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Mon, Aug 24, 2026, 1:10 PM EDT

Tech

AI Summary

  • AI startups continue to attract significant investment, with General Intuition securing $6B in funding, while OpenAI explores ambitious AI agent development and Anthropic faces user acquisition challenges.
  • The automotive sector is under increased scrutiny, with GM EV brake issues drawing federal attention and Uber facing a substantial fine for automated driver suspensions.
  • The tech industry is grappling with the implications of AI on copyright and intellectual property, as the legality of training AI models on copyrighted books remains complex and discussions around AI containment persist among frontier labs.
  • Acquisition talks are heating up in the AI space, with Hugging Face reportedly in negotiations for a $13B deal, and emerging companies founded by DeepMind alumni are pushing the boundaries of AI research.
  • The intersection of AI, robotics, and mobility is a major focus, highlighted by Waymo's custom chip ambitions, advancements in humanoid robots, and the integration of AI in consumer products like smart calendars and home appliances.

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The Verge

  • Zillow and Redfin settle FTC antitrust case over their rental listings partnership 36 minutes ago by Stevie Bonifield
    Antitrust, News, Policy, Tech

    The FTC and Zillow have announced a settlement that ends the case alleging that a 2025 "partnership" between Zillow and Redfin violated antitrust laws. The FTC had alleged Zillow agreed to pay Redfin to syndicate its listings, while Redfin would end its own advertising contracts and promise not to compete with Zillow for multifamily listings. The FTC's settlement proposal allows Redfin to continue syndicating rental listings from Zillow "unencumbered by the anticompetitive restraints" in the original deal, but also requires Redfin to restart its own rental listings advertising business, which it wound down as part of the partnership. Dani …

  • Robotaxis are real now — so is the pushback an hour ago by Rani Molla
    Autonomous Cars, Electric Cars, Policy, Report, Tesla, Transportation, Waymo

    Robotaxis are expanding. So is the fight over the rules governing them. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul withdrew a proposal earlier this year that would have opened the door to driverless robotaxis outside New York City after taxi drivers, unions, and state lawmakers opposed it. Six months later, commercial driverless service remains illegal in the state, and legalization efforts are stalled. In DC, labor unions are fighting legislation that would legalize commercial robotaxis, while lawmakers are weighing a 200-vehicle cap and a 15-cent-per-mile fee that would fund Metro upgrades and aid workers displaced by autonomous vehicles. A July Cit

  • The Witcher 4 developers target a 2028 release 2 hours ago by Jay Peters
    Entertainment, Gaming, News

    CD Projekt Red is aiming to launch The Witcher 4 sometime in 2028, joint CEO Michał Nowakowski says in a new video . CD Projekt Red has been working on its next mainline Witcher title for years and has shown videos of it, but now the studio is providing a target release window for when the game might actually come out. There's more new Witcher to come before The Witcher 4 , though. At this week's Gamescom event, CD Projekt Red will be showing off its upcoming Witcher 3 expansion, Songs of the Past , which is scheduled to release

  • ESPN streaming plans are getting more expensive 3 hours ago by Emma Roth
    Disney, Entertainment, News, Sports, Streaming

    ESPN is hiking the price of its subscription on September 17th, a change that will also impact its bundles with Disney Plus. In a support page spotted earlier by Sports Media Watch , ESPN says its ad-supported Select membership will cost $13.99 instead of $12.99 / month, while its Unlimited plan will rise to $31.99 from $29.99 / month. The annual ESPN Select plan is also going to $139.99 from $129.99 / year, and the annual Unlimited tier is increasing to $319.99 from $299.99 / year. Meanwhile, Disney Plus bundles with ESPN Select are going up in price as well.

  • Raspberry Pi shares its official tutorial for making a cyberdeck 3 hours ago by Stevie Bonifield
    Creators, Gadgets, News, Social Media, Tech

    Raspberry Pi's head of social, Ashley Whittaker, acknowledged the cyberdeck trend today, saying "we haven't been able to get away from cyberdecks this year." Tiny portable computers made out of things like purses, jewelry boxes, and other thrifted or recycled parts have gone viral on TikTok and other social media platforms over the past year, and Raspberry Pi now has its own guide to building one of the homemade computers. Raspberry Pi has also increased its prices multiple times this year due to rising costs for RAM and other components , which could be another reason to support this growing


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