivered a solid earnings report on Wednesday with $81.3 billion in revenue for the quarter (up 17%), net income profits of $38.3 billion (up 21%) and a record breaking Microsoft cloud revenue of over $50 billion.
But the stock was getting pounded on Thursday as investors worried about how much the tech giant was spending to build out its cloud and questioned whether that investment would pay off. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says, yes — and spent considerable time on the earnings call trying to make that point
Microsoft has spent almost as much on capital expenditures in the first half of its current fiscal year as it did in all of the previous year. And the numbers truly are enormous: Microsoft spent $88.2 billion on capital expenditures last year, and has spent $72.4 billion so far this year.
Much of that spend is to serve AI to enterprises and major AI labs, especially OpenAI as well as Anthropic. The big question on investors’ minds is: will the spending turn into more use, and ultimately profits?
Investors are scared that Microsoft’s main enterprise cloud products, Azure, and its Microsoft 365 apps, didn’t grow as fast as they wanted.
“The fact that BOTH Azure and the M365 segments fell a bit short is the key negative we’re hearing,” Wall Street analyst for UBS, Karl Keirstead, wrote in his research note on Thursday. (Keirstead isn’t worried about it though, and recommends buying the stock.)
Still, a few months ago, news reports circulated that people didn’t really wants to use Microsoft’s AI, despite Copilot being weaved into all kinds of Microsoft products, everywhere.
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Nadella spent much of his time during the earnings call engaged in what is best described as AI use PR. Despite his pitch, some of the numbers he gave were pretty squishy.
For instance, Nadella said daily users of its consumer Copilot AI products had grown “nearly 3x year over year.” This refers to AI chats, the news feed, search, browsing, shopping and “integrations into the operating system.”
As to how many actual users that represents, he didn’t say. (We’ve reached out to Microsoft and asked.)
Last year, in its annual report the company said it surpassed 100 million monthly active Copilot users, but that counted both commercial users and consumers.
He was more upfront with Microsoft’s coding AI, GitHub Copilot, saying it now has 4.7 million paid subscribers, up 75% year over year. That appears to be a healthy business. Last year, in its annual report, Microsoft said that GitHub Copilot had 20 million users, a figure that includes those opting for the free tier.
He further said Microsoft 365 Copilot now has 15 million paid seats from companies buying it for their employees. This is out of a base of 450 million paid seats, the company said.
And Nadella called out the growth of Dragon Copilot Microsoft’s healthcare AI agent for medical professionals (a competitor to super hot startup Harvey). He said this product is available to 100,000 medical providers and was used to document 21 million patient encounters over the quarter, up three-fold year over year.
Will the billions of data center spending be worth it? Obviously, Nadella thinks so. He and CFO Amy Hood said on the earnings call that demand for AI services across products far outstrips data center supply, so all of the new equipment is essentially booked to capacity for its lifespan.
Patriots vs. Seahawks channel, start time, where to stream and more
Drake Maye and the New England Patriots face Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks at Super Bowl LX, which will be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA this year. For those of you who don’t have your calendars blocked off already, the game is on February 8, with kickoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET.
Like all other Sunday Night Football games this season, the championship game will be broadcast on NBC, and will stream live on Peacock. (Oh, and in case the Super Bowl isn’t enough for you, you can catch coverage of the Winter Olympics all morning and after the football game on NBC, too!) Here’s everything you need to know to tune in to Super Bowl LX on February 8, including the game channel, where to stream, and who’s performing at halftime.
How to watch Super Bowl LX
Date: Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
TV channel: NBC, Telemundo
Streaming: Peacock, DirecTV, NFL+ and more
2026 Super Bowl game time
The 2026 Super Bowl is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT on Feb. 8, 2026.
2026 Super Bowl game channel
The 2026 Super Bowl will air on NBC, with a Spanish-language broadcast available on Telemundo.
2026 Super Bowl teams:
The New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks will play in the 2026 Super Bowl.
Where is the 2026 Super Bowl being played?
The 2026 Super Bowl will be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, home of the San Francisco 49ers.
What teams are playing in the 2026 Super Bowl?
The teams for the 2026 Super Bowl will be determined after the AFC and NFC Championship games are played on Sunday, Jan. 25. You can keep tabs on the post-season playoff bracket here.
How to watch the 2026 Super Bowl without cable
You can stream NBC and Telemundo on platforms like DirecTV and Hulu + Live TV, both of which are among Engadget’s choices for best streaming services for live TV. (Note that Fubo and NBC are currently in the midst of a contract dispute and NBC channels are not available on the platform.) The game will also be streaming on Peacock and on NFL+, though with an NFL+ subscription, you’re limited to watching the game on mobile devices.
For $11/month, an ad-supported Peacock subscription lets you stream live sports and events airing on NBC, including the 2026 Super Bowl, Winter Olympics coverage, and more. Plus, you’ll get access to thousands of hours of shows and movies, including beloved sitcoms such as Parks and Recreation and The Office, every Bravo show and much more.
For $17 monthly you can upgrade to an ad-free subscription which includes live access to your local NBC affiliate (not just during designated sports and events) and the ability to download select titles to watch offline.
In addition to hosting NBC’s Super Bowl broadcast, DirecTV’s Entertainment tier gets you access to loads of channels where you can tune in to college and pro sports throughout the year, including ESPN, TNT, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, and, depending on where you live, local affiliates for ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC.
Whichever package you choose, you’ll get unlimited Cloud DVR storage and access to ESPN Unlimited.
DirecTV’s Entertainment tier package is $89.99/month. But you can currently try all this out for free for 5 days. If you’re interested in trying out a live-TV streaming service for football, but aren’t ready to commit, we recommend starting with DirecTV.
Who is performing at the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show?
Bad Bunny, who holds the title as the most-streamed artist in the world, will be headlining the 2026 Super Bowl halftime performance. You can expect that show to begin after the second quarter, likely between 8-8:30 p.m. ET. Singer Charlie Puth will also be at the game to perform the National Anthem, Brandi Carlile is scheduled to sing “America The Beautiful,” and Coco Jones will perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Where to buy tickets to the 2026 Super Bowl:
Tickets to the 2026 Super Bowl are available on third-party resale platforms like StubHub and Gametime.
More ways to watch Super Bowl LX
Google settles Android data usage, Assistant privacy lawsuits
Over the past week, Google has settled two class action lawsuits over Android privacy, one regarding data usage and the other around Assistant, despite the company denying any wrongdoing.
Reuters reports that Google has agreed to pay $135 million to settle a class action lawsuit where Google was accused “of programming its Android operating system to collect [user’s] cellular data without permission.”
The lawsuit covered Android devices dating back to November 2017 and alleged that Google “needlessly collected cellular data” (in other words, used mobile data) even if users had closed Google apps, locked the phone, and disabled location sharing.
As a part of the settlement, Google cannot transfer data without consent from the user during device setup, and Android will need to add a setting to more easily toggle off this data transfer.
Earlier this week, Google settled a different lawsuit around Android, this time around Assistant privacy. This lawsuit alleged that Google “spied inappropriately” on users whenever Assistant would mis-hear the “Hey Google” wake phrase on devices dating back to May 2016.
Both in this case and the other, Google denied any wrongdoing, but settled the Assistant case for $68 million. Apple faced a similar lawsuit in 2024, Reuters points out, where it paid out $95 million.
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Fox News poll: Majority believe country’s economy is in ‘bad shape’
A Fox News poll is signaling widespread economic frustrations a year into President Donald Trump’s second term.
Trump is entering the 2026 midterm election year with a 44% approval rating as a majority of voters express continued frustration with the national economy.
A Fox News poll conducted Jan. 23-26 found that while the president’s standing has remained steady since late 2025, 70% of voters rate the economy as being in bad shape — a figure that has remained unchanged over the past year.
The survey reveals that only 24% of Americans believe they are financially better off than they were a year ago, while 39% say they are worse off.
The dissatisfaction is tied closely to the administration’s fiscal record, with 40% approval on the economy against 59 percent disapproval.
“The president faces two difficult obstacles — the virtually unanimous and intractable opposition of Democrats and the stubbornness of high prices,” said Daron Shaw, the Republican pollster who helps conduct Fox News polls. “Republican officeholders think the economic benefits of the One Big Beautiful Bill will kick in later this year, which will be critical for GOP prospects in the midterm elections.”
Trump’s approval rating on specific issues shows a divided electorate.
He maintains a 52% approval for border security, but his ratings are underwater on inflation at 35%, health care at 38%, and tariffs at 37%.
Assessments of his foreign policy stand at 39% approval, with specific ratings of 42% on Venezuela and 31% on Greenland.
While his overall 44% approval is 2 points higher than former President Barack Obama’s was at the same point in his second term, Trump faces near-record disapproval among key voting blocs.
Approximately 78% of independents and 70% of moderates disapprove of his performance.
The survey also notes a shift in expectations for the coming year.
In January 2025, voters believed the economy would improve by a 2-point margin. Today, 45% of adults believe the economy will worsen in 2026, while 32% expect it to get better.
This pessimism is partly driven by a decline in Republican optimism, which has fallen from 63% to 58% over the last year.
The Fox News poll included 1,000 registered voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Deezer makes it easier for rival platforms to take a stance against AI-generated music
Last year, Deezer introduced an AI detection tool that automatically tags fully AI-generated music for listeners and removes it from algorithmic and editorial recommendations.
The company announced on Thursday that it’s now making the tool available to other streaming platforms in an effort to help address the rise of AI and fraudulent streams, as well as promote transparency within the music industry and make sure human artists still get the recognition they deserve.
Alongside the move, Deezer reported that 85% of streams from fully AI-generated tracks are deemed fraudulent. Notably, the service now receives 60,000 AI tracks per day, totaling 13.4 million AI-detected songs. By contrast, in June of last year, fully AI-generated music made up 18% of daily uploads, surpassing 20,000 tracks.
Deezer claims its AI music detection tool can identify every AI-generated track from major generative models like Suno and Udio. In addition to excluding AI-generated tracks from recommendations, Deezer’s tool demonetizes them and excludes them from the royalty pool, as the company aims to fairly compensate musicians and songwriters.
The tool’s accuracy is 99.8%, a company spokesperson told TechCrunch.
Deezer CEO Alexis Lanternier says there has been “great interest” in the tool, and several companies have “already performed successful tests.” One such company is Sacem, the French management company that represents over 300,000 music creators and publishers, including David Guetta and DJ Snake.
The company didn’t provide pricing information or disclose which additional companies are interested in adopting the tool. A spokesperson told us that the cost varies based on the type of deal.
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There is increasing concern about AI companies using copyrighted material to train their models, as well as about methods being used to manipulate streaming systems and commit fraud.
One instance of music streaming fraud occurred in 2024, when a North Carolina musician was charged by the Department of Justice (DOJ) with creating AI-generated songs and using bots to stream them billions of times, resulting in more than $10 million in stolen streaming royalties. Additionally, AI bands like The Velvet Sundown have gained millions of streams.
Bandcamp recently got fed up and banned AI-generated music altogether, while Spotify has updated its policy to address the rise of AI tracks, clarifying when AI is used in music production, reducing spam, and explicitly stating that unauthorized voice clones are prohibited on the platform.
By contrast, major record labels have resolved lawsuits with Suno and Udio, appearing to embrace AI-generated music. Last fall, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group struck deals with these AI startups to license their music catalogs, ensuring artists and songwriters are compensated when their work is used to train AI models.
In recent years, Deezer has taken significant steps to address concerns about AI-generated music. In 2024, it became the first music streaming platform to sign the global statement on AI training, joining actors Kate McKinnon, Kevin Bacon, Kit Harington, Rosie O’Donnell, and other notable creatives.
Hopefully, Deezer’s latest decision to sell its detection tool will set a precedent for other music streaming platforms to take similar actions to defend human artists and fight fraud.
Tesla is killing off its Model S and X cars to make robots
Tesla will “basically stop the production” of its Model S and X electric vehicles next quarter, CEO Elon Musk has announced at the automaker’s earnings call for the 2025 fiscal year. “It’s time to bring the Model S and X program to a end with an honorable discharge, because we’re really moving into a future that’s based on autonomy,” Musk said. You can still buy the vehicles as long as there are units to be sold, and Tesla promises to support them for as long as people have them. Once they’re gone, though, they’re gone for good, because Tesla is converting their production space in the company’s Fremont factory into a space for the manufacturing of Optimus humanoid robots.
Model S is Tesla’s second vehicle and has been in production since 2012, while the Model X SUV has been in production since 2015. Their shine has faded over the years, however, and the newer Model 3 and Y now make up the bulk of the company’s sales. For the entirety of 2025, for instance, Tesla delivered 1,585,279 Model 3 and Y vehicles but only sold 418,227 Model S and X units. The company also had to stop selling Model S and X in China in mid-2025, because they were being imported from the US and were subject to China’s tariffs that were put in place in response to US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on imported goods.
In the call, Musk said that Tesla’s long-term goal is to be able to manufacture 1 million Optimus robots in the current Model S and X production space. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland a few days ago, the CEO announced that Tesla will start selling Optimus to the public by the end of next year. Musk has big plans for Optimus and once said that it’s bound to become the “biggest product of all time,” bigger than cellphones, “bigger than anything.” But the humanoid robot has been failing to live up to the hype during demonstrations, and Musk is known for his overly optimistic timelines.
The company’s earnings report has also revealed that Tesla invested $2 billion in Musk’s other company, xAI. Tesla’s shareholders notably sued Musk in 2024 for starting xAI, which they argued is a direct competition to the automaker. The CEO has been claiming for years, after all, that Tesla is an AI company and not just an EV-maker. Still, Tesla’s shareholders approved Musk’s $1 trillion pay package in late 2025 on the condition that the company reaches a market value of $8.5 trillion.
Google Fiber upgrading 1 Gig service to new 3 Gig default
Google Fiber (which is increasingly going by “GFiber” these days) is upgrading its service to start at 3 Gig as part of its multi-gig future, beginning in Des Moines.
The “Core 1 Gig” plan is now called “Core 3 Gig” (symmetrical), while keeping the same $70 per month price introduced in 2012. This comes with a GFiber Wi-Fi 6E Router.
Meanwhile, “Home 3 Gig” is now “Home 5 Gig” at the same $100/month.
“Edge 8 Gig” is unchanged at $150/month. This Core, Home, and Edge branding was introduced in 2024.
Home 5 Gig and Edge 8 Gig come with a new GFiber Multi-Gig Wi-Fi 7 Router. It offers the “smartest traffic handling, best security, and multi-gig speeds even over wireless throughout your home.” The higher tiers also offer up to 2 hours of Internet Battery Backup, and an “Uptime Guarantee.”
Des Moines is Google Fiber’s first “multi-gig internet” market. Existing customers “woke up this morning to up to 3x higher speeds for the same price they’ve been paying, without having to do anything.” It was “just a click of the button” for the Alphabet-owned ISP:
We’re building our networks in all our cities to be truly future-proof, which allows us to increase speeds for years to come via simple software updates rather than additional construction which can take a long time and be disruptive to residents.
This upgrade is coming to more cities. In the future, GFiber is working towards offering 25 Gig PON technology.
GFiber is available in the following cities:
- Alabama: Huntsville
- Arizona: Chandler, Mesa, Queen Creek, Tempe*
- California: Oakland*, Orange County, San Diego*, San Francisco*
- Colorado: Adams County*, Denver*, Golden*, Lakewood, Westminster*, Wheat Ridge*, Douglas County*, Broomfield County*
- Florida: Miami*
- Georgia: Atlanta
- Idaho: Pocatello
- Illinois: Chicago*
- Iowa: Council Bluffs, Des Moines, Norwalk*, West Des Moines
- Kansas: Kansas City, Lawrence*
- Missouri: Jefferson City, Kansas City
- Nebraska: Bellevue, Omaha
- Nevada: Metro Las Vegas*
- North Carolina: Charlotte, The Triangle, Wilmington*
- South Carolina: Fort Mill, Tega Cay
- Tennessee: Murfreesboro, Nashville, Smyrna, Franklin
- Texas: Austin, San Antonio
- Utah: Logan, Provo, Salt Lake Valley
- Washington: Seattle*
*Coming soon or GFiber Webpass
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Powerball: See the winning numbers in Wednesday’s $43 million drawing
It’s time to grab your tickets and check to see if you’re a big winner! The Powerball lottery jackpot continues to rise after one lucky winner in North Carolina won $209 million in the January 21 drawing. Is this your lucky night?
Here are Wednesday’s winning lottery numbers:
21-35-40-46-68, Powerball: 11, Power Play: 10X
Double Play Winning Numbers
3-27-34-42-47, Powerball: 3
The estimated Powerball jackpot is $43 million. The lump sum payment before taxes would be about $19.4 million.
The Double Play is a feature that gives players in select locations another chance to match their Powerball numbers in a separate drawing. The Double Play drawing is held following the regular drawing and has a top cash prize of $10 million.
Powerball is held in 45 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The Double Play add-on feature is available for purchase in 13 lottery jurisdictions, including Pennsylvania and Michigan.
A $2 ticket gives you a one in 292.2 million chance at joining the hall of Powerball jackpot champions.
The drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. Eastern, Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The deadline to purchase tickets is 9:45 p.m.
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Beloved Crimson Tide practice referee Eddie Conyers dies at 97 : NPR
Eddie Conyers, a 97-year-old football practice referee at the University of Alabama, has died. He spent six decades working with some of the most notable coaches to get teams ready for game day.
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
A beloved behind-the-scenes figure from the University of Alabama’s athletic program has died. Eddie Conyers spent more than 60 years as a referee at Crimson Tide football practices, working under such legendary coaches as Bear Bryant and Nick Saban. He was 97 years old. NPR’s Debbie Elliott has this remembrance.
DEBBIE ELLIOTT, BYLINE: Even up until last season, you’d find Eddie Conyers roaming the sidelines of ‘Bama football practice in his black-and-white striped official’s jersey.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
EDDIE CONYERS: Hey, where’s my flag?
ELLIOTT: He’d thrown that flag on some of football’s biggest names. Think Joe Namath, Kenny Stabler, Jalen Hurts and Derrick Henry. The practice ref is a role he helped pioneer after being recruited by coach Paul “Bear” Bryant more than six decades ago. Here’s what he told NPR last fall.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR CONTENT)
CONYERS: And I remember I asked Coach Bryant, what do you want me to do? I didn’t have a clue. Coach Bryant talked low and he mumbled. He said something like, (imitating Coach Bryant mumbling). I didn’t have a clue what he’s saying (laughter). And I just said, OK.
ELLIOTT: Quick with a joke or a story that might be half-true, Conyers brought levity into the grueling full-contact practice sessions.
(SOUNDBITE OF WHISTLES BLOWING)
ELLIOTT: At one practice last year, he was greeted like a celebrity by Mark Ingram, Alabama’s first Heisman winner and former NFL running back, who’s now a TV sports analyst.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
MARK INGRAM: You know, you know what you mean to us? You know what you mean to us down here? You the legend.
CONYERS: Oh, my God (ph).
INGRAM: You the GOAT, man.
ELLIOTT: At the time, Ingram told NPR that Conyers made an impression on players like him.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR CONTENT)
INGRAM: Happy, always joyful. Made all of us happy to see him.
JEFF ALLEN: There was never a time that you saw Eddie that you didn’t smile.
ELLIOTT: That’s Jeff Allen, the head athletic trainer and director of sports medicine at Alabama, reacting to Conyers’ death.
ALLEN: I can’t think of a day in the 19 years that I was around him that he was having a bad day. I mean, he was a remarkable human being.
ELLIOTT: Allen says Conyers was a link to the storied history of Alabama’s football program.
ALLEN: You know, there’s a saying that they use here at the University of Alabama – it’s a place where legends are made. And Eddie walked among a lot of legends. But not only did he walk among them, he was one of them. And that’s what is going to be dearly missed.
ELLIOTT: Conyers was there for 12 of Alabama’s college national football championships, and he loved every minute of it.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
CONYERS: Unbelievable (laughter). Unimaginable. It’s very nostalgic, of course.
ELLIOTT: Eddie Conyers died Tuesday in Tuscaloosa. Debbie Elliott, NPR News.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
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