Apple overhauls its EU App Store fees, loosens rules for alternative app stores
Apple replaced its per-install fee model with a flat 5% commission for apps distributed outside the App Store in the EU. The company also loosened rules to make it easier for developers to operate alternative app marketplaces.
Enterprises are overpaying for simple AI queries — Snowflake's gateway now auto-routes to cut costs up to 3x
Snowflake's Cortex AI Gateway now automatically routes AI queries to the most cost-effective model, reducing token costs by up to 3x on certain workloads. The system selects between different models based on task complexity rather than using a single fixed model for all queries.
Disney Parks' D23 keynote was packed — here's everything new coming to Disney World and Disneyland, including Piston Peak, Avengers Campus, and Villains Land
Disney announced multiple new themed lands coming to its parks, including Piston Peak, Villains Land, Monstropolis, Tropical Americas, Avengers Campus, Coco, and a reimagined Tomorrowland. The company provided detailed updates on these attractions during its D23 keynote presentation to showcase upcoming expansions.
Wispr raised $280mn at $2bn to argue the text box is finished
Wispr raised $280 million at a $2 billion valuation, bringing total funding to $361 million. The company's dictation app, Wispr Flow, converts speech into cleaned-up text that inserts directly into any application where the cursor is positioned.
An AI agent built a working exploit for this macOS flaw in four hours
An AI agent built working exploits for two pre-authentication root bugs in macOS in four hours. Security researchers withheld details of CVE-2026-65400 because the exploit was created too quickly for attackers to potentially replicate.
Cursor launches Origin code hosting platform as GitHub outage exposes opening in AI coding race
Cursor launched Origin, a code hosting platform competing with GitHub, on Monday morning. A six-hour-and-forty-two-minute GitHub outage occurring hours later caused error rates near 20% for pull requests and APIs, with some services reaching 50% failure rates.
Spotify’s new Playlist Notes let users and editors explain their song picks
Spotify added Playlist Notes, allowing users and editors to explain their reasoning behind song selections in playlists. Editors will use this feature on major playlists including RapCaviar.
This AI startup is using self-driving car technology to bring 3D video to live sports
Peripheral Labs applies autonomous vehicle technology to reconstruct live sports broadcasts into fully three-dimensional, navigable environments where viewers can watch replays from any angle. The Toronto-based AI startup, founded in 2024 by Kelvin Cui and Mustafa Khan, uses machine learning models developed for self-driving cars to create photorealistic 3D video reconstruction.
Dario Amodei admits AI companies have not delivered on their promises
AI companies have not delivered on the promises they made to the public. Genuine breakthroughs are necessary to rebuild trust as Anthropic prepares for a listing expected to value the company at $2 trillion.
Cutting RAG inference costs 6x starts with deciding what never reaches the LLM
RAG systems that route every ambiguous case to language models become expensive and unauditable at scale in regulated enterprises. A cascade architecture that filters cases before LLM processing can reduce inference costs by 6x while maintaining reconstructible decision paths for compliance.
OpenAI’s new ChatGPT feature logs your keystrokes and stores them in plain text
ChatGPT's Computer History feature records clicks, keystrokes, keyboard shortcuts, and app switches on macOS and stores them locally as unencrypted plain text. The feature is unavailable in the EEA, Switzerland, and the UK.
Anthropic’s quarterly revenue passed $11.5bn, up more than 14-fold
Anthropic's second-quarter revenue exceeded $11.5 billion, representing more than 14-fold growth from $787 million in the prior year. The company also reported positive adjusted operating income as it prepares for a public listing.
LG’s humanoid robot arrives in 2027, running Nvidia’s Isaac GR00T
LG will release a bipedal humanoid robot in Q1 2027 powered by Nvidia's Jetson Thor processor and Isaac GR00T foundation model. The companies signed their agreement at Nvidia's Santa Clara headquarters on August 13.
AMD raises $4.75bn in its biggest ever bond sale
AMD sold $4.75 billion in bonds across four tranches with maturities ranging from three to ten years. The company held $13.1 billion in cash against $3.2 billion in debt at the end of June and has committed up to $5 billion to Anthropic.
The US is about to tell 35 countries to choose between it and China on AI
The United States is preparing to send a letter to 35 countries that signed its June AI Opportunity Statement, demanding they choose between American and Chinese approaches to artificial intelligence development. The message uses unusually direct diplomatic language requiring countries to make an explicit commitment rather than maintain dual engagement with both powers.
Nvidia halved its $250bn promise to OpenAI. Then it showed investors what it owns
Nvidia reduced its financial commitment to a 10GW OpenAI project from the full amount to initially backstopping only half, with a decision on the remainder deferred. A deal could be signed as soon as that weekend.
Alibaba AI Models Hit 3 Billion Downloads, Passing Meta, Google
Alibaba's open-weight AI models exceeded 3 billion global downloads in six months, surpassing Meta, Google, and other competitors to become the world's leading AI model. The achievement marks Alibaba's position as the top provider of downloaded artificial intelligence models globally.
OpenAI CFO tells shareholders enterprise revenue has overtaken ChatGPT
Enterprise revenue has surpassed consumer revenue at OpenAI, with the company's annualized run rate reaching $40 billion. This milestone occurred months ahead of the company's previous forecast and represents roughly double the revenue from a year earlier.
Tesla says a flying car is coming. BYD already has one that makes sense
Tesla plans to demo a next-generation Roadster with cold gas thrusters that can drive upside down on a magnetized ramp and hover in the air. BYD has shipped a real flying car since February 2024 designed to jump 20 feet over obstacles.
What we know about the alleged Iranian hacks on US water utilities
Hackers have broken into systems at several US water treatment plants over recent weeks in attacks allegedly carried out by Iran. The specific number of affected facilities and the extent of operational disruption remain unclear.
OpenAI on Track to Double Revenue Ahead of IPO
OpenAI is projected to generate more than $40 billion in annualized revenue, doubling its end-of-2025 run rate. Growth from paying ChatGPT users, enterprise adoption, and the Codex coding assistant is driving the increase, while computing power costs remain a significant challenge.
A judge just told Google to stop making rival app stores hard to install
A judge ordered Google to stop making rival app stores difficult to install on Android devices during an August 13 compliance hearing in San Francisco. A jury had previously found Google held an illegal monopoly over Android apps nearly three years ago, and the judge set this remedy in October 2024.
Job titles of the future: Space travel agent
# Space Travel Agent Luxury travel concierge Roman Chiporukha, with over twenty years of experience arranging exclusive experiences, is now offering space travel bookings through his firm Roman Erica. His services include coordinating trips to orbital destinations and managing the logistics for clients seeking space vacations.
Databricks Closes $5 Billion Round at $190 Billion Valuation
Databricks raised $5 billion in funding at a $190 billion valuation, representing a 42% increase in six months. The company has achieved a revenue run-rate exceeding $7 billion with year-over-year growth above 80%.
Anthropic’s $2trn IPO is priced below what AI stocks already fetch
Anthropic investors project the company could reach a $2 trillion valuation in an autumn initial public offering, exceeding SpaceX's $1.77 trillion IPO valuation from June. Anthropic has not confirmed any listing plans or valuation figures itself.
DeepSeek built a Claude Code rival, then quadrupled its prices
DeepSeek increased API prices for DeepSeek-V4-Pro from $0.87 to $3.96 per million output tokens at peak rates starting August 16, while V4-Flash prices rose from $0.28 to $1.32. Off-peak rates were set at half the peak price for both models.
Google’s new Tensor G6 brings performance, efficiency, and post-quantum security to the Pixel 11 series
Google's Tensor G6 chip delivers 25% faster browsing and 20% better power efficiency alongside a TPU with 50% more compute capacity. The Pixel 11 models include a new Titan M3 security coprocessor that adopts NIST's post-quantum cryptography standards for the first time on a Google phone.
Cisco’s AI Outlook Disappoints Investors Seeking Bigger Payoff
Cisco projects $7.5 billion in AI data center sales for the current fiscal year, below the $9.3 billion in AI-related orders accumulated over the past year. Investors viewed this forecast as disappointing given the company's position as the largest networking gear supplier.
Uber is working on letting 10-year-olds ride alone
Uber's iOS app code shows development of a feature allowing children aged 10 to 12 to ride alone with a trusted adult contact and optional requirement for an adult at pickup. The company stated this is not yet a live product, with its current teen offering limited to ages 13 to 17.
Pixel 11 puts Gemini in the operating system, weeks before Siri gets the same models
Gemini Intelligence is now integrated directly into Pixel 11's operating system to function across apps rather than confined to a chatbot interface. Google launches this capability weeks before Apple rebuilds Siri using Google's models, while device chief Rick Osterloh confirmed memory shortages will increase Pixel prices.