AI Is Dismantling the Gatekeepers

AI Is Dismantling the Gatekeepers

From a garage Alzheimer's drug to orbital data wars, AI is decentralizing everything. Plus: who really benefits when Congress fast-tracks kids' safety laws? • Nest’s quest to fix your thermostat The Verge's Version History podcast drops a new episode tracing the origin story of Nest, examining how Apple/iPod legend Tony Fadell left retirement to reinvent the humble thermostat and bet on the smart home future. • Ad-free streaming is a luxury now Ad-free streaming has effectively become a premium luxury product as major platforms widen the price gap between ad-supported and commercial-free tiers, with nearly half of US subscribers now opting for cheaper, ad-supported plans. • TMD’s keyless bike lock is a $280 solution to a $60 problem TMD, a company that built keyless security systems for bank ATMs, has launched a Bluetooth-enabled bike lock for $280 — but real-world testing reveals some serious convenience trade-offs that make the steep price hard to justify. • Indian payments chief thinks AI will be heavily involved in next era of digital payment growth India's top payments official says AI will power the next wave of UPI growth, targeting over a billion daily transactions by driving user onboarding, fraud detection, and credit access. • Instagram is testing more ways to customize ‘Your Algorithm’ Instagram is expanding its 'Your Algorithm' customization feature with new gestures and controls, including pull-down menus, swipe-up prompts on Reels, and per-Reel preference buttons. • SoftBank’s CEO isn’t the only one with questions about Elon Musk’s orbital data center hype SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son is publicly questioning the viability of Elon Musk's orbital data center concept, saying the costs are prohibitive and the timeline is too slow to address AI's urgent compute needs. • Guy in his basement creates a drug to treat Alzheimer's disease using AI A researcher named Douglas Yao claims to have invented a novel Alzheimer's drug called PAC-832 using AI, designing and synthesizing it in a home garage lab — potentially marking a new era of decentralized drug discovery. • Kids act would require age checks to get online Congress is rushing to vote on the KIDS Act, a sweeping internet regulation package that critics say will effectively force age verification for all online users despite disclaimers to the contrary. • More evidence of life on Mars but still no life (2025) NASA's Perseverance rover has found its clearest potential biosignatures yet on Mars — two chemicals typically linked to microbial activity — but scientists still can't rule out non-biological explanations, continuing a long pattern of tantalizing but inconclusive Martian discoveries. • CBS Sports predicts 2026 win-loss record for all 16 SEC programs CBS Sports has released early 2026 win-loss projections for all 16 SEC programs, giving college football fans and analysts a first look at how the conference pecking order might shake out two seasons fr

Mythos Whiplash: How Washington's AI Export Chaos Is Handing Asia a Gift

The Trump admin imposed and then partially reversed Anthropic export bans in days — and Asian rivals are already cashing in. Plus Musk's quiet FTC win. • This puzzle game’s simple premise hides surprising depth Indie puzzle game 'What's the Password?' challenges players to crack over 100 four-digit codes using wildly varied clues, and its deceptively simple premise delivers hours of surprisingly deep gameplay. • This might be the new best smart speaker The Verge's weekly Installer newsletter highlights the new $99 Google Home Speaker as a potential best-in-class smart speaker, alongside a packed week of tech and gaming news. • Prime Day is almost over, but these are still the best Apple deals I’ve seen Amazon Prime Day 2026 is in its final hours, but deep discounts on Apple gear remain live — including AirPods Pro 3 at $179 and Apple Watch Series 11 at a record-low $279. • Asian AI startups launch Mythos-like models as Anthropic’s export ban drags on Two Asian AI startups are stepping into the vacuum left by the Trump administration's export ban on Anthropic's most powerful models, with Tokyo-based Sakana AI launching its Fugu model and Chinese firm 360 unveiling cybersecurity-focused AI tools to rival Anthropic's Mythos. • Trump Admin releases Anthropic Mythos to be used by more than 100 US companies, agencies The Trump administration is partially lifting its ban on Anthropic's cybersecurity AI models, allowing Mythos 5 to be accessed by more than 100 U.S. government agencies and companies — including their non-American employees. • FTC gives Musk the OK to acquire SpaceX alumni startup Mesh The FTC has cleared Elon Musk to acquire Mesh Optical Technologies, a data center hardware startup founded by three former SpaceX engineers that uses light-based transceivers to speed up data center communications. • Apple and Audi alumni have made a luxe EV based on the moon buggy Amble, a Lisbon-based startup founded by alumni of Apple, Audi, and Ford, has launched the Amble One — a $25,000 moon buggy-inspired electric vehicle targeting luxury resorts and second-car buyers, with 500 units already committed. • Which former Buckeyes have been acquired by NBA teams this summer? Several former Ohio State Buckeyes basketball players found new NBA homes this summer, continuing the program's pipeline to professional basketball. • Red Wings Draft J.P. Hurlbert 23rd Overall The Detroit Red Wings selected forward J.P. Hurlbert with the 23rd overall pick in the NHL Draft, adding a top-end prospect to their rebuilding pipeline. • 2026 NHL Draft: Live Tracker The 2026 NHL Draft is underway with live pick-by-pick tracking as NHL franchises select the next generation of professional hockey talent. • ‘Lee Cronin’s The Mummy’ Sets HBO Max Release Date Lee Cronin's reimagining of The Mummy has locked in a release date on HBO Max, bringing the classic horror franchise to the streaming platform. • Star City July 3 New Episode 7

The White House Just Pumped the Brakes on AI

Federal oversight is crashing the AI party. We unpack what it means when Washington starts vetting who gets the next GPT model. • Trump Mobile will take your $499 right now Trump Mobile's T1 Phone is now available for direct purchase at $499 with no deposit required, but shipping remains a mystery — even The Verge still hasn't received the two units it already paid for. • Android 17’s new foldable gaming mode could make flippy phones more fun Android 17 is adding a dedicated foldable gaming mode that turns half your screen into a virtual gamepad, making it easier to play controller-compatible games without carrying extra hardware. • The White House is asking OpenAI to slow roll the release of its new model over safety concerns The Trump administration is pressuring OpenAI to limit the release of its new GPT-5.6 model to select partners only, with government agencies approving access customer by customer before any broader public rollout. • YouTube Shorts are getting even shorter with an update that lets you double the playback speed YouTube is updating Shorts with a 2x playback speed option, a removed dislike button, a heart emoji replacing the like button, and a new 'Clear Screen' mode for distraction-free viewing. • Patronus AI lands $50M to build ‘digital worlds’ that stress-test AI agents Patronus AI has raised a $50 million Series B to build simulated 'digital worlds' that stress-test AI agents before they're deployed in real-world tasks like financial analysis or software engineering. • Microsoft adds another year to Windows 10 extended update program Microsoft quietly extended its free Windows 10 security update program by an extra year, pushing the new end date to October 12, 2027, as hundreds of millions of users still haven't upgraded to Windows 11. • FCC may kill $2B program that connects schools and libraries to Internet The FCC, led by Chairman Brendan Carr, voted 2-1 to propose scaling back or completely eliminating E-Rate, a $2 billion annual program that subsidizes internet access for schools and libraries, citing student screen time concerns. • Notion killing Skiff-influenced email app since most users use AI agents instead Notion is shutting down Notion Mail on September 22, 2025, citing that over half of its users already let AI agents handle their email without ever opening the inbox. • Texas judge vacates 3 Biden-era Davis-Bacon provisions A federal judge in Texas has struck down three Biden administration updates to Davis-Bacon prevailing wage rules, delivering a significant blow to labor standards on federally funded construction projects. • DOE offers $17.5B in loans to help build 10 large nuclear reactors The U.S. Department of Energy is putting $17.5 billion in loan guarantees on the table to finance the construction of 10 large-scale nuclear reactors, signaling a major federal push to expand domestic nuclear capacity. • Streaming Ratings: ‘The Boroughs’ Hits No. 1, ‘Spider-Noir’ Star

OpenAI and Broadcom's Jalapeño Chip Is a Direct Shot at Nvidia

OpenAI and Broadcom just unveiled a custom AI inference chip — and it could reshape who controls the future of compute. • Facebook’s Creator Studio has been revived as an AI companion app Meta is reviving Facebook's Creator Studio as a standalone AI companion app, centered on an AI Creator Assistant that offers performance insights, engagement tips, and AI-drafted comment replies. • The top tech Prime Day deals to shop on day two Amazon Prime Day 2026 is in its second of four days, with many top deals from day one still active and new discounts added across tech, smart home, and audio categories. • This year’s Prime Day deals on Apple products are the best I’ve seen Amazon Prime Day 2026 is delivering the deepest Apple discounts in recent memory, with price cuts across AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, and Beats products — all while Apple's Tim Cook has warned that price hikes are on the horizon. • Europe is pushing back on Washington’s chip war The Netherlands is taking the rare step of lobbying Washington directly against the MATCH Act, a proposed U.S. bill that would cut off Chinese access to ASML's older chip-making equipment and potentially cost Europe's most valuable company a significant chunk of its revenue. • Former Infosys chief has a new startup that wants to challenge the IT services world Former Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka has launched Hang Ten Systems, a startup betting AI can replace traditional IT services work, and has already secured $32 million in seed funding and early enterprise customers just one month in. • Elon suffers another day short of trillionaire status Elon Musk briefly became the world's first trillionaire when SpaceX went public earlier this month, but stock price fluctuations have since dropped him back below the trillion-dollar mark. • Hotly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI will cost more than other AAA games Grand Theft Auto VI will launch at $80 for the standard edition and $99 for the Ultimate Edition, making it the priciest mainstream AAA game release to date when preorders open this week. • OpenAI and Broadcom announce chip designed for LLM inference at scale OpenAI and Broadcom have unveiled a custom AI chip called Jalapeño, built specifically for large language model inference in data centers, with deployment targeted for the end of 2025. • 13 years and $500 million for a stage adapter? Report justifies NASA cancellations. A NASA Inspector General report reveals that four canceled Artemis Program components had ballooned from $2.8 billion to nearly $6 billion in combined contract value, vindicating NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman's decision to scrap them during the agency's 'Ignition' restructuring in March. • 'Complete success': Why 2029 WR Austin Miller made early pledge to Ohio State 2029 wide receiver prospect Austin Miller has committed early to Ohio State football, with his recruitment described as a 'complete success' for the Buckeyes' program. • Your guide to 2026 movie rele

The Quantum Deadline Just Got Moved Up—Is Your Data Ready?

The White House slashed the quantum encryption deadline by years. Plus: AI agents invade marketing, Prime Day's best deals, and India's commerce wars heat up. • The best robot vacuum deals available during Prime Day Amazon Prime Day 2026 is live with significant discounts on top-rated robot vacuums from Roborock, Dreame, Narwal, and Eufy, with savings ranging from 15% to over 44% off. • This year’s Prime Day deals on Apple products are the best I’ve seen Amazon Prime Day 2026 is live with the best Apple discounts in recent memory, including record or near-record lows on AirPods Pro 3, Apple Watch Series 11, and multiple Beats products. • The Nex Playground is down to its pre-RAMageddon price during Prime Day The Nex Playground motion-sensing family game console is on sale for $239 during Amazon Prime Day 2026, matching its best post-'RAMageddon' price but still above its original $199-$250 launch pricing. • How to invest when everything is moving too fast At TechCrunch's StrictlyVC event in LA, investors Carter Reum of M13 and Chang Xu of Basis Set Ventures broke down how they're navigating AI investment in a market moving faster than any previous tech cycle — and why even getting it right is harder than ever. • Walmart-backed Flipkart expands quick-commerce push as Amazon ramps up in India Walmart-backed Flipkart has hit 1,000 micro-fulfillment centers for its Minutes quick-commerce service and is racing to 1,500 by end of 2026, as Amazon aggressively expands its own Amazon Now fast-delivery network across India. • India’s MoEngage bets that the future of marketing is millions of AI agents Indian marketing tech firm MoEngage has acquired San Francisco-based AI startup Aampe in an all-cash deal worth tens of millions of dollars, betting that deploying individual AI agents for each customer is the next evolution of personalized marketing. • White House drastically shortens deadline for dropping quantum-vulnerable crypto The White House has signed an executive order slashing the deadline for federal agencies to adopt quantum-resistant encryption by 4-5 years, now requiring high-value systems to transition by 2030-2031 instead of 2035. • US's climate.gov site, taken down by Trump, relaunched by nonprofit After the Trump administration took down climate.gov, former site administrators and volunteers relaunched the content as climate.us, a new nonprofit that fully restored the site's 15 years of climate resources. • Odd police video shows drone removing knife from motionless suspect The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office made headlines with what it calls a nationwide first: a magnet-equipped drone that plucked a knife from an armed suspect's hand inside a garage — though critics noted the suspect appeared to be unconscious, possibly from an overdose. • Five college football programs under the most pressure in 2026 Five college football programs are entering 2026 under significant pressure, facing make-or-break seasons tha