Tag: syndication

The ‘Epstein files’ implosion bleeds into foreign policy

admin — Sat, 02 Aug 2025 14:00:00 +0000

While the summer doldrums have hit Washington, the MAGA influencers can never truly go on vacation, especially if they've spent their careers promising to reveal the truth about Jeffrey Epstein. Although their politicians are now in power, they're getting stonewalled, and in the absence of juicy "Epstein files" to feed to their audiences, a new maelstrom of discontent is brewing, one that implicates much more than allegations about a pedophile's sex trafficking ring. The complex rift around Donald Trump's loyalists and the diehard Epstein truthers can no longer be separated from the issue of Israel, and as days pass, vocal criticism of the I …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Time Flies is a short meditation on the meaning of life

admin — Sat, 02 Aug 2025 13:00:00 +0000

I didn't expect a brief game about flies to make me emotional. But when I finished Time Flies, I nearly began to cry.

Time Flies initially seems very silly. You play as a little buzzing fly that has to try and accomplish a bucket list of tasks before it, well, kicks the bucket, something that happens in a matter of seconds. The tasks are vague, with titles like "Just Roll with It" or "Meet Your Biggest Fan," and the goal of the game is to zip around each level, generally cause mischief to complete the tasks, and finish an entire stage's bucket list to move on to the next one. (Naturally, the last task of each list involves dying in some way …

Read the full story at The Verge.

I tried ‘Bricking’ my phone to fix my brain

admin — Sat, 02 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Fixing my eroded attention span has been a journey. Brick has sort of helped.

"We need to talk." Nobody likes to hear those words from their spouse. Especially when it's delivered in a grave tone as you rot on a couch in a grubby blankie, staring like a zombie while doomscrolling.

"Wut?" I said, very intelligently.

What came next was a compassionate but firm speech about how I was in dire need of an intervention. My attention span, my spouse said, was utterly shot to hell. They'd just asked my opinion about something happening on the TV show we were watching. I hadn't heard them. At all. Apparently, they'd repeated the question three times. Instead, I'd been engrossed in… actually, I couldn't tell you.

"You have …

Read the full story at The Verge.

BougeRV’s portable solar fridge is quietly annoying

admin — Sat, 02 Aug 2025 07:02:00 +0000

The go-anywhere BougeRV CRD2 40.

Keeping humans alive at home in post-agrarian societies requires refrigeration. Meat bags on the move must either load up a cooler with ice for a soggy weekend barbecue or do the evolved thing and use a 12V fridge instead.

The $509.99 battery-powered BougeRV CRD2 40 refrigerator and freezer combo I've been testing for the last few weeks runs for almost 12 hours on its itty-bitty battery. It charges from a wall outlet or a 12V socket found in cars and portable power stations. It even accepts 100W of direct solar input to stay charged in sunny climates. And if this 40-liter (43-quart) model is too small, it's also available in larger 49-liter …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Zuckerberg’s ‘personal superintelligence’ plan: fill your free time with more AI

admin — Sat, 02 Aug 2025 00:11:36 +0000

It has been another busy week. GPT-5 appears to be just around the corner…

This week, I decode the meaning behind Mark Zuckerberg's "personal superintelligence" manifesto, and what it means for the broader AI race. Keep reading for my chat with a Figma exec on the company's IPO day, a bunch of good links, and some feedback from last week's issue.

What "personal superintelligence" really means to Meta

Meta has given up on trying to beat ChatGPT at its own game.

If you read between the lines, that's the message behind Mark Zuckerberg's "personal superintelligence" manifesto. For the past year, he pushed the Meta AI assistant on nearly ev …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Delta’s dynamic AI pricing plan sounds different now

admin — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 23:46:24 +0000

Delta Air Lines is explaining more about its AI-assisted dynamic pricing model after coming under scrutiny for recent comments about the pricing.

In November, Delta president Glen Hauenstein said at an investor day that “we will have a price that’s available on that flight, on that time, to you, the individual.” However, responding to questions sent by lawmakers, EVP and chief external affairs officer Peter Carter says in a letter that “there is no fare product Delta has ever used, is testing or plans to use that targets customers with individualized prices based on personal data.” He also says that the company has “zero tolerance” for discriminatory or predatory pricing.

As part of its latest earnings report, Hauenstein said that the company planned to deploy the technology, developed by a company called Fetcherr, to about 20 percent of its domestic network by the end of the year.

“Our AI-powered pricing functionality is designed to enhance our existing fare pricing processes using aggregated data,” according to Carter. “This technology is a decision-support tool that simply provides informed insights for our analysts, who oversee and fine-tune the recommendations to ensure they are consistent with our business strategy.”

In his comments to investors and analysts last year, Hauenstein said the AI was taking on the role of a “super analyst,” responding to changes in real time. The company’s statement today frames that more explicitly as responding to competitors pricing and overall buying trends, in an attempt to find the highest price for a market as opposed to an individual customer.

Carter says that Delta is “evaluating” the “AI pricing recommendation functionality” and that it does not share personal information with Fetcherr.

Carter’s letter was replying to one from Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), who wrote to Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressing concerns about the technology in July. Reps. Greg Casar (D-TX) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) have also introduced the Stop AI Price Gouging and Wage Fixing Act, which would ban companies from using AI to “set prices or wages based on Americans’ personal data.”

Tim Cook says Apple ‘must’ figure out AI and ‘will make the investment to do it’

admin — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 23:35:39 +0000

Apple CEO Tim Cook boasted about the potential of AI and the company’s approach to developing it in a rare all-hands today that was reported on by Bloomberg. Apple has been slow to roll out some of its AI features and has stumbled with a planned AI-powered upgrade to Siri, which it delayed earlier this year.

According to Bloomberg:

The executive gathered staff at Apple’s on-campus auditorium Friday in Cupertino, California, telling them that the AI revolution is “as big or bigger” as the internet, smartphones, cloud computing and apps. “Apple must do this. Apple will do this. This is sort of ours to grab,” Cook told employees, according to people aware of the meeting. “We will make the investment to do it.”

Cook also apparently pointed to how the company has “rarely been first” in categories like personal computers, smartphones, tablets, and MP3 players but that Apple eventually made the “modern” versions of those. “This is how I feel about AI,” Cook said, Bloomberg reports.

Software chief Craig Federighi also spoke, discussing the Siri delay and how the company originally wanted to build it with a “hybrid architecture.” Under that plan, one system would take care of things Siri can now, and the other would be powered by LLMs, but “we realized that approach wasn’t going to get us to Apple quality,” he said. The new plan is to move everything to a new architecture.

The all-hands follows Cook’s comments ahead of an earnings call yesterday where he said that the company is “open to” acquisitions to accelerate its roadmap. Apple has also lost some of its AI talent as part of Meta’s “superintelligence” hiring spree.

Amazon eyes ads and upcharges for Alexa Plus

admin — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 22:29:18 +0000

Amazon’s new Alexa Plus voice assistant works with most existing Amazon devices.

In the week's least surprising news, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy revealed that the company is exploring ways to bring ads to Alexa Plus, its new generative-AI-powered voice assistant. During a conference call following the company's second-quarter earnings report, Jassy said that "there will be opportunities, as people are engaging in more multiturn conversations [with Alexa Plus], to have advertising play a role to help people find discovery, and also as a lever to drive revenue."

Basically, people will talk more to Alexa, so there will be more ways to push ads at them. He also hinted that Alexa Plus, which is currently free for Prime members b …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Tesla to pay more than $200 million in damages after being found partly liable for fatal Autopilot crash

admin — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 20:57:28 +0000

A federal jury in Florida found Tesla partly liable for a deadly 2019 crash involving Tesla’s Autopilot driver assist software, according to reports from The New York Times and CNBC. Tesla has been ordered to pay $200 million in punitive damages and about $43 million in compensatory damages, CBS News reports.

It’s a rare loss in court for Tesla over Autopilot, which has been linked to hundreds of crashes and dozens of deaths by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The company won two jury trials in 2023 resulting from lawsuits alleging that Autopilot was to blame for crashes, and last year, a lawsuit challenging Tesla’s claims about Autopilot was dismissed by a federal judge. The loss also comes as Tesla is starting to test its robotaxi service in Austin and Bay Area — though in the latter location, it arguably isn’t a robotaxi service just yet.

Tesla’s Autopilot feature is designed to control a vehicle’s steering and brakes; however, some argue that the EV-maker has misled drivers about its cars’ capabilities. The California Department of Motor Vehicles, for example, has accused Tesla of falsely advertising its Autopilot and Full-Self Driving capabilities as autonomous driving features.

During the trial, which started in July, plaintiffs argued that Tesla’s driver-assist software was at fault for causing a crash that killed 22-year-old Naibel Benavides. While driving in Key Largo, Florida, Tesla owner George McGee crashed into Benavides’ vehicle after bending over to grab a phone that he had dropped. McGee told the jury he thought Autopilot “would protect him and prevent a serious crash if he made a mistake,” according to the NYT.

“Today’s verdict is wrong and only works to set back automotive safety and jeopardize Tesla’s and the entire industry’s efforts to develop and implement life-saving technology,” the company said in a statement to the NYT. The company plans to appeal.

Fujifilm is raising camera prices by up to $800

admin — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 20:16:36 +0000

Fujifilm has raised prices on cameras and lenses across its lineup, with price hikes reaching into the hundreds of dollars. Among the hikes is an increase to the price of Fuji’s ultra-popular X100VI from $1,599 to $1,799. The capable X-T5 has gone from $1,699 to $1,899. And the already very expensive GFX100 II has gone from $7,499 to $8,299 — an $800 increase. Increases to lens prices appear to be somewhat more modest, with bumps in the $50 to $150 range.

The price hikes come as President Donald Trump threatens to finally, actually implement his sweeping new round of tariffs on August 7th. Nintendo announced today that it was raising the price on older Switch models, and Apple has said it’s burning well over $1 billion on added costs.

“These price increases seem to be here to stay.”

For Fuji, the tariffs have been a bit of a disaster. In 2024, the company shifted its supply chain for the X100VI over to China ostensibly to help meet the overwhelming demand it expected after the camera’s predecessor, the X100V, blew up on TikTok and was being resold at huge markups for much of its lifespan. Following the initial round of tariffs on China going into effect, Fuji moved some of the X100VI’s production back to Japan. But even after cutting a deal with the Trump administration, most imports from Japan are still being hit with an additional 15 percent tariff.

The new prices are reflected at retailers like B&H and Adorama. Moment, which sells Fuji cameras, writes in a blog post that it’s “no surprise that Fujifilm needed to increase prices this year” as a result of Trump’s tariffs. They don’t appear to be temporary, either. “At this time, these price increases seem to be here to stay,” the company writes. Fuji didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

A number of other camera companies have raised prices at this point, including Leica and Canon. PetaPixel reports that Fuji’s price hikes were actually set before the new tariff rates were announced, which could put the company in a precarious position if the actual rates are higher than expected. Given the ongoing mystery of when Trump’s tariffs will be applied, to whom, at what rate, and for what length of time, this is likely only the start of the price revisions.

Bose’s QuietComfort Headphones are $130 off for back-to-school season

admin — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 19:50:48 +0000

Bose headphones are some of the most comfortable around. | Image: The Verge

Finding peace among the chaos on campus can be more challenging than a midterm. But a quality pair of over-ear headphones can block out distractions when it’s time to lock in. If that sounds like you, we’ve found a deal on the Bose QuietComfort Headphones, which are currently down to $229 ($130 off) at Amazon, Bose, and Best Buy. That’s within $30 of the lowest price we’ve seen all year.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones Where to Buy:

The Bose QuietComfort Headphones are part of the company’s revamped lineup of headphones and earbuds, which also includes the pricier QC Ultra Headphones, QC Ultra Earbuds, and entry-level QC Earbuds, the last of which is down to $149 ($30 off) at Amazon, Bose, and Best Buy. The QC Headphones preserve the comfortable design of the QC45s and include Bose’s excellent noise cancellation. Although we haven’t reviewed this specific model, the upgraded QC Headphones Ultra is our favorite noise-canceling headphones for travel, and we’re generally fans of the line’s comfortable earcup cushions.

There are two listening modes — Quiet and Aware — that let you quickly toggle between blocking the outside world and letting ambient noise in. Additionally, Bose says the QC headphones offer up to 24 hours of battery life, so you should be able to get through a full day without needing to recharge. The headphones also support multipoint connectivity, making it possible to pair them with two devices simultaneously. And when you’re finally done writing that last-minute term paper, the QC headphones can neatly fold up to make it easier to store them in your bag.

More deals to check out

The Bose TV Speaker is currently matching its Prime Day discount of $199 ($80 off) at Amazon, Bose, and Best Buy. The small but mighty soundbar makes it easy to instantly upgrade from your TV’s built-in speakers, featuring two angled full-range drivers and a dialogue mode for clearer speech. It also has Bluetooth, letting you stream your favorite music and podcasts. Meanwhile, the compact design (it’s about two inches tall and 23 inches wide) is easy to integrate into smaller setups, making it a good fit for bedrooms.
Planning a trip before school starts? I’ve taken the Patagonia Black Hole Duffel (70L) on a few trips, and found it an excellent companion for weekend getaways. Right now, it’s down to $158.99 at Patagonia. The hefty duffel is made from ripstop polyester and features a number of nooks and crannies to pack your clothes and other essentials. It has removable shoulder straps, a padded base, and reinforced exterior daisy chains to connect extra gear you need accessible at a moment’s notice.
The Anker Nano Power Bank (5K, MagGo, Slim) is new to the market, but it’s already down to $46.74 (around $8 off) at Amazon and Anker (with an on-page coupon). The ultra-slim power bank has a 5,000mAh capacity and Qi2 support, allowing it to magnetically attach to your iPhone 12 or newer and provide charging speeds of up to 15W. These types of power banks are typically thick, but Anker’s latest model is roughly the same thickness as an Apple Pencil, making it easy to fit into your pocket.

The biggest fighting game tournament is a little smaller this year — but still exciting

admin — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 19:09:50 +0000

Evo 2025, the biggest fighting game tournament in North America, starts this weekend. If you tune into one of the nine different Evo Twitch channels, you'll see some of the top players in the world compete in fighting game staples like Street Fighter and Tekken and newer games like Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves and Rivals of Aether II. The fighting starts today and lasts till late Sunday, August 3rd. Though this year is smaller, with fewer entrants than last year, there's still plenty of reasons to watch.

While Evo remains one of the most highly attended fighting game tournaments in the world, this year, the number of entrants is slipping. …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Why Nintendo didn’t raise the price of the Switch 2 (yet)

admin — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 19:00:00 +0000

Just about every piece of hardware that Nintendo sells is getting a little more expensive in the US - with the exception of the Switch 2. That includes all models of the original Switch, a bunch of accessories, and even a motion-activated alarm clock. The changes were made ahead of sweeping Trump administration tariffs that are scheduled to go into effect in August, and they show Nintendo is leaning on a strategy that it has employed across its business: largely avoiding risk. Raising the price of a new console isn't the best look, and so the company is trying to claw back some of that money in safer ways, without gambling on the success of …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Google backtracks on plans to deactivate shortened goo.gl links

admin — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 18:41:09 +0000

Google is largely reversing course on its plans to discontinue support for all shortened goo.gl URLs on August 25th. Goo.gl URLS that already show a message saying that they will be deactivated in August will still stop working — the company started showing the deactivation message nine months ago on URLs that “showed no activity in late 2024” — but otherwise, “all other goo.gl links will be preserved and will continue to function as normal,” Google announced on Friday.

Google, which stopped letting users make goo.gl URLs in 2019, initially announced the August 25th deactivation deadline in July 2024. At that time, the company said that existing URLs saw “less and less traffic as the years went on” and that more than 99 percent of the URLs “had no activity in the last month.” But in its Friday post, Google said that “we understand these links are embedded in countless documents, videos, posts and more, and we appreciate the input received.”

Anthropic studied what gives an AI system its ‘personality’ — and what makes it ‘evil’

admin — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 16:58:16 +0000

On Friday, Anthropic debuted research unpacking how an AI system's "personality" - as in, tone, responses, and overarching motivation - changes and why. Researchers also tracked what makes a model "evil."

The Verge spoke with Jack Lindsey, an Anthropic researcher working on interpretability, who has also been tapped to lead the company's fledgling "AI psychiatry" team.

"Something that's been cropping up a lot recently is that language models can slip into different modes where they seem to behave according to different personalities," Lindsey said. "This can happen during a conversation - your conversation can lead the model to start beh …

Read the full story at The Verge.