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Sat, Aug 15, 2026, 4:20 PM EDT

Tech

AI Summary

  • Anthropic and Google are implementing watermarking techniques to track AI-generated content, while cybersecurity alerts about potential AI platform account hacks are on the rise.
  • The commercialization of advanced tech continues with SpaceX acquiring Cursor, self-driving trucks testing in California, and Uber planning 2,000 robotaxis in Europe.
  • Amidst AI euphoria, figures like Joshua Kushner are questioning VC investment strategies, and discussions around AI's capabilities, including its mathematical prowess, are intensifying.
  • Industry giants like Apple are proposing new commission structures for off-App Store purchases, and there's a growing focus on optimizing GPU inference for AI workloads.
  • Concerns about government surveillance persist with US courts set to publish spyware usage data, and revelations about alleged Iranian hacks on US utilities highlight ongoing cyber threats.

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The Verge

  • Don’t overlook Elektron’s budget electronic music instruments 3 hours ago by Terrence O’Brien
    Entertainment, Gadgets, Hands-on, Music, Reviews, Tech

    They’re far more powerful and fun than their bargain price suggests. | Photo: Terrence O’Brien / The Verge When I'm asked what to buy if you want to get into making electronic music, I often recommend Elektron's budget-minded Model:Samples and Model:Cycles grooveboxes. They don't grab headlines the way Teenage Engineering's gear or the Telepathic Instruments Orchid do, and even compared to the company's higher-end and more niche musical offerings like the Digitakt , Octatrack , or Tonverk , they're often overlooked. But as my collection has grown to include fancier and far more expensive instruments, I still find myself coming

  • Switched on Pop’s Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding love fresh vegetables and guitar pedals 5 hours ago by Terrence O’Brien
    Entertainment, Interview, Music, Report

    They’re the Lennon–McCartney of overanalyzing pop music. | Image: Daniel Randall As if you needed more reason to love Carly Rae Jepsen's " Call Me Maybe " beyond its pop perfection, it is also, according to lore, the genesis for Switched on Pop , one of the best music podcasts out there. Cohosts Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding obsessively dissect pop songs, from the theory behind their musical choices to their production techniques. If you're a student of pop music, then this is a must-listen podcast. Sloan is a composer and professor of musicology at USC Thornton School of Music,

  • Star Wars: Ahsoka season 2 and Starfighter get teased at D23 5 hours ago by Terrence O’Brien
    Entertainment, Film, News, Star Wars, TV Shows

    Season two of Star Wars: Ahsoka is still months away, but Lucasfilm still took the opportunity to tease it a bit at D23 . The company dropped the first trailer for the new season ahead of its January 20th, 2027 debut. The clip shows a darker, witchcraft-filled take on the Star Wars universe, with Grand Admiral Thrawn (blue skin, red eyes, and an unsettlingly calm demeanor) threatening to thrust the galaxy back into large-scale war after the fall of the Empire. Ryan Gosling also took the stage at D23 to tease the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter movie. Unfortunately, while some

  • Disney D23 2026: Everything announced for Star Wars, Marvel, and more 6 hours ago by Richard Lawler
    Disney, Entertainment, Marvel, News, Streaming, Trailers

    Shawn Levy, Ryan Gosling | Image: The Walt Disney Company/Image Group LA The annual Disney fan event showed off the cast of Marvel’s X-Men movie, plus a new trailer for Avengers: Doomsday, and our first look at the VisionQuest TV show for Disney Plus. For Star Wars fans, there was a teaser trailer for season two of Ahsoka , plus a special look at Star Wars: Starfighter with an appearance from Ryan Gosling. Other new announcements included a few updates about Pixar, The Simpsons, Bluey, and others you can find below. Pixar is getting spooky in Ghost Market. Disney is

  • I finally found a magnetic phone grip I never want to remove 6 hours ago by Sean Hollister
    Gadgets, Hands-on, Mobile, Reviews, Tech

    The OhSnap Snap Grip Stand, in black and silver. | Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge I told myself I wouldn't buy an OhSnap accessory for my phone. Every one I'd tested was nice, but felt overpriced and slightly flawed. After I weighed in on the $40 Snap Grip 5 last year, I wound up sticking with my $25 Syncwire instead. But OhSnap's $50 Snap Grip Stand finally got me. To have a truly useful vertical stand and grip always attached to my phone, ready at a moment's notice? Heck yes. @verge My favorite phone grip is the one


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