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TC Sottek
TC Sottek
“I alone can fix it” strikes again.

Trump may have lost the aggression of David Sacks as AI czar, but he’s now picking up the baton. In another all-timer posted to Truth Social, Trump says the only guardrails AI needs can be provided by his “high IQ.” This comes right on the heels of AI leaders, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, who Trump maligns in his post, stating they want to slow down AI development for safety reasons.

Opposing AI and data centers? That could now make you look “treasonous” in Trump’s warped world.

Trump post to Truth Social: “The only control or “guardrails” that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades! The Trump Administration has stopped AI “people” from doing bad, or potentially bad, “things,“ like Dario (Anthropic!), who is now pretending to be a “perfect little angel” - and we will continue to do so! We already have tremendous CRIMINAL and REGULATORY power over these companies! There is a SICK conspiracy going on against AI and Data Centers, and the only one that is happy about it is China. WHOEVER WINS AI, WINS! We are leading China, and all others, and will continue to do so. Conspiracy Theorists, Treasonists, Traitors, and Leakers, BEWARE! Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
One of the best documentaries about gen AI is finally coming to YouTube.

Director Valerie Veatch’s excellent Ghost in the Machine documentary digging into the origins of generative artificial intelligence is set to make its debut on the PBS Documentaries YouTube channel this evening.

The gen AI Kool-Aid tastes like eugenics

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
Leaked images reveal a new design for Fairphone’s next wireless earbuds.

First announced during the Fairphone 6 Plus launch last month we finally have more pics of the Fairbuds 2 that will launch later this year thanks to leaks shared by NieuweMobiel. Pricing and the level of repairability still isn’t known, but the redesigned Fairbuds 2 appear to have a stubby stem and a larger charging case.

The actual release date isn’t known yet, but the Fairbuds 2 will carry forward a <a href="https://thevergenews.pages.dev/2024/4/9/24125089/fairbuds-fairphone-noise-canceling-earbuds-battery-replace-repairability">modular repairable design like the originals</a>.
Color options may include black and green like the <a href="https://thevergenews.pages.dev/tech/980876/fairphone-6-plus-us-t-mobile-amazon">Fairphone 6 Plus</a>.
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The actual release date isn’t known yet, but the Fairbuds 2 will carry forward a modular repairable design like the originals.
Image: NieuweMobiel
Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
The Delta emulator devs are already working on support for the iPhone Duo.

In addition to a “Delta Duo” teaser recently shared on Threads, lead developer Riley Testut told Retro Dodo that “the plan is to have dedicated support for the Duo in Delta” and the work they did “making sure that Delta worked with resizing and multi-window support back when Stage Manager first debuted for iPadOS”is already proving beneficial for the upcoming Duo support.

The Delta emulator logo shown on half open iPhone Duo.
Image: Delta
Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
The iPhone Duo’s front screen accommodates thick cases with an optional extended border.

To ensure content isn’t obscured and all swipe gestures still work while using a protective case, the iPhone Duo includes a new “Shift Left Edge” setting spotted by Nicolas Lellouche after Apple’s event last week. Turning it on increases the narrow black border on the left edge of the Duo’s front screen.

A person holds the iPhone Duo closed in two hands with the iOS settings screen displayed.
Screenshot: X
Tom Warren
Tom Warren
Microsoft adds Grok to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Microsoft added SpaceXAI’s Grok models to its Foundry service last year, and now it’s expanding the access to Copilot itself. Grok models can now be used in Word, Excel and PowerPoint from the model picker interface for Microsoft Frontier users. Microsoft says it’s starting with a preview release to “gather feedback.” This means Office Copilot users can now pick between OpenAI’s GPT models, Anthropic’s Claude models, and SpaceXAI’s Grok models.

Grok inside Microsoft Excel.
Grok inside Microsoft Excel.
Image: Microsoft
Thomas Ricker
Thomas Ricker
China: AI CEOs are “fear mongering.”

When asked about the flurry of weekend blog posts and tweets from the CEOs of Anthropic, OpenAI, Microsoft, SpaceX, (and Alphabet’s Hassabis) calling for a coordinated slowdown on the development of advanced AI models, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said, “Fear mongering, confrontation, competition will just disrupt [the] process of global AI governance.”

That partially aligns with Trump’s view that the execs are overreacting and “bringing up things that won’t happen,” but at least Beijing supports international regulation.

Thomas Ricker
Thomas Ricker
Sam Altman: Let’s slow down.

Last night, the OpenAI CEO lent additional support to Anthropic’s CEO urging AI companies to slow down advanced model development. “When we talk about ‘pacing,’ we do not mean ‘stopping.’ Progress has been rapid and will continue to be. But it should be slower than it otherwise could be,” said Altman. That statement seems targeted at Trump and Co who fear letting China catch up. “No amount of American competitive pressure should justify recklessness, or let capabilities get ahead of alignment and monitoring.”

“Where we will need the help of our government is for international coordination. But first we should do what we can ourselves,” Altman added.

Thomas Ricker
Thomas Ricker
The first phone with a trio of 200 megapixel cameras.

Oppo is teasing a September 22nd launch of its Find X10 series in China. The Pro Max model is reliably tipped to pack three 200MP sensors into the squircle around back, while the flash and other sensors get stuffed into that raised vertical bar.

Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Steve Ballmer won’t fight the NBA’s penalties.

Late Sunday night, the LA Clippers owner announced he and the team are complying with the league’s penalties for the whole jumbotron corruption scandal.

That includes paying a $30 million fine and a one-year suspension for Ballmer himself, not to mention what may come from ongoing SEC and DOJ investigations.

Steve Ballmer tweet screenshot reading: For my Los Angeles Clippers followers This has been a very difficult time for everybody associated with the Clippers, and for that, I have sincere regrets. I want to apologize to our fans, employees, and my fellow NBA team owners for the distraction and distress this matter has caused, for which I accept responsibility as principal owner. We are committing to put this chapter behind us. We have communicated to the NBA that we are complying with the penalties assessed by the league, have paid the fine, and are moving forward. While there are still disagreements concerning the findings in the report, this is not where I want to focus. Team owners should support, not distract. The challenges ahead of us are significant, but so is our resolve. We will continue to build our team and invest in our community. The confidence of our fans is our priority. With our talented roster, outstanding staff and clear vision, I am certain that we will compete at the highest level and be an organization our fans can be proud of.
Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
The NSA is reorganizing with an increased focus on AI, China, and cybersecurity.

According to The Washington Post, the spy agency is set to undergo its largest restructuring in over a decade. Army general and NSA director Joshua M. Rudd is leading the effort. According to the Post:

Rudd’s initiative calls for the creation at NSA’s Fort Meade, Maryland, headquarters of five new organizations inside the agency, in artificial intelligence, China, cybersecurity, combat support or warfighting, and global intelligence. Each will be led by a newly elevated “mission director” …

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Tesla announces a Roadster event for October 1st.

The second-generation Tesla Roadster appears to be set for a reveal on October 1st. That’s nearly nine years since the prototype was first shown off in November of 2017, and we’re still probably at least another year or so out from availability.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Is it time for AI companies to press pause?

After high-profile incidents in which agents went rogue, hacked other sites, and overwhelmed a German wiki, some AI execs are calling for a slowdown. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published a lengthy open letter yesterday saying it was time to “pace the frontier.” OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Elon Musk both agreed. What do you think? Is it time to pump the brakes? Is it already too late? Or are you looking forward to serving your AI overlords?

The Units’ Digital Stimulation is synthpunk perfection

The 1980 record from the San Francisco band is raw, infectious, and shockingly modern.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Warcraft III is getting a new campaign after 23 years.

The Warcraft III Reforged remake was widely panned. But since it launched in 2020, Blizzard has worked to fix many of the bugs. Now it’s finally delivering the promised new narrative content with the Forsaken Kingdom campaign, the first new campaign since 2003’s Frozen Throne.

Your car is selling your data

The amount of data about you that many cars collect — and sell to third parties — is staggering.

Andrew Hawkins
Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Diablo V is coming in spring of 2029.

There will be a panel at 4:45 PM ET (1:45 PT) today at BlizzCon where more info will be revealed, but for now you’ll have to satisfy your thirst for fire, brimstone, and Sanctuary with this short teaser.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Netflix is making a Diablo animated series.

We’ve got almost no details beyond that, but Blizzard told Variety that “this is only the beginning, with even more taking shape across our universes.” So we might finally get those Overwatch and World of Warcraft series as well.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Preorder the Nopia ‘harmony machine’ synth on September 15th for $650.

We finally got a real look at the viral Nopia in July after more than three years of development. Now the company is preparing to launch a Kickstarter campaign on Tuesday, with super early-bird pricing starting at $650.

Sylvan Esso think you should splurge on good-quality yogurt

The band’s new, organic-sounding record Ow ∞ is out now

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Husqvarna gets the first exception to the FCC’s foreign robot ban for its mowers.

The ban, announced in July, has caused chaos for many manufacturers of robot vacuums, pool cleaners, lawn mowers, and more. Swedish company Husqvarna has secured the first exception to the rule for its 305v IQ, 310v IQ, 420v IQ, and 440v IQ after the Defense Department decided they don’t pose a national security risk.

OpenAI just wants to win

Two mathematicians at the heart of recent controversies tell The Verge how AI giants’ ‘childish’ rivalries are upending the field.

Robert Hart
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
A Quibi co-founder and the former boss of Sora are launching an AI video startup.

According to The Information, former DreamWorks co-founder (and co-founder of the quick bites video app) Jeffrey Katzenberg’s latest move is joining up with Bill Peebles, who left OpenAI after it pivoted away from the Sora team he was leading.

The unnamed venture will apparently “train its own video models and try to win over filmmakers,” once it secures enough funding. On the plus side, they already have a long list of things to not do this time around.

Stevie Bonifield
Stevie Bonifield
Twitch is testing an AI ‘Stream Coach’ that gives creators tips after their streams.

The AI coaching feature is only available to a small group of streamers right now. Unlike Twitch’s generative AI training toggle, which is opt out, the company says this feature would be opt-in if it’s ever expanded beyond this test.

A screenshot of a Twitch tweet responding to questions about an AI Steam Coach feature
Image: Twitch