Minimalist News

On the latest episode of Equity, we wonder why the DOJ is investigating startup board seats.

Built by DeepMind alumni, British AI lab Inherent released Faraday, an AI agent whose ability to replicate scientific papers could be a stepping stone for innovation.

OpenAI is calling for California to strengthen SB 53, an AI safety bill that the company previously opposed.

A new study finds leading AI labs have few publicly documented plans for containing rogue models, raising questions about preparedness as AI systems increasingly demonstrate unexpected and potentially dangerous behavior.

U.S. battery startups pulled in $500 million in grants from the Department of Energy, throwing a lifeline to an industry that was on the ropes after EV incentives were slashed.

Google’s Pixel 11 Pro XL brings snappier cameras and genuinely useful AI features like Rambler, but its iterative upgrades may not be enough to tempt recent Pixel owners.

Michael Polansky — better known publicly as Lady Gaga's partner and a former top deputy to Sean Parker — has quietly spent years building an AI-driven startup that keeps living human skin tissue alive for weeks outside the body to discover new skincare compounds, and is only now going public about it.

Japanese space startup Letara is betting its hybrid rocket technology can move beyond small satellite thrusters into a broader market for space, defense and security, after raising ¥2.6 billion ($16 million).

Anthropic forbids its Claude models from generating sexually explicit content. But a series of tests conducted by TechCrunch found that it didn't take much to get past the restriction.

Nvidia continues to pour money into data center development — just as AI data centers bring lots of money into Nvidia.

Rillet CEO Nicolas Kopp shared growth numbers at a board meeting and set off a fundraising frenzy from Iconiq, Sequoia and others. Without even trying.

Apple has admitted that some roles are being impacted as it shifts its focus away from certain initiatives.

Two years after the U.S. Department of Justice alleged that TikTok violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, it has reached a $400 million settlement.

The $225 Pebble Time 2 pairs quirky watch faces and apps with physical buttons, an e-paper display, weeks of battery life, and a playful hacker spirit.

Nvidia research shows that AI agents can perform well, and not go off the deep end, through fine-tuning, even if the AI model isn't that great at the task.

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The OmniBook 3 isn’t a sweet treat, but it gets things done on the cheap. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge Laptop prices are out of whack. $500 used to get you a tolerable laptop, and $900 got you a really good one. They often had similar CPU, RAM, and storage options because that stuff was comparatively cheap; the difference was often in build quality and screen rather than power. But RAMageddon has thrown everything off. Even laptops like the $950 Surface Laptop now start with 8GB of RAM, which isn't enough. And on the lower end,

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 141, your guide to the best and Verge -iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, I'm newish here too, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage .) This week, I've been getting back into the Installer groove, trying out some ergonomic Switch 2 grips I bought on Etsy , researching bike stuff because I'm about to get a Velotric e-bike, inching my way through the fourth book in The Dark Tower series, trying to figure out what feels off about Sonic in the new Fortnite

The HoverAir Versa. | Image: HoverAir I am so sorry, fellow US gadget fans: the FCC's drone ban appears to have struck again. The HoverAir Versa - a baby steadycam with snap-on propeller wings that transform it into a drone - has already stopped taking US orders just three days after its Indiegogo debut , and may be forced to abandon shipping plans in the US. HoverAir is now telling backers it's only shipping its camera to the US, not the piece that turns it into a drone, "due to a few remaining logistics updates with the Flight Kit." But

The US Department of Justice announced on Friday that TikTok will pay $400 million to settle a lawsuit filed in 2024 over allegedly violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). In the lawsuit, the DOJ alleged that TikTok collected data from children without notifying parents or obtaining consent and did not delete the accounts when parents requested. TikTok is set to pay $300 million right away and will pay a further $100 million "upon entry of an order vacating a prior consent decree entered against TikTok's predecessor, Musical.ly," the DOJ says in a press release . The settlement is

LinkedIn actually announced a "Seems like AI slop" button on July 30th, and the company says that a lot of people have already used it. According to a Thursday post from chief product officer Hari Srinivasan , "over a million people" have clicked on the button, which is accessible from the three dots menu on a post. LinkedIn announced the button a few weeks after AI detector Pangram determined that 41 percent of LinkedIn's longform posts were flagged as fully AI generated, which 404 Media reported on . Alongside the AI slop button, LinkedIn introduced "new and improved" classifiers to

Luxury water can contain different minerals and taste noticeably different. But a remote source, alkaline pH, and high price do not necessarily mean better hydration.

For uninterrupted service as you country-hop, the Saily Ultra eSIM works well and comes with plentiful perks. It’s pricey though.

Your desk setup needs a monitor arm, and I’ve been testing every one I can get my hands on to find the best.

It is possible to achieve your desired work-life balance on your smartphone. Just set up separate accounts using this built-in Android feature.

These toppers will transform your mattress into exactly what you need, whether that’s a super-plush pillow top, memory foam, or targeted back support.

Plus: Apple sends out an “unprecedented” number of spyware warnings, Ukraine hits a Russian ecommerce giant with cyber and drone attacks, and more.

The LINK probe was supposed to use robotic arms to capture Swift and lift it into a safe orbit. Problems with its control system forced NASA to call off the attempt.

Cheap energy, abundant land, and proximity to Beijing have turned a city in Inner Mongolia into a crucial hub for data centers.

A Chinese agency says the two recalls affecting some 3 million vehicles can mostly be fixed by over-the-air updates—but they will also require physical warning stickers and camera-related updates.

Meta is in court again over child safety, and this time it’s a landmark case that could force significant changes to core features of Facebook and Instagram.

Pack up your pool cleaning supplies. Let one of these robot buddies maintain your water quality instead

The Nyrius Phoenix Home True 4K60 can wirelessly transmit games, TV shows, movies, and more across your home (even through walls).

Lindsay Clancy’s defense argues she killed her three kids because of postpartum psychosis. But armchair detectives, including many fed-up mothers, are laying blame with her ex-husband.

After two years of testing, these are the electric toothbrushes that impressed WIRED staffers the most.

As the appetite for “authenticity” grows online, content creators are buying up empty boxes for luxury goods—and resellers are cashing in for “crazy prices.”

“People have talked about the Colorado River crisis for decades—we’re now in it,” says one expert. “Everyone you talk to is like, ‘Shit, man.’”

From the best Dyson vacuum to the best wireless headphones and earbuds we’ve tested, you can get some great gadgets on sale already ahead of Labor Day.

The UK government is facing calls to cancel a sprawling health care contract with Palantir. The region of Greater Manchester insists it can do a better job itself.

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Incremental improvements fail to generate much excitement, but Google’s Pixel 11 is still an accomplished Android phone.

S301 passes close to Sagittarius A*—so close that its orbit could reveal how the black hole’s rotation warps the spacetime around it.

This week on “Uncanny Valley,” Andy Greenberg discusses sitting in on a war game simulating a cyberattack from the Chinese hacking group Volt Typhoon

Technology leaders don’t seem to understand society’s gripes about AI, but boy, are they posting through it.

The Poolease X1 can collect leaves from the pool floor, but dirt, silt, walls, and steps are all beyond its pay grade.

The app now allows men to make the first move, suggesting its women-first positioning was limiting growth. It joins other dating apps now throwing everything at the wall in a bid to stay relevant.

I put top-rated USB car chargers to the test for fast charging, value, heat, and safety. These are the best I found.

Tina Peters was convicted of seven counts related to election interference in 2024. Now, she’s fielding an offer from a county that’s become a hotbed of voting-related conspiracy theories.

The West Coast house-party scene has long been iconic. For these young, tech-savvy entrepreneurs, it was also inspiration for MyPlots, a party-promotion empire.

From granola to guacamole, a wide variety of foods have been recalled lately over salmonella risks. Experts say common-sense precautions go a long way.

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