Claude Fable won’t answer basic biology questions
Anthropic just released Claude Fable 5, calling it the most powerful AI model it has ever made widely available and praising its skills in biology, among others. But the model won't answer basic biology questions - the kind you'd expect a high schooler to handle. Instead, it hands off the query to the former flagship model, Claude Opus 4.8.
It isn't because Fable doesn't know the answers. It's because Anthropic won't let it, by design.
Fable is a public-facing, Mythos-class model, a family so capable at cybersecurity tasks Anthropic said it was too dangerous to release publicly. But while Anthropic has spent much of the extended Mythos rol …
Microsoft, like, totally gets why students are booing AI-pilled graduation speakers
New college graduates around the country have been booing and heckling commencement speakers who hype up AI. Microsoft would like everyone to talk it out.
In a blog post running more than 3,100 words, Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith addressed the recent spate of viral clips from graduation ceremonies, like former Google CEO Eric Schmidt getting an earful at the University of Arizona, or the speaker in Florida who seemed surprised when students booed at the mention of AI as "the next industrial revolution." The videos speak to a broader societal sentiment around AI - the technology is deeply unpopular even as technology compani …
The future of AI regulation is courting the strangest, most anxious bedfellows
Hello and welcome to Regulator, a newsletter for Verge subscribers about tech politics, tech influence, and tech shenanigans in Washington, DC. (If you're not a subscriber, you can get on board here.) We're back after a two-week hiatus, during most of which I was gallivanting in the Netherlands for a family wedding, and a trip to the Heineken Experience, which is, truly, an ~experience~.
Before I left, I asked everyone in Washington to please chill out while I was gone. This clearly did not happen, and I have returned to a political landscape that can be best described as that meme from Community where the room is on fire. Let's get into th …
Google won’t just admit it’s feeding YouTube creators to its music AI
If you've uploaded a song to YouTube, Google almost certainly considers your video fair game for training its Lyria music AI, it just won't admit it right now.
A group of independent musicians is suing Google, claiming that it illegally used songs they uploaded to YouTube to train its Lyria 3 model. Google has filed a motion to dismiss the case, saying:
Their lawsuit is based on the unsupported hypothesis that Google trained on their specific works. Even accepting their untested allegations as fact, the Complaint cannot stand. Plaintiffs each granted YouTube, and Google - which provides the service-a broad license to use the uploaded con …
You can just tell the Instagram algorithm what you want now
Instagram is going to let you tweak what its algorithm shows you on your main feed. With the Your Algorithm feature, "you can now see the topics we think you're interested in, and change them, across all the major parts of Instagram," according to Instagram boss Adam Mosseri. Right now, the feature will only surface topics, but Instagram is working on "supporting requests for people, different moods or vibes, content types, and more."
The company has been slowly giving users more agency over some algorithms on Instagram, having already launched the Your Algorithm feature for your Reels feed and the Explore page. With Wednesday's announcemen …
Amazon’s Echo speakers can now help kids wind down and fall asleep
Amazon has launched a new feature for its Echo and Echo Kids smart speakers called Sleep Studio that's designed to make the daily transition to bedtime more enticing for kids and less stressful for parents and caregivers. The feature uses a combination of bedtime stories, relaxing sounds, and guided meditations along with scheduling and customization options accessible only to adults.
Sleep Studio is now available to those with a $5.99 per month Amazon Kids Plus subscription at no extra cost. Amazon offers a free one month trial of the service, but purchasing an Echo Kids device will also get you a complementary six or 12-month subscription …
Microsoft restricts Claude Fable for employees over data retention concerns
Anthropic released Claude Fable, its first Mythos-class AI model, yesterday and it's already causing concerns inside Microsoft. Sources tell me that Microsoft is limiting the use of Claude Fable 5 for employees because of Anthropic's new data retention requirements.
While Microsoft quickly rolled out Claude Fable 5 to its GitHub Copilot and Foundry customers, I'm told the model isn't available in the model picker that Microsoft employees use for internal versions of GitHub Copilot. All other Claude models are still available internally at Microsoft, because they operate under Zero Data Retention (ZDR) rules.
I understand that Microsoft ha …
Google will save your Lens photos, Search Live recordings, and Translate audio for AI training
Google is making some changes to how it saves your interactions with Search. In an email sent to users, Google says it will save the images, files, audio, and video you use to search under a new "Search Services History" setting.
That includes the images you search for with Google Lens, recordings from its real-time Search Live tool, voice searches, and phrases spoken into Translate, according to an update on the company's website. You can switch off the Search Services History setting and disable the "Save Media" option if you don't want Google to save these interactions.
Google says it will use your Search Services History to "provide, d …
Boox’s quirky page-turning remote won me over
Following the launch of the surprisingly popular Kobo Remote, Boox has released its own device to ease the burden of reaching for an e-reader’s touchscreen that’s an arm’s length away. The Tappy isn’t Boox’s first page-turning remote, but its design takes a much different approach to the company’s slim but boring B.T. Remoter. The Tappy feels like a mashup of wireless remotes, fidget toys, and macro pads, with a healthy dash of retro charm.
While the Kobo Remote looks like a streaming dongle accessory with a design that prioritizes ergonomics, the Tappy can be best described as a miniature keyboard distilled to just two buttons that draws its design inspiration from a retro typewriter. It’s not as comfortable to hold as Kobo’s accessory, but it’s small enough to sit discreetly in your hand. There are also four rubber feet on its underside so it won’t slide around if used on a desk, and it’s available in two very glossy color options: olive green and a bright orange that I tested.
Tappy’s two round buttons don’t use actual keyboard switches but they have about a quarter-inch of travel and are satisfying to press when you’re in need of something to fidget with. Out of the box, the buttons are labeled with a pixelated heart and steaming mug of coffee, which I just don’t understand. I immediately switched to the included alternatives that are instead labeled with an X and an O, but more customizability, even if it was just a sheet of stickers I had to apply myself, would be preferred. Forward and back arrows, or even just a plus and minus, would be welcome alternatives to what’s included.
Pairing the Tappy to a Boox device is easy, but don’t misplace the fold-out quick start guide that walks you through the process. After powering it on using a sliding metal switch on the side, you put the remote into pairing mode by holding down both buttons for about two seconds until a single LED on the side flashes blue. From there, you just need to connect to it through your Boox device’s Bluetooth settings. When you power it back on in the future, it reconnects automatically.
Boox Tappy Wireless Page Turner
Where to Buy:
The buttons’ default functionality is Reading mode that turns pages forward and back or controls volume when outside a reading app, but the Tappy can be switched to two other modes. Multimedia mode changes the buttons’ functionality to skipping tracks in music, video, podcast, or audiobook apps, while Browsing mode lets you scroll up and down through long webpages or social media feeds for as long as you’re pressing either button.
Pressing both buttons for about five seconds switches modes, which causes the LED to momentarily flash green. Repeating that process cycles through Reading, Multimedia, and Browsing modes, and every time you switch, a notification pops up at the top of your Boox device letting you know the current mode. But it’s not persistent and can be easily missed. A trio of labeled LEDs indicating the Tappy’s current mode or even having the single LED display a different color for each one would make it easier to know what mode it was in at a glance, especially when using the remote with other devices.
While Tappy works best with Boox e-readers and tablets running the company’s V4.2 firmware or later (which includes recent hardware like the Boox Palma 2 Pro), it can also be used with other Android mobile devices, and iPhones and iPads, with varying levels of functionality. The functionality is supported in both the Kobo and Kindle Android apps, but not in the iOS or iPadOS versions. However, I was able to use the Tappy on my iPhone and OnePlus phone to scroll webpages, control music playback, and adjust the volume.
The bigger challenge when using the Tappy with non-Boox hardware is you don’t get the useful pop-up notifications letting you know which mode you’ve just switched to. And without any LED indicators, the only way to know what mode Tappy is in is to just press the buttons and see what happens. Did the volume go up and down? Great, you’re in Reading mode and are just two switches away from the Browsing mode you want.
Other e-readers from companies like Pocketboot or BigMe are supported, according to Good e-Reader’s testing, but I had no luck getting the Tappy to work with the Kobo and the Kindle. That’s unfortunate because while I still regularly enjoy using the Kobo Remote for reading at night, I would happily abandon it for the Tappy. The tiny remote has already replaced my Apple Watch for skipping tracks when streaming my iPhone through my HomePod, even if its buttons occasionally get accidentally pressed when it’s bouncing around my pocket. At $29.99 it’s the same price as the Kobo Remote, but its buttons are more satisfying to use and it’s more than just a one-device accessory.
Photography by Andrew Liszewski / The Verge
The Apple Watch Series 11 is back to its best price
Apple’s upcoming watchOS 27 update will bring Siri AI and other exciting features to the Apple Watch Series 9 and newer Apple Watch models. If you’re contemplating an upgrade, all colorways of the GPS-enabled 42mm Apple Watch Series 11 — the latest model — are on sale for $299 ($100 off) at Amazon, Walmart, and Target, matching its best price so far. You can customize your look by picking up a discounted Apple Watch band at Woot, starting at $14.99 ($35 off).
Apple Watch Series 11
Where to Buy:
Apple’s Series 11 watch is a solid upgrade, especially for those who are still using an Apple Watch Series 6 or older. Battery life is one area where you’ll see big improvements, with up to 24 hours on a single charge. It also has a more durable, scratch-resistant design and bright, wide-angle OLED screen. While it has the same S10 chip as the $219 Apple Watch SE 3 that we recommend to most people, the Series 11 has a host of extra features, including hypertension notifications, an ultra-wideband chip, a brighter (and more pixel-dense) screen, plus a depth gauge, to name most of the differences.
As previously mentioned it’s one of a few Apple Watch models that will support watchOS 27 when it arrives this fall. The update will bring a redesigned app grid, custom Wallet passes for cards that use barcodes or QR codes, and new Siri AI capabilities. Beyond asking Siri AI to handle a range of tasks from your wrist, it will also be able to surface information stored across your Apple devices, and let you continue conversations after starting them on your iPhone.
Read our Apple Watch Series 11 review.
Three more ways to save
- You can buy the Beats Studio Buds Plus wireless earbuds for $99.99 ($70 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, Target. That matches their best price so far this year, and includes the slick translucent option we were particularly fond of. The Studio Buds Plus deliver a good combination of excellent sound, solid noise cancellation, and comfort, while working well with both Android and iOS devices. They’re also water-resistant and last up to nine hours on a charge, with swappable ear tips for a more secure fit. Read our review.
- Fujifilm will be releasing a new Instax Mini 13 on June 25th, but if you’d rather save some money — or pick up a fun Father’s Day gift — Fujifilm’s Instax Mini 12 is on sale for $79.95 ($14 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target, which is one of its better prices in recent months. While it lacks Mini 13’s self-timer, the Mini 12 is an excellent instant camera, producing clear, natural-looking prints and offering a simple, beginner-friendly experience that’s easy for all ages to enjoy.
- The last-gen 11-inch LTE-enabled iPad Air with 128GB of storage is on sale for $499 ($250 off) at Best Buy, putting it at the same price as the Wi-Fi-only model. Its M3 chip isn’t as powerful as the newer M4’s, but it’s still fast, and it touts support for Apple Intelligence. It’ll be compatible with iPadOS 27 when it’s released in the fall, which adds Siri AI updates and makes transferring files to an external drive faster, among many other improvements. Read our review.