News Alert Digest
Generated: 2026-08-20 06:00:02 | Timespan: 72h | Period: 24h
Apple's Camera AirPods May Launch as 'AirPods Pro,' Not 'AirPods Ultra'
The camera-equipped AirPods that we've confirmed Apple is working on are likely going to be part of the AirPods Pro lineup rather than separate "AirPods Ultra." A macOS Tahoe 26.7 file that references the new AirPods is labeled "AirPods Pro," hinting at …
OpenAI Exec: The Solution to AI Doing Bad Cybercrimes Is Even More AI
Unfortunately, OpenAI’s Greg Brockman might be right that AI offense is dominating human defense.
AI proptech startup EliseAI is in talks to raise a new round of funding at a $3.7 billion valuation
EliseAI, known for AI assistants in real estate, is eyeing a $3.7 billion valuation in a new funding round involving Andreessen Horowitz.
I built an AI C-suite to help me run my small business. As a creative, I was hesitant to use AI, but it's helpful for certain things.
A small business owner in Brooklyn created a C-suite filled with AI agents to help run her business, but she refuses to use AI for creative work.
Google is buying Spirit Airlines' old data for $10 million to improve its AI
Google bid $10 million for Spirit Airlines' data, beating Mercor's bid. Tech companies are racing to grab as much AI training data as they can.
OpenAI president says companies should do 10 things ASAP to defend against AI cyber threats
"Time is of the essence," OpenAI cofounder Greg Brockman said while sounding the alarm that companies need to upgrade their cybersecurity efforts.
Hackers Tricked a Major Retailer’s AI Shopping Bot to Do Something It Was Never Supposed To
At the cybersecurity conference Black Hat, researchers showed how an AI assistant at one of America’s largest retailers could be tricked into following hidden instructions and exposing sensitive system information.
Tracking Rare Books Leads to an Amazon AI Training Facility
alternative_right shares a report from 404 Media: Amazon is buying massive quantities of books, scanning them for AI training data, and destroying them in the process. A 404 Media investigation was able to reveal Amazon's book buying operation, which hasn't b…
Fidji Simo says she believes AI can 'cure all diseases,' agreeing with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei
Fidji Simo, an ex-OpenAI executive and cofounder of ChronicleBio, said AI needs the right data infrastructure to be able to cure all diseases.
Firefox’s Smart Window promises a better AI browser
Starting today, AI chats in Firefox's Smart Window AI browsing mode can pull from current web info and show source links in chat responses through a partnership with Exa. Smart Window can also now automatically suggest tab groups and show visual previews of p…
The Powerful Chinese Model Experts Warned About—and Waited for—Is Here
Z.ai’s latest AI model release could help companies secure their systems—or find its way into the hands of hackers.
Gemini in Chrome Is Now Available for Android Users
AI Pro and Ultra subscribers will also have access to Google’s agentic AI auto browsing feature.
Fairphone Gen 6 Plus rocks Murena's /e/OS, and it's making all the right moves in its August launch
Fairphone Gen 6 Plus launches with Murena's privacy-focused /e/OS, bringing current-gen sustainability and more to consumers.
Google Buys All of Spirit Airlines' Data to Feed Its AI Models
Google has agreed to pay $10 million for a massive trove of anonymized Spirit Airlines data following the carrier's shutdown, including internal communications, spreadsheets, booking and frequent-flyer records, transactions, and employee information. CNN repo…
The Year’s Ugliest Animated Movie Has Become an Anti-AI Phenomenon
Is Niu Lai outsider art, grift gone wrong, or avatar of anti-AI evangelism? Why not all three?
3 arguments for and against AI watermarks
Anthropic's invisible Claude watermarks are fueling a new debate over AI transparency, privacy, and authorship.
Becoming AI-Native Requires the Right People More Than the Right Technology. Here’s the Shift Leaders Need to Make.
AI-native companies will be defined not by the number of AI tools they use, but by how effectively they empower employees to adapt, innovate and create greater business impact.
Anthropic CEO Says AI Backlash Is 'Fundamentally a Crisis of Trust'
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei says the growing backlash against AI is less about executives sounding alarms and more about a broader "crisis of trust" in companies, governments, and the tech industry. TechCrunch reports: Amodei's comments came in response to inv…
EY is turning its internships into yearlong residencies as AI changes entry-level work
EY is launching a months long residency to train young consultants on the skills they will need for the AI era.
People Want AI to Help Them Grow, Not Just Get Things Done. Almost Nobody Is Solving for That.
A 81,000-person study found personal growth ranks second on the list of what people want from AI. Only 6% say AI has actually delivered on it.
Russia Threatens The UK (Again)
Threat comes after British-made drones were used in recent Ukrainian strikes in Russia.
Samsung just made dealing with device repairs way easier on Galaxy phones
One UI 9 centralizes repair booking, device diagnostics, and Samsung Care+ tracking into a single dashboard on Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Flip 8 foldables.
AI to help planes avoid climate-warming 'sky graffiti'
A new UK trial hopes to reduce the condensation trails from planes, which can trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere.
AI can demystify supply chain regulations for global businesses — if geopolitics don't get in the way
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce added seven US companies, including Altana, to its countermeasures list amid US-China trade tensions.
The push for AI watermarks is spawning a new wave of tools to remove them
Anthropic's AI watermarks have prompted developers to create tools designed to remove them from text and files.
Handshake AI wants to pay you up to $30K for work documents that you own
Handshake AI is paying $6 per page for written work documents of "high quality" — if you own them. A data privacy lawyer told BI he had concerns.
Anthropic explains how Claude’s invisible text watermarks will work
Anthropic has clarified how it's planning to apply invisible watermarks to Claude-generated text in order to comply with Europe's AI transparency rules. On Friday, Anthropic announced that Claude's text marking system is "a version of the SynthID-Text approac…
The main GitHub outage is fixed, but Copilot remains down
GitHub is mostly back, but lingering issues with Copilot and Issues show the platform still has some work to do before this outage is fully over.
Companies want employees to help build AI tools they expect them to use. That comes with 2 big challenges.
Walmart's big bet on AI is putting the burden on its employees to fix mistakes the tech is making.
This doctor turned a stroke at 24 into a $75 million bet on smart rings. Read his pitch deck.
Happy Health has raised $75 million to build an AI-powered smart ring that helps doctors diagnose and monitor sleep apnea at home.
DARPA wants robots to 3D print concrete underwater to build and repair ports
The Pentagon's research arm wants autonomous systems to 3D print concrete underwater using seawater and seafloor sediment to repair infrastructure.
Consider the AI tear down
Find a safe critic. Upload your essay, your book, your artwork, your business plan or your resume to Claude. Then, pick a critic. “Write a detailed, specific negative review that might appear on Amazon/in ArtNews/at a Ph.D defense/from a disappointed venture …
First came self-driving cars. Now, Waymo veterans are building autonomous construction equipment.
Bedrock Robotics said its excavators equipped with its autonomous AI system are working without human operators on three sites in Texas and Nevada.
$1 billion NYC-startup Dash0 acquires Berlin tech company to build software that fixes itself
Dash0 is acquiring Polar Signals, gaining continuous profiling tech as it builds AI agents that can monitor and improve software in real time.
I burned out from AI overload. My anxiety peaked, I lost weight, and I was snapping at my family and friends.
Shalirrah Wisney, a mother of two, enthusiastically embraced AI both at work at and home. Then, the burnout set in.
Layoff fears are pushing some visa holders out of Big Tech
Some visa holders are weighing Big Tech's pay and prestige against layoff risks that could threaten their ability to remain in the US.
Here’s How Job Applicants Are Trying to Make Their Resumes Stand Out: ‘There’s No Way to Fight It’
One professor created a free AI training program and expected 500 sign-ups. What happened next surprised him.
My parents thought I was wasting my life playing video games. I became a millionaire by 27.
Dima Beseda says his parents worried about how much he played World of Warcraft. He later turned gaming into a career and became a millionaire.
Tesla is finally launching the Cybercab — let’s hope it’s ready
The Tesla Cybercab, that golden two-seater central to Elon Musk's robo-supremacist ambitions, is finally nearing it's public launch. Whether or not the no-steering wheel and no-pedal vehicle is actually ready for public roads, let alone customers, remains ver…
Apple squashes EU beef with new App Store rules
Apple is once again overhauling App Store rules in the European Union, which the company says will resolve its "disagreements with the Commission over business terms and alternative distribution." As part of the changes, every developer that distributes apps …
Gemini's auto-browse in Chrome is finally here for Android to make the mundane a breeze
Gemini is showing up big for U.S. Android users in Chrome today, bringing Nano Banana, summaries, and "auto-browse" for AI subscribers.
Apple's Home Hub Will Have a Widget Gallery With iPhone Widget Support
Apple is working on a home hub that incorporates Siri AI, and it's set to launch as soon as this year. The home hub will use a Widget Gallery that lets users select the content they want to appear on the device's home screen. Mentions of the Widget Galle…
ChatGPT Launches a Version of Its Model for Teens
The rollout raises questions about whether teenagers should be using chatbots at all.
Oops! My cat is an iPad kid
Pets, like children, come with the responsibility to keep them happy, healthy, and mentally stimulated - obligations I readily committed to before getting my cat, Trevor. I work from home, so he's never lonely, and play with him using a mountain of toys at ev…
Firefox’s AI Window Gets New Features Meant to Help You Stay on Task and Organized
You have to opt into using the browser if you want these features.
Harvey's first LLM for legal work is here
Harvey's first AI model, Tenet, is designed to take on more of the tasks typically done by lawyers over hours or days.
Planned US Data Centers Set to Produce 24M Cars’ Worth Of Carbon Dioxide
Researchers find Big Tech’s most ambitious builds and climate pledges are colliding with its AI power demands.
This Hidden Operational Crisis is Overloading College Admissions Teams — And Putting Enrollment at Risk
Higher education's hidden admissions crisis is operational overload.
Whisker’s AI-powered litter robot thinks my cats swapped bodies
The greatest invention in pet tech in recent years is the litter robot. A machine that scoops your kitties' poop so you don't have to - what else could a cat owner possibly want? How about insights into your kitty's litter box usage that could flag health iss…
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro cracks down on data centers, says speculators are 'scaring our communities'
"These speculators are nevertheless scaring our communities — being aggressive with township officials," Gov. Josh Shapiro said of developers.
Lock It Up: Android 17’s Latest QPR2 Beta Introduces a Built-In App Lock
Using an app lock on your phone adds a layer of security for sensitive data past your main lock screen.
We asked ChatGPT's new teen function to help us cheat on our homework. Here's how it went.
OpenAI launched ChatGPT for Teens with new safeguards for younger users. We tested it on its first day with some interesting results.
Amazon’s New Terms of Service Bar Customers From Filing Class-Action Lawsuits
If you have a dispute with the e-commerce giant, you’ll have to hash it out through an individual claim with a third-party arbitrator.
Uber COO is ‘tempted to say’ the company will have fewer employees in five years
Uber chief operating officer Andrew Macdonald sees roles that are ripe for AI augmentation but thinks the company could grow in other ways.
John Gruber calls Claude's AI watermarking 'patently offensive'
Anthropic is adding a watermark to Claude's output. Tech blogger John Gruber says it could prioritize traceability over the quality of the writing.
I've traveled beyond Japan's popular Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka route. There are 4 cool day trips I'd actually recommend.
I live in Japan and have traveled beyond the popular tourist destinations like Tokyo and Osaka. Some of my favorite day trips are Saitama and Nara.
Rugged robotic mules could make dangerous supply missions safer for US soldiers, but there are some things still to work out
Ukraine has seen success in using uncrewed ground vehicles, or UGVs, for logistics runs, keeping soldiers out of direct danger.
The hottest AI models aren’t the ones developers actually use
Silicon Valley goes crazy for every new frontier model. However, new data from Hugging Face shows that developers gravitate to lesser known models.
Retailers face a big challenge this fall: figure out what 'value' means for shoppers
The concept of value is tricky, since it means different things to different people. Even so, it's very real, and shoppers know it when they see it.
Comcast is turning millions of its routers into motion detectors
Comcast is bringing Wi-Fi motion sensing to millions of routers that are already in customers' homes, turning the devices into activity monitors. A new update to the Xfinity Internet app, arriving today, August 18th, enables the feature on compatible Xfinity …
The Verge Guide to Pets
Ah, the relationship between animals and the technology they can’t quite understand. Today, it seems like there’s a high-tech solution to every element of pet ownership, with devices on the market designed to keep pets fed, cleaned, watched over, and enterta…
Google’s Pet Memory forgot who my cats are
One of the best things my smart home does is help me care for my pets, and security cameras are particularly useful for keeping track of my many critters. But the barrage of notifications they send often means I miss important ones. So, when Google announced …
The 10 British universities with the most American students, ranked
Some American students are earning degrees across the pond. They're flocking to Scotland and England to attend prestigious schools like Oxford.
You can get an unlocked Google Pixel 11 for as little as $99 at Best Buy (sort of) — here's how
Best Buy is offering up to $700 off the base model Google Pixel 11 when you trade in an old or broken phone. You'll also get a gift card!
The Verdict Is In: CNET Readers Trust These Mobile Carriers More Than the Major Networks
Our readers rant and rave about mobile virtual network operators, but what about major networks, like AT&T and Verizon?
The Best Entrepreneurs Never Stop Being Students. Here Are 5 Ways to Keep Learning and Growing.
The entrepreneurs who endure are rarely the ones who know the most. Here's what really sets them apart.
Apple Overhauls EU App Store Fees to Settle Digital Markets Act Dispute
Apple today announced changes to its App Store policies and fees in the European Union to comply with the Digital Markets Act. Apple says the changes were made after "close collaboration" with the European Commission, and the updates simplify the fee structur…
IVF staff accused of misleading UK parents about sperm and egg donors in northern Cyprus
Multiple children are feared to have been conceived using sperm and egg donors which were not the ones selected by the parents.
This CEO Runs More Pro Sports Teams Than Anyone in the World — Here’s Why He Doesn’t Measure Success In Wins
The CEO of Diamond Baseball Holdings oversees more professional sports teams than anyone in the world. Here's why his winning strategy has nothing to do with the final score.
These Two Self-Described ‘Country Hicks’ Just Turned Down $26 Million to Build a Data Center on Their Land
Delsia Bare and her mother, Ida Huddleston, thought they'd hit pay dirt. Then they learned what their farmland would actually become.
David Ellison's Paramount is hiring 2 more former Google execs
Paramount Skydance just hired two more former Google executives as part of David Ellison's tech push. Read the memo from product chief Dane Glasgow.
It’s Official: No Man Can Outrun Our Robot Overlords
Unitree’s "Superman" humanoid robot was recorded running at a top speed of 12.66 meters per second.
Jason Arday's rise and fall tells a larger story about academia, a critic says
What can academia learn from Jason Arday's rise and fall? Atlantic staff writer and former academic Tyler Austin Harper weighs the questions his story left behind.
Jason Arday's family 'still coming to terms' with his death as vigil held
Jason Arday's family spoke of the "public cruelty" the academic faced before his death last week.
One year with the Google Pixel 10 Pro: Why do bad things happen to good phones?
The Google Pixel 10 Pro marked a watershed moment in Pixel history, but was that a good or a bad moment? One year later, I have a conclusion.
Waymo pioneer Sebastian Thrun is building a new robotics startup
Waymo pioneer Sebastian Thrun unveils Dulo, a stealth startup focused on advanced hardware design models, with a team of industry veterans.
Cherokee Nation Bans Hyperscale Data Center Projects on Tribal-Owned Lands
The tribe cited concerns over energy, water use, and the relatively small number of permanent jobs these massive facilities create.
Mamdani is going to town on the annoyance economy
NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani is targeting small issues like junk fees, petty scams, and red tape in a strategy to prove his government can deliver.
It’s about ethics in journalism, with Ben Smith
Today I’m talking to Ben Smith, the editor-in-chief of Semafor. Everywhere you go, people say they don’t trust the media — and yet they’ve never consumed more of it. Audiences have moved on from legacy names in favor of Substacks and podcasts and TikTok news …
Can Intel Save the Suffocating Gaming Handheld Scene?
The next 'budget' handheld PC may rely on cheap chips and software tricks.
What Berkshire's huge wager on Alphabet says about Warren Buffett's post-CEO role
Berkshire Hathaway has built a nearly $38 billion Alphabet stake from scratch in under a year. It seems likely Warren Buffett is spearheading the investment.
Pixel 11 Pro XL vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max: I Compared Google and Apple’s Flagship Phones
Choosing between Android and iOS? I’m here to help you decide between the $1,199 iPhone 17 Pro Max and the brand-new $1,299 Pixel 11 Pro XL.
Google Tensor G6: Everything you need to know
With the Tensor G6, Google is rolling out considerable upgrades. Is this the year the mobile platform challenges Qualcomm and MediaTek? Let's take a look.
Inside Defcon, the Conference That Made Cybersecurity Noob-Friendly
I arrived alone and unprepared for a world of electronic badges, hacking contests and unwritten rules. By the end, I was already thinking about next year’s event.
Is ChatGPT dropping more f-bombs lately? Users think so.
Users flocked to social media this week and last after ChatGPT seemed unusually profane, dropping f-bombs and other swear words far more than usual.
Apple Seeds Sixth iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 Betas to Developers
Apple today seeded the sixth betas of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming one week after Apple released the fifth betas. Registered developers can download the betas from the Settings app on the iPhone or iPad …
A New Thermal Add-On to My Phone Changed How I See My Home Forever
One small phone attachment can spot cams, leaks, insulation problems and more. I was amazed when I tried it at my house.
Meta heads to court in a landmark trial about kids and social media addiction
Four states are suing the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, alleging that the platforms were designed to hook kids and that Meta hid the mental health risks.
Car problems? No childcare? How an app is helping people get to work
Unexpected absences can cost employers tens of thousands of dollars a month. An app that helps workers with last-minute transportation, food and childcare is making a difference.
The 25 most promising robotics startups in 2026, according to investors
We asked investors from Sequoia, Felicis, Bessemer, and more to highlight promising robotics startups, as the sector sees an investment boom in 2026.
Older student-loan borrowers are at risk of losing a chunk of their Social Security. There's a new bill to prevent that.
Sen. Bernie Sanders is introducing a bill to stop student-loan borrowers who default from facing Social Security garnishment.
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