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Sun, Aug 2, 2026, 1:10 PM EDT

Tech

AI Summary

  • The tech industry is grappling with the ethical and practical implications of AI, with discussions ranging from its potential for misinformation (Google's Earth AI feature) to its impact on creative professionals (YouTuber Hank Green's concerns and debates around AI-generated music).
  • Startups and venture capital continue to be a major focus, highlighted by large fundraises (Index Ventures) and concerning trends like increased fraud in VC-backed companies, alongside a critical look at the culture surrounding young founders.
  • The future of mobility is a key area of development, with significant progress and challenges in robotaxis, Uber's autonomous vehicle expansion, and the delivery of e-bikes, indicating a dynamic shift in transportation technology.
  • Cybersecurity remains a critical concern, evidenced by reported AI agent mishaps at OpenAI and Anthropic, as well as cyberattacks targeting water systems, underscoring the growing vulnerabilities in digital infrastructure.
  • Consumer tech is evolving with new hardware and subscription models for devices like smartphones, alongside innovations in app accessibility and digital well-being tools aimed at combating issues like doomscrolling and app addiction.

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The Verge

  • Xbox prices are increasing by up to €200 or £170 2 hours ago by Terrence O’Brien
    Gaming, Microsoft, News, Tech, Xbox

    When Microsoft announced its latest round of Xbox price bumps in June, it only gave US pricing. Now we know the pricing increases for the EU and UK , and they're dramatic. Depending on the model, Xbox prices are increasing by up to €200 or £170. The 1TB Xbox Series X with a disc drive is going up by over 30 percent from £499.99 / €599.99 to £669.99 / €799.99. The 512GB Xbox Series S is getting a price increase of over 43 percent, jumping from £299.99 / €349.99 to £429.99 / €499.99. While other consoles have received price bumps

  • Skylight’s smart calendars are up to $90 off during its back-to-school sale 3 hours ago by Sheena Vasani
    Deals, Gadgets, Smart Home, Tech, Verge Shopping

    The 15-inch Skylight Calendar 2 can stand on a table or mounted to the wall. | Image: Skylight The start of a new school year can feel hectic, as parents juggle their kids’ classes, extracurriculars and sports on top of work, appointments, and other responsibilities. It’s easy for things to slip through the cracks, but Skylight’s shared smart calendars can help keep everyone on track, and from August 2nd through August 9th they’re up to $90 off. The sale includes the 10-inch Skylight Calendar for $119.99 ($50 off) , the 15-inch Skylight Calendar 2 for $259.99 ($20 off) , and

  • HP’s HyperX Omen 15 isn’t quite the budget-friendly gaming laptop its predecessor was 4 hours ago by Antonio G. Di Benedetto
    Gadgets, Gaming, HP, Laptop Reviews, Laptops, PC Gaming, Reviews, Tech

    Tough sell. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge The HP HyperX Omen 15, which I first saw at CES , replaces the HP Victus 15 , a longtime bestselling budget gaming laptop. The Victus cost just $800, or less when on sale, and was a good entry point to decent laptop gaming. The Omen 15 has nice little upgrades over the Victus. Its RTX 5050 Laptop GPU can play 2026's latest games, albeit on low-ish settings. But it's also got a brighter 16:10 aspect ratio display with higher refresh rate, and a 1080p webcam to make it

  • Is paying artists enough to convince them to embrace AI? 5 hours ago by Charles Pulliam-Moore
    AI, Report

    Illustrators have spent years sounding the alarm about generative artificial intelligence startups training their models on artists' work without permission. They've pointed out how the practice is tantamount to theft, and in response, many gen AI boosters have argued that it's necessary for the technology's evolution. This has led to contentious legal battles , but it's also given rise to a new wave of AI startups like Pippa that market their services as being more ethical than the competition. Like most companies selling access to text-to-video models, Pippa's main product is short bursts of user-generated footage that can be cobbled

  • Foldables are sort of boring now — and that’s great news for Apple 6 hours ago by Dominic Preston
    Column, Foldable Phones, Mobile, Tech, The Stepback

    This is The Stepback , a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on smartphones and Android, follow Dominic Preston. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes on Sunday at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here . How it started Believe it or not, it didn't all start with Samsung. Royole, a now-bankrupt manufacturer of flexible displays, was the first to release a commercial folding phone, the "charmingly awful" FlexPai . Samsung's first Galaxy Fold followed a year later, plagued by a variety of faults that saw review units break within days.


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