- Will AI fix prior authorization—or make it worse?
ars-technica· 18-jul
The government is piloting a program that uses AI for insurance-coverage decisions.
- Fubo hikes prices by $15 after restoring some NBCU channels lost in November
ars-technica· 17-jul
Fubo subscribers still don't have Versant channels.
- Hegseth wants a "High-T" military; doctors call it a clinical minefield
ars-technica· 17-jul
"We're turning the clock back on rational healthcare."
- Taco Bell iceberg lettuce identified as source of cyclosporiasis in 5 states
ars-technica· 17-jul
Don't eat Taco Bell lettuce in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, or West Virginia.
- Troubling new details emerge on diabetes ouster controversy
ars-technica· 17-jul
American Diabetes Association blocked publication of op-ed articles so the authors posted them as a preprint.
- Google-backed satellites for wildfire detection launch as smoke chokes US, Canada
ars-technica· 17-jul
The FireSat program can spot wildfires that other satellites miss.
- The Pentagon's Space Development Agency hasn't moved as fast as anyone would like
ars-technica· 17-jul
"Missiles are being launched at the joint force every single day in [Operation] Epic Fury."
- Will Russia's answer to the Falcon 9 rocket ever take flight?
ars-technica· 17-jul
Grasshopper-like tests could begin in 2028.
- Ars is looking for a senior technology reporter, and you might be it!
ars-technica· 17-jul
Desktops, laptops, phones, CPUs, GPUs, NAS—if you know this stuff, come work for us!
- San Francisco orders Apple, Google to remove nudify apps from app stores
ars-technica· 17-jul
Official estimates Google and Apple likely made millions in nudify app fees.
- What Anthropic’s latest AI discovery does—and doesn’t—show
mit-tech-review· 13-jul
This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI. To get stories like this in your inbox first, sign up here. Anthropic—currently the world’s most valuable AI company, with a nearly $1 trillion valuation—has a reputation for publishing strange and heady research. It’s looking into whether AI models can feel pain, for example,…
- PsiQuantum has a plan to make a massive quantum computer out of light
mit-tech-review· 14-jul
The machine that could change the world will be housed in a room that looks like a data center crossed with an ice cream factory. Inside will be some 100 stainless-steel cabinets, each about six feet tall and connected to a supply of liquid helium that keeps them only a few degrees above absolute zero.…
- The Download: Claude’s inner workings, and the future of world models
mit-tech-review· 14-jul
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. What Anthropic’s latest AI discovery does—and doesn’t—show —James O’Donnell When Anthropic announced last week that it had found a new window into its models’ “internal thoughts” as they reason through answers,…
- The Download: a useful quantum machine and a record-breaking subsea tunnel
mit-tech-review· 15-jul
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. PsiQuantum has a plan to make a massive quantum computer out of light The machine that could change the world will be housed in a room that looks like a data…
- Meet GPT-Red: an LLM super-hacker OpenAI built to make its models safer
mit-tech-review· 15-jul
OpenAI has built an LLM super-hacker called GPT-Red that it uses as a sparring partner to help its other models boost their defenses against cyberattacks. Last week the company released the latest version of its flagship LLM, GPT-5.6. OpenAI says that training it against GPT-Red made the model its most robust release yet. GPT-Red automates…
- Why heat pumps are still so hot in the US
mit-tech-review· 16-jul
It feels as if it should be illegal to even think about heating appliances during the height of summer—seriously, these heat waves in New York have been brutal—but we need to talk about heat pumps. The appliances use electricity for heating, they’re incredibly efficient, and they’re on the rise. (For what it’s worth, many heat…
- The Download: OpenAI unveils GPT-Red and heat pumps rise in the US
mit-tech-review· 16-jul
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Meet GPT-Red: an LLM super-hacker OpenAI built to make its models safer OpenAI has built an LLM super-hacker called GPT-Red that it uses as a sparring partner to help its other…
- There’s a lot of hype around perimenopause. Don’t buy it.
mit-tech-review· 17-jul
Perimenopause has entered the chat. Perimenopause—and its better-known relative, menopause—used to be considered taboo. Not anymore, thanks at least in part to TV doctors and social media influencers. Perhaps it’s my age, but these days, both my algorithm and my conversations with friends increasingly swing toward perimenopause. Menopause is defined as the life stage that…
- The risk of weather data sabotage is rising
mit-tech-review· 17-jul
Every morning, airline dispatchers, grid operators, and farmers around the world make decisions based on the same thing: a weather forecast. While these forecasts are something that most people glance at for two seconds, weather predictions influence major strategic decisions in many industries, with real money, livelihoods, and even actual lives at stake. Farmers use…
- The Download: perimenopause misinformation and China’s latest AI leap
mit-tech-review· 17-jul
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. There’s a lot of hype around perimenopause. Don’t buy it. Perimenopause used to be considered taboo, but not anymore. Thanks at least in part to TV doctors and social media influencers,…
- Agility Robotics plants its flag in Tesla’s backyard
techcrunch· 17-jul
Agility is opening a new training center for its Digit robots in Fremont, California.
- AI-driven memory crunch jolts India’s smartphone market
techcrunch· 17-jul
India's smartphone slowdown highlights how the AI boom is reshaping consumer electronics, from pricing and demand to corporate strategy.
- Apple and Google ordered to purge ‘nudify’ apps from App Stores
techcrunch· 17-jul
In letters sent to Apple and Google, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu said that both companies have long been aware that they are hosting apps in violation of state law.
- Applications close in 48 hours — here’s everything Australian founders need to know about Stripe x Startup Battlefield
techcrunch· 17-jul
The window is almost shut. On August 19, eight startups will take the stage at Stripe Tour Sydney in front of investors, global press, and the Australian tech community. One startup walks away with automatic entry into TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco — no application, no further competition, a guaranteed spot on the world’s most […]
- Databricks hits $188B valuation, extending its run as AI’s favorite second act
techcrunch· 17-jul
Databricks has remade its image into an AI company and has published research on the cost savings of open weight AI models for coding.
- I replaced my space heater and ceiling fan with one Dyson appliance
techcrunch· 17-jul
Designed for year-round comfort, the Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 combines quiet operation and simple controls with Dyson's signature bladeless design.
- Neil Rimer thinks the AI money is coming back out
techcrunch· 18-jul
Neil Rimer, the venture capitalist who co-founded Index Ventures, predicts the historic wealth AI is generating in Silicon Valley will have to be redistributed, voluntarily or involuntarily.
- Nuclear startup Valar Atomics in talks to raise new funding at $6B valuation
techcrunch· 17-jul
The potential deal highlights a growing trend of complex, multi-stage funding rounds that mask true entry prices.
- The Zoom hack that says, ‘Don’t record me’
techcrunch· 17-jul
If every meeting, watercooler conversation, and date gets transcribed and summarized, who's actually reading any of it?
- Vertu wants executives to pay $6,880 for an AI agent — here’s how it actually performs
techcrunch· 17-jul
From AI workflows to battery life and security, here's what it's really like to live with Vertu's luxury foldable every day.
- Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky says his 30-day warranty is all about trust
the-verge· 17-jul
The Pebble Appstore is filled with stuff, but you don’t need much of it. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky says buyers of its new e-paper smartwatches should know what they're signing up for and trust Pebble to make things right if they run into issues, despite the short warranty. "I think the most important thing is trust," Migicovsky told me in an interview this week. "Do people trust the product that we're making and do they trust the company and the people behind it?" Migicovsky revived Pebble early last year, after the original company shut down in 2016. The new generation of Pebbles has the same aesthetic, but with updated tech, including larger e-paper displays. I was excited about Pebble's return after miss … Read the full story at The Ve…
- Shark’s versatile ChillPill cooling system is back to its best price
the-verge· 17-jul
You can clip the versatile cooling gadget, wear it, and use it as a desk fan. | Image: Shark Portable fans are one of the easiest ways to stay cool during the summer, and you don’t have to spend much to find a decent one. If you’re looking for something more versatile, though, Shark’s ChillPill Personal Fan and Cooling System combines a rechargeable fan with a dry-touch evaporative mister in a design that can be worn, clipped, or used on a tabletop. Right now, it’s on sale for $99.99 ($30 off) at Amazon, matching its all-time low. If you’re a Costco member, you can get it for the same price with a free clip, crossbody strap, and InstaChill Cooling Plate which you can press against your neck or wrists for quick relief. Shark ChillPill Personal Fan and Cooling System Where to Buy: $129.99 $…
- More games should be on rails (literally)
the-verge· 18-jul
It's been a good few weeks for games on rails. Nintendo's Star Fox remake wisely kept the tightly scripted, action-packed levels from Star Fox 64 largely the same, and they're still fun to fly through nearly 20 years later. Denshattack!, a new game from Undercoders, similarly features levels packed with carefully orchestrated sequences to great effect. Except instead of flying through space as an unnervingly realistic anthropomorphic fox, you're flying - and flipping, and spinning, and grinding - through Japan while driving a blindingly fast train. Calling Denshattack! a train game radically undersells what you actually do. Across a bright … Read the full story at The Verge.
- Apple’s plot to crush OpenAI
the-verge· 17-jul
Apple is suing OpenAI. The complaint is readable and intense, as these things often are, though many experts seem to think many of the allegations are just the ways things are done. So what does Apple really want here, and why is it picking such a public fight with OpenAI? On this episode of The Vergecast, Nilay and David go through the lawsuit, and look at Apple's history of splashy litigation to determine whether Apple is worried about a possible competitor or simply looking to capitalize on a weak moment for OpenAI. All this is happening as Apple ships the public betas of its new software, headlined by the new Siri AI, and we have though … Read the full story at The Verge.
- Taylor Farms pulls iceberg lettuce from the US market after cyclosporiasis outbreak
the-verge· 17-jul
Agriculture - Harvested Iceberg lettuce / Santa Maria, California, USA. (Photo by: Tony Hertz /Design Pics Editorial/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Food producer Taylor Farms released a statement on the Cyclospora outbreak Friday, confirming that it's "voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the US market." Reuters reports that, according to a source, Taylor Farms told customers like Yum Brands owner Taco Bell and the food distributor Sysco on Thursday to pull shredded lettuce that had been produced initially as 5-pound bags at a facility in Guanajuato, Mexico, from distribution. Taco Bell said on Thursday that "The affected ingredient from our supplier is being indefinitely removed from our supply chain nationwide and will be replaced within 24…
- Sony’s flagship RGB LED TV is incredible
the-verge· 18-jul
Sony’s flagship Bravia 9 II is the best RGB LED TV I’ve seen this year. The Sony Bravia 9 II is the most anticipated new TV in years. It's an amazing RGB LED TV. I watched Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves on the new Bravia with my son, who has been getting into the roleplaying game but had never seen the movie. The landscapes of Faerûn looked natural and real, while the magic cast by the Red Wizards of Thay was vibrant and colorful. Specular highlights in HDR really pop. I saw it with Xenk's glowing sword as he fought in the Underdark in Honor Among Thieves, but also in the explosions as Furiosa flees across the desert in Mad Max: Fury Road and the sun reflecting off the waves in The Meg. The Bravia 7 II … Read the full story at The Verge.
- Fine, electric mountain bikes don’t suck
the-verge· 18-jul
You don’t need a $10,000 Amflow PX Carbon Pro, but it doesn’t hurt. | Photo by Thomas Ricker / The Verge Cheater, I'd grumble between huffs as yet another e-bike rider casually skittered past me on a steep ascent. It's this purist attitude that, for years, has left me blind to one simple fact: electric mountain bikes are fun! My attitude adjustment came a few weeks ago, the very first time I rode an Amflow PX Carbon Pro fitted with the incredibly compact, lightweight, and powerful M2S motor from Avinox, a new DJI offshoot that has incumbents like Bosch and Specialized on edge. The motor doesn't make me a speed demon, but it does let me suck better by compensating whenever my poor technique kills the momentum. Mountain biking has a long histor … Read the full story at The Verge.
- Apple Music is getting a price hike
the-verge· 17-jul
Apple Music is more expensive now. In the US, an individual plan now costs $11.99 per month, a $1 bump up from the previous $10.99 price. A family plan now costs $19.99 per month, up from $16.99, and a student plan costs $6.99 per month, up from $5.99. Apple, in a statement to Music Business Worldwide, says it is increasing prices "as a result of rising licensing costs." Music Business Worldwide also reports that prices gone up in the UK and Europe, and the publication "understands" that hikes are hitting other countries as well. Apple didn't immediately reply to a request for comment from The Verge. Apple Music last got a price increase i … Read the full story at The Verge.
- TikTok is testing an AI likeness detection tool
the-verge· 17-jul
TikTok is starting to test an opt-in tool that scans for AI likenesses and lets creators report them to the company, as spotted by social media consultant Matt Navarra. The tool is initially being tested with "some" US creators, TikTok US spokesperson Zachary Kizer tells The Verge. YouTube has been working on a similar tool and recently made it available to all adult users. Creators who are part of TikTok's test and want to use the tool will first have to verify their identity with a company called Jumio. You'll have to do a real-time selfie scan and an ID check, but Kizer says that "TikTok does not retain ID documents, and facial informati … Read the full story at The Verge.
- The apps, gadgets, and tools every reader needs
the-verge· 18-jul
Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 136, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, hope your neighborhood isn't as smoky as mine, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) This week, I've been recording the next season of Version History (this season's finale is out on Sunday!), reading about data center heists and Backyard Baseball and the creator of Calvin and Hobbes, canceling my October plans to see Digger 30 or 40 times, taking on the new Knockout Tour routes in Mario Kart World, learning more than I ever intended about Staten Island thanks to Revisionist His … Read the full story at The Verge.