Tech
AI Summary
- Google continues to aggressively integrate AI across its product suite, rebranding NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook and enhancing Google AI Mode with new app integrations like Canva and YouTube Music.
- The gaming industry sees AI innovation, with Roblox launching an AI-powered game-creation feature on mobile and Fortnite introducing AI 'personas,' while MLB bans AI for in-game strategy calls.
- Autonomous driving technology faces scrutiny, with San Francisco considering stricter rules after a Waymo incident and NTSB confirming Tesla's driver overrode its Full Self-Driving system in a fatal crash.
- The cybersecurity landscape is dynamic, evidenced by Coca-Cola's production halt due to a ransomware attack and UK police disrupting a hacking group's operations.
- Major tech companies are navigating evolving markets and regulations, including OnePlus halting US/Europe operations, X cracking down on content theft, and Anthropic advocating for faster AI regulation.
Sources
TechCrunch
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San Francisco mayor pushes for tougher rules after the Waymo traffic fiasco
2 hours ago
by Kirsten Korosec
Transportation, robotaxis, WaymoIn the wake of a massive hours-long gridlock event, San Francisco mayor Daniel Lurie has told state regulators it's time to put more requirements on robotaxi operators like Waymo.
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SpaceX suddenly aborts second Starship V3 launch after ignition
2 hours ago
by Sean O'Kane
Space, Transportation, SpaceX, StarshipThe company didn't immediately say what went wrong. SpaceX's stock plunged more than 4% in after-hours trading before paring losses.
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Coca-Cola suspended production at its Fairlife dairy after a ransomware attack
4 hours ago
by Zack Whittaker
Security, coca-cola, cyberattack, In BriefCoca Cola said dairy production at its Fairlife unit will "remain suspended" in the United States following a hack.
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Founders Fund hires former OpenAI exec Ryan Beiermeister (and not because of her ‘Mafia’ skills)
5 hours ago
by Julie Bort
Venture, Founders FundRyan Beiermeister, who demonstrated cool analysis in the Founders Fund YouTube series "Mafia," has joined the firm as a partner.
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Google Vids now lets you star in your own AI videos
7 hours ago
by Sarah Perez
AI, Apps, Google, Google Vids, VideoGoogle is adding personalized AI avatars to Vids that let users create videos starring a digital version of themselves, alongside Gemini Omni-powered tools for generating and editing videos from prompts and reference images.
Hacker News
- Kimi K3: Open Frontier Intelligence 11 hours ago
- LM Studio Bionic: the AI agent for open models 5 hours ago
- Microsoft Comic Chat is now open source 9 hours ago
- Decoy Font 9 hours ago
- The Little Book of Reinforcement Learning 3 hours ago
Engadget
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A White House teleprompter operator reportedly won big betting on presidential speeches
2 hours ago
by Ian Carlos Campbell
Big TechThe staff member allegedly made over $100,000 on Kalshi.
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Netflix says it's already used AI in 'roughly 300' titles this year
2 hours ago
by Anna Washenko
EntertainmentDon't expect that number to shrink any time soon.
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Activist group takes over London bus stops with fake Meta Glasses ads
3 hours ago
by Karissa Bell
Wearables, MetaOne features an optical illusion spoof of 'They Live.'
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Roblox will offer AI-generated game creation on mobile later this year
4 hours ago
by Anna Washenko
GamingBuild starts limited alpha testing later this month.
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Honda is officially pulling the plug on its only EV in the US
4 hours ago
by Ian Carlos Campbell
EVs and TransportationThe soon-to-be-retired electric SUV was born from a collaboration with GM.
The Verge
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Fortnite is getting a bunch of AI-powered ‘personas’
4 hours ago
by Jay Peters
Entertainment, Fortnite, Gaming, NewsGet ready for more AI characters in Fortnite . Developer Epic Games is going to let Fortnite creators publish experiences featuring characters with AI-powered voices starting on July 30th, and ahead of that launch, it's created 36 characters with "consistent voices and personas" that creators can use as NPCs. The characters include Fortnite staples like Agent Jonesy, Peely ( the banana ), Fishstick (a walking fish), and Cuddle Team Leader (who wears a pink bear mascot head). Epic tested the waters of AI characters with last year's Darth Vader NPC that was powered by James Earl Jones' voice - a
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Samsung’s 55-inch Frame art TV is $200 cheaper than usual
4 hours ago
by Brad Bourque
Deals, Gadgets, Verge ShoppingSamsung’s art TV looks right at home alongside real paintings. | Image: Samsung Samsung’s Frame is different from your average 4K TV. Its biggest selling point involves what it does when you aren’t actively using it. It can display art, turning your living room into a gallery. The Frame has bezels that make it look like — you guessed it — framed art, and its matte finish can replicate paintings more naturally than your typical glossy-coated TV. Amazon currently has the 55-inch Samsung Frame on sale for $697.99, about $200 lower than its typical price. The deal is on the
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Netflix says around 300 titles used generative AI
5 hours ago
by Emma Roth
Business, Entertainment, Netflix, News, StreamingA scene from The American Experiment, one of the Netflix titles to use generative AI | Image: Netflix Netflix says roughly 300 titles on its platform used generative AI, most of which occurred in post-production. The streaming service revealed the news in its second-quarter earnings report released on Thursday, saying it's "increasingly leveraging these tools to deliver higher quality output more quickly and at a lower cost." It also provided some examples of titles that used AI, including The American Experiment , Glory , and Brasil 70: A Saga do Tri . These shows used the technology to "create highly
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Why are people buying so many CDs?
5 hours ago
by Jay Peters
Entertainment, Music, NewsCD sales are apparently going up , reportedly thanks to fans realizing they're an affordable way to support their favorite artists. According to a new report from research firm Luminate, 16.3 million CDs were sold in the first half of 2026 in the US, a 16 percent increase year-over-year. The growth in CD sales was driven by "collection building, price accessibility, massive albums such as BTS' ARIRANG and a strong K-pop release schedule," Luminate says. Even if you remove K-pop sales from the data, CD sales still went up in the US, increasing 6.7 percent. And it appears that some
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Kalshi says it caught Trump’s teleprompter operator insider trading
7 hours ago
by Mia Sato
Business, News, Policy, Politics, TechKalshi users betting on what President Donald Trump would say during his speeches were reportedly up against tough competition: the president's teleprompter operator. ABC News reports that federal investigators believe Gabriel Perez - Trump's teleprompter operator since 2016 - used inside information to make bets on Kalshi, a major prediction market platform that allows users to bet on just about everything. One category that Kalshi offers is "mentions" markets, in which users try to predict what an individual will say during high-profile events. Perez is accused of betting on what Trump would say during more than a dozen events, including
Wired
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Pete Hegseth’s Plan for ‘High T’ Troops Is a Junk Science Fever Dream
an hour ago
by Miles Klee
Culture, Culture / Culture News, Pump, You, UpThe defense secretary’s idea of administering testosterone therapy to service members of the US Armed Forces reveals little understanding of the complexity of hormones.
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Why Apple Sued OpenAI, New York Takes on Data Centers, and What to Know about Cyclosporiasis
3 hours ago
by Brian Barrett, Zoë Schiffer, Leah Feiger, Emily Mullin
Business, Business / Artificial Intelligence, Uncanny, ValleyOn today’s Uncanny Valley, we unpack OpenAI’s ongoing drama, both legal and reputational, and whether these developments could further hurt the company—particularly in its fight against Anthropic.
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Salad Chains Are Seeing Foot Traffic Drop Over Cyclosporiasis Fears
4 hours ago
by Kate Taylor
Business, Business / Retail and Logistics, Sad, Desk, SaladFoot traffic to leafy green chains is falling, data shows. Still, a few brave souls who spoke to WIRED were determined to get their fix. “I honestly didn’t even think about” the risk of explosive diarrhea, one says.
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Do Face Masks Help With Wildfire Smoke? Yes, But More Is Needed
5 hours ago
by Matthew Korfhage
Gear, Gear / How To and Advice, Science / Health, Gear / Products / Home, Smoke, ScreenAs wildfire smoke threatens air quality and safety for millions, here’s your playbook to keep your family safe from the damaging effects of smoke.
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Review: Xgimi Titan Noir Max Home Projector (2026)
6 hours ago
by John Brandon
Gear, Film, NoirThis remarkably vivid home projector has deep inky blacks, without a five-figure price tag.