OpenAI’s former Sora boss is leaving
Last month, OpenAI gave up on its Sora video generation tool, and on Friday, the Sora team's leader, Bill Peebles, announced that he is leaving the company. OpenAI has been shifting its priorities...
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Should you stare into Sam Altman’s orb before your next date?
Tinder users who prove they're a real person by visiting an identity-verifying orb will soon be able to get five free boosts in the app - and it's just the latest service to embrace the orb....
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Anthropic’s new cybersecurity model could get it back in the government’s good graces
The Trump administration has spent nearly two months fighting with AI company Anthropic. It's dubbed the company a "RADICAL LEFT, WOKE COMPANY" full of "Leftwing nut jobs" and a menace to national...
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Betting on the news raises ethical questions for journalists
Prediction market exchanges have created an environment where just about any piece of information is potentially monetizable: How well will BTS's new song perform this week? How hot will Los...
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This charming gadget writes bad AI poetry
I've never been as charmed and frustrated by one gadget as I have with the Poetry Camera. It's a delightful object. White and cherry red with a color-matched woven strap, it looks playful and...
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Our new favorite budget phones
Over the last few months, every phone maker under the sun has refreshed its lineups, especially at the affordable end, with no major budget phone launches now expected until next year. That made...
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The best budget smartphones you can buy
Some of us take a kind of “eat to live” rather than a “live to eat” approach to gadgets. They’re tools that help you get things done, not something you want to invest a lot of time or money in. If...
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Dairy Queen is putting an AI chatbot in its drive-thrus
Dairy Queen is becoming the latest fast food chain to get in on AI, as it's bringing a chatbot to dozens of its drive-thrus across the US and Canada. It aims to help speed up drive-thru service...
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The AirPods Pro 3 are $50 off right now, nearly matching their best-ever price
From OLED TVs to smartphones, Best Buy’s Upgrade Sale has slashed prices on all kinds of tech, including a wide range of Apple devices. We’ve rounded up the best deals from the sale here, but one...
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Peloton, stay in your lane
This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest gizmos and potions that swear they're going to change your...
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The South Korean president is doing quote-post diplomacy
"This is no different from Comfort Women or the Holocaust," wrote South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on X last week, quoting a post with a video of Israeli Defense Forces soldiers throwing a...
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Ghost orchid in the machine
Vacuum cleaners, personal massagers, electronic baby rockers, and walking pads: These are the secondhand machines Rachel Youn sources to create their kinetic sculptures. Made with artificial...
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The ‘AI is inevitable’ trap
In the latest sign of AI silly season, Allbirds, the shoe company, told the world it was now an AI company and briefly managed to septuple its stock price. The Newbird AI story is really just one...
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The creative software industry has declared war on Adobe
All empires eventually fall, and it seems the creative software industry has collectively decided that Adobe's time has come. The Creative Cloud provider's suite of design tools have been...
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A giant cell tower is going to space this weekend
This weekend's scheduled Blue Origin rocket launch is rather momentous. Success would signal an end to SpaceX's monopoly on reusable orbital launch vehicles, and set up a three-way race to make...
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YouTube’s mobile app finally lets you share timestamped videos
YouTube is making some changes that might affect how you share videos from the mobile app. From the app, you can finally share videos from a specific timestamp, which will make it easier to point...
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Gucci-branded Google smart glasses are coming next year
Google is reportedly partnering with Gucci to make a pair of AI smart glasses stylish enough people might actually want to wear them. According to Reuters, Gucci parent company Kering is planning...
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Ballmer gives $80 million to NPR, with strings attached
Connie Ballmer, wife of former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and cofounder of the Ballmer Group, has given $80 million to NPR. That's roughly seven years' worth of government funding ($11.2m) after...
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Netflix embraces vertical video with major mobile app update
Netflix announced on Thursday that it will be launching a redesigned mobile app, which will include a vertical video feed, at the end of April. "This redesign will better reflect our expanding...
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Netflix cofounder Reed Hastings is officially leaving the company
Netflix cofounder and chairman Reed Hastings plans to leave the company after nearly 30 years. The news comes as part of Netflix's Q1 2026 earnings results released on Thursday, which says...
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