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Mon, Mar 9, 2026, 11:21 AM EDT

Tech

AI Summary

  • Zoox is expanding its robotaxi testing to Dallas and Phoenix, signaling progress in autonomous vehicle deployment.
  • OpenAI faces internal and external scrutiny, with a hardware executive resigning and the 'adult mode' launch delayed, amidst discussions about AI safety and Pentagon deals.
  • The tech industry is grappling with AI's impact, from the potential for AI to disrupt venture capital to ethical considerations in its application and the race for AI hardware.
  • Automotive tech continues to evolve with new models like the Chevy Bolt and Rivian's R2, alongside advancements in electric vehicles and ownership changes like Rad Power Bikes.
  • Mobile technology is seeing a push towards more affordable devices with $40 smartphones gaining traction, while companies like Apple and Samsung refine their premium offerings with new iPhones and tablets.

TechCrunch


Hacker News


Engadget

  • Amazon’s Zoox will test its robotaxis in Dallas and Phoenix 2 hours ago by Andre Revilla
    Transportation, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Andre Revilla

    Amazon’s self-driving subsidiary Zoox announced on Monday that it will begin testing its autonomous vehicles in Dallas and Phoenix. The company will initially deploy retrofitted Toyota Highlander SUVs with human safety drivers to map the new cities before eventually rolling out its purpose-built robotaxis. Zoox says these two cities will offer a chance to test its sensors and battery performance in unique conditions its cars haven't yet encountered in existing markets. Phoenix experiences extreme heat, dust and high-speed roads, while Dallas has more sprawling roads and varied weather compared to other cities where Zoox operates. The company is also opening new

  • iPad Air M4 review: Still Apple's best overall tablet, with a few caveats 3 hours ago by Nathan Ingraham
    Technology & Electronics, Handheld & Connected Devices, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Nathan Ingraham

    Perhaps one of the most surprising things about the Apple Silicon era is how quickly Apple now updates its products. Take the iPad Air, for example. It’s been less than two years since the company released the M2-powered iPad Air in 11- and 13-inch sizes. We’re already on our third iPad Air iteration, one with the M4 inside. That’s the same chip that was inside the iPad Pro that was unveiled alongside that M2-powered Air in 2024. (The Pro was updated with an M5 last fall.) Just as I said a year ago when Apple unveiled the iPad Air M3, this

  • iPhone 17e review: The economical choice 3 hours ago by Cherlynn Low
    Smart Phones, Technology & Electronics, Handheld & Connected Devices, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Cherlynn Low

    By introducing the iPhone 17e just a year after the iPhone 16e, Apple is closing some gaps. Before, the company would only roll out a new entry-level iPhone every few years, with the iPhone 5c (2013), iPhone XR (2018) and iPhone SE (2016, 2020, 2022) all having two to four years between their releases. But Apple is getting into an annual groove now, and having renamed the device to integrate better with the rest of the iPhone lineup, Apple is making a clear statement: It cares about the midrange now.  With the current state of global economics, Apple’s focus on lower

  • The 10 best sleep apps and gadgets for a better night's sleep in 2026 4 hours ago by Amy Skorheim
    Social & Online Media, Personal Finance - Lifestyle, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Amy Skorheim

    Tech has a bad (and deserved) reputation as a sleep killer. Blue light, incessant scrolling and information onslaught conspire to keep us on edge and exiled from dreamland. But a few gadgets and apps out there may actually help us sleep. We’ve tried many such products over the years and have gathered the ones that actually did some good in this list. But first, take the arguably most important step towards good sleep: Use the sleep schedule on your phone (Android, iPhone). Once you’ve done that, check out the best sleep gadgets below and prepare to shuffle off to the

  • The best air purifier for 2026 4 hours ago by Amy Skorheim
    Allergies, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Amy Skorheim

    As houses and apartments get more energy efficient, they also get more airtight, limiting air exchange with the outside world. That’s partly why indoor air is often far more polluted than outdoor air. Synthetic building materials, cleaning products, pet dander, cooking emissions and smoke all conspire to muck up what we breathe in. In our tests, the best way to get the green light from our air quality monitors was opening the windows. But bad weather, wildfires and high pollen-count days mean you can’t always do that. Air purifiers are your next best option. Their combination of specialized filters, fans


The Verge

  • Samsung’s Mario-themed microSD card for Switch 2 is 35 percent off an hour ago by Cameron Faulkner
    Deals, Gadgets, Gaming, Nintendo, Verge Shopping

    Add more games to your Switch 2 with a microSD Express card. | Photo: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Nintendo has cut the cost of its Mario-themed Samsung microSD Express card with 256GB of storage, just in time for Mario Day. Normally $59.99 — and definitely not worth it at that price compared to other models that are typically less on a regular basis — it’s down to $39.99 at a ton of retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, and Walmart. While most Switch 2 game downloads are reasonably-sized (Nintendo’s first-party games tend to be well under 20GB in size —

  • Hasbro’s CEO has an AI Peppa Pig help design toys 2 hours ago by Nilay Patel
    Decoder, Gaming, Podcasts

    Today, I’m talking with Chris Cocks, CEO of Hasbro. You know, Hasbro — the toy and game company that makes some of the most iconic products in the world, from toy lines like Transformers and My Little Pony to board and tabletop games like Monopoly, Magic: The Gathering, and Dungeons & Dragons. Chris was last on the show three years ago, as he was first stepping into the role, and we spent quite a bit of time then talking about his plans to collect more data, spin off parts of the company, and think about the future of collectibles… which, at that

  • Panic’s gaming ambitions hinge on the weird and whimsical 3 hours ago by Jay Peters
    Entertainment, Gaming, Report

    Four players in Big Walk. A game about an annoying goose with a button dedicated entirely to honking isn't the obvious recipe for a hit. But doing the less-obvious thing has become the norm for Panic's gaming efforts, which have included everything from the Playdate handheld to the surprisingly popular Untitled Goose Game. So when it came time for developer House House to follow up Goose Game, the obvious thing was to do something equally unexpected: Big Walk, a co-op multiplayer adventure where you can play with up to 12 people simultaneously. "There's a small part of my dumb business brain that's

  • The iPhone 17E is good, but you probably shouldn’t buy it 3 hours ago by Allison Johnson
    Apple, Gadgets, iPhone, Phone Reviews, Phones, Reviews, Tech

    It’s about time. The iPhone 17E is a better value than the 16E was when it arrived, but that should matter to basically nobody. The main thing to know about the 17E is that the iPhone 17 exists, it costs $200 more - or maybe more significantly, an extra $9 per month on a two-year payment plan not including whatever discount your carrier offers - and it comes with a long list of upgrades. And if it's within your means to put down that extra money, you should. The 17E replaces the 16E in Apple's lineup. The 16E was the first in a

  • Apple iPad Air M4 review: a little bit faster now 3 hours ago by David Pierce
    Apple, iPad, Reviews, Tablet Reviews, Tech

    For the record: if you’re getting an iPad Air, you should also get the keyboard case. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge The newest iPad Air is a chip bump iPad - maybe the chip-bump-iest iPad Air yet. Inside this new machine are, in fact, three upgraded chips compared to last year's model: an M4 processor, a C1X cellular modem, and an N1 chip that brings the Air Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread support. That is the entire list of upgrades on this year's device. Apple talks about the Air in a very straightforward way: it's where Apple's


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