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Judge sides with Anthropic to temporarily block the Pentagon’s ban

After Anthropic's weeks-long standoff with the Pentagon, the company won one milestone: A judge granted Anthropic a preliminary injunction in its lawsuit, which sought to reverse its government blacklisting while the judicial process plays out.

"The Department of War's records show that it designated Anthropic as a supply chain risk because of its 'hostile manner through the press,'" Judge Rita F. Lin, a district judge in the northern district of California, wrote in the order, which will go into effect in seven days. "Punishing Anthropic for bringing public scrutiny to the government's contracting position is classic illegal First Amendme …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Brendan Carr says his broadcast license threat wasn’t really about Iran war coverage

Digital photo illustration of FCC chair Brendan Carr.

Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr never meant to threaten broadcast licenses over their coverage of the war in Iran, he told reporters after an event hosted by FGS and Semafor.

"My comments weren't actually on the Iran war," Carr said in response to a question from The Verge about his statement regarding coverage of the war. "I understand why people say that. I made a statement quoting a tweet."

On March 14th, Carr quote-tweeted a screenshot of a Truth Social post from President Donald Trump, who had bemoaned "an intentionally misleading headline" related to the US military action in the Middle East. "Broadcasters that a …

Read the full story at The Verge.

David Sacks is no longer the White House AI and Crypto Czar

Digital photo illustration of David Sacks with crypto coins.

David Sacks, the venture capitalist and tech billionaire who'd become Silicon Valley's primary advocate inside the White House and a key architect of its aggressive AI policy initiatives, revealed on Thursday that he was no longer a special government employee - and therefore no longer President Donald Trump's Special Advisor on AI and Crypto.

Sacks' official status as an SGE allowed him to work simultaneously in the private sector and for the government, but for no more than 130 days, raising questions about why he was still in the job more than a year after his appointment. But in an interview with Bloomberg Television discussing the Whit …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Robot vacuums from Eufy and Roborock are over 50 percent for Amazon’s spring sale

A good robovac can save you a surprising amount of time. Luckily, Amazon’s Big Spring Sale is a great time to pick one up, as you can currently find deals on everything from basic, budget-friendly robovacs to high-end models that can mop or pick up objects. Whether you’re looking for a completely hands-free experience or just a little help keeping your floors clean, there are plenty of great options on sale right now, some of which have even dropped to their best price to date.

To make finding the right vacuum a little easier, we’ve rounded up the best deals from brands like Eufy and Roborock below, as well as excellent alternatives from Narwal, Dreame, and Ecovacs. And if you’re curious what else is on sale, our larger roundup for the best deals from Amazon’s Big Spring Sale has you covered with discounts on earbuds, smart lighting, and plenty of other Verge-approved tech.

Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow

Roborock’s first roller-mop robot vacuum, the Curv 2 Flow, is our overall favorite mopping robot vacuum. It features flagship specs at a mid-range price. Including excellent mopping, a retractable mop cover, 20,000Pa suction, AI-powered obstacle avoidance, and a compact design.

Where to Buy:

  • The last-gen Dreame X40 Ultra is also on sale for $539.99 ($660 off) at Amazon and Dreame’s online storefront, which is one of its better prices to date. The robovac / mop hybrid delivers 12,000Pa of suction power and comes with an extendable side brush and self-cleaning mop pads, making it great for cleaning under furniture and tackling baseboards. What’s more, the X40 Ultra boasts a dirt-detection system capable of identifying and focusing on cleaning up particularly messy spills.
  • The newer Dreame X50 Ultra, our favorite mopping bot for hardwood floors and carpets, is also available from Amazon and Dreame for $849.99 — $50 shy of its all-time low. In addition to offering a higher 20,000Pa of suction power and an improved dual rubber roller system, it has a motorized “swing arm” leg that allows it to climb over higher thresholds (up to 6cm), so it can maneuver around even more spaces than its predecessor.
  • The last-gen Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni is available from Amazon, Best Buy, and Ecovacs for $599 ($501 off), which is its best price to date. The robovac features an extendable roller mop that applies up to 4,000Pa of pressure to tackle hard-to-reach areas, alongside decent 18,000Pa suction. The mop cleans itself as it goes, while the multifunction dock includes a built-in water tank that lets the robot refill automatically and separate dirty water into its own reservoir. It also supports Matter, so you can connect it to any major smart home platform for voice control.

Roborock Q10 S5 Plus

A budget robot vacuum and mop without a multifunction dock. It has AI-powered obstacle avoidance, sonic mopping, auto mop lifting, and an auto-empty dock.

Where to Buy:

  • The newer Ecovacs Deebot X9 Pro Omni is also on sale for $679 ($621 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Ecovacs’ online storefront, which is the lowest price we’ve seen. It’s very similar to the aforementioned X8 Pro Omni, but it’s able to capitalize on Ecovacs’ Boosted Large-Airflow Suction Technology, which can suck up dust and debris more easily for a more thorough clean.
  • Roborock’s S8 MaxV Ultra is on sale for $849.99 ($550 off) at Amazon, which is its best price of the year and $100 more than its all-time low. It was our top robovac pick before the Matic came along, in large part due to its sonic mop, which vibrates up to 4,000 times per minute and extends to clean corners and baseboards. It also delivers 10,000Pa of suction and features dual rubber roller brushes, along with AI obstacle avoidance and Matter support, so you can connect it to any major smart home platform.

Narwal Flow

The Flow has one of the best roller mops we tested, and it offers top-notch vacuuming and excellent obstacle avoidance. It can also hook directly into your plumbing, and while a low mop lift and some navigation issues hold it back, it’s ideal for tackling hard floors like tile.

Where to Buy:

  • Roborock’s Saros Z70 is available for $1,299.99 ($1,299.99 off) from Amazon, Roborock, and Best Buy, which is its best price to date. The Matter-compatible robot vacuum features a built-in robotic arm that can pick up small items, such as socks or tissues, although it isn’t always perfect. It’s also capable of climbing over thick carpets and offers great vacuuming prowess, with 22,000Pa of suction and spinning mop pads that automatically detach when not in use. It even works with Roborock’s Multifunctional Dock 4.0, which allows it to automatically empty, charge, refill, and drain its own water tanks with minimal effort on your part. Read our review.
  • The tiny Switchbot K11 Plus robot vacuum is down to $189.99 ($210 off) at Amazon, which is $10 shy of its all-time low and its lowest price so far this year. Its small size makes it easy to navigate tight spaces, and while the mopping is more of a wipe than a true scrub, it still offers 6,000Pa suction and does a solid job on both carpets and hardwood floors. Plus, its equally tiny self-emptying dock holds a 4-liter dust bag, allowing for up to 90 days of hands-off cleaning. Just note that while it uses lidar to map your home, it lacks AI obstacle avoidance.

Narwal Freo Z10

Narwal’s Freo Z10 is a great choice for homes with pets and hardwood floors, one that excels at sucking up hair without getting tangled. Its uniquely shaped, dual-sided brushes do an excellent job of picking up pet hair, while also delivering superb edge cleaning. It’s also an impressive mopping bot.

Where to Buy:

  • The Eufy Omni S1 Pro is also matching its all-time low of $699.99 ($800 off) at Amazon and Anker’s online storefront (with promo code WS24T2080111). The robovac features an 11.4-inch roller mop and dual spinning side brushes, which work in tandem to leave your hardwood floors spotless. Plus, with 8,000Pa of suction power, it’s decent at picking up dirt and debris from carpets; it also features solid AI-powered obstacle avoidance, so you don’t need to worry about it getting stuck in clutter.
  • You can buy the Dreame L10s Pro Ultra for $349.99 ($50 off) at Amazon and directly from Dreame, which is on par with its typical sale price as of late. The robovac / mop hybrid offers a respectable 7,000Pa of suction along with an extendable mop that can reach closer to edges. Its self-cleaning dock washes the mop pads with hot water and dries them with hot air. Plus, it can empty its own dustbin, refill its own water tank, and even automatically dispense cleaning solution.
  • Eufy’s discontinued 11S Max is available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target for just $139.99 ($140 off), nearly matching its best price to date. The quiet robovac doesn’t connect to Wi-Fi, so you’ll need to control it using the onboard button or the included remote. It lacks higher-end features like self-emptying bins and AI obstacle avoidance, too, but with a decent 2,000Pa of suction power and easily replaceable parts, it’s a solid investment for those working with a relatively tight budget.

Apple’s Mac Pro is dead, apparently for good this time

The Mac Pro beside the Pro Display XDR, a magic keyboard, and magic mouse.

The most expensive Mac you could get is no longer available on Apple's website, as 9to5Mac reports that the "cheese grater" Mac Pro workstation has been discontinued. It had been a part of the lineup since replacing the Power Mac G5 in 2006 when Apple shifted from Arm to Intel processors, but it's had the feeling of a vestigial limb ever since Apple dropped Intel for its own M-series chips.

The M2 Ultra edition of the Mac Pro launched three years ago, with Apple hardware exec and possible future CEO John Ternus saying that "for those users who need the versatility of internal expansion, Mac Pro combines PCIe slots with our most powerful ch …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Google is making it easier to import another AI’s memory into Gemini

After Anthropic updated its tool for copying another AI's memory into Claude earlier this month, Google Gemini is rolling out new "Import Memory" and "Import Chat History" features on desktop that can help users quickly copy over everything their current AI already knows about them. To use the "Import Memory" tool, users copy and paste a suggested prompt from Gemini into their previous AI, then paste the output from the previous AI into Gemini, which should get Gemini caught up on their preferences.

The "Import Chat History" feature has users request an export of all of their chats from their previous AI, which they upload to Gemini in th …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Apple will reportedly allow other AI chatbots to plug into Siri

Photo of a hand holding iPhone with new Siri and ChatGPT.
Siri currently has an integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. | Photo: Allison Johnson / The Verge

Apple's iOS 27 update will allow users to choose the AI chatbot they want to link with Siri. That's according to a report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who says third-party chatbots downloaded from the App Store, like Google's Gemini or Anthropic's Claude, will be able to fetch replies for Siri - similar to how the voice assistant already works with OpenAI's ChatGPT.

The new system, reportedly called "Extensions," will give users the ability to enable or disable the chatbots they want to connect with Siri on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, Bloomberg reports. The upcoming integrations will also work with the standalone app Apple reportedly plans …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Anker’s wireless charging pad offers Qi2 speeds for $15

A person holds up their phone while it’s magnetically attached to Anker’s MagGo 15W Qi2 wireless charging pad.
The MagGo wireless charging pad is available in black (shown here) or white. | Image: Anker

I’ve probably saved minutes of my life by using a wireless charging puck. Minutes! More valuable than that, I’ve saved myself from bending over numerous times to pick up my USB-C cable that somehow always ends up on the floor. Those with magnet-equipped phones (like the iPhone 12 or newer, or a Google Pixel 10 or 10 Pro phone) can reap similar benefits from a MagSafe-ready Qi2 charging puck. Anker’s MagGo 15W pad is one such model, and it’s down to $14.99 ($15 off) at Amazon and Walmart thanks to Amazon’s Big Spring Sale.

Is 15W fast enough to quickly recharge your phone? If you define “quickly” as under an hour, then no. If you need a bunch of juice in just a few minutes, plugging in is your best bet. But is 15W perfect for leaving your phone to recharge overnight? Yes, indeed.

Anker Qi2 15W wireless charging pad

Anker’s low-cost charging pad has a five-foot USB-C cable, and the company claims you can leave your phone’s case on while you charge. It doesn’t include a wall adapter.

Where to Buy:

The MagGo Qi2 puck doesn’t include a wall adapter, although one is required for use (Anker recommends a 25W adapter that supports Power Delivery). Assuming you already have one of those, it’s a nice accessory that makes it even easier than it already was to charge not just your phone, but your AirPods, too. Anker’s product page mentions support for Samsung’s Galaxy Buds, so it’s likely that other earbud models that have wireless charging-ready cases will work with this charging pad, too.

Apple’s AI Playlist Playground is bad at music

Apple Music logo, on red and white background

Apple Music: "What do you want to hear?"

Me: "Atmospheric instrumental black metal to write to."

Apple Music: "Here's three metal songs with vocals, a field recording, an ambient electronic track, and a piece of doom jazz."

I am skeptical of AI's ability to serve up the music I want to begin with, but even I was caught slightly off guard by how underwhelming Apple's new Playlist Playground beta is. YouTube Music's AI playlist generator is far from perfect, but when I gave it the same prompt for instrumental black metal, it wasn't until the fifth track that it delivered something with lyrics, and that was the exception, rather than the ru …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Streaming keeps getting more expensive: all the latest price hikes

There’s more good stuff to watch than ever — if you can afford it. | Image: Amazon

Death. Taxes. All your streaming services getting a little more expensive all the time. These are the new certainties in life, it seems.

Netflix has raised the cost of its subscription repeatedly in recent years. Disney Plus, Prime Video, HBO Max, Paramount Plus, Peacock — practically any service you can name — charges more per month than it did a few years ago, and many of them have introduced ad breaks. As customers cancel cable more quickly than anyone expected, the studios and distributors are looking for a way to make up the lost revenue. Good shows, live sports, and movies are more in demand — and thus more expensive — than ever.

And after a decade of spending money like it was going out of style because all investors cared about were subscriber numbers, companies are looking for any way they can to improve their bottom line. They’re cracking down on password sharing, canceling shows for the tax breaks, and even selling prized content to other platforms. But the most common strategy is simply to charge you, the viewer, more.

We’re tracking all the price increases and other changes from streaming services so you can make sure you’re only paying for what you want. (We’ll also include discounts and deals, though those seem to happen less and less.) Here’s the latest: