It’s a Bold Move…

GameStop has made a surprising $56 billion offer to acquire eBay, an e-commerce giant with a market cap four times its size. eBay stated the offer was unsolicited, having received no prior communication. The proposal is reportedly funded 50/50 by cash and GameStop stock, though details on the stock component are vague. CEO Ryan Cohen aims to pivot GameStop into e-commerce, using retail locations for fulfillment. This move also aligns with Cohen's personal incentive structure, which grants him $35 billion in stock if GameStop's market value reaches $100 billion. Separately, the FCC has unanimously advanced a proposal to ban Chinese testing labs from certifying US-bound electronics, citing national security. This follows previous bans on Chinese-made consumer routers and drones. The new rule will significantly impact consumer electronics, as 75% of US devices are currently tested in Chinese labs, forcing manufacturers to seek certification elsewhere. Existing devices can be sold for two years post-certification, but older devices requiring retesting may be pulled from the market. Toyota's "Woven City," a surveillance-heavy corporate utopia at the base of Mount Fuji, has introduced a new AI vision engine. This AI ingests data from cameras, vehicles, and user inputs to predict resident behavior. The city, currently housing about 100 Toyota employees and their families, is designed for 2,000. Additionally, Chairman Akio Toyota has been "uploaded" as an AI chatbot, trained on his speeches, to continue dispensing leadership. Microsoft's April Windows 11 update is causing issues, now intentionally breaking third-party backup apps like Macrium and Acronis by blacklisting their kernel drivers due to a security flaw. Users are advised not to uninstall the patch, forcing a choice between backups and PC security. Maryland has become the first state to ban AI-driven surveillance pricing in grocery stores, though critics like Cory Doctorow argue the bill is full of loopholes that gut consumer protections. A Chinese court ruled against firing workers because AI is cheaper, stating AI adoption is a business choice, not an unforeseen disaster. BlackBerry stock surged after a Wall Street Journal profile highlighted its QNX software division, which powers lane keep, adaptive cruise, and crash detection in 275 million cars and is expanding into Nvidia robotics and German submarines. Finally, Sonic Fire Tech is developing a fire suppression system using inaudible infrasound waves, demonstrated by extinguishing a kitchen grease fire with sound alone. A backpack version for wildland firefighters is also being tested.