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Simply the latest news, updated on the hour.

Wed, Aug 12, 2026, 12:20 AM EDT

Tech

AI Summary

  • Major AI players like OpenAI and Google are experiencing significant user growth with their respective models, with ChatGPT and Gemini apps both surpassing one billion users, while OpenAI also launched a Linux desktop app and is seeing executive departures.
  • Venture capital continues to flow into the AI and deep tech sectors, evidenced by Accel's oversubscribed $550M India fund and General Catalyst's $1.1B investment in River AI, alongside Scaleup Europe's backing of ICEYE.
  • The tech industry is grappling with ethical and security challenges, including FBI warnings about cybercriminals stealing intimate pictures, North Korean IT staff working for US agencies, and concerns about AI models potentially increasing emissions.
  • Robotics and advanced tech are seeing strategic shifts, with Uber selling its stake in Serve robotics and Joby Aviation expanding its defense business through acquisition, while Rivian's CEO is betting on a multi-faceted approach to EVs, robots, and autonomy.
  • Innovations in AI development and application are advancing rapidly, from Anthropic's potential breakthrough in a major math problem to new tools like Mojo 1.0, WorldClaw Agentic 3D, and Nvidia's Nemotron, alongside discussions on the 'AI slop' backlash and the role of human oversight.

TechCrunch


Hacker News


The Verge

  • Saber denies replacing Rideshare Stimulator’s writers with ChatGPT 5 hours ago by Jay Peters
    AI, Entertainment, Gaming, News

    After a former lead writer claimed Saber "replaced me with ChatGPT," CEO Matthew Karch now claims, "Neither Saber nor Unigine have replaced any writers with AI," for the Rideshare "Stimulator" game announced last month, developed by Unigine. The writer, Stella Sacco, says differently, however, posting on Bluesky that "I was lead writer on this one! And Saber replaced me with ChatGPT midway through development. All the passenger voices were AI too. Either they changed direction at some point or they're not disclosing it on Steam." Saber describes Rideshare "Stimulator" as an "immersive driving simulation game that puts you behind the

  • Xbox Elite 3 prototype pad leaks with tiny built-in screen 7 hours ago by Sean Hollister
    Entertainment, Gaming, Microsoft, Tech, Xbox

    Did a prototype Microsoft gamepad fall off the back of a truck? We can't say, but a Redditor has legit-looking photos of a prototype Xbox controller that's almost certainly the Xbox Elite Series 3. Incredibly, they claim they bought the pad for $200 on OfferUp. In May, a Brazilian regulator's leaked images revealed that Xbox Elite 3 would have new two new scroll wheels on the bottom edge, a second wireless mode to connect directly to Xbox Cloud Gaming servers, and a new "Pair Button" that can also switch between those servers and your console. Where might that pair button

  • An FCC filing points to new Sonos headphones coming soon 8 hours ago by John.Higgins
    Gadgets, Headphones, News, Sonos, Speakers, Tech

    It looks like we'll be getting a successor to the Sonos Ace headphones sometime this fall, which was hinted at by CEO Tom Conrad during a third quarter earnings call . As reported by What Hi-Fi? , an FCC filing by Sonos, Inc reveals details about upcoming wireless headphones with the model number S52A. In addition to the S52A designation, one of the submitted documents shows an oval diagram - likely the ear cup - marked with the name Sonos Ace Ultra, although that name isn't listed anywhere else. It follows the naming scheme Sonos has used in the past

  • ChatGPT and Gemini both just passed 1 billion users 9 hours ago
    AI, Google, OpenAI, Tech

    That’s a lot of people chatting with their AI friends all day. | Image: Google For the 14th time, a Google product has hit 1 billion users. Google CEO Sundar Pichai posted on X that a billion people are using Gemini every month, and that Gemini is Google's fastest-growing product ever. A billion users is a huge milestone, but Google isn't the first AI app to hit it. OpenAI's ChatGPT hit the mark a few weeks ago, though the company buried the announcement that "more than 1 billion people are putting ChatGPT to work" in an otherwise anodyne blog post

  • Threads has a VR app now 10 hours ago by Jay Peters
    Meta, News, Tech, Threads

    Meta has launched a Threads app for Meta Quest VR headsets, the company announced on Tuesday . The launch follows Meta bringing the app to its Ray-Ban Display AR glasses last month and the recent news that the platform has crossed 500 million monthly active users . It seems like a pretty full-featured app. Meta says that with the Threads VR app, you can do things like browse feeds, make posts, like and reply to posts, visit profiles, search, and watch videos - you know, Threads stuff. "We designed the new Threads app for Meta Quest to make using VR


Wired

  • Is It Safe to Eat Lettuce Yet? 9 hours ago by Emily Mullin
    Science, Food, Safety

    “That product is off the market, so I think there’s absolutely lower risk for cyclospora in terms of eating lettuce,” one professor of food safety tells WIRED.

  • How and When to View the Perseid Meteor Shower (August 2026) 10 hours ago by Jorge Garay
    Science, Science / Space, Hello,, Meteor

    The Perseids will peak between August 12 and 13. Here’s what time—and where—you can get the best view, and why 2026 will be an exceptional year.

  • Razer Naga V3 Pro Review: Buttons Galore 14 hours ago by Henri Robbins
    Gear, Gear / Products, Gear / Products / Home Office, Gear / Products / Gaming, Product, Review

    The PC gaming world has tried to move on from bulky, heavier mice, but the Naga V3 Pro proves that it still has its place.

  • AI Could Help Fossil Fuel Companies Create More Emissions 15 hours ago by Molly Taft
    Science, Science / Environment, Force, Multiplier

    New research finds that by making the fossil fuel industry more productive, AI could help increase carbon emissions by up to nearly 5 percent—vastly outpacing the impact of data centers.

  • A Zoom Screen-Sharing Bug Let Anyone Take Over Other Devices on a Call 17 hours ago by Lily Hay Newman
    Security, Security / Cyberattacks and Hacks, Security / Security News, Sneak, Attack

    Researchers say it took fewer than 20 prompts for a public AI tool to find a flaw (now fixed) allowing anyone on a Zoom call to hijack another participants’ device.


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