Tech
AI Summary
- AI continues its relentless march, with startups like Baseten reportedly seeking massive funding rounds and companies like Snap spinning off AI teams, while OpenAI beefs up its ranks ahead of a potential IPO.
- The automotive sector is facing scrutiny, with Rivian owners suing over alleged false promises regarding self-driving features and Waymo recalling thousands of robotaxis due to safety concerns.
- Tech giants are navigating new regulatory landscapes and market shifts, from Apple opening its App Store to competition in Brazil to Amazon aiming to challenge Nvidia directly with its own AI chips.
- The broader societal impact of technology is a growing concern, evidenced by negative sentiment towards AI in dating, government-mandated fast lanes for AI data centers, and the ongoing debate about digital privacy and data breaches.
- While some companies focus on innovation and expanding offerings, like Adobe integrating AI into its creative suite and Spotify launching reserved ticket sales, others face challenges like labor disputes and the high cost of developing advanced technologies.
Sources
TechCrunch
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AI inference startup Baseten reportedly raising $1.5B months after its last mega round
an hour ago
by Dominic-Madori Davis
AI, Fundraising, Startups, AI inferenceStartup Baseten is reportedly close to finalizing a $1.5 billion round at a $13 billion as the “inference gold rush" marches on.
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Snap spins off AI video team into new company, Dotmo, due to costs
2 hours ago
by Lucas Ropek
AI, Snap, Snapchat, DotmoThe Snapchat maker is spinning off yet another internal unit. Dotmo will be comprised of current Snap staff who are leaving the social media company to focus on AI video development.
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OpenAI is bringing on some big guns in the lead-up to its IPO
2 hours ago
by Rebecca Bellan
AI, Government & Policy, dean ball, Noam Shazeer, OpenAIOpenAI is bulking up before its IPO, landing Transformer co-inventor Noam Shazeer from Google DeepMind and former Trump AI policy official Dean Ball in the same week.
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The 11 standout startups from YC’s Demo Day, according to VCs
2 hours ago
by Marina Temkin, Dominic-Madori Davis
Startups, Venture, Y Combinator, Y Combinator Demo DayTechCrunch spoke to investors to find the hottest startups in the Spring 2026 YC batch. Some of them commanded valuations of over $175 million, VCs said.
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Rivian owners file lawsuit alleging false promises on self-driving features
3 hours ago
by Kirsten Korosec
Transportation, Exclusive, RivianPlaintiffs in the class action complaint allege Rivian falsely promised for years it would bring hands-free driving to its first-generation R1 vehicles.
Hacker News
- Noam Shazeer Joins OpenAI a day ago
- I found 10k GitHub repositories distributing Trojan malware 10 hours ago
- Swiss parliament lifts ban on new nuclear power plants 8 hours ago
- Ubiquiti: Enterprise NAS, Built on ZFS 8 hours ago
- Migrating from GNU Stow to Chezmoi 5 hours ago
Engadget
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Google has discontinued the Nest Home Mini and Nest Audio
2 hours ago
by Anna Washenko
NewsOn to the next one.
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Rivian faces a class action lawsuit over self-driving in its early vehicles
2 hours ago
by Anna Washenko
EVs and TransportationRivian is being sued over the self-driving capabilities of its early vehicles, or lack thereof.
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Instagram now lets you add a unique caption to each carousel slide
3 hours ago
by Lawrence Bonk
MetaInstagram carousels can now be up to 20 slides with 20 unique captions.
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How to pay with Google Wallet using your Samsung Galaxy Watch
4 hours ago
by Mariella Moon
Smartphones, Samsung, WearablesYou don't have to have a Pixel Watch to use Google Wallet. Here's how to set it up on your Galaxy Watch.
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Apple opens up third-party app stores in Brazil
4 hours ago
by Anna Washenko
AppleThird-party iOS app stores are coming to Brazil.
The Verge
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Valve is so behind on Steam Controller orders that some won’t ship until 2027
2 hours ago
by Jay Peters
Entertainment, Gaming, News, PC GamingValve has some good news and bad news about Steam Controllers. The good news: if you make a reservation for a Steam Controller, the company will now show you one of three estimates of when you'll be able to actually order your gamepad: by September 2026, by December 2026, or sometime in 2027. The bad news: any reservations made today "indicate a 2027 date for shipping," Valve says . "We have no plans to stop making Steam Controller," according to Valve. "But as we look at the current demand compared to how many we know we can make by the
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You can now use the Game Boy Camera with your phone
2 hours ago
by Andrew Liszewski
Gadgets, Gaming, News, TechYou don’t need a Game Boy Camera or a GB Operator dock to use Epilogue’s new Flashback app. | Image: Epilogue The $50 GB Operator is an accessory that lets you connect, play, and authenticate Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges on PCs and other devices. Now it's getting some new functionality for the Game Boy Camera. After turning the Game Boy Camera into a charmingly awful desktop webcam two years ago, device-maker Epilogue has just released an iOS / Android mobile app so you can take photos while the Game Boy accessory is connected to
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HBO Max’s annual plans are 28 percent off right now
3 hours ago
by Sheena Vasani
Deals, Gadgets, HBO, Streaming, Tech, Verge ShoppingYou can stream Sinners and other recent Oscar winners for less with HBO Max's sale. | Image: Warner Bros. Pictures The easiest way to save on a streaming service is often to pay for a year upfront, which HBO Max is currently making a lot cheaper. Through July 15, 2026, new and returning subscribers can get 28 percent off any of HBO Max’s yearly plans , bringing the ad-supported tier down to $78.99 ($31 off) per year, the Standard plan to $132.99 ($52 off) per year, and the Premium tier to $164.99 per year ($65 off). That’s up to 40
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Snap’s Specs look good on nobody
3 hours ago
by David Pierce
Gadgets, Podcasts, Snapchat, Streaming, Tech, VergecastSnap's new smart glasses are probably the most impressive bit of face-computer technology we've seen. They're not VR-headset huge; they don't have a big charging puck; thanks to Snap's many years of AR lens development, they're likely to have a lot of features right out of the box. (Yes, they're $2,195, but that may just be what all this tech costs right now.) Snap is clearly at the front of this race. And then… you see the pictures. The pictures of Snap CEO Evan Spiegel wearing the new Specs , as the enormous and heavy stems smash down on his
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The best early Amazon Prime Day deals so far
3 hours ago
by Cameron Faulkner
Deals, Gadgets, Prime Day, Verge ShoppingThe products pictured here aren’t on sale, but we certainly hope they will be soon. | Image: Alex Parkin / The Verge Amazon’s earlier-than-usual Prime Day doesn’t begin until June 23rd, but there are several even earlier deals on must-have products that you can check out right now. To name some examples, Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 are selling at their cheapest-ever price at Amazon and Walmart (though, the sale keeps playing peek-a-boo). Also, you can grab Ring’s latest battery-powered doorbell for $60 off and it includes a free Indoor Cam Plus with purchase. There are also enough early Apple deals
Wired
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The White House Is Making Up Its Rules for AI in Real Time
an hour ago
by Maxwell Zeff
Business, Business / Artificial Intelligence, Model, BehaviorAnthropic still can’t distribute Claude Mythos or Fable 5 after running afoul of the Trump administration. But no one can say exactly what the company did wrong.
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44 Best Father’s Day Gifts for Dads (2026)
2 hours ago
by Martin Cizmar
Gear, Gear / Buying Guides, Gift, GuideDads are traditionally tough to shop for—let me help with these handpicked gift ideas for fathers with great taste.
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Meta’s AI Workers Are Revolting, Peter Thiel’s Secret Society, and SBF’s Plea to Trump
3 hours ago
by Brian Barrett, Zoë Schiffer
Business, Business / Tech Culture, Business / Artificial Intelligence, Uncanny, ValleyOn today’s Uncanny Valley, we dive into the dysfunction in Meta’s newly formed AI unit and why it’s been driving already-low employee morale even further into the ground.
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Trump Mocked Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos by Showing Off Fawning Texts
4 hours ago
by Hugo Lowell
Politics, Humiliation, Ritual“You would not believe the texts I got from these tech guys,” NYT reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan quote Donald Trump as telling associates in an upcoming book.
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3 Amazon Workers Say They’re Under Investigation for Speaking Out About Data Centers
6 hours ago
by Paresh Dave
Business, Business / Big Tech, Under, FireThe software engineers filed a complaint with Seattle’s civil rights office accusing Amazon of illegally retaliating against them for expressing their personal political beliefs.