AI Taxes, Screenless Wearables, and Google's Chromebook Successor

News and Updates:

• AI Compute Tax Debate: Economists and policymakers are debating taxing AI processing power to offset job displacement and fund social services, though critics argue it's too blunt a tool.
• AI Dividend Proposal: NY congressional candidate Alex Bores unveiled an "AI Dividend" plan funding direct payments to Americans through a token tax on AI consumption and equity stakes in frontier AI firms.
• Screenless Fitness Trackers Surge: Screenless wearables like Oura Ring and Whoop are booming, with U.S. fitness tracker purchases up 88% and smart ring sales up 195% between 2024 and 2025.
• Canvas Hacker Payout: Instructure, maker of the Canvas education platform, reached an undisclosed "agreement" with the ShinyHunters hacking gang after a breach exposed data from 275 million users across 9,000 institutions.
• FCC Router Ban vs. Supply Chain: AT&T warned the FCC that a global DRAM and NAND flash shortage, driven by AI deployments, is complicating compliance with its ban on foreign-made Wi-Fi routers.
• Google Unveils Googlebook: Google announced a new laptop line called Googlebooks running a fused Android/ChromeOS platform, featuring Gemini AI integration and a "Magic Pointer," with hardware partners including Acer, Dell, HP, and Lenovo.