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Fri, Mar 20, 2026, 6:21 AM EDT

Tech

AI Summary

  • Amazon has acquired Rivr, a robotics company specializing in delivery solutions, signaling a significant move into autonomous logistics.
  • The tech industry is grappling with AI advancements, from Meta's new content enforcement systems to DoorDash's initiative to train AI with courier-generated videos.
  • Cybersecurity remains a critical concern, highlighted by FBI actions against hacking groups and CISA's warnings about securing critical systems like Microsoft Intune.
  • The competitive landscape for AI development is intensifying, with companies like OpenAI exploring desktop 'superapps' and discussions around AI's potential impact on codebases.
  • Meta's stance on its VR metaverse, Horizon Worlds, has seen shifts, with decisions made regarding its continuation and the role of AI in content moderation.

TechCrunch


Hacker News


Engadget

  • OpenAI is putting ChatGPT, its browser and code generator into one desktop app 8 hours ago by Mariella Moon
    Software, Mobile Apps, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Mariella Moon

    OpenAI is developing a “super app” for desktop that unifies ChatGPT, its browser and its Codex app, according to the Wall Street Journal and CNBC. A company spokesperson told the publications that OpenAI Chief of Applications Fidji Simo will lead the application revamp with assistance from OpenAI President Greg Brockman. Simo will also help the marketing team advertise the app when it comes out. OpenAI’s leadership is apparently hoping that combining several products can help it streamline user experience and dedicate its resources to one project. The company has yet to make an official announcement about the new app, but Simo

  • Alphabet no longer has a controlling stake in its life sciences business Verily 13 hours ago by Anna Washenko
    Internet & Networking Technology, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko

    Alphabet's life sciences business Verily is restructuring and raising money as a new corporate entity. Verily announced that with its $300 million investment round, it will change from an LLC to a corporation and rename itself Verily Health Inc. As a result, Alphabet now has a minority stake rather than a controlling one in the business.  Similar to every other tech business, this chapter for Verily will be focused on AI. “From research to care, our customers need solutions that bring the best of clinical and scientific rigor together with AI to deliver the next generation of healthcare - one that

  • States are suing the EPA for relinquishing its role as a greenhouse gas emissions regulator 13 hours ago by Ian Carlos Campbell
    Politics & Government, Pollution & Waste, Climate Change, Environment, Nature & Environment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Ian Carlos Campbell

    California, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York are leading a group of 20 other states in suing the US Environmental Protection Agency for renouncing its ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, The New York Times reports. The lawsuit specifically argues that the EPA's decision to rescind a 2009 study that determined greenhouse gases are dangerous to public health was illegal. The study, which is the source of what's called the "Endangerment Finding," was one of several justifications — along with things like the Clean Air Act — for the agency's ability to regulate emissions. Rescinding the finding nullified the EPA's evidence for

  • Amazon acquires autonomous robotics startup Rivr 13 hours ago by Anna Washenko
    Mergers, Acquisitions & Takeovers, Robots, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko

    Amazon has acquired Rivr, a startup focused on autonomous robotics. Rivr is based in Zurich and was valued at $110 million in a funding round from August 2024, which both Amazon and its CEO's Bezos Expeditions participated in. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.  Rivr's robots have four legs and wheels that allow it to maneuver on stairs and other potentially uneven surfaces. The company just released its second generation of the robot. The purchase will likely further Amazon's capabilities for ever-faster and more efficient package deliveries.  "This acquisition reflects our commitment to a continued investment in research, which we

  • DoorDash will start paying gig workers for creating content to train AI models 14 hours ago by Anna Washenko
    Business, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Anna Washenko

    DoorDash has launched a new option for its gig economy workers to earn some extra cash. The delivery service introduced Tasks, which it describes as "short activities Dashers can complete between deliveries or in their own time." It gives taking pictures of restaurant dishes or recording video of unscripted conversations in languages other than English as examples. These materials will be used to train artificial intelligence and robotics models.  A representative from DoorDash told Bloomberg News that it will use Tasks content for evaluating its in-house AI models as well as those made by its partner companies in retail, insurance, hospitality


The Verge

  • Valve’s huge SteamOS 3.8 update adds long-awaited features — and supports Steam Machine 10 hours ago by Sean Hollister
    Gaming, News, PC Gaming

    Valve has just released SteamOS 3.8.0 in preview, and it's a doozy. Not only is it the first release to support the upcoming Steam Machine living room gaming PC, it comes with long-awaited features for Valve's handhelds and more support for other companies' handhelds than we've seen to date - including Microsoft and Asus' Xbox Ally series, the Lenovo Legion Go 2, the OneXPlayer X1, and additional support for MSI, GPD, Anbernic, OrangePi, and Zotac. The one that excites me most: Valve is adding genuine hibernation and "memory power down" modes to the Steam Deck - though just the LCD model to

  • OpenAI is planning a desktop ‘superapp’ 11 hours ago by Jay Peters
    AI, Apps, News, OpenAI, Tech

    OpenAI is working on a desktop "superapp" that merges its ChatGPT app, the Codex AI coding app, and its AI-powered Atlas browser into one app, The Wall Street Journal reports. The company is making the change as part of an effort to simplify its various product efforts, according to a memo cited by the WSJ from Fidji Simo, OpenAI's CEO of Applications. Fragmentation "has been slowing us down and making it harder to hit the quality bar we want," Simo said. OpenAI made waves last year with splashy announcements like the Sora video app and buying Jony Ive's AI hardware company.

  • Sony’s new WF-1000XM6 earbuds are already on sale for $30 off 13 hours ago by Sheena Vasani
    Deals, Gadgets, Headphones, Sony, Tech, Verge Shopping

    Sony’s WF-1000XM6 are on sale in both color options. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Sony’s WF-1000XM6 are the best noise-canceling wireless earbuds you can buy, but they’ve been hard to recommend over the last-gen model because of the price. While the older version is often on sale for $248, the update costs $329 — and has never before been marked down. That’s why this deal is worth paying attention to: right now, Sony’s WF-1000XM6 are on sale for about $298 ($31 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and directly from Sony, marking their first discount. SONY WF-1000XM6 EARBUDS WHERE TO

  • Marc Andreessen is a philosophical zombie 15 hours ago by Elizabeth Lopatto
    Business, Science, Tech, TL;DR

    What inner life? | Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images I admit, this is an innovation I did not see coming: Silicon Valley has invented the philosophical zombie from the classic thought experiment "lol how crazy would it be if there were a philosophical zombie." Until recently, the philosophical zombie was a concept closely associated with Australian philosopher David Chalmers, who defines it as "someone or something physically identical to me (or to any other conscious being), but lacking conscious experiences altogether." Chalmers' zombie twin is identical to him functionally and psychologically - except that he feels nothing. This is

  • The coolest game controller for your phone is $50 off 15 hours ago by Cameron Faulkner
    Deals, Gadgets, Verge Shopping

    The MCON includes an adhesive-backed ring for phones that aren’t MagSafe- or Pixelsnap-ready. | Image: OhSnap The MCON is the closest to a Swiss army knife that a controller can be. No, it doesn’t contain a can opener, but it makes up for it with a surprising array of features. Once you attach your MagSafe- or Pixelsnap-ready phone to the top plate, pressing a button along its top edge satisfyingly pops your phone up to reveal a full suite of controls, including TMR sticks made by GameSir. The MCON launched for $150, but you can get it for $99.99 through its


Wired


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