Tech

Original title: Google is having ‘productive discussions’ with Trump lawyers about his deplatforming suit Google is still untangling itself from a mess of legal battles, including two separate anti-monopoly lawsuits the Justice Department won against it. It’s awaiting decisions on how those judges see fit to remedy its harms to competition in the online search and ad tech markets, which could include forcing it to sell its Chrome browser. Meanwhile, recent chaos at the DOJ Antitrust Division has left former enforcers fearing that the agency appears susceptible to outside corporate influence. “This could be another example of how giant corporations are enabling Trump’s authoritarianism,” Warren warns. ...

Original title: OpenAI shuffles executive roles, acquires Statsig for $1.1 billion is The Verge’s senior AI reporter. An AI beat reporter for more than five years, her work has also appeared in CNBC, MIT Technology Review, Wired UK, and other outlets. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. OpenAI has started to build out its Applications team under Fidji Simo, its new CEO of Applications, who left her former position as Instacart’s CEO to start in the executive role on August 18th. On Tuesday, the company confirmed it’s shuffling executive roles, bringing on a new CTO of applications, and acquiring a product analytics company for $1.1 billion. Statsig, the company OpenAI is acquiring, specializes in A/B testing and other features for companies looking to improve their products, and OpenAI is bringing on its founder and CEO, Vijaye Raji, as a new C-suite executive. Raji will be OpenAI’s CTO of Applications, heading up product engineering for both ChatGPT and Codex, “with responsibilities that span core systems and produ ...

Original title: Apple Seeds Ninth watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26 Developer Betas Apple today provided developers with the ninth betas of watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26 for testing purposes, with the betas coming one week after the eighth betas were released. The software updates can be downloaded through the Settings app on each device. A developer account is required. ‌watchOS 26‌ and tvOS 26 adopt new Liquid Glass design changes inspired by visionOS, much like iOS 26 and macOS 26. watchOS has a new AI-powered Workout Buddy for motivation and the Smart Stack incorporates more personal context for better suggestions. There’s also a new Notes app and support for Live Translation. tvOS 26 supports karaoke using an iPhone as a microphone, improvements for using AirPlay speakers with a TV, new Aerial screen savers, and support for quicker logins to apps at setup thanks to Apple Account syncing. visionOS 26 adds support for spatial widgets that can be placed anywhere in the space around you, along with refinements to make personas more lifelike and support for sha ...

Original title: Foldable iPhone Coming in 2026, Foldable iPad to Follow in 2028 Apple plans to release a foldable iPhone in 2026, and will then follow it up with a foldable iPad in 2028, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today. Multiple sources have now confirmed that Apple is planning to release its first foldable ‌iPhone‌ in 2026, with the device coming as part of the iPhone 18 lineup. Launch timing on a larger-screened foldable device has been more uncertain. Originally, rumors indicated that the foldable ‌iPad‌ or MacBook would come before the ‌iPhone‌, and there have been launch rumors with dates ranging from 2026 to 2028. Rumors have also varied between calling the foldable device an ‌iPad‌ and a MacBook, but it seems like all of the information about a larger foldable refers to the same product. The foldable ‌iPad‌ could have a screen between 18 and 20 inches when unfolded, with a smaller form factor when closed. According to Kuo, Apple is using ultra-thin cover glass for both the foldable ‌iPhone‌ and foldable ‌iPad‌, which is a rumor that we’ve heard before ...

Original title: Do You Need a Satellite Messenger? When the smartphone in your pocket is loaded with a growing arsenal of safety tools—including location tracking, fall detection, and SOS alerts—it’s very tempting to adventure off the grid without back up. But if your hikes, runs, and rides regularly take you beyond the reach of cell towers, into more extreme conditions and terrain, sticking a dedicated satellite messenger in your pack might just save your life. Unlike smartphones, satellite communicators don’t rely on Wi-Fi or network coverage to keep the comms lines open. So if the proverbial, you know, hits the fan where no one can hear you scream, you can still send up a virtual flare to summon help. Yes, they can be pricey. It’s another gadget adding weight to the pack, and they’re still not quite as easy to use as What3Words on your smartphone. But none of that will matter if you get lost in the backcountry without a way to call in rescue. At that point a reliable sat comm will look like a lifeline, not a luxury. So how do you de ...

Original title: LimeWire AI Studio Review 2023: Details, Pricing & Features In the rapidly advancing landscape of AI technology and innovation, LimeWire emerges as a unique platform in the realm of generative AI tools. This platform not only stands out from the multitude of existing AI tools but also brings a fresh approach to content generation. LimeWire not only empowers users to create AI content but also provides creators with creative ways to share and monetize their creations. As we explore LimeWire, our aim is to uncover its features, benefits for creators, and the exciting possibilities it offers for AI content generation. This platform presents an opportunity for users to harness the power of AI in image creation, all while enjoying the advantages of a free and accessible service. Let’s unravel the distinctive features that set LimeWire apart in the dynamic landscape of AI-powered tools, understanding how creators can leverage its capabilities to craft unique and engaging AI-generated images. Introduction LimeWire, a name once associated with the noto ...

Original title: Anthropic is now valued at $183 billion is The Verge’s senior AI reporter. An AI beat reporter for more than five years, her work has also appeared in CNBC, MIT Technology Review, Wired UK, and other outlets. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Anthropic, the AI startup behind Claude and one of OpenAI’s chief competitors, emerged from the holiday weekend with big news: A completed funding round of $13 billion, awarding the company a $183 billion post-money valuation. The company said in a press release that between the start of 2025 and August — less than nine months — its run-rate revenue had grown from about $1 billion to more than $5 billion. It also said it now has more than 300,000 business customers and that in the past year, its list of “large accounts,” or “customers that each represent over $100,000 in run-rate revenue,” increased sevenfold. As for Claude Code, one of the chief moneymakers Anthropic has been banking on, the product has already generated more than $ ...

Original title: Uber Eats partners with Best Buy to deliver your tech is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Uber Eats is teaming up with Best Buy to offer deliveries of the store’s selection of tech products, like headphones, chargers, laptops, gaming gear and small appliances. Starting today, you can order a product at Best Buy through the Uber Eats app and have it delivered to your doorstep the same day, adding to store’s existing partnerships with Instacart and DoorDash. Uber Eats will house products from more than 800 Best Buy stores, a little less than the over 1,000 locations the retail chain says it operates in North America. The announcement doesn’t state whether pricing between the Uber Eats app and inside Best Buy stores will differ to make up for the delivery platform’s fees, but we’ve reached out to Best Buy with a request for more information. You ...

Original title: Apple Seeds Ninth Beta of macOS Tahoe to Developers Apple today provided developers with the eighth beta of macOS Tahoe 26 for testing purposes, with the update coming a week after the eighth beta. Registered developers can download the new beta software through the System Settings app. macOS Tahoe features Apple’s Liquid Glass redesign, which extends across all of the new updates this year. Apple also brought the Phone and Journal apps to the Mac for the first time, and introduced a new cross-platform Games app. With the update, Apple overhauled how Spotlight works, enabling new functionality that allows it to be used to complete all kinds of actions like sending emails without having to open up an app. There are also changes to a number of apps, including Messages, Safari, and Notes. All of the new features that are included in macOS Tahoe are outlined in our dedicated roundup. macOS Tahoe is set to launch this fall. ...

Original title: Apple Seeds Ninth Developer Betas of iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 Apple today provided developers with the ninth betas of iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 for testing purposes, with the updates coming a week after Apple seeded the eighth betas. Registered developers can download the new beta software using the Software Update section of the Settings app. ‌iOS 26‌ and ‌iPadOS 26‌ feature Apple’s new Liquid Glass design aesthetic, with a focus on translucency and glass-like interface elements. The design extends to the Lock Screen, Home Screen, and Control Center, along with menus and buttons in apps. Apple’s software includes features for apps like Messages, Phone, Shortcuts, and Apple Music, along with new Apple Intelligence features, a revamp for CarPlay, and more. In ‌iPadOS 26‌, there’s a whole new multitasking system that supports multiple app windows for a more Mac-like experience. For more on the features in ‌iOS 26‌, we have a dedicated iOS 26 roundup and a separate iPadOS 26 roundup. New features have been found in each of the betas, and you can get a re ...