Tech

OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Elon Musk have tentatively agreed to slow their roll, but Meta seemingly isn’t aligned. Mark Zuckerberg just tweeted each company has its own individual responsibility “to move at the pace required to train its models safely,” and claims Meta is already doing so.

As Comics Beat points out, 100 or so employees had until today to decide if they’ll move with the company out of New York City to Burbank, CA, the home of Marvel Studios and Disney.

Two boat manufacturers, Crest Marine and Balise Pontoons (both owned by MasterCraft Boat Holdings), announced today their plans to enable smartphone projection in their upcoming models in 2027. The boats will feature a seven-inch “marine touchscreen” that will display CarPlay or Android Auto alongside marine-specific technology. The manufacturers are also working with marine navigation app Savvy Navvy to offer access to nautical charts, smart routing, GPS tracking, live weather, and tidal data — all displayed on the same screen as other apps. Avast!

Now the “Pause Point” option Google launched on the Pixel 11 is rolling out to more devices, across Android 17 QPR1, and for Pixel hardware going back to the Pixel 6. The new Android 17 update also increases the use of background blur and adds a new Quick Settings tile that points to your notes app, among other updates.

If you’ve been waiting to rewatch Project Hail Mary and the modern Doctor Who seasons like I have, this new bundle could make it a little less expensive even as prices for individual services keep climbing. It’s one of the biggest bundles on Prime Video, including all five streaming services for $29.99 per month.

I have always believed that if you take a call on speaker, in public, I am allowed to participate. You made it a group call, I’m gonna weigh in! The Journal discovered that blaring your phone’s audio for the world to hear — also known as “loudcasting” — is a big and growing problem. I’m all for fining and shaming perpetrators, but this is simple. Just wear headphones! EarPods are the best $20 you’ll ever spend, for both your audio quality and my sanity.

I saw the upcoming S30 Mini at IFA last week, and my bathroom floors are excited. SwitchBot’s line of mini robot vacuums is great for smaller spaces like apartments, home offices, or bedrooms, but none have full mopping capabilities — until now. The S30 Mini adds a roller mop to the 11-inch-wide vacuum, and it looks like a good solution for small bathrooms. There’s no price or release date yet.

Following the LG StanbyME and Samsung Movingstyle, Hisense is the latest company to debut a TV on a wheeled pedestal. The $1,200 RoamView pairs a 32-inch, 4K, camera-equipped touchscreen with a 10-hour battery, wireless connectivity, Android OS, and an included easel for using the display on a desk.

Apple’s including both in the $0.99/month 50GB iCloud Plus subscription “at no extra cost.” Users in the US and other regions that aren’t on the list will need a pricier Apple One subscription to get a bundle with those services.

Over the next two years, the funding will go toward improving AI access in education, healthcare, and agriculture, and adding to AI’s “digital foundation.” That includes priorities like creating AI datasets in more languages and making access to AI more affordable.

They say the best camera is the one you have with you, but that might not apply if you’re fastidious about oral care and only have Dyson’s new camera-equipped toothbrush in your back pocket. As the street photographer behind the allthegearnoskill Instagram account discovered, the CameraJet’s camera’s capabilities are optimized for inside your mouth, not the outside world.

Apple cleaned up on stage at last night’s Emmy Awards with big wins for Pluribus and Widow’s Bay. But new CEO John Ternus might have been even more excited about getting to show off the iPhone Duo.

Nearly three months after the MagSafe version of its new 2.6mm thick Low-Pro grip launched, PopSockets is introducing a new version built into a protective case. The $59.99 Low‑Pro Case offers the same functionality including a fold-out, rotating stand, but is only compatible with iPhone 17 and iPhone 18 Pro and Max models.

Not all of KitchenAid’s mixer upgrades focus on functionality. Like the walnut stand mixer that launched in 2024, KitchenAid’s new $699.99 Design Series Luminaire Stand Mixer prioritizes aesthetics with a new blue peppercorn colorway and a fluted glass bowl illuminated from below that casts glowing patterns on kitchen workspaces.

Apple just answered the question we raised in June by taking home 28 (plus one for an ad) Emmy awards, the most of any studio. It’s the first time Apple has come out on top thanks to its focus on tentpole titles like Pluribus and Widow’s Bay that created cultural moments this year.

Motion Assist is similar to Apple’s Motion Cues, displaying moving dots that track a vehicle’s movement and help reduce motion sickness in the process. It rolled out for Pixel phones last month, but Google’s Mishaal Rahman says it’s now generally available in Android 17.

It packs Arm’s new G2-Ultra NX GPU, supports 4K at 240fps slow-motion video, and has two NPUs for more (and more efficient) AI processing. Its joined by a 9600M chip for cheaper models. Oppo has already said its Find X10 Pro Max will use the 9600 Pro, as will Vivo’s X500 Pro.

The company’s Saros 20 Flow goes on sale today for $1,499.99 (down from $1,699.99). At 3.53 inches tall, it’s one of the slimmest roller mop models, and with 36,000 Pa suction, camera-based obstacle recognition, and the ability to climb multi-layer thresholds, this robot should be able to get the job done. I got a first look at IFA last week and plan to test it soon.

xAI’s original lawsuit against Apple and OpenAI alleged “anticompetitive conduct” over Apple and OpenAI’s deal to integrate ChatGPT into iOS. Monday’s dismissal filing, reported on by Reuters, specifies that X and SpaceXAI “do not seek to dismiss its claims against” OpenAI.

I’m hopping in now to answer your questions, and I’ve got a Steam Frame on my desk to spot-check answers, too!

Did you think the Steam Frame was a VR headset? As I explain in my review, it does a lot more. Here, step into the lenses with me and I’ll show you. (Also on YouTube, if you’d rather!)

Following a very Sam Altman-ish arc, TechCrunch reports that Mullenweg’s return as CEO of the parent company for WordPress has come with the departure of the board that had voted to put him on a paid leave of absence.